8/25/2025 India (International Christian Concern) — More than 200 house churches in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh have been affected following new restrictions on worshipping inside a house, claiming that it’s necessary to maintain law and order.

Two Sundays have passed by since the house churches, which are in and around the capital city of Raipur, were shut, and one pastor was detained on Aug. 24, for allegedly violating the police orders.

According to media reports, the police chief of Raipur called the pastors to a public meeting a few weeks ago, announcing that Christians could no longer worship in house churches as they were receiving numerous complaints that illegal conversions were occurring in house churches.

Additionally, the superintendent of police informed the pastors that Christians would only be permitted to meet in officially registered church buildings, and all prayer meetings in private homes must be stopped to maintain law and order.

The arrest of the pastor for trying to reopen his church has alarmed the Christian leaders, who fear that this could set a precedent across Chhattisgarh.

Speaking to International Christian Concern (ICC), Pastor Sanjay, a senior pastor who runs a registered church in Raipur, stated that house churches serve as the nucleus for the growth of Christianity. Still, pastors of such churches do not receive the support of mainline Christian organizations that have large, registered church buildings.

According to Sanjay, house churches, which typically have 30 to 100 members, are generally deemed to be run by poor pastors and therefore they are soft targets for both authorities and fanatics. This is the real problem, he said.

A petition has been filed in the High Court of Chhattisgarh against the police directive, and hearings are ongoing.

However, this entire affair reflects the sad state of affairs across the nation, despite the country having a secular constitution.

The Indian Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of religion. Article 25 of the constitution encompasses various aspects related to the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion.

The freedom of religion under this article is subject to reasonable restrictions imposed in the interest of public order, morality, and health. This means that while individuals have the right to practice their religion, it should not disrupt the harmony of society or infringe upon the well-being of others.

The authorities, on numerous occasions, use the clause, “in the interest of public order, morality, and health,” to impose restrictions on Christian gatherings, which seems to be the case with regard to shutting down the house churches in Chhattisgarh.

Christian leaders fear that this clause could be misused by authorities in the future to issue unconstitutional blanket bans against pastors who hold house gatherings all over the state.

Meanwhile, attacks on churches by religious fanatics are unabated as the Hindu nationalists target worship gatherings every Sunday across Chhattisgarh.

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