Going the Distance to Help Those in Need 

Two years after Manish left Hinduism to follow Jesus in 2008, he began sharing the gospel full-time in local Hindu communities in India. Recently, Hindu nationalists have started to push back.

On Feb. 22, as Pastor Manish led a Sunday worship service, a group of roughly 20 Hindu men and women entered his church and threatened the congregation, sexually assaulted the women, and frightened the children.

“They warned the believers and the pastor’s family that they would face social boycott, including the stoppage of government-provided supplies and cancellation of their ID cards,” an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer said.  

The mob brought Pastor Manish outside to a tent where many people from outside his village had gathered. For two hours, the pastor and his family were verbally abused. The group also pressured Pastor Manish to shut down his church permanently.  

Today, the church remains closed. Pastor Manish is unable to move freely or meet with members of his church, as he is constantly followed. Due to the closure of his church, he and his family are facing significant financial hardship. Their livelihood depended entirely on his ministry work.

Although Pastor Manish’s family filed a complaint with the police regarding the incident, the police made no report.  

ICC helped Pastor Manish’s family, helping meet their basic needs with groceries, sustaining their livelihood, and helping them emotionally and spiritually recover from the trauma they experienced.  

“ICC stepped forward to support the family by providing groceries and encouraging them to remain strong in their faith, continue living for Christ, and faithfully serve the Lord,” an ICC staffer said. 

Due to heavy persecution in the area, ICC staffers visited the family in multiple safe places to deliver the groceries and other items. 

“We sincerely thank ICC for supporting our family by providing food supplies during this difficult time,” the pastor said. “This help was necessary for the survival and support of my family. I am truly grateful to ICC for helping my family in our time of need. Thank you so much, ICC!” 

For some time, the family lived in uncertainty, not knowing where their next meals would come from. The trauma they experienced led them to be consumed by fear and depression. 

However, the support from ICC has helped the family regain stability and hope. The assistance helped in their recovery — physically, emotionally, and spiritually — enabling them to stand firm in their faith, continue in their walk with Christ, and gradually restore normalcy in their lives. 

“My family and I express our heartfelt thanks to ICC, and we pray for ICC,” Pastor Manish said. “If not for ICC’s help, we would have struggled and suffered so much in life. No one helped us. You do not know us, yet you sent your volunteers to help and stand with us in these difficult days of persecution, and provided the needed support and comfort to our family. 

“‘Thank you’ is not enough for being such a great encouragement and giving us food, as we are not able to get government provisions here. Your kind gesture strengthened us in these times of difficulties.” 

*Names have been changed for security reasons 

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The post Going the Distance to Help Those in Need  first appeared on International Christian Concern.