When Sri Lankans elect a new government on April 2, religion will play a significant role. The Supreme Council of Monks had been pressuring the two main political parties, pledging their support if the party would enact new laws banning "unethical conversions." When it appeared that neither party would accept these conditions, the monks put forward the names of 260 leading monks as candidates under the Jathika Hela Urumaya Party ("National Heritage Party").
Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera
This is the first time that Buddhist monks have entered Sri Lankan politics as candidates and their presence in the political arena is causing concerns among Christians who have been facing severe persecution in recent months. The monks pledge to build a nation based on "Dhamma values" (the basis of the Buddhist worldview) and said that they entered the race because of political corruption and concerns about alleged "unethical conversions." One of the monks running for office, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, is regarded by many as the successor to the Gangodawila Soma Thera who recently died amidst controversy. Thera said, in defending the decision to enter politics, that they will give "due place" to other religions and there would be no threat to them. However, many of the acts of aggression against Christians in recent months have been organized and led by Buddhist monks.
Pray that God will intervene in the election process in Sri Lanka and that the elected government will recognize the religious rights of all people. Pray for continued peace for Christians during this time of uncertainty.
VOMC supports persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka as they witness for Christ in hostile environments through Biblical training, legal aid, and advocacy, as well as rehabilitation and emergency assistance.
Ethnicity (%) Sinhalese (74.9), Sri Lankan Tamil (11.2), Sri Lankan Moors (9.2), Indian Tamil (4.2), other (0.5)
Religion (%) Buddhism (70.2), Hinduism (12.6), Islam (9.7), Roman Catholic (6.1), Evangelical Christianity (2.0)
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe (July 2022)
Government type Presidential republic
Legal system Mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Sri Lanka
Let's unite our hearts in prayer for those in Sri Lanka who are being persecuted for their faith, thanking God for what He is accomplishing despite the opposition. Ask that His people will be encouraged, strengthened and equipped by the promises of the Bible – the Sword of the Spirit – knowing that He is watching over His Word to perform it (Ephesians 6:17; Jeremiah 1:12). May they not only overcome the strategies of the enemy, but also serve as effective witnesses to those in need of eternal salvation and deliverance from spiritual captivity.
Pastors from the Foursquare Church recently gathered at their denominational campground in the Puttalam District of Sri Lanka for an annual convention. At around 1 a.m. on January 25th, a group of unidentified individuals entered the camp and began vandalizing the property.
On the morning of December 3rd, police entered the Assembly of God church in the town of Makola, which is located near the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. The officer in charge questioned whether the service was being conducted legally. Since the believers were in the middle of a worship service, the pastor agreed to report to the police station the next morning.
Pastor Jerome Fernando is the leader of the Glorious Church in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. Along with his regular church ministry role, he also holds evangelistic meetings in various areas of the world. As a prominent religious leader, his messages are heard by many online, as well as by those attending his speaking engagements in person.
As the pastor of the Good Shepherd Church in the Polonnaruwa district of Sri Lanka seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ to the members of his community, part of his ministry includes overseeing a drug rehabilitation centre in the local village. According to a recent report, a Christian man working at the centre was attacked on June 16th by two opposing villagers, resulting in abrasions on his neck. The perpetrators also threatened to "break the church."
Population
