ICC Note:

According to a new report, Christianity in India is growing despite facing increased persecution. It is estimated that between 25 – 60 million Christians live in India and that number is growing everyday. Coinciding with the rise of the BJP, a political party currently controlling India’s Central Government, the persecution of Christians in India has increased. Many claim this rise has to do with the BJP’s political background as a Hindu nationalist organization which in turn encourages already operating Hindu radical groups to attack religious minorities. 

11/07/2016 India (Christian Today) – Although India is a predominantly Hindu nation, Christians are reportedly packing churches by the thousands.

A farming community in Rajasthan, India’s largest state, shows one example of Christianity’s remarkable growth in the subcontinent despite continuing reports of Christian persecution, according to The Gospel Herald.

One church there has a congregation of about 2,000 believers who attend Sunday service. In some cases, members of a family have to take turns going to the service so that someone is left at home to take care of the farm animals.

Christians who attend church service in India come “from all walks of life,” including farmers and city residents.

According to Christianity Today, there are approximately 25 to 60 million Christians in India today, most of them Catholics, while about 1 billion Indians are Hindus.

Calvary Temple, an even bigger Christian church, is located in the city of Hyderabad. The megachurch can hold 35,000 people. It holds five services every Sunday, each one packed with worshippers. The church, pastored by Satish Kumar, is dubbed as the “largest church in India.”

“Many Americans think nothing is happening among Christians in India,” Kumar told Christianity Today. “We have to change that opinion.”

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