Pastor Y Nuen Ayun, a member of the Montagnard and Ede people group, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and an additional four years of probation.

Authorities arrested him in October 2025 for leading and pastoring the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ in Dak Lak Province. The Vietnamese Communist government considers this unregistered church to be violating national security by organizing religious activities and connecting to overseas enemies of the state.

Vietnamese communist officials specifically mention and attack Pastor Y Nuen’s connection to Pastor A Ga, who is living overseas. Pastor A Ga was heavily involved in leading the Central Highlands Evangelical Church of Christ. Officials allege he is still financing their activities. Pastor Ga has now been classified as a terrorist and enemy of the country.

In a country where the government tightly monitors and regulates religious expression, churches that defy the regime’s regulations are forced underground. The Communist Party of Vietnam often uses fabricated or vague criminal charges to silence Christians, particularly Montagnard Christians, who share Christ’s love under a government threatened by the gospel. 

Despite these realities, the church in Vietnam continues to faithfully and boldly advance God’s kingdom under oppression. This report briefly explores the unique history of the church in Vietnam and the challenges it faces today.  

“Please pray for Pastor Y Nuen and his family, for Pastor Ga living overseas, and Montagnard Christian leaders and church members under heavy pressure and persecution in the Central Highlands of Vietnam,” an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer said.

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