Hindu Mob Stones Church Meeting in a Tent

7/18/08 India (International Christian Concern) – A church that has attracted thousands of Hindu converts is now the target of strenuous Hindu opposition. The church, called Heavenly Feast, currently has nearly 15,000 members and is meeting in a tent in Kottayam, a city in the state of Kerala, India.

The Hindu group SMBP group has their own Hindu prayer building close to the Heavenly Feast tent. SMBP started growing concerned a few months ago after thousands of Hindus, including members of the SMBP, started converting to Christianity through the ministry of Heavenly Feast. In return, the SMBP has been accusing Heavenly Feast of setting up its tent illegally.

They have been hosting rallies for the last month and have partially destroyed the tent, stopping a ministry of the church that fed 1,500 people every day.

The weekend of July 5, the SMBP asked the government to close the church. On July 6, members of the Hindu group were trying to stop the public from going into the Heavenly Feast tent and were abusing church-goers with foul language as they entered the tent.

During one of the services the Hindu party began to throw stones into the tent, injuring 25 people.

Police arrived and fired rubber bullets to clear out the crowd defuse the situation. Police stopped families from going into the tent to protect them.

As a result, the head of the district, the District Collector, declared a 10-day curfew on the area. She said that until the property issue of the church is resolved, the church cannot meet. The curfew bans people from gathering in groups within 500 meters of the local district office, Hindu SMBP office, and the Heavenly Feast tent.

Pastors in the area are afraid because it is believed that the Hindu party has a hidden plan to continue attacks on other churches.