ICC Note:

Since Nepal adopted a secular democracy in 2008, Christianity in the country has been on the rise. Before 2008, foreign missionaries were barred from entering Nepal. Now, the country is home to over 8,000 churches and more than one million believers. This growth has not come without its setbacks. Christians in Nepal have often faced discrimination and sometimes outright persecution for their faith. Last year, three churches in Nepal were attacked by bombers after the country voted to remain a secular democracy and not become officially a Hindu nation. 

12/06/2016 Nepal (Christian Daily) – Christianity in Nepal has been on the rise since the government adopted a secular democracy in 2008, a trend that has reportedly been driven by natural disasters and changes in society.

Christian missionaries were previously banned from entering the country before absolute monarchy came to an end in 2008, but it is now home to more than 8,000 Christian churches and over a million converts. Every Saturday, around 300 Christians gather at the Nepal Isai Mandali-Gyaneshwor Church in Kathmandu for prayers, hymns, worship and sermons.

M.J. Shah, a descendant of the long-ruling monarchs of Nepal, is now married to a Christian woman and says he grew up believing that Christianity was only for those who belonged to the lower caste. When he embraced the faith in 2005, his family disowned him at first until they saw the positive change in his behavior since he converted.

“When I was growing up I was told Christianity was not for us. It was only for lower caste people,” shared Shah, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. “Before, I was a gambler, a fighter, a drinker and a drug user. I used to beat people up. I was terrible.”

For Dil Maya, a 70-year-old Dalit which is an “untouchable” caste, the appeal of Christianity stems from the sense of acceptance they get from their co-believers. She testified that she went to a church to pray for the healing of her husband, whom no doctor was able to cure. She not only received healing for herself and her husband, but she also experienced acceptance from the community for the first time ever.

Minority groups like the Dalits and the Kirats have been drawn to Christianity since Nepal adopted a secular form of government in 2008. According to the Federation of National Christians in Nepal, Dalits make up 60 percent of all believers in the country.

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