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| Families in Laos face persecution if they practise the Christian faith. |
Pastor Singkeaw Wongkongpheng, who received warnings from the Laos government to not evangelize locals, was stabbed to death in his home on September 8th. The attacker is identified as "Mr. Wansai," who claimed he was a secret police officer and prison guard for Pha-Oh Prison. Along with four other men, Mr. Wansai had initially planned to kidnap Pastor Singkeaw and his wife, and then dispose of them secretly, as had been done to another Christian leader and his wife in a separate incident several years ago.
While attempting to rescue his wife, Pastor Singkeaw was suddenly stabbed in the back three times. His wife is now left widowed, and their six children are grieving the loss of their father. VOM's in-country contacts know this village well, and are already reaching out to this hurting family and the members of their church.
Pastor Singkeaw, the founder of the Na-ang Church in Luang Prabang province, had established the church in 2000, just three years after Luang officials began prohibiting Christians in his district and many others in the province from proselytizing. Despite objections from officials, the dedicated pastor continued sharing his faith in five different villages and ministering to those in need.
Four decades have passed since the Communists seized power and expelled foreign missionaries. While the Laos constitution now upholds the right for citizens to adopt and practise a religion, it criminalizes those the officials deem "divisive." AsiaNews reports that "Protestant communities have suffered the most from religious persecution; cases include peasants deprived of food for their faith and clergymen arrested by the authorities." Restrictions on Christian worship have increased since the government issued a new set of guidelines in 2003 for acceptable religious belief and worship. Previous reports can be found at the Laos Country Report.
As Pastor Singkeaw's family now tries to cope with this tragic loss, we pray that God will satisfy their longing souls with His abiding presence and wonderfully provide for all of their needs. May the Lord also encourage the members of the Na-ang Church by blessing them with a new spiritual leader who will serve them and their community with integrity and love. We pray the Laotian believers be granted the grace to wholeheartedly live for Christ and in accordance to His leading, and that the government will recognize the need to heed God's promptings to permit these believers freedom to worship and share their faith. In fact, may the enemy's attempts to stifle the growth of Christianity in Laos backfire, serving instead as a means for many more to hear the Gospel message and respond to the saving grace of Jesus.
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