Evangelicals Present Pro Fide Award 2006 (For the Faith) to Sri Lanka

The International Pro Fide Award has been presented to the Rev. Godfrey Yogarajah of Sri Lanka, the General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia, for his sacrificial service to the persecuted church, on Dec. 2, 2006.

The ceremony took place in conjunction with the World Evangelical Alliance International Leadership Team meeting in Jerusalem, Israel, and marked the 14th time the Finnish organisation "Friends of the Martyred Church" presented the award to Christian leaders who suffer daily for their faith.

"I feel very unworthy to accept this award, as this award belongs to those who are serving in the remote areas of the world unrecognized, unappreciated, persecuted and oppressed for their faith," said Rev. Yogarajah, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Sri Lanka. "Today I accept this award in behalf of all those voiceless people so that I can be their voice, and in a small way bring awareness and consciousness of the suffering church worldwide."

Last month, some members of Rev Yogarajah 's team were abducted amid the ensuing violence surrounding the civil war in Sri Lanka. 142 churches were also burned in the past few years and dozens of Christian workers beaten up for their faith. Despite the escalating threats, Rev. Yogarajah has continued to serve in his role, speaking out on behalf of the country's minority Christians and rallying for their cause to churches around the world.