CHVN | Libby Giesbrech | September 27, 2020
Christians in a Sri Lankan village are being told by others in the village they cannot continue to worship.
In late June, a group of about 30 people in the eastern part of the country went to the Jesus Witness Church home church service, Voice of the Martyrs South Africa (VOMSA) reports.
A member of group called the pastor and told him he was not allowed to hold worship services in the village any longer.
The pastor asked the caller what group they were. The caller informed him they were from the Rural Development Society.
The pastor then attempted to file a formal complaint with police but was told by the authorities he could not do so based on a telephone call. Later, the officer who told this to the pastor was rebuked by a superior and the pastor’s complaint was accepted.
VOMSA reports that religious harassment of this kind is not uncommon in Sri Lanka. They urge pastors to continue to persevere in their ministry and ask for prayer for believers in the country.
Persecution is considered to be “very high” in Sri Lanka. The country is listed as the 30th country in the world where the worst levels of persecution against Christians occurs, according to Open Doors’ current World Watch List.