By Debora Timmer
2/28/2017 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) recently funded a persecution preparedness training program for rural pastors in the Nalgonda district of Telangana. The program taught 23 pastors proactive techniques to use when facing persecution and to help them sustain their work.
In the last two years, Telangana’s Christians have suffered more persecution than any other state in southern India. In part because of their vulnerable background, local pastors and Christian workers are assaulted by neighboring religious extremists. The Christians’ ignorance about India’s laws that promote religious freedom plays a major role in the constant attacks because they do not know how to present their case to the authorities.
The persecution preparedness training assists rural pastors and Christian workers in two ways. First, they learned how to advocate for themselves using India’s law. Second, the training involved sensitizing the participants on the Indian Penal codes and Criminal Procedure codes.
“I did not have any understanding of rights, and Article 25 of the constitution. I am hearing it [for] the first time,” Pastor Aaron told ICC. “Now I know to defend my rights in case I or any others in the area are [falsely] accused of a crime under the law.”
The Telangana Christian Joint Action Committee, a local human rights group, collaborated with ICC by coordinating with pastors in the area. They also hosted the training and provided lunch to the attendees.
With six mainline denominations and several independent churches in attendance, the majority of the training participants were pastors. Designed as one full-day training session, the program started around 10:00 a.m. and concluded around 4:30 p.m.
One pastor praised the training, saying “Thank you so much for sparing your time to educate us on where to report in the case of attack on us or somebody whom I know. I was not aware that so many organizations and institutions are working to protect us. Once again thank you.”
“We need to have more of these kind of sessions, because the time is such on daily basis we encounter situations of persecution,” Rev. M. Segar said. “On behalf of the organizers and participants, I would like to thank ICC for making this possible so that we could stand strong in the face of persecution. Thank you indeed.”
ICC requests continued prayer for the safety of all of these pastors. In addition, pray that these pastors in India will now be able to respond and report persecution as the first step in fighting for justice and religious freedom.