Churches in Sri Lanka under pressure

(Images courtesy of Baptist Press)

Sri Lanka (MNN) ― Christian persecution on the island nation of Sri Lanka has seen a dramatic increase in the past year.

In the last four months alone, Open Doors USA, which closely monitors the persecuted church, says over 30 churches have been attacked by Buddhist extremists attempting to maintain Sri Lanka's Buddhist heritage.

We spoke via Skype with a Christian leader working with Asian Access in Sri Lanka who confirms the reports. For security reasons, we'll call him Brother Amos. "Large numbers of churches have been attacked, and many people think--when it comes to violence--it is the Muslims who can be violent against Christians. But that is not true, in our experience, in this part of the world. The Buddhists can also be extremely violent."

Why the spike in trouble from Buddhists? Violence seems to go against all their principles. Brother Amos explains, "With the Church beginning to grow, they feel very insecure. Their economy is hurting because people are turning to Christ. As a result of that, they [Buddhists] have turned against the churches, and that is their belief that by violence and by persecution, they can cause the growth of the church to be stopped."

How is economy tied into this problem? The growth of the church means that people who used to go to Buddhist temples are no longer doing so. "The income that came to the temple from these believers of Buddhism has now been diverted to the Church. Some of the temples in rural areas are finding it difficult to survive because people are leaving Buddhism."

There's a political angle, too. "Our constitution says that every religion has freedom of worship and expression and to propagate their faith," explains Brother Amos. However, "70% of our people are Buddhist. So the government is aware that if they go against Buddhism, they will be thrown out of power very soon." The government turns a blind eye to the attacks in order to appease the majority Buddhists, he adds.

Some churches have taken legal action and received favorable decisions, but is this a development in the right direction? On one hand, it's an accountability question. On the other, the challenge of persecution puts the relevance of the body of Christ into play. Brother Amos says, "Our mandate is to develop leaders who become relevant to the soil and relevant to the nations. Part of being relevant to our nation now is to be able to face persecution. In the midst of persecution, one of the key factors has been helping our people to know that God still reigns and God is seated on the Throne."

Asian Access invests in leadership training for the future. "Our investment has been picking the best in the country, providing them with the best training and presenting them with the best models so that they can be the catalyst in the growth of the Church."

It's likely the backlash won't be easing up soon. "My gut level feeling is that it will continue and it will intensify until and unless the international community will bring pressure on the government," Amos says, confirming that extremists will do whatever it takes to keep Sri Lanka a Buddhist nation. What it boils down to is the fight for the soul of a nation. "The God of this world has blinded the eyes of the people. Our direct enemy is not the human beings who are attacking us, but our direct enemy is the Evil One who causes people to do things against the Church of God."

Will you pray with the believers in Sri Lanka? They're asking prayer for wisdom for the Christian leaders, strength to endure hardship, and boldness to share the hope of Christ regardless.

Bangladesh Islamists push for blasphemy law

(Images courtesy Uncultured/Creative Commons/Flickr)

Bangladesh (MNN) ― At least 27 people died in clashes between police and Islamic hardliners in Bangladesh's capital city Monday. 

Demonstrators were demanding that the government enact an anti-blasphemy law. We spoke with the national co-director ofAsian Access(A2)/Bangladesh, Rev. Peter Mazumder, who also serves as director of IFES-Bangladesh (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students). He explains, [sic] "Jamaat-e-Islami want to pressure that Bangladesh should have this blasphemy law, which is totally denied by the government of Bangladesh. And also, the concerned people from Bangladesh, they don't accept that one." 

Essentially, that means the government of the Muslim-majority nation has rejected the demand, insisting that Bangladesh is governed by secular law. 

However, Jamaat-e-Islami was joined by Hefajat-e-Islam, the islamist group behind the demand, and the main opposition party, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). Hefajat-e-Islam attracted little public attention until recently. Mazumder says its mission is stated in its name: ‘Hefajat-e-Islam' translates to ‘protecting islam'. 

With the three groups together, that advanced the number of protestors exponentially. It was a tinder box situation. Mazumder says, [Sic] "We don't like the violence. The fundamental groups are so dangerous, that they are breaking all the cars and everything, and all of the sudden, lots of riots is coming up, and it's not safe."

The opposition has sponsored a series of recent general strikes demanding that the next general election due in early 2014 be supervised by a neutral caretaker administration.

Paying attention to the political makeup of the government is particularly important because for a ministry like Asian Access, Bangladesh is the first Muslim country where they've set up operations. 

In 2011, A2 launched its first leader development session in Bangladesh. Mazumder notes that Class 1 is in session this week, and only a few participants have been late or unable to come because of the protest strikes. It means that their work is largely undisrupted despite the upheaval. [Sic] "We are having our A2 seminars, and we are now completing the seventh seminar semester; in September, we're having our graduation."

Notably, the national strikes have impacted the last three previous sessions, (Sep, Nov, and Feb). A2 notes that sometimes the session needs to end early, in order to allow enough time for the pastors to make it back to their home churches in time to preach on Sunday.

The situation created a unique and unifying opportunity for Christians in Bangladesh, says Mazumder. [Sic]"The last few days many churches came together, and we prayed God may transform this situation and change the situation. We'd like to see a peaceful country like that, so you can pray for that."

The accord between these Christians is proof that A2's approach to church leadership training and discipleship training works. Essentially, it boils down to this idea: If you want to plant a church, you must first grow a leader. Careful selection of a select group of emerging leaders is key. The Asian Access leadership training has been recognized as one of the most creative and fruitful leadership training programs in Asia. 

Continue to pray for the safety of the students and leaders. Ask God to intervene on behalf of believers in Bangladesh. Pray for peace to be restored. If you want to see more about the leadership training model, click here. 

Lasting change in Burma starts with mindset

(Cover photo courtesy the Methodist Church of Lower Myanmar.
 Story photo by Tasha Sargent) Bishop Zothan Mawia

Myanmar (MNN) ― Christians in Myanmar are hopeful.

For the first time in decades, real change seems to be coming. Not only that, but the reforms appear to be sticking. Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's most famous dissident-turned-parliament-member doesn't negate that, but she does urge caution.

There are a great number of tasks that face the emerging nation, and it's exactly that challenge to which  Asian Access rises. The ministry has been working behind the scenes in Myanmar, and up until recently was shaped by Bishop Zothan Mawia.

Mawai explains why care would be prudent. "We have been isolated for many years. [In] 1962, the military took over, and then all the education was from English medium to Burmese medium. We were isolated in the sense that going out of Myanmar is also quite difficult. Education was weakened."

The political infrastructure remains fragile, and peace with the Maoists is equally frail. "Slowly, it's moving. We can't change in one day's time, so we need time," explains Mawia. A leap forward isn't realistic. "In that sense, we also realize that we have a part to play. We are trying our best to have this mindset change." Unless the mindset changes internally, lasting change for Myanmar is fleeting.

From the beginning, Mawia's heart has been bent toward reconciliation. In order to move forward, he's stressed the importance of understanding others' hurts as well as the willingness to forgive.

That's where Asian Access programs are most effective. "For Christians, we believe that the transformation is by the power of the Holy Spirit. So we hope the very basic mindset will be changed. That might be better for the community and then hopefully for the country. So far, that's what we have in mind."

The groundwork was already in place, since A2 has been in Myanmar since 2003. Though Mawia is not actively directing A2's ministry there now, he was integral in getting A2 launched. He has since passed the baton to a new, younger leader.

There were three things he noted as obstacles to effective church growth in Myanmar. One came about as a result of a weakened education system. "Many potential leaders like to go abroad for further study, but their English is weak, so many of them cannot." Going abroad may have been immaterial, since few could afford the study--problem number two. And the last problem: cultural differences that created nearly as much frustration as the language barrier.

Asian Access' work of leadership training has been recognized as one of the most creative and fruitful leadership training programs in Asia. The key to its effectiveness is the careful selection of twelve emerging leaders.

First things first, says Mawia. "Pastors work very hard, focusing on ministry. But the relationship with God, many times we just ignore unconsciously. We try to make that number one, to make the leaders come back to the love of God."  

These leaders are then invited to be a part of a class that meets four times a year, for a week at a time, over a two-year period. When the twelve meet together, they are working through an established curriculum that accelerates their growth as spiritual leaders, as well as organizational leaders. At their training sessions, they are resourced by leaders in and outside their country.

Mawia proudly notes the success of a program that thrived despite the oppressive conditions of the country in which they were operating. The first class graduated with 11, then 12, and then last May, nine graduates from the 3-year courses were ready for their own ministry.

As part of their training, leaders are also given the skills to determine the needs of the communities and the context in which they live and minister. Upon that knowledge, they then develop skills to equip their congregation for effective service, Mawia explains. "Though we are a minority, we still have to show forth Jesus Christ or the power of the Holy Spirit through our life, that they may be able to come to God."

New church leaders don't always have a clear path. However, for the most part, the communities where the leaders work notice something immediately. "They are also aware that we Christians are different. They can accept Christians and say, 'You are based on love.' We are not threatening them."

The question really is: is the change bringing hope, or is it hope bringing change?