NEPAL: ANTI-CONVERSION LAW RUMORED TO TARGET CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN NEPAL

20 Aug 2018 In VOMK Tuesday Report By Pastor Tim

NEPAL: ANTI-CONVERSION LAW RUMORED TO TARGET CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN NEPAL

Starting August 15th, the government of Nepal will enforce a law which prohibits conversion to Christianity. This “anti-conversion” law was established last year to prevent conversions to Christianity in the former Hindu kingdom and is only now being implemented.

“Only a small minority of Nepal is Christian, but this minority is slowly and steadily growing,”

Voice of the Martyrs board chair Hyun Sook Foley explains.

“Many believe this law was implemented to institutionalize Hinduism and stop the spread of Christianity.”

According to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the church in Nepal has been growing at a faster rate than nearly anywhere else in the world. And, according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea board chair Foley, it has been said that starting August 15^th, Christian leaders will be targeted, arrested and prosecuted.

“Partners inside Nepal have been told that Hindu forces within the government have already drafted a list of Christian leaders to be immediately jailed, and several of the leaders Voice of the Martyrs works with are on that list,” board chair Foley explains. “In the last decade, these men have overseen the planting of thousands of churches. It makes sense that they’d be targeted by forces trying to halt the growth of the Church.”

When asked how to pray for the church in Nepal, board chair Foley explained that while praying for the safety and security of our Nepalese brothers and sisters is a must, there are also other ways to pray.

“When the law is enforced and Christian leaders are arrested, please pray that their families will be provided for and that they would be strengthened by God to do his work wherever he might send them.”

Board chair Foley adds, “Our hearts are heavy for our brothers and sisters in Nepal. We are concerned for their safety, their families, and their future. However, we know the One who holds them. This is the one who spoke through the Apostle Paul while in prison and said, ‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father over all, who is over all and through all and in all.’ May the Lord strengthen his people and give them grace, one day at a time.”

To learn more about the church in Nepal, read Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s Nepal Country profile. You can also visit the Voice of the Martyrs Korea website (www.vomkorea.kr) to read the profiles of the more than 70 other countries around the world where Christians are persecuted.