On October 21, the Voice of the Martyrs received an update from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, outlining some of the recent opposition facing evangelical churches in Sri Lanka.
In the first week of October, a crowd of around seventy people, led by the Balapitiya Bauddha Balamandalaya members and Buddhist monks, threatened the Balapitiya branch of the Ambalangoda Assemblies of God (A.O.G.) Church, demanding that the church close within a month. When the police were informed, the officer in charge refused to record the complaint, saying he would consult is superiors and take necessary action.
In another incident, the A.O.G. Church in Embilipitiya's worship service on October 12, was disrupted by a mob led by seven Buddhist monks. They demanded that the services stop and that the believers leave the area. One of the monks brought out a bottle of poison, challenging the pastor to drink it as proof that his God was real, citing the words of Jesus. The pastor responded that the Scriptures instruct Christians not to test God. The mob left after threatening the believers.
The Athurugiriya branch of the New Covenant Life Centre has been facing repeated threats. As a result, they were not meeting in the reception hall they normally used on Sunday, October 19. The church held a very low-key worship service to avoid any altercation. This did not prevent a group of about fifty men, led by a Buddhist monk, from stopping the service and demanding that everyone leave the building and no longer meet in this village. Pastor Dushantha De Silva and the congregation left as requested and filed a complaint with the police. The officer in charge has called for an inquiry to be held on October 25 and informed all parties to be present.
Two different A.O.G. churches have also faced threats and attacks from members of Roman Catholic churches. On October 5 and 12, the AOG Church in Vankalai was threatened by members of the Vankalai Roman Catholic Church. Members of the AOG Church were beaten and their lives threatened. The pastor and members were ordered to leave Vankalai or face death. On October 19, a group of around one thousand people marched on the AOG church in Batuwatte, led by the Catholic priest and four monks. They demanded that the services be discontinued, saying that Christians should worship in the Catholic Church and Buddhists in the Buddhist temple. The pastor was accused of unethical conversions and bribery.
Pray for strength and wisdom for believers in Sri Lanka facing these repeated attacks. Pray that they will know the best way to respond to allegations and demands. Pray for protection and the ability to stand firm in their faith through the power of God's Spirit.
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