Churches in Pakistan Growing Despite Opposition

Despite multiple instances of persecution by Muslim extremists in recent weeks, native missionaries in Pakistan report that their work is drawing people to the Lord in growing numbers.

While the federal government has made efforts to protect Christians from mistreatment and grant religious freedom to all, certain radical Muslims and rogue police officers have actively and sometimes violently opposed Christians, according to Virginia-based Christian Aid.

Last month, a native gospel worker with an indigenous ministry in the Potohar region was kidnapped and held for three days, during which he suffered repeated beatings and deprivation of food as his captors tried to force him to renounce his faith. Through he was recently released, ministry leaders report that his two front teeth have been knocked out and he is still in a state of shock. They’ve also reported that local police refused to listen to his complaints or to seek out and punish his kidnappers.

Several native missionaries working in other isolated Islamic villages in rural areas were also threatened and beaten in September by those who opposed their work.

Despite these episodes, churches in Pakistan continue to grow as more and more people turn to Christ, Christian Aid reports. “Native missionaries are taking full advantage of the relative freedom they currently enjoy, distributing Bibles and Bible portions by the hundreds to spiritually hungry individuals. In one hitherto unreached region, gospel workers recently gave over 900 Bibles or portions to those who requested them,” the mission agency stated.

Christian Aid also reports that in much of the country, churches are becoming crowded as more and more people choose to follow Christ. Some hold three meetings on Sundays, with each lasting up to three hours.

“The work of the Lord is advancing in Pakistan despite some efforts to stop it,” Christian Aid wrote. “Please pray for protection for Christian brothers and sisters in the country as they persevere to spread the gospel.”

According to the annual International Religious Freedom Report, released by the U.S. State Department on Sept. 15, the Pakistani government fails in many respects to protect the rights of religious minorities because of public policy and the government's unwillingness to take action against societal forces hostile to those who practice a different faith.

The report also stated that the accretion of discriminatory religious legislation has fostered an atmosphere of religious intolerance, which contributes to acts of violence directed against non-Muslims and members of minority Muslim groups. The U.S. State Department reported that there were instances in which the Government failed to intervene in cases of societal violence directed at minority religious groups. The lack of an adequate government response has allegedly contributed to an atmosphere of impunity for acts of violence and intimidation against religious minorities.




Kenneth Chan
Ecumenical Press