Barnabas Aid September/October 2011

THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.
org
september/october 2011
Christians in
South Asia
A pattern of world persecution
IN THIS ISSUE
Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

Information, sermon outline,
resources and more inside
Welcome from the Director
Contents
3 Project News
Desert bursts into “Persecuted...
but not destroyed”
life in Egypt
6 Christians in
South Asia
Suffering Church
Sunday 2011-12 The Church in South Asia
6 Poster
According to tradition, it was the Apostle north. Certainly by the time the first Western
7 Introduction
Thomas who first brought the Gospel to missionaries arrived, there had been no
8 Regional profile India, starting seven churches in the south Christian presence there for many
13 Testimony and setting up a cross in each of the seven generations.
towns. He is said to have converted 13,229
14 Focus people, including two kings and seven We can rejoice in the Lord that there are
16 Project update village chiefs, not so much by his preaching now national Christians in every country of
as through the holiness of his life and the South Asia, even in Afghanistan. Yet life is
18 Sermon outline miracles he performed. He is believed to not easy for them. They face pressures from
20 Bible study have been martyred near Mylapore, where militant Islam, the rise of fundamentalist
Hindu priests killed him because he refused Hinduism, and a form of Buddhism that is
21 Resources to worship the goddess Kali. Thomas is no longer a religion of peace but has
known for his doubts, but the New become a religion of violence. In some
Testament shows that he was actually a countries they also face pressure from the
23 Operation
Nehemiah
Equality commission
disciple who loved the Lord deeply, and the
fruit of his evangelistic work in India has
endured for two millennia.
rise of nationalism and communism. Like
the apostle Paul, they are “hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but
promotes freedom for not in despair; persecuted, but not
Christians There are indications that Thomas may also abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed”
have been to the north-west of the sub- (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
continent. Whether he did or not, historical
24 Newsroom records show that, by the late 2nd century, In the midst of such pressure, the Church
Independence at last there were Christians in the region that is continues to grow; yet, like Thomas, they
for South Sudan now Afghanistan and Pakistan. A precious are uncertain of the future, asking their Lord
artifact for today’s Pakistani Christians is a the way (John 14:5). In reply, the Lord Jesus
small cross discovered in a field near Taxila promised Thomas not a road map but a
26 In Touch
Sales and sports raise
funds for Barnabas
in 1935 and believed to date back to the 2nd
century. It is for them tangible proof that
Christianity is part of the heritage of their
relationship with Himself (John 14:6). And
He will hold their hand and lead them into
the future as, again like Thomas of old, they
homeland. By the early 4th century there continue to affirm Him as their Lord and
was an organized indigenous Church in the their God (John 20:28).
Indian sub-continent.
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
While the Church in south India has had a International Director
To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments,
names may have been changed or omitted. Thank you for continuous existence to this day, Christians
your understanding. in the north did not fare so well. From the For more information on the early history of
Front cover: A Christian woman in India, where Barnabas
Fund are building houses for homeless Christians 11th century onwards, they began to face the Church in the Indian sub-continent see
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken severe difficulties from a succession of A People Betrayed by Patrick Sookhdeo
from the New International Version®. Muslim invasions. The southward move of (Christian Focus Publications and Isaac
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and
obtain permission for stories and images used in this
the Muslim armies was eventually halted in Publishing, 2002). To order this, please visit
publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors or 1344 by an alliance of Hindu states, but by www.barnabasfund.org/shop, or contact
omissions and will be grateful for any further information
regarding copyright. this time Christianity had probably been your nearest Barnabas office (addresses on
© Barnabas Fund 2011 largely eliminated from the centre and back cover).
2 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Project News
Thank you for supporting your persecuted Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Your gifts
and prayers are a great encouragement to them and are changing their lives and situations. In these
three pages we have space to mention only a small selection of the many projects we are supporting.
Please pray as you read.
Egypt:
desert
in bloom
“The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.”
Isaiah 35:1

The current unrest in Egypt has not deterred a
large-scale income-generating project in Egypt
from forging ahead thanks to a £38,394
(US$62,007; €44,000) grant from Barnabas.
After drilling a well, our partners transformed Drilling a well in Egypt to transform the desert into farmland
more than 80 acres of desert into green
farmland where animals feed and fruit trees are
grown. They now have a successful farm where
they breed rabbits, chickens, sheep and cows.
The farm is situated in a region of high

unemployment, and 80 to 100 Christian
workers are now employed there after receiving
on-the-job training. The enterprise is self-
sufficient. And they sell their juice, meat
products and eggs in a small market shop.
Egyptian Christians often find it hard to get

work because of the discrimination they face.
Project reference 11-926 Cows, chickens and lambs are bred at the farming enterprise in Egypt, which is now self-sufficient
Shelter for Christian children from Burma

Many Christian children from ethnic more. My mother died of malaria in the jungle
minorities in Burma witness horrific while we were in hiding. I have seen Burmese
brutalities at the hand of Burmese soldiers, soldiers coming to villages and do bad things
who sometimes will take the young ones to our people, I was always very scared.”
and force them to become child soldiers or
porters. Desperate to keep their children The children are safe at the homes and can
safe, parents are forced to take them to receive a Christian education. Despite the great
Christian-run children’s homes because hardships the children have experienced, the
“Ben”, a 13-year-old Christian boy from
Burma tells us about his harrowing the villages where they live and work are general atmosphere at the shelter is positive. A
experiences too dangerous. recent grant of £5,940 (US$9,587; €6,782), for
one that Barnabas supports, covers, amongst
“Ben”, a 13-year-old Christian boy at one other needs, food, medicine and the salaries of
Project reference 75-821 of the homes supported by Barnabas, says, two caretakers, a nursery teacher and two
“I still have a father, but no mother any cooks for six months.
BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 3

Project News
Russia and Pakistan:

Bibles in their own language
“I didn’t think that a religious book could be produced for the first time. Thanks to a because of financial constraints; I am
so interesting!” a Bashkir woman exclaimed grant of £4,000 (US$6,459; €4,562) from therefore very delighted to get this Bible.”
after reading part of the Bible in her own Barnabas 260 pastors, all working amongst
language. She continued, “I have tried to the poor, were given a copy of each book. Project reference 00-362
read the Quran several times but it is One of the pastors said, “It was my great (Bibles and Scriptures Fund)
impossible to understand it. This book, desire to get this Bible but could not
however, is easy to read.”
Barnabas is making it possible for the Bible

to be translated, sometimes into new
languages, and distributed. A Bible institute
in the Russian Federation received total
grants of £7,300 (US$11,888; €8,290) for a
Bible in the Tajik language and a New
Testament in the Bashkir language. The
Tajik Bible is almost complete and will soon
be printed. The New Testament in Bashkir, a
language spoken by 1.6 million people in
the Russian Federation, Central Asia and the
Ukraine, most of whom are Muslims, is due
for completion in 2012.
A pastor who works amongst the poor in Pakistan
In Pakistan an Urdu study Bible and a
receives his own copy of the Urdu study Bible
synopsis of the four Gospels have been
Emergency aid for

East Africa and Niger Bangladesh and Armenia:
“We are so moved by your concern for us...
it has been getting worse by day.” A Kenyan
Christian leader wrote this to Barnabas Fund
help in tough seasons
as the food crisis due to the serious drought Winters can be surprisingly cold in Bangladesh,
in East Africa grew more intense. leaving impoverished Christians unable to
Barnabas Fund is helping Christians in the sleep at night because of the extremely low
region through local churches, and at the temperature. Barnabas assists with grants to
time of writing we have sent grants totalling provide blankets for Christian families. Our
£93,391 (US$152,544; €106,713). In Ethiopia most recent grant was £6,006 (US$9,693;
we have provided wheat flour; a 25kg sack €6,857).
costing £10 feeds a family for a month. In
north-east Kenya we have funded maize, Lakhhi, a widow who with her children has
rice, beans and cooking oil for families, suffered greatly from the winter cold since
nutritious food and medical care for her husband died, started crying when she
under-fives, and bore-wells. received a blanket. Our local contact
Over in West Africa, the low rainfall in Niger reports that she then raised her hands to
often causes severe food shortages in the bless Barnabas Fund and gave thanks to
months just before harvest-time. With our the Lord.
grants totalling £265,928 (US$433,000,
€303,200) churches in Niger distributed A freak cold summer in Armenia in 2011
A young Christian woman in Bangladesh
bags of rice and millet and tinned fruit and ruined many crops and forced people to
receives a blanket to help her through the
vegetables to 3,408 families in rural areas. forage for plant roots just to feed their cold winter
children. Barnabas Fund provided a grant of
Project references £51,128 (US$58,372; €58,372) to help feed Project references
25-359 (Horn of Africa) 400 Christian families for four months in 04-854 (Bangladesh)
38-568 (Niger) northern Armenia. The cost per family per 79-719 (Armenia)
month was £128 (US$206; €146).

Project News
Christians learn how to

stand up for their rights
A conference made possible through a grant communication can prevent the
from Barnabas of £8,903 (US$14,522; implementation of unjust laws, and even
€10,113) brought together 24 Christian persuade governments to take positive
Rubina Bibi, who was acquitted from
leaders, lawyers and human rights activists action. blasphemy charges with the help of a
from eleven countries in South and South- Christian legal centre in Pakistan
East Asia where Christians face severe Afterwards, one of the participants related,
persecution. At the conference they received “This seminar was an eye-opening
innovative training on how to be pro-active experience and a great challenge. I believe court cases. In just one example, Rubina
in standing up for their rights. They were God is preparing us for the future. I would Bibi, a young mother of three, was declared
shown how effective advocacy and media like to share what I have learned with other not guilty of defiling the name of
Christian leaders in my country.” Muhammad after four and a half months in
jail. If found guilty she would have been
Barnabas also funded a similar conference sentenced to death. Our latest grant was
for about 25 lawyers and church £20,000 (US$32,279; €22,831), which
representatives from Central Asia, where they contributed not only to the daily running
learned how to defend themselves better in costs and legal aid of the organisation but
matters such as church registration, an issue also to the support of their two safe houses,
which is often used to harass and persecute one for converts from Islam and one for
churches in the region. Christian girls and women.
Barnabas also supports a Christian legal Project references

Group discussion at a conference where centre in Pakistan, which helps defend 41-645 (Christian legal centre,
church leaders, Christian lawyers and Pakistan)
Christians facing harassment and false
human rights activists from Asia learned
accusations of many kinds. In 2010 they 85-924 (Conference for South and
how to stand up for their rights
defended Christians free of charge in 121 South-East Asia)
Enabling pastors and evangelists in former Soviet states

Last year a missionary couple from a not have their own water connection, and greatly helped them in their everyday life.
Central Asian country, who received every time they needed clean drinking Now they can grow vegetables such as
£1,237 (US$1,996; €1,412) from water, they had to fetch it several hundreds tomatoes, garlic and strawberries.
Barnabas Fund for their upkeep, moved to of yards from their home.
a remote, Muslim-majority region of their Project references
country where the Gospel may never have With a grant of £1,259 (US$2,033; €1,437) 00-478 (Evangelist Support Fund)
been preached before. from Barnabas they were able to construct a 00-635 (Water Projects Fund)
well in their garden. The water source has
They directly started witnessing to their
neighbours and telling them how they had
once been Muslims themselves, and how
a newborn faith in Jesus Christ has
completely changed their lives. As a result
20 people and four families all turned to
Christ, among them the family of a local
mullah. Because of great hostility from
Muslim neighbours and local authorities,
the missionaries visit the new converts
secretly at night.
Ernest and his family, all converts from

Islam, live in a village in the Crimea,
Ukraine. He leads a small but very active
fellowship of 15 believers, most from a
Muslim background. Ernest’s family did Ernest and his family can now grow fruit and vegetables in their garden in the Crimea

Christians in
South Asia
A pattern of world persecution
SUFFERING CHURCH
SUNDAY 2011-2012
www.barnabasfund.org
DATE TIME
VENUE
Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12
There are many different sources of anti-Christian persecution. Violent extremism is gaining
ground within several of the world’s major religions. Militant communism remains a potent
force in some countries, and zealous nationalism is destabilising various others. These forces
often see Christian communities as their enemy, and turn their anger upon them, with very
destructive results.
A pattern
of world
persecution
All these elements are found in the region of South For this year’s Suffering Church Sunday we focus on the
Asia, where God’s people are a beleaguered – though Christians of South Asia and the pressures and
also bold – minority. Their sufferings are made worse persecutions that they face. You may like to choose a
by the poverty and instability that afflict so many Sunday in November (or another month if this is better for
countries, and by the natural disasters that can wreak your church’s calendar) and use the material in the
terrible devastation without warning. Thus the region is following pages for a special service or meeting on this
a model or microcosm of anti-Christian persecution theme. As you read, please remember our suffering
throughout the world. brothers and sisters in your prayers.
8 Regional Profile
South Asia: a microcosm of world persecution 18 Sermon outline on John 13:31-38
“Love one another as I have loved you”
13 Testimony
From violent persecutor to fervent evangelist 20 Bible study on John 13:31-38
For use in home groups or personal study
14 Focus
Homelessness: weapon and wound
of persecution
21 Resources
Poster, PowerPoint and other materials for
your service
16 Project Update
Barnabas supporting homeless Christians
in South Asia
To order
The resources listed on pages 21 and 22 are available
free of charge from your national Barnabas Fund
office (addresses on back cover) or from our website,
www.barnabasfund.org/scs.
BARNABAS
BARNABAS AID
AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
2011 7
Regional Profile
South Asia:
a Microcosm of
World Persecution
“W e are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Five powerful ideologies hold sway five million in Pakistan, but in some that devastated the same areas. The appalling
over the various nations of South Asia countries their numbers are tiny. floods that swept through large parts of
and severely oppress local Christians. Pakistan in July and August 2010 affected
Indeed, most of the different forms and The economy of India is booming, but its more than 17 million people and destroyed at
sources of persecution that beset rural poor and urban slum-dwellers still run least 1.2 million homes. Also the Indian Ocean
God’s people throughout the world can to hundreds of millions. In the other tsunami in 2004 struck the coasts of the
be found in this region. The poverty countries of the region poverty is also region, causing thousands of casualties in
endemic to the region and the widespread. Bangladesh and Nepal are Sri Lanka and India.
proneness of many areas to political among the world’s poorest nations; most
turmoil or natural disasters make our
brothers and sisters still more
people in Bhutan and the Maldives live at Five repressive
subsistence levels; the economies of Sri
vulnerable. Yet in some countries the Lanka and Afghanistan have been severely ideologies
churches are growing and flourishing, affected by war. Even in the larger nation of Within this large area, in which Christian
or maintaining a bold witness in face Pakistan much of the population are minorities struggle to maintain their worship
of persecution. impoverished. and witness in the midst of such grave
instability, five ideologies dominate the
In this Regional Profile we will examine The region is also politically unstable. various societies. Sometimes they are in
the acute challenges faced by Christians Pakistan and Bangladesh have endured competition with each other; sometimes they
in South Asia, as a way of surveying the repeated political upheavals over several work in uneasy alliance; but everywhere they
main religions and philosophies that decades, with assassinations and military are bad news for the churches.
cause so much suffering and distress to coups. The long civil war in Sri Lanka ended
our Christian family all around the world. only in 2009; the conflict in Afghanistan Islam
drags on and on. Nepal and the Maldives
have recently moved to multi-party systems
(Pakistan, Bangladesh,
An unstable region after years of autocracy, and the long-term Afghanistan, Maldives)
South Asia covers a huge area of some effects of these changes remain uncertain. Islam is the majority religion in four of the
two million square miles. It is home to South Asian countries, commanding the
more than 1.6 billion people, and among Some countries are particularly liable to adherence of between 90 and 100% of their
these, Christians probably number only natural disasters. Bangladesh, with its citizens. Pakistan and Bangladesh were
about 80 million (although the figures for low-lying land, has suffered devastating floods created as homelands for South Asian
some countries are disputed). The vast and cyclones; thousands of people died in Muslims. Although they began their existence
majority of them live in India, but this is Cyclone Sidr in 2007. Sri Lanka has recently as secular states, the former was made an
much the largest nation in terms of both been affected by a severe drought that created Islamic republic in 1956 and a theocratic
territory and population, and even here desperate poverty in some parts of the state in 1973, while the latter adopted Islam
they are a small minority. There are nearly country, and then by torrential monsoon rains as its state religion in 1988. Afghanistan is

Regional Profile
also an Islamic republic, and in the Maldives Discrimination. Social, political and

An Afghan martyr for Christ
Islam is the only recognised religion. legal discrimination against Christians is A recently released video shows the
widespread in these countries, where, as beheading of an Afghan Christian,
The dominance of Islam in these nations poses in most of the Islamic world, they are Abdul Latif, by the Taliban in Herat
immense problems for their Christian minorities. regarded as second-class. In Pakistan Province. One of the killers says, “All
Christians are generally mistrusted, praise be to our creator almighty god
suspected of siding with the “Christian” that he helped and blessed the holy
West against their own country. Their warriors... so that we can implement
educational opportunities are limited: the commandment of god on this
infidel ... he is punished according to
they are given no instruction in their own
the commandment of god so that it is
faith and face many difficulties in
a warning to other infidels.” They
obtaining university places. Most are shout “Allahu Akbar” (“god is great”)
from the poorest stratum of society, and over and over again during the
many can get only the most menial jobs. murder, and they bring an execution
notice to hang on the wall.
Anti-Christian discrimination in education
Students at a Bible college in Bangladesh and employment is common also in
that Barnabas Fund has supported Bangladesh, while in the Maldives the Ill-treatment of converts. All schools of
existence of non-Muslims is barely Islamic law prescribe the death penalty for
recognised. The constitution expressly adult, male Muslims who choose to leave
Legal penalties. As in many Muslim-majority forbids them from becoming citizens, their religion. This “apostasy law” makes
countries, Christians are liable to harassment and a government minister has declared, many Muslims in South Asia very hostile to
and discrimination through the legal system. “All Maldivians are Muslims.” The small Christian converts from Islam. Television
The most notorious example of this problem is number of indigenous Christians are footage of baptisms in Afghanistan in 2010
Pakistan’s “blasphemy law”. Under its ostracised and carefully watched. triggered a frenzied anti-Christian
provisions, desecration of the Quran carries response, with leading political figures
the punishment of life imprisonment, and Violence. Violence against Christians calling for the execution of converts. A
defiling the name of Muhammad incurs a has been characteristic of Islam almost number of Christians were arrested, and at
mandatory death sentence. from the first, and the South Asian least two were held for some months.
countries see their share of this. In
The law is often exploited to settle personal Pakistan individuals and whole Christian Forced conversion. Islam is a
scores and grudges, and Christians are communities have been brutally attacked missionary faith, and Muslims’ zeal for
especially vulnerable to malicious, false and their property destroyed, and in converts is sometimes expressed
accusation. Although no-one has yet been Bangladesh several Christians, including forcibly. This form of persecution is
executed for blasphemy, many of those some evangelists, have been martyred in particularly severe in Pakistan, where
charged have spent months or years in custody recent years. In war-torn Afghanistan, some Muslim men abduct Christian girls,
while their cases are considered, and some where the Taliban’s violent insurgency force them to convert to Islam, and then
have been murdered by zealous Muslims. has destabilised much of the country and marry them. One estimate puts the
Extremists in Bangladesh are demanding the cost so many lives, Christians are at annual number of forced conversions to
introduction of similar laws there. particular risk of violence. Islam as high as 500 to 600.
Christian victim of the blasphemy law

Aasia Bibi (46), a Christian mother of five,
is currently on death row in Pakistan. She
was falsely accused in 2010 of insulting
Muhammad and was prosecuted and
convicted under the blasphemy law. If
her appeal fails, she faces execution in
November. Two prominent politicians,
one Muslim and one Christian, who have
taken up her cause have been
assassinated during 2011.
The Maldives adhere strictly to sharia law,

and although the 2008 constitution introduced
many democratic changes, it contained no
guarantee of freedom of religion. In Pakistan
too elements of sharia have been
implemented, and it has a significant place
in the legal and taxation systems and in public The husband of Pakistani Christian Rukhsana Abass was murdered by a Muslim for not picking
up rubbish quickly enough
life generally.

Regional Profile
Buildings. In the Maldives there are no India is a secular and democratic state, but it introduction of anti-conversion laws that
places of worship for non-Muslims, and too faces a challenge from Hindu extremism, restrict the freedom of non-Hindus to share
Christian worship is allowed only in one’s which in this case is linked to an aggressive, their faith. They impose penalties for
own home. A bill that criminalises the strident form of nationalism. The Hindutva converting people by “force”, “fraud” or
public practice of non-Muslim worship, (“Hinduness”) movement is striving to make “allurement” but in some places are used to
and the construction of non-Muslim India a single, culturally and religiously “pure” prevent legitimate Christian evangelism.
buildings, won almost unanimous support nation, and to return it to a supposed golden
in parliament in 2009, although it has not age when it was uninfluenced by “alien”
In Nepal Hindu extremists are also very
yet been passed into law. There are no cultures. It is particularly hostile to religions
suspicious of the churches because of their
church buildings in Afghanistan either that it perceives as “non-Indian” because they
recent growth. Converts to Christianity face
except in one embassy, and in Pakistan entered the country from outside. Christianity
social ostracism from their communities,
they are easy targets for attack. is the primary target, because it is wrongly
and occasional hostility, discrimination or
viewed as a colonial imposition, despite the
even violence. Christians suspected of
Natural disasters. Following the floods in fact that Indian Christians believe that it was
encouraging conversion can be reported to
Pakistan in 2010, local church leaders the apostle Thomas who first brought the faith
the authorities, and may be fined or
expected that hardly any international aid to their country.
imprisoned. Proposed new legislation by the
would reach the Christian minority. Before Maoist government threatens further to
long a Pakistani national newspaper Communism, specifically Maoism, also has restrict evangelism and undermine freedom
reported that displaced Christians were a significant place in these two countries. of religion and expression.
often excluded from receiving healthcare The militant Naxalite movement is active in
or food, as they were not being registered many parts of India, waging a long and
and therefore “supposedly do not exist”. Discrimination. The Hindu caste system
violent campaign in pursuit of a communist
dictates people’s occupations and often their
state. A prolonged Maoist insurgency in
economic circumstances. Most Christians are
Nepal helped to provoke the recent political
of low social status, and many are Dalits,
Hinduism, changes, and the current government is
who are seen as lower than the lowest caste.
Nationalism, dominated by Maoists.
Corruption is rife in the police and courts, and
Communism it is difficult for Christians to get justice. Many
(India, Nepal) These three ideologies, and the alliances and offences against them are inadequately
conflicts between them, frequently place investigated, and often no-one is prosecuted
India and Nepal both have large Hindu Christians in their firing line, especially in India. or convicted. Their unwillingness to play the
majorities of around 75%. From 1960 system dishonestly counts against them.
until 2006 Nepal was officially designated Evangelism and conversion. The success When Hindutva supporters become dominant
as a Hindu kingdom, with Hinduism as its of Christian evangelism in both countries, in an area, anti-Christian discrimination is
national religion. Following years of and the conversion of many Hindus to likely to become worse.
political instability, an interim constitution Christianity, has made this a very sensitive
established the country as a secular state issue. In India the concern has been Violence. Assaults on Christian individuals
in 2008, but Hindu extremists want to turn exploited by Hindutva supporters. In seven and churches in India by Hindutva
it back into a Hindu nation. states its political wing has secured the supporters are frequent and widespread.
Pastors and local evangelists are particular
targets. But in recent years there have also
No justice in the courts

A recent report about the authorities’
investigations into the mass violence
in Kandhamal, Orissa State in 2008
illustrates how hard it is for Indian
Christians to obtain justice, even for
serious crimes against them. The
state government acknowledged 52
fatalities, 38 of them Christians,
during that period and the earlier
violence in 2007. But the report
showed that the authorities had made
no attempt to record as murder those
cases where victims did not die at the
scene. When these are included, the
number of Christian dead stands at
91. Only 20 cases had been brought to
date, and there had been only one
conviction for murder.
A Hindu temple in Nepal (Source: Ralf Lotys, Wikimedia Commons)

Regional Profile
been some major outbreaks of mob violence demanded that all Christians leave the Conversion. The Sinhalese Buddhist lobby

against entire Christian communities. In country or their homes would be in Sri Lanka also campaigns for legislation
Orissa State many Christians were killed and destroyed. to control religious conversion, though so far
thousands left homeless in two sets of they have not succeeded. Complaints
attacks by Hindu nationalists in 2007 and It is not only from Hindu nationalists that against allegedly unethical or forced
2008. In September 2008 there was also a Christians in India are in danger of conversions have been lodged by some
series of 37 anti-Christian assaults in two or violence. The Naxalites, who are strongly Buddhists, though Christians believe that
three days in Karnataka State, which were anti-Christian, threaten the stability and these are directed against legitimate
clearly organised and planned in advance. security of a large area of rural India, evangelism.
Since the Hindutva party came to power in running from the border of Nepal to the
Karnataka that year, there have been more state of Andhra Pradesh and known as the Although the constitution of Bhutan does not
than 200 anti-Christian incidents. Red Corridor. They also threaten the prohibit or restrict the right to convert or
growth of the churches by infiltrating evangelise, some Christians are sufficiently
Christian communities. concerned about interference from the
authorities that they hold their meetings
Buddhism discreetly, especially in rural areas. They
may be prosecuted if their activities are
(Sri Lanka, Bhutan) adjudged to be promoting “feelings of
Buddhism is dominant in Sri Lanka and enmity or hatred” between different
Bhutan and is practised by more than 70% religious groups.
of the population in each country. Although
it is not officially the state religion of Sri
Lanka, the constitution does give it “the Imprisoned for showing films on
foremost place”, and as a result it is Christianity
protected and promoted. The government In October 2010 Prem Singh Gurung was
of Bhutan is headed by a Buddhist sentenced to three years in prison in
monarchy, and Mahayana Buddhism is Bhutan for screening films on
This evangelist in Kandhamal, Orissa State, said to be the state’s “spiritual heritage”. Christianity. Gurung was arrested and
India lost his home and possessions in Only Buddhism and Hinduism are officially was found guilty of “attempting to
anti-Christian violence recognised in Bhutan, and the practice of
promote civil unrest” after local
residents complained that he was
other religions is technically illegal. showing Christian films in two villages.
Two other Christians, who helped
Grim day in Karnataka Despite a long history in Sri Lanka, Gurung by bringing a portable generator
In a single day in December 2010 there
Christians now number only some 8% of to provide electricity for showing the
were four attacks by Hindu extremists on
Christians in the Indian state of the population. In Bhutan the proportion film, were forced into hiding as police
is much smaller. Buddhism has a accused them of involvement in the
Karnataka. Fifty Christians were
reputation for being peaceable and offence and sought to arrest them.
threatened and terrorised when
extremists attacked their church in a non-violent, but it is not notably tolerant
Bangalore slum. Four more were beaten of other religions. In both countries
up and dragged from their church Christians are seriously disadvantaged in
buildings in the district of Shimoga. The various ways.
assailants then had their victims
arrested by police on charges of trying Discrimination. Sri Lanka has a powerful
to convert Hindus. Another church in
Sinhalese Buddhist lobby that exploits the
Bangalore was surrounded by a group of
40 extremists, throwing stones and
special status given to Buddhism by
shouting anti-Christian slogans. demanding privileges for itself at the
expense of the Christians. Although this
pressure has not yet generated anti-
An Indian Christian leader said that Christians Christian legislation, there are reports of
in the state were living in a “climate of fear, discrimination against Christians in
persecution and harassment”. Earlier in the taxation, employment and education.
year a Hindutva supporter in the Karnataka Some Christians are also very poor and
legislature vowed to “weed out” the seeds of have to work in appalling conditions on
Christianity. tea and rubber plantations.
Violence against Christians is rare in Nepal, In Bhutan, the legal system is based on
but in May 2009 a bomb exploded in a large Buddhist precepts, and non-Buddhists are
church in the capital, Kathmandu, during pressured by the majority, both officially and
morning service. Three worshippers were unofficially, to conform to traditional
killed and several others injured. Hindu Buddhist values and norms. Again, there are This Pakistani Christian benefits from one
of Barnabas Fund’s feeding programmes
extremists claimed responsibility and also reports of discrimination in education.

Regional Profile
Violence. Buddhist extremism in Sri in makeshift tents and shelters, and as presence and power of communism, despite
Lanka is expressed in organised members of a despised minority they are the dissolution of the former Eastern bloc.
opposition to some churches, especially in finding themselves overlooked in the And it demonstrates the destructive impact
rural areas and places seen as Buddhist building process. of these repressive ideologies on Christian
preserves. Christian buildings and church communities, especially in contexts of
leaders are sometimes attacked. The Torrential monsoon rains in May 2010 economic hardship, political turmoil and
Sinhalese Buddhist movement wants to brought devastation to large areas of west natural disasters.
impose its identity on the whole country, and south-west Sri Lanka, where around half
and some of its members are prepared to the country’s Christians live. Then further Yet despite these immense difficulties, God
use force. floods between December 2010 and February is wonderfully at work in South Asia. The
2011 ravaged the centre and east of the churches of India have seen remarkable
country. Thousands were made homeless growth in the last few decades, as
Anti-Christian violence in Sri Lanka
In early 2010 a mob of about 150
and put at risk of disease and snake bites. evangelists and church planters have
people, led by three Buddhist These floods followed a severe drought the founded thousands of new congregations.
monks, attacked a church in previous year that had created desperate Christians in Nepal have increased rapidly in
Germanwatte, Pugoda, in the poverty among Christians in the region. numbers: until 1950 they were not even
Gampaha district. They destroyed Again, their low status in society gives them officially allowed to live there, and now
furniture and threatened the pastor less defence against such disasters. there are over half a million. Church growth
with death unless he stopped has also been reported in Bangladesh, and
Christian worship in the area. Some among some Sri Lankan denominations.
of the attackers spat in the face of
Many of our brothers and sisters patiently
his elderly mother.
endure their sufferings year after year in
faithfulness to the Lord.
Shortly before, two Christian
community centres and a prayer
centre were damaged by mobs. A Barnabas Fund is providing assistance to
church hall that had been used for various projects run by local Christians to
prayer and worship was attacked in help needy believers and strengthen the
Bandarawela, in the south of the churches in their life and witness. These
country. Then around 200 people include feeding programmes, income-
stormed a community centre built by Serious floods devastated central and generation projects, theological training,
a local Christian church, in eastern Sri Lanka in early 2011. Barnabas supplying Bibles and resources, support for
Mawathawewa in the north of Sri Fund sent aid pastors and evangelists, funding for
Lanka. Armed with rods, the mob
Christian schools, provision of safe houses
destroyed the brand-new building
and warned villagers not to intervene for converts and for Pakistani Christian
or call the police. Helping South women, legal aid for those suffering
injustice, and many more. At present we are
Asia’s Christians also working to provide simple homes for
Buildings. In Bhutan Christians are So here in a single region, albeit a vast one, thousands of homeless Christians in India,
generally free to worship in private homes, are all the main causes of the pressure and Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For more details on
but church buildings are officially not persecution endured by Christians around this project, please turn to pages 16-17.
allowed. In early 2011 it was reported that the world. South Asia illustrates the rise of
the Bhutanese government was extremism among Muslims, Hindus and Please also remember the Christians in
considering recognising Christianity Buddhists. It shows how nationalism is South Asia in your prayers, asking the Lord
officially, and this status would give the developing as a reaction against the to strengthen them to maintain their witness
churches the right to construct buildings influence of the West, foreign interference to Him in the face of hardship and distress,
for worship. However, only one Christian and globalisation. It reveals the continuing and that their sufferings will be relieved.
organisation was likely to be recognised,
which would be expected to represent all
Christians, and the government’s intention
might be to give itself more power to
regulate Christian activities.
War and natural disaster. The Sri

Lankan civil war was prolonged and
bitter, and it ended only in 2009. It has
left a malign legacy of violence and
deprivation. Hundreds of thousands of
people, some of them Christians, were
displaced from their homes and took
refuge in temporary camps. Many
Barnabas sponsors Christian education for the neediest Christian children in India
Christians are living in temporary huts, or

Testimony
From violent
Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011 – 12

persecutor
to fervent
evangelist
“As a disciple of Jesus, I must
spread His Word regardless of
the sacrifices and the personal Barnabas Fund supports evangelists
and converts in East Africa
difficulties I have to endure.”
These rousing words were spoken by The sheikh’s response infuriated Mustafa Soon afterwards, Mustafa felt great remorse
“Mustafa”, an ardent Christian with a even more. He stopped attending the for having led Muslim youths to destroy a
Muslim background who is working as a mosque and began to question and even to church building. The destruction had been
missionary in Islamic areas of East hate Islamic practices. Life became very costly for the congregation; one and a
Africa after attending a three-month meaningless. In this disillusioned state, he half years later they were still worshipping
discipleship training course for converts was given an evangelistic DVD by some in the sweltering heat of the open air. He
from Islam, which was financed by evangelists. After watching the message of gathered his courage and went to the pastor
Barnabas Fund. the Good News, he decided to follow Christ. and congregation to confess his mistakes
The missionaries discipled him further, and and ask for forgiveness. The congregation
A couple of years earlier Mustafa had been in May 2010 Mustafa was baptised. welcomed him warmly, and he started
a militant Muslim, believing in jihad and worshipping in that church, which has since
supporting Islamic terrorism throughout the relocated to a new building.
world. His commitment even drove him to
lead a Muslim youth gang in destroying a Christ Jesus came Because of his remarkable growth in Christ,
church building in September 2008 in his
home town.
into the world to save Mustafa was selected, together with 39
other Muslim-background Christians, to
But Mustafa’s Islamic beliefs were

sinners — of whom I attend the three-month training course in
discipleship at a Bible institute nearby.
challenged when his sister, who had am the worst. But for Mustafa graduated in March 2011 with the
emigrated to Saudi Arabia to work for a
wealthy Saudi Muslim family, was murdered
that very reason I was highest marks.
by her boss. He was perplexed that a fellow shown mercy so that in Now he has gone back to his business and
spends 36 hours per week witnessing to
Muslim in an Islamic holy land could
butcher another Muslim believer like that. me, the worst of others who are still Muslims, a seemingly
Also his sister was going to send him
money for helping him expand his business
sinners, Christ Jesus impossible task but one that is gradually
bearing fruit. The skills he acquired from the
of selling bicycle spare parts, and now he might display his training greatly help him to carry out his
would not get it.
immense patience as discipleship work effectively and be a good
manager and leader.
Enraged, Mustafa decided to consult his
sheikh to seek some sort of justice within
an example for those Mustafa testifies, “Missionary work is not
the Islamic community and compel the who would believe in easy but that’s not a reason for not doing it.
Saudi man to compensate the family. But
the sheikh supported the Saudi man’s
him and receive We should all be doing the work of an
evangelist, making people followers of
actions, saying, “A woman must always be eternal life. Jesus. He wants us to help as many people
as possible to find salvation in Him. To be a
under the mercy of a man. If that Saudi man
killed your sister, it must have been for a 1 Timothy 1:15-16 disciple of Jesus means that you must study
justifiable reason.” His Word and live the Word.”

Focus
Fleeing for their lives

– and left homeless

“When will they come to kill us, Daddy?”
asked the children of an Egyptian Christian leader as the family faced growing uncertainty during the revolution in
February 2011. The Christian community in Egypt found themselves under threat as the political uprising brought
increased instability. Fearing for their safety, Christian families living in mainly Muslim villages fled their homes.
An entire Christian village in Kaduna State, Nigeria, was burned to ashes by a mob of 300 Muslim militants on 18 April
2011. The attackers arrived armed with various weapons and torched the village as the Christians ran for their lives.
Sadly these events are not unusual in the mainly Christian South. Churches and Hala, Muslim residents issued an ultimatum
countries where Christians are a homes were demolished, and there were to their Christian neighbours either to join
vulnerable, despised and persecuted reports of kidnappings, forced labour and the demonstrations against President
minority. Rumours or small disagreements massacres. Displaced people from the South Bashar al-Assad’s regime or to leave.
can lead to mob rampages; homes and fled to the largely Islamic North.
businesses owned by Christians may be Government-sponsored
torched and Christians beaten and even In January 2011, the South of Sudan voted action
murdered to settle disputes. The Christian overwhelmingly for independence, which
community is often associated with the became reality on 9 July. But fighting and In some countries, Christians suffer for their
“Christian” West, so members of the “ethnic cleansing” in the disputed border faith at the hands of the government, military,
majority religion take out their anger region blighted the run-up to independence, police and justice systems. Secular regimes
against the West on the nearest available forcing thousands of people, including such as the one in Burma (Myanmar) may use
substitute – their Christian neighbours. Christians, from their homes and creating a the majority faith as an ally in the oppression
Western military initiatives in the Muslim humanitarian crisis. Troops and tanks of the of their Christian community. Most Christians
world, or individual actions such as the Khartoum government in the mainly Muslim are members of the non-Burman ethnic
burning of a Quran far away in the USA, North overran the contested Abyei region, minorities. They are treated by the ruling
can result in a violent backlash against causing more than 110,000 people to flee to military junta as if they were enemies of the
local Christians in Muslim countries. the south, where the majority are living in state. The army will attack the mountain
Sometimes the violence is spontaneous, unsheltered and basic conditions. villages that are home to the Christians, killing
but other times it appears to have been any inhabitants who do not manage to escape
planned and deliberately stirred up. But it is not only ethnic tension that in time. They then set fire to the villages or
produces national division, leaving plant landmines around the homes and the
In addition to such persecution, factors Christians homeless. As demonstrations bodies to kill anyone who tries to return. Those
such as war and natural disasters, or even against the Syrian government intensified in who run end up camping in the surrounding
persecution by their own relatives, can 2011, Christians came under increasing jungle, and many die there from snake bites,
force Christians to flee. pressure to join the uprising. In the village of disease or starvation.
War and civil unrest

Christians are often caught up in civil war
and fighting when their country is in a state
of political upheaval. In Gaza and the West
Bank, Christians are caught in the middle
of a conflict not of their making. This,
together with other pressures, has caused
many to emigrate.
Decades of civil war ripped the country of

Sudan apart and left some five million Thousands of people, mainly Christians, fled from decades of fighting in Sudan and lived in
people homeless as the government extremely basic refugee camps
attempted to impose Islamic sharia law on

Focus
Family persecution (Isaiah 25:4), and this protection is part of

His provision for them in the age to come
Many Christians experience persecution
(Isaiah 4:5-6). But the Bible also tells us
from their families when they choose to
that we have a responsibility to provide
follow Christ. In Central Asia, “Alima” was
for other members of God’s family who
told by her mother-in-law that when her
do not have a roof over their heads (Isaiah
husband died, she would be turned out of
58:7), including those who are persecuted
her house unless she renounced her
for their faith.
Christian faith and returned to Islam, the
faith into which she had been born. She
refused, and she and her five children found Barnabas Fund provides emergency
themselves without a roof over their heads. funding when our Lord’s family find
themselves displaced, homeless and
Christian villagers in Burma (Myanmar) Natural disasters struggling to survive. As well as feeding
flee from persecution on foot, taking only programmes and education projects, we
what they can carry Where Christians are in the minority, they
have also provided emergency funding for
may suffer disproportionately when natural
families in Nigeria who have had to leave
disasters occur. Poverty often leaves
their homes following horrific anti-
Direct persecution Christians living in homes that are poorly
Christian violence, and in Iraq we have
constructed and therefore even more
In other countries, thousands of Christians are financed the construction of 40 apartments
vulnerable to destruction. In countries
displaced owing to direct targeting of their for Christians who have sought security in
where Christians are despised, rejected and
communities. Up to 3,000 Christians were forced the north of the country.
persecuted, they may be neglected in the
from their homes following allegations of distribution of aid, including the provision of
blasphemy against local Christians in April 2011 materials to help them to rebuild their In Central Asia, Barnabas funded the
in Pakistan. In Egypt, anti-Christian violence is homes and lives. purchase of a new home for “Alima” (see
increasing and sometimes entire Christian above). The house has four rooms, a
communities have had to flee their homes; in Many Pakistani Christian families had their kitchen, a bathhouse and a vegetable
November 2009 chaos erupted as a mob of up to homes completely destroyed in the terrible garden, and the family can keep livestock.
3,000 Muslims went on the rampage, attacking floods of August 2010. After water poured A report received from the pastor of her
Christians and setting fire to their homes, shops into his lifelong home, Joseph Bashir said, church said, “The family is very happy and
and cars to settle a personal dispute. “On my present salary, even in 50 years I rejoice because they have their own house
cannot rebuild by house.” Younis Masih had and they thank you very much for this. It is
Perhaps the most shocking example of built his home with his own hands over 25 as a new life for them.”
displacement is Iraq, where the Christian years. Tragically, the house collapsed under
community is undergoing a mass migration. the strain of the gushing waters. Currently we are also working with a
Christians have faced mounting hostility since number of partners in Pakistan, Sri Lanka
the Gulf War of 1990-1, as they are seen to be Barnabas working to and India to build homes and churches
linked with the West because of their faith. rehome the homeless for hundreds of Christians who are
They have become the target of threats, homeless because of their faith in the
bombings, kidnappings and murder, forcing In the Bible God is presented as the refuge Lord Jesus Christ. Please turn to pages
hundreds of thousands of Christians to leave of His poor and needy people, a shelter 16-17 to find out more about these
their homes and flee to neighbouring Syria, from the storm and a shade from the heat important projects, and how you can help.
Jordan or Lebanon. Today, the Christian
community in Iraq is estimated at less than a
Fifty-six thousand Christians were left homeless when Hindu extremist mobs torched entire
third of its size in 1990, meaning that over a
villages in Orissa, India in 2007 and 2008. Violence has continued spasmodically ever since
million have left their homeland.
In Orissa, India, Christian families could do

nothing but run for their lives into the jungle
when Hindu extremists descended on their
villages at Christmas 2007 with guns, knives
and home-made bombs, shouting slogans such
as “Only Hindus to stay here – no Christians to
stay here!” Eight months later, attacks began
again and continued almost unabated for two
months. Thousands of homes were burned to
the ground and hundreds of churches and
church buildings were destroyed. Those who
survived the onslaught of violence and wanted
to return to their homes were told, “Come back
as Hindu or don’t come back at all.” Over
56,000 Christians were left homeless.

Project Update
Brick by brick:
building homes and churches in South Asia
New houses being constructed for homeless Christians in India with help from Barnabas.
They are built close together in this particular location to protect them from elephants
Kuhe, a Christian widow, and her three in Sri Lanka, they may find themselves dump. They are now living in a primitive
children are living in a primitive tarpaulin overlooked in the building process. tent camp outside the city without access
tent. They have been there for over a to electricity or clean water.
year. Her meagre earnings as a labourer In India and Pakistan, this tragic story of
are not enough to support her children. extended homelessness repeats itself. Despised Building homes
Two years ago, when she and her or ignored by their own society, Christians are Moved by the desperate need of Christians
husband fled from their home in northern languishing in sub-human conditions. in these three countries, Barnabas Fund
Sri Lanka to escape the violence from the launched a major campaign this summer
civil war, her husband was killed by In Orissa State, India, around 56,000 to raise awareness and funds to build
artillery fire. Kuhe saw him suffer and die Christians became homeless in 2007-08 proper homes and churches for our
in agonising pain, and because of the when Hindu extremists set fire to Christian brothers and sisters in South Asia. Local
ongoing shelling around her, she had to homes and churches, or forced Christians to Christian partner organisations will then
leave his body behind without a burial. leave unless they would convert to construct the homes.
Hinduism. After all these years some are
Appalling living conditions still living in makeshift huts in the jungle. Building costs are extremely low compared
Thousands of Sri Lankan Christian to those for a house in the West. Just £700
families are living in makeshift tents and In Islamabad, Pakistan, 250 poor and (US$1,100; €800) can provide a simple but
shelters without direct access to clean vulnerable Christian families became good-quality one-room brick home, with a
water and sanitation. Even though the homeless in 2009 following a housing cement floor, tin roof and toilet and
civil war ended in 2009, many still have dispute and ended up living in tents along the including a toilet, for a Christian family in
nowhere permanent to live. And since centre of a highway. The only water supply India. An overhanging roof at the front of
Christians are part of a despised minority ran beside an open pit latrine and waste the house creates a veranda for cooking.

Project Update

Khazan and his wife Basharian
Fundraising ideas in front of their tent
for your church

Want to start a brick by brick
campaign in your church?
Here are some ideas.
Lego house: members of the

congregation “buy” a brick
Find someone who is willing to lend about
60 or 70 lego or duplo blocks. Write
amounts on the blocks: say, £50, £20,
and £5 and some £1 to get the children
involved. Station a lego board with a sack
of the blocks on a table near the coffee
corner or another place where people
Homeless in Pakistan
meet together informally. Add a sign and
hang up a house-building poster nearby.
Tell the congregation about the project
during the services and challenge them to
buy a brick. A church member can then
symbolically “buy” the lego brick at the “Without a proper home we feel insecure and vulnerable.”
price that is on it and place it on the
Seventy-year-old Khazan expresses the fears and concerns of many of the 250 Christian
board. Everyone can see a small house
families with whom he lives in a tent camp in Pakistan. He and his 65-year-old wife
slowly going up.
Basharian have been without a proper home for over two years.
Camp out in your church building Life in the camp is squalid and desperate. The only way to cook meals is over a small
Be homeless yourself for a night by fire after collecting wood from the forest. For clean water all the Christians must go to
camping out in your church building. Ask one tube well outside the colony. Washing is done inside their tent. Mosquito bites are
members of the congregation to sponsor causing many illnesses, especially amongst the children. Their tents are not resistant to
your homeless night. the heavy rains during the monsoon season.
A four-room house in Pakistan with kitchen, Can you help us build these homes and “One night they came to our
bathroom, toilet and shower, including churches? Why not get your church involved
electricity, can be built for £2,500-£3,000 through prayer and giving? Any gift, however
house and told us to become
(US$4,000-5,000; €2,800-3,400). In Sri small, will help. Hindus if we wanted to
Lanka, a basic home with indoor kitchen, continue staying there. They
toilet and water supply costs £3,500 More details at www.barnabasfund.org. For
(US$5,700; €4,000), while at a typical cost of free leaflets to hand out at your church, please had targeted to kill my father
£6,000 (US$9,800; €6,800), a new church contact us by phone or email (contact details and brothers. With fear we all
building for worship can be provided. on back cover).
fled to the forest. They followed
us in the night searching to
catch and kill us. We had to
run away from the forest and
came to [a town] where we
stayed in a relief camp... Our
house is completely burnt down
and our belongings are no where
found, we have no place to stay.”
Some homeless Christians in Sri Lanka are currently living in temporary shelters
Smrutilata, a girl from Orissa, India

Sermon outline
“Love one another as I have loved you”

John 13:31-38
The following sermon outline can be used at a Suffering
Church Sunday service or meeting. It can be read out as it
stands, though you may want to add some illustrations of
your own. Alternatively it can be used as a framework for
your own ideas and applications. Some helpful
commentaries are recommended on page 20.
“Tears of joy made them unable to speak,
because their situation was very bad and they
felt that the Lord had answered their prayer.
They thanked you and prayed for you.”
This is how suffering Christians in Burma

responded when they received a supply of
rice, through a grant from Barnabas Fund.
They had been persecuted for their faith in
Christ. They had been so neglected by their
government after a devastating cyclone that
they found themselves in desperate need. But
now, through the love of their Christian family,
their joy was renewed and their need supplied.
When Christians suffer for their faith, the

love shown to them by Christian brothers
and sisters is immensely important. Just
knowing that members of their Christian
family care about them helps to encourage
and strengthen them in their trials.
Younis is a Pakistani Christian whose home

was destroyed in last year’s devastating
floods. It had taken him over 25 years to
build, because he is so poor. When Barnabas
Fund provided a new house, he rejoiced and
said, “The Lord brought us brothers and
sisters from far to help us in our time of
need. We are full of joy and very thankful.”
Another Pakistani Christian flood victim, Lal,

commented that he was happy that the new
house he had received from Barnabas had
come from “his own people”.
Of course, the encouragement of knowing

they have not been forgotten is only one
part of the picture. The practical help can
transform their lives now and bring hope for
the future. In the love they receive from
other Christians, they experience the love of
God in Christ.
Again and again the Bible calls Christians to

Christian children sit amid the devastation
caused by the cyclone in Burma love one another, to care for those who
belong to the family of believers. Jesus

Sermon outline
explicitly commands us to love one another

in John 13:34 and 15:12. Yet we do not
always make this love a high priority.
Perhaps we do not realise how important it
is. Perhaps we are not sure how to do it.
Perhaps we think we do not have the ability
to do it. Sometimes it even seems we find it
easier to love non-Christians than our fellow
believers.
This passage from John’s Gospel is part of

Jesus’ farewell teaching to His first
disciples, and it includes His command to
them and to us to love one another. It shows
Younis, a Pakistani Christian pictured here with his family, rejoiced to receive help
us why we are to love, whom we are to love, from
other Christians after his house was destroyed by floods
and how we are to love.
Why must we love? ready to die for each other.” People of other But later, says Jesus, Peter will follow Him
(John 13:31-32) religions are impressed to see Christians loving to the place where He is going. After Jesus
one another; it is a bad witness if we are not has been crucified and lifted up to heaven,
After Judas has gone out to betray Him, seen to care for our own people. John tells us Peter will be able to offer that love, and to
Jesus declares that the time has come for elsewhere to love not just with words or speech lay down his life for his Lord. Jesus’ death
Him to suffer and die. When He is lifted up but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). and His entry into glory begin a new age,
on the cross out of love for others, He will when His disciples will be empowered by
give glory to God by showing His love to the So our love for one another as Christians the Spirit, and then they can walk His path
world. So God will then give glory to Him in must be practical and visible, modelled on of love and self-sacrifice.
turn, by raising Him up to heaven. Jesus’ care for us. Our persecuted brother
or sister in another country has been loved As Christians today, we live in this new age.
So, for Jesus, the way to glory was the way by Jesus; so we should share our love with We are now able to fulfil Christ’s command
of suffering, as He laid down His life in love. them. And He has loved them by meeting to love one another, to give of ourselves to
And as it was for Jesus, so it is for us. We their greatest need, for salvation; so we help other Christians in need; and we are
must express that love in the costly service should try to meet their lesser needs, for now able to follow Him to glory. We can do
of His people – including those who suffer hope and aid to relieve their hardships. This this because of His death and exalting to
for their faith. In this way we show God’s is how we express our allegiance to Him; heaven, and in the power of the Spirit
love to the world, and God will raise us up to this is how we show to the world His power whom He has given us. Until He had died
be with Jesus in our turn. to change our lives. and ascended, the Holy Spirit could not
come with His power (John 16:7).
How should we love? How can we love?
(John 13:34-35) (John 13:33, 36-38) Conclusion
Jesus gives His disciples a new command: Jesus tells His disciples that He is with them So love for other Christians matters
they are to love one another just as He has for only a little while longer. They will look because it is the path to glory for us, as it
loved them. God’s people are told to love one for Him, but for now they cannot come was for Jesus. It involves caring for one
another in the Old Testament, but Jesus where He is going. At this stage in the story another after His example. And it is possible
restates this command in two new ways. First, they cannot follow Him in His death or into – because He has died and gone into
the love that He commands is based and His glory. They cannot yet make a proper heaven to enable us to follow His example.
modelled on His love for His disciples. It is a response to Him; they cannot yet love each
response to that love and it reflects that love. other enough. But Jesus does not say that Christians in many parts of the world are
they will never find or follow Him. suffering poverty and discrimination,
Secondly, the love that Jesus commands harassment and persecution, because of
belongs to the new age of salvation that He Peter’s exchange with Jesus follows from this their faith in Jesus. We can relieve their
has begun. When His disciples keep this statement. Peter wants to know where the pain and even transform their lives by our
command, everyone will know that they Lord is going, and asks why he cannot follow prayers and gifts and encouragement. And
really are followers of Jesus (verse 35). Their Him now; he claims that he will lay down his as we have seen, the Gospel commands
love for one another shows to the world how life for Him. But Jesus suggests that Peter is us to care for them, and it gives us the
Christ has transformed their lives. It proves not yet ready to walk His path: for now he is best of reasons to do so. What then is our
the reality of their Christian discipleship. just not capable of dying for Jesus or entering proper response?
His glory; for now he just cannot offer that
An early Christian writer noted how the pagans kind of love to his Lord. In fact, He is about to It must be to love them – to “love one
of his day used to say of the Christians, “Look do the exact opposite, by denying Him three another”, as Jesus has loved us and as He
how they love one another and how they are times before the cock crows. commands us.

Bible study
Loving our Christian family

John 13:31-38
This study looks at the same passage as the sermon outline
(p. 18-19). It can be used before or after hearing the sermon, or
separately. If it is used without the sermon, it may be helpful for
the group leader to read through the sermon outline beforehand.
The section at the end entitled “Digging deeper” is intended for
those who would like to explore the passage in more depth and
in its wider context.
Introduction 7. How can we express this love for one Digging deeper
another in practical ways? How might
1. What stories have you heard of we show it towards Christians who suffer
Christians being persecuted for their badly on account of Christ? Why is it
faith? How did you react to them? important for our witness to non-Christians? 13. In the Gospels, whom does Jesus
call us to love? (If you get stuck,
2. How important do you think it is to love Read John 13:33, 36-38 look up Mark 12:30-31; Matthew
other Christians? What, if anything, stops 5:44; John 15:12.) Which of these
you from making this a high priority? 8. Jesus says that His disciples cannot people do you find it easiest /
(See also question 13 below.) follow Him where He is going. What does hardest to love? Why?
it mean to follow Him? (See verses
Read John 13:31-32 31-32.) Why do you think the disciples 14. Look up some of the references to
cannot do so at this point? “glory” in John’s Gospel. (See
3. To what event is Jesus referring in these 1:14; 2:11; 11:4; 12:41; 17:4-5,
verses? (See John 12:32.) What is He 9. When will Jesus’ disciples be able to 10, 22, 24.) What is Jesus’
going to do for God, and what will God follow Him? What will enable them to do “glory”? What does it mean for us
then do for Him? (See also question 14 so, when they could not before? (See to glorify God?
below.) John 14:16-17.)
15. Think about what happens to
4. How are we to follow Jesus on His 10. What does a life laid down for others Peter later in the Gospel. (See
journey to glory? (See 1 John 3:16.) look like? How do you think we can draw John 18:10-11, 15-18, 25-27;
What does this mean for how we relate on the resources God supplies for us to 20:1-10; 21, esp. verses 15-22.)
to other Christians? live like this? Compare Jesus’ words to him in
chapter 21 with those in chapter
Read John 13:34-35 Conclusion 13. How are they different, and
what has made the difference?
5. What is Jesus’ command* to His 11. Try to sum up what you have learned
disciples in these verses? In what way/s from this passage. Why should we love 16. The first letter of John contains
is this a new commandment? other Christians? How should we do it? lots more teaching on loving our
And how can we do it? fellow Christians. Look at one or
6. What basis and model does Jesus give both of the key passages (3:11-18;
us for our love for one another? And 12. Share one action that you can now take in 4:7-21). What do they add to John
what impact will it have on those who response to this teaching. Can you do 13:31-38?
witness it? something to help persecuted Christians?
Further reading
For further explanation of this passage, please see the following:
C.K. Barrett, The Gospel according to St John, 2nd edition. London: SPCK, 1978, pp. 449-453.
George R. Beasley-Murray, John (Word Biblical Commentary), 2nd edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999, pp. 246-248.
*The Greek word agapao is used many times in John’s Gospel to refer to the sacrificial love of God and of Jesus, and to the love of
His disciples in response to that love.

Resources

Suggested songs for your service
A prayer
n Almighty Sovereign Lord (Phil Lawson Johnston, Songs of
for Suffering Fellowship 18)
Church Sunday n You are my hiding place (Michael Ledner, Songs of
Fellowship 625)
Our Father in heaven n Guide me O Thou great Jehovah (William Williams, Songs
Thank You that You are the Lord who provides of Fellowship 148 / Mission Praise 201)
and that You meet all our needs, in ways that n We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender! (Edith G
we often do not recognise. Cherry, Songs of Fellowship 587 / Mission Praise 735)
n The king of love my Shepherd is (Henry Williams Baker,
We pray for all those who are suffering Hymns Ancient and Modern New Standard 126)
harassment, discrimination and persecution
n Blessed be Your Name (Matt Redman, Ultimate Collection)
for their faith in You, O Lord. We pray that You
will give them daily strength to endure their
pain, whether it be physical, emotional or
spiritual. Today, we think particularly of those
who have been left homeless because of Original songs from
persecution and violence. We pray that they
will remain steadfast in their faith and seek Barnabas supporters
Your face in their trials, and that You will meet We are grateful to two Barnabas Fund supporters who have provided us with
them in their time of need. songs they have written and given us permission to publish them.
Lord Jesus, help us to remember to give Steve Giles from Brisbane, Australia has written a song, entitled “Western
thanks for all that You have provided for us Christians and the suffering Church”. The voice and guitar recording of his song,
and to remember our responsibility to provide and accompanying PowerPoint, are available as a meditative song to play to your
for other members of Your family. congregation and can be found on the Barnabas Fund Suffering Church Sunday
DVD 2011-2012.
We give thanks for Your faithful people in South
Asia, who endure so many different forms of The lyrics of Gordon Churchyard’s song “Prayer for those in prison” have been
persecution from all sides. Thank You that reproduced below. Mr Churchyard, a Barnabas Fund supporter from Somerset,
Barnabas Fund is working to provide houses for UK, wrote the hymn to encourage members of his congregation to pray for
Christians in that area, and we pray that You those who are in prison because of their love for Jesus Christ. The piano score
will give clear direction in how You want this for this hymn can be found on the DVD or downloaded from our website
work to be carried out. (www.barnabasfund.org/SCS).
In Jesus’ Name Prayer for those in prison
Amen We pray for those in prison,
Shut in for their belief!
Great God of freedom – grant that they
Suffering Church Will never lose their faith:
O send your angels to them
Sunday offering To comfort their distress;
Thousands of Christians in India, Pakistan and And may your Holy Spirit’s love
Sri Lanka have lost their homes owing to war, Flood through their hearts to bless!
persecution and injustice. Living in squalid Raise up the shining vision
conditions without proper homes, they are Of Jesus on His Cross,
vulnerable, despised and unable to help No freedom then – just blood and pain –
themselves. You can read more about this And all seemed dark and lost;
project on pages 16-17. But death’s dark prison opened
Our Heavenly Father calls us to provide for On Easter’s radiant morn,
other members of His family who do not have And Christ the Lord stepped out to life.
a roof over their heads (Isaiah 58:7). Will you From death the great First-born!
help our brothers and sisters who are So strengthen those in prison
homeless and who suffer because of their Till they too shall be free,
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? No prison wall will bar the way
Please consider taking up a Suffering Church To their eternity.
Sunday offering for our major initiative to We pray for those in prison,
provide housing for Christians in South Asia: Shut in for their belief!
Great God of freedom – grant that they
Project reference 00-977 Will never lose their faith!

Resources
Prayer-and-
response card
The Suffering Church Sunday prayer-
and-response card includes the prayer
(above) and a response form. These
cards are a great resource for
distribution to your congregation at your
Suffering Church Sunday service. They
are available to order free of charge
from your national Barnabas Fund office
– please order as many as you need!
Order your free suffering

Church Sunday resources
The following resources are available free of charge from
your national Barnabas Fund office (addresses on back
cover) or from our website (www.barnabasfund.org/scs),
or please use the order form below.
n A3 version (approx. 300x420mm) of the poster (see page 6), to advertise
your Suffering Church Sunday service.
n P rayer-and-response cards (see above), including the “Prayer for Suffering
Church Sunday” and a response form.
n S CS 2011-2012 DVD containing a recording of Steve Giles’ song “Western
Christians and the suffering Church” and accompanying reflective
PowerPoint, and the piano score for Gordon Churchyard’s hymn “Prayer
for those in prison”.
n P owerPoint presentation to accompany the sermon on John 13:31-38 (see
page 18). Available on the DVD and to download from our website.
n N
EW FOR SCS 2011-2012! A4 cards to highlight the problem of
homelessness among Christians in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan.
I would like to order the following free resources: (please indicate quantities in boxes)
A3 poster “Christians in South Asia” DVD A4 cards
Prayer-and-response cards Copies of the Suffering Church Sunday issue of Barnabas Aid (Sept/Oct 2011)
Name: (Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Rev, Dr)
Address:
Postcode:
Email:
Name of church:
Send this form to your nearest Barnabas Fund office (addresses on back cover). Resources can also be ordered or downloaded from www.barnabasfund.org/scs.

Operation Nehemiah
Your actions bring change News in brief

Islamists call for British
Operation Nehemiah would like to thank all those supporters in various parts of the
world who provide us with feedback on various aspects of our global campaign and “emirates”
news of what they are doing to help. We are reproducing below two of these letters Muslim minorities in Western countries
from the UK, which show how simple actions can make a difference. Please do keep tend to be highly concentrated in certain
them coming. areas. For example, in Australia the Sydney
Raising awareness of halal meat complaints number and left a recorded suburbs of Auburn and Lakemba are home
message. The next day I was personally to large Muslim populations. In Britain
“I ... wrote to the two local butchers. One did
phoned and thanked and told my comment some neighbourhoods are almost 100%
not reply but the other phoned to say that he
would go to the drama producers... It made Muslim, and an Islamist group has now
had unwittingly been purchasing poultry from
me realise some good people in these called on Muslims to create enclaves in
an outside supplier which is halal. He stated he
departments are waiting for your comments. I major cities where sharia will one day be
was not happy with this discovery and intended
was careful also to say some good points and implemented.
to review the matter.” E & M Smith, Bristol
that Agatha Christie never had a swear word Dewsbury, Bradford and Tower Hamlets,
in any of her many books. I also felt that many London, have been suggested by the group
Challenging the media of us should phone the BBC after Songs of as “emirates” where Muslims can live by
“After reading your booklet [The Way Ahead] Praise and say how much we enjoyed and sharia outside British law.
that evening there was an Agatha Christie valued the programme. Let us be quick to
According to the group, it is an obligation for
drama on Channel 4. In the first scenes there praise any good programme, especially
Muslims to call for sharia to be implemented
was swearing. It was 8pm. I phoned the Christian, and say so.” E. Long, Bexhill
wherever they are in the world. The report
encourages all Muslims to live amongst
Mega-mosque update other Muslims and to trade amongst

themselves where possible. It also advises
Muslims to set up Islamic schools that teach
the Islamic curriculum, and not to go to
In many parts of the world, including Africa and the West, large mosques are being
non-Islamic courts for arbitration.
built in areas where there are not many Muslims, as symbols of the presence and
superiority of Islam. But sometimes the plans can be frustrated. Here is one recent Equality Commission says
example from an English suburban town. Christians should have
Thank you to all those supporters who have been praying about the plan to build a huge right to follow conscience
£3 million mosque in Camberley, England. The Muslim group behind the plan, who hold The UK’s equality watchdog has
extremist views, have had it finally dismissed by the local authorities. determined that Christians should be given
If the plans had been approved, the mosque would have had two 30-metre minarets greater freedom to follow their beliefs in
overlooking the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and towering above the parade ground the workplace.
and the adjacent St Michael’s Church. The proposal raised serious security concerns, The Equality and Human Rights
especially in view of the frequent royal visits to Sandhurst. The controversial plans to knock Commission (EHRC) said that judges had
down the listed Victorian school currently used as a mosque and build the mega-mosque interpreted the law “too narrowly” in
were initially approved by the council’s planning committee. cases where Christians had claimed
religious discrimination and that it is
Local news from around the world proposing “reasonable accommodation”
to help employers manage religion in the
Operation Nehemiah invites you to look out research. Local newspaper reports are workplace.
for and send us any relevant newspaper especially helpful too, as they often provide For more information on these stories and
articles, posters, local authority publications information that does not always reach other Operation Nehemiah news updates,
or material produced by Islamist groups in mainstream media and is not so easily please visit www.barnabasfund.org/
your country or region to help in our accessible to us. operation_nehemiah.
Request ACTS for the new school year!

Would you or your church like to support your local school in the teaching of Christianity at
primary level? For a donation of £250, Operation Nehemiah is offering a pack worth over £470 to donate
to a UK primary school of your choice. The pack contains reference books, posters, wall charts, animated
DVDs, activity workbooks, Bible story books, fiction and lots more items for primary level. Call 01672
564938 today for more information or visit www.barnabasfund.org/operation_nehemiah/ACTS.
Mission Statement: Operation Nehemiah is committed to maintaining Christian values of

freedom of conscience, speech and religion for the next generation in church and society.
Newsroom
Pakistan: Call to ban the Bible

An important Islamic political party has called for Pakistan’s Supreme Court to ban the Bible, describing it as
“pornographic”. A leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi, made the appeal at a press
conference at a mosque in Lahore on 30 May.
Farooqi claimed that “blasphemous”
portions had been added to the Bible,
which, he said, charged some prophets
with “a variety of moral crimes, which
undermine the sanctity of the holy
figures”. He said such “insertions”
strongly offended Muslims, who hold all
prophets and holy books in high esteem.
He said that if the Supreme Court did not
respond by banning the Bible, Islamic
clerics would formally petition the court,
and added that the move was an act of
revenge against the desecration of the
Quran by a church in Florida.
Pakistani Christians have strongly
condemned the call, and there are fears
that this attack on the Bible signals an
intensification of persecution against
Christians in Pakistan, where Islamists are
said to have become more extreme in the
wake of Osama bin Laden’s assassination. Pakistani Christian students engaged in a Bible study. Turn to page 4 to read how
Barnabas Fund is helping to supply Bibles to Christian leaders in Pakistan
Egypt: Court ruling allows Christian reconverts to register faith
Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court has made a significant ruling that will allow Christian reconverts to have their
religious registration officially changed back to “Christian”.
The ruling applies to those who were January, there has been a surge in similar verdicts, issued in 2008, have not
registered – on their birth certificates and/ disappearance of Christian girls; one church been implemented. A more recent ruling
or national ID cards – as “Christian” but leader said in July, “More than two to three was blocked by the State Council’s fatwa
whose religious identity was changed to girls disappear everyday in Giza alone... The committee, which said that each case
“Muslim”, either because they converted cases that are brought to public attention must be reviewed individually by the
to Islam as adults, or as a consequence of are few compared to what the numbers court.
a parent changing his/her registration, or actually are.”
Lawyer Peter El-Naggar was optimistic
because of a clerical error. It means that
Religious registration affects many important that the court order would be executed
those who return to Christianity having
areas of life including marriage, inheritance, this time. But a senior Church leader was
converted to Islam will be officially
education and church attendance. ID cards more sceptical, saying, “The problem is
identified as Christians rather than
must be presented in order to perform with the authorities who refuse to
Muslims. This is particularly important for
everyday acts such as travel or registering a implement the court orders issued in our
Christian women and girls, as there are
complaint at a police station. The ruling does favour.”
many tragic cases of abductions and
not apply to converts to Christianity who
forced conversions in Egypt. Christian girls Despite this rare piece of good news,
were registered as Muslim at birth.
are being kidnapped, raped, forced to there is still an air of unease among the
convert to Islam, and forced into marriages Egyptian Christians have been campaigning Christians in Egypt as Islamist parties gear
with Muslim men. Since the revolution in for this court ruling since 2004; several up for the elections later this year.

Newsroom
Sudan: Dawn Senegal: Churches looted and torched

of independence Christians have been attacked and eight churches looted and torched
brings violence in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, as aggressors took advantage of
political unrest in the country to vent their hostility. The churches
Fighting in Sudan’s border
were targeted over a two week period following a declaration of war
region blighted the long- by Muslims against “new churches”. A church leader said this was
awaited independence of the because of the visible growth of these churches in Dakar.
predominantly Christian South The anti-Christian violence broke out as pulpit had been. The building had seated
and threatened a return to the rioters took to the streets to protest around 400 people.
deadly civil war that tore the against President Abdoulaye Wade’s
country apart from 1983 to 2005. Such anti-Christian violence is almost
controversial plans to change the
unheard of in Senegal, despite its
Troops and tanks of the Khartoum country’s constitution. Dakar city centre
being a predominantly Muslim country
government in the mainly Muslim North was cut off as demonstrators set fire to
(91%), but aggressive Islamist groups
overran the contested Abyei region on vehicles and threw stones at riot police,
funded by Saudi Arabia and Libya are
21 May in what was described by South while other violent protests were staged
making inroads, threatening the tolerant
Sudan as an act of war. Violent clashes elsewhere in the city and in other
status quo.
had broken out between Northern and Senegalese towns.
Southern forces over the fertile region, With tensions already high in the city,
which both sides claim as theirs. As one neighbourhood erupted, and the
Northern forces dropped bombs on crowd took out their anger on the
villages, more than 110,000 people fled Christians. One church was set upon by a
south, where the majority remain, living group of men and young people during
in basic conditions without shelter. the morning service on Sunday 26 June.
Further conflict broke out in the key The worshippers were driven out and
northern oil state of South Kordofan, pelted with stones as they escaped
which borders both the South and Abyei, before the steel-structured building was
on 5 June. The Northern government fire-bombed. The following day, the
carried out its threats to attack any mayor ordered that the building be
Southern forces that remained in the area “cleaned up”; the steel and scrap iron,
The concrete platform (foreground)
by 1 June, using aerial bombardments, valuable commodities in Senegal, were
where the pulpit once stood is all that
house-to-house executions of suspected taken away by truck, leaving nothing but remains of this church in Senegal which
opposition sympathisers and rape as their a raised concrete platform where the once seated approximately 400 people
weapons. Nuba Christians have suffered
in both the air strikes and ground attacks,
and there are reports of Muslim militia
shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“god is great”) Ivory Coast: Christian brothers crucified
as they opened fire on Christians
gathered for worship. A new church in Two peasant brothers were brutally only a store of medical equipment and
Kadugli, the main town of South crucified after “the example of Christ” supplies. The seriously wounded pair
Kordofan, was burnt down and looted. A on 29 May by forces loyal to the new were then taken to prison in Oumé.
senior church leader described the Muslim president of Ivory Coast, Raphael Aka Kouame died of his injuries
violence as a “policy of ethnic cleansing”. Alassane Ouattara. that night; incredibly his younger
brother, Kouassi Privat Kacou, survived
Southern Christians are looking forward The pair, from the village of Binkro, were
the ordeal.
to greater freedom and peace, following badly beaten and tortured before being
independence on 9 July, but there are crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by This is just one of the many atrocities that
indications that life for Christians in the their hands and feet with steel spikes. have been committed in fighting between
North will become more restrictive and They were falsely accused of hiding rival supporters of Ouattara and his
dangerous following the split. President weapons in their village, and although predecessor Laurent Gbagbo, who was
Omar al-Bashir has declared that the they repeatedly denied any involvement, ousted following the disputed presidential
North will be 100% Arab and Muslim, their pleas were ignored. After crucifying election in November 2010. Christians
and has made clear his intention to them, Ouattara’s men took them on an are seen as supporters of Gbagbo and
reinforce its hard-line Islamic character. extensive search of Binkro, but found have been caught up in the conflict.

In Touch
Supporting Barnabas through sales and school sports

“We are aware that our privilege [of worshipping and
spreading the Good News] brings responsibility to help
those who need our prayerful and practical support.” These
are the words of Pat Wells, Acting Head/Chair of Governors
of Emmanuel Christian School in Leicester. The 26 pupils
aged between 4 and 13 ran a combined marathon in June
and raised £147.60 for Barnabas Fund. Each child ran as
many circuits round the track as he or she could manage in
15 minutes. Their distances were then added together,
giving just slightly more than a full marathon distance. Pat
says the children always had in mind to give a donation to
Barnabas Fund to help the persecuted Church in different
The children from Emmanuel Christian School, Leicester, who ran a
areas of the world.
combined marathon and raised money for the persecuted Church
A Carnival Day in Shrewsbury was the scene for more fundraising for
Barnabas. Maire Juvonen-Shah raised £212.24 through a stall at the Carnival
on 18 June and a plant sale at her church. Ms Juvonen-Shah sent us this
photograph of her and a friend at the stall, which won a trophy for the best
charity stall at the carnival.
We are always grateful to receive news of ways that you have been fundraising
for Barnabas Fund. Please keep sending us details of your events and how
Maire (r) and her friend at the Barnabas much you raised, and we will try to publish them as and when we have space
stall at Shrewsbury Carnival in our magazine!
Electronic communication from Barnabas Fund Resource to focus

A lot has changed in the way we communicate with our supporters at Barnabas
In the last year, we have redesigned our website to make it more accessible and
Fund.
your prayers
informative. The “News” Each month, we produce an information
section is updated regularly to sheet with up-to-date news on the suffering
keep you informed of the Church, to aid with your prayers individually
ever-changing situation of our and in your prayer groups, and for inclusion
persecuted brothers and sisters in your church magazine (A4 or A5 sizes
around the world. Further tabs available for easy use in magazines of
allow you to navigate around different sizes.) Barnabas Fund’s Prayer
“Our work”, and find out about Focus Update covers events from around
different ways that you can the world, providing a snapshot of anti-
“Act” for and “Donate” to Christian violence and persecution to guide
Barnabas Fund. you in praying for our suffering brothers and
The best way we can inform sisters.
our supporters of a crisis and This invaluable prayer resource is available
an urgent need for donations or prayer is through email, and we now send a weekly free of charge and can be sent via email or
email round-up of the latest news affecting Christians around the world. post at the beginning of each month. To
receive a copy regularly, please contact
If you would like to receive news and prayer information about the persecuted Church your nearest national office (addresses on
by email, please visit our website www.barnabasfund.org, go to the bottom left back cover). You can also download a copy
section, enter your name and email address and click “Subscribe”. of the latest Prayer Focus Update or
previous updates by visiting
www.barnabasfund.org/prayer.

The aid agency for the persecuted Church
Please send the following resources (indicate quantity required):
A 3 poster SCS 2011-2012 DVD and

“Christians in South Asia” PowerPoint presentation
Yes, I would like to help the persecuted Church Prayer-and-response card opies of the SCS edition of
C
Barnabas Aid (Sept/Oct 2011)
Here is my gift of ______________________ Gift Aid Declaration (Applicable to UK tax payers only)
Please use my gift for I authorise Barnabas Fund, registered charity no. 1092935, to treat all
donations I have made since 6 April 2007 and all subsequent donations
Wherever the need is greatest (General Fund) as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise.
Other ___________________________________________* Signature ______________________________________ Date ____________

If you have previously signed a Gift Aid Declaration for Barnabas Fund, you do not need
I enclose a cheque/voucher payable to “Barnabas Fund”. to sign again. To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must
at least equal the amount of tax reclaimed on donations to registered charities in the tax
year. Please inform us if you change your name or address or stop paying tax.
Please debit my Visa Mastercard American Express
Maestro CAF card /other charity card Name (Mr,Mrs,Miss,Ms,Rev,Dr)
Address
Number
Maestro issue number or issue date / Postcode Telephone

Email
Expiry date / Signature ______________________________
Please return this form to Barnabas Fund at your national office or to the UK office.
Addresses are on the back cover. Barnabas Fund will not give your address or email
I do not require an acknowledgement of this gift.
to anyone else.
I would like to give regularly through my bank. Please send me Phone 0800 587 4006 or visit our website at www.barnabasfund.org to make a
the appropriate form. (UK supporters may use the Direct Debit credit card donation. From outside UK phone +44 1672 565031.
Registered Charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536
form below.)
*If the project chosen is sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts either for
another project of a similar type or for another project in the same country.
Alternative Gift Card To make an alternative gift for a loved one, please Supporters in Germany: please turn to back cover for how to send gifts to
contact your national Barnabas office. Mag 09/11 Barnabas Fund. Mag 09/11
DIRECT DEBIT for UK supporters who would like to give regularly Mag 09/11
I/We want to bring hope and aid to the persecuted Church by a regular gift, to be used
where it is most needed (General Fund) or for ________________________________*(give reference number of project to be supported)
Name (Mr,Mrs,Miss,Ms,Rev,Dr) I would like to give a regular gift of £__________________________________
Address (amount in words) __________________________________________________
Starting on 1st / 11th / 21st _________________ and then every
month/quarter/year (delete as applicable) until further notice.
This Direct Debit is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier Standing
Postcode Order / Direct Debit in favour of Barnabas Fund. (delete as applicable).
Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit

Please fill in the whole form including official use box using a ball point
pen and send it to: Barnabas Fund, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX
Service User Number 2 5 3 6 4 5
Name and full postal address of your bank or building society Reference (Barnabas Fund to complete)
Instruction to your bank or building society: Please pay Barnabas Fund

Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the
safeguards assured to by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this
Name(s) of account holder(s) instruction may remain with Barnabas Fund and, if so, details will be
passed electronically to my bank/building society. DD18
Bank/building society account number Branch sort code Signature(s)
Date
*If the project chosen is sufficiently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts either for another project of a similar type or for another project in the same country.
The Direct Debit Guarantee

This Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.
If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Barnabas Fund will notify you 14 working days in advance of your account being debited
or as otherwise agreed.
If you request Barnabas Fund to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Barnabas Fund or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund of the amount
paid from from your bank or building society.
If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Barnabas Fund asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written
confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
The Barnabas Fund Distinctive
The “Barnabas Fund Distinctive”
What helps make Barnabas Fund distinctive from other Christian organisations that deal
with persecution?
We work by: n acting as equal partners with the n inform and enable Christians in the West
n directing our aid only to Christians, persecuted Church, whose leaders often to respond to the growing challenge of
although its benefits may not be help shape our overall direction Islam to Church, society and mission in
exclusive to them (“As we have their own countries
n acting on behalf of the persecuted
opportunity, let us do good to all people, Church, to be their voice – making their n facilitate global intercession for the
especially to those who belong to the needs known to Christians around the persecuted Church by providing
family of believers.” Galatians 6:10, world and the injustice of their comprehensive prayer materials
emphasis added) persecution known to governments and
n aiming the majority of our aid at We believe:
international bodies
Christians living in Muslim environments n we are called to address both religious
We seek to: and secular ideologies that deny full
n channelling money from Christians
n meet both practical and spiritual needs religious liberty to Christian minorities
through Christians to Christians
– while continuing to show God’s love to
n channelling money through existing n encourage, strengthen and enable the all people
structures in the countries where funds existing local Church and Christian n in the clear Biblical teaching that
are sent (e.g. local churches or Christian communities – so they can maintain their Christians should treat all people
organisations) presence and witness rather than setting of all faiths with love and compassion,
n using the money to fund projects up our own structures or sending out even those who seek
that have been developed by local missionaries to persecute them
Christians in their own communities, n tackle persecution at its root by making n in the power of prayer to change
countries or regions known the aspects of the Islamic faith people’s lives and situations, either
n considering any request, and other ideologies that result in through grace to endure or through
however small injustice and oppression of non-believers deliverance from suffering
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
How to Find Us Jersey

Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB
You may contact Barnabas Fund at the following addresses: Telephone 700600 Fax 700601 Email bfjersey@barnabasfund.org
UK (for general mailing queries) New Zealand

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Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805
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Barnabas Aid September/October 2011

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Barnabas Aid September/October 2011

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THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.

Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

2 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

The farm is situated in a region of high

Egyptian Christians often find it hard to get

Shelter for Christian children from Burma

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 3

Russia and Pakistan:

Barnabas is making it possible for the Bible

Emergency aid for

4 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians learn how to

Barnabas also supports a Christian legal Project references

Enabling pastors and evangelists in former Soviet states

Ernest and his family, all converts from

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 5

8 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

Christian victim of the blasphemy law

The Maldives adhere strictly to sharia law,

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 9

No justice in the courts

10 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 11

War and natural disaster. The Sri

12 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011 – 12

But Mustafa’s Islamic beliefs were

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 13

Fleeing for their lives

– and left homeless

War and civil unrest

Decades of civil war ripped the country of

14 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

In Orissa, India, Christian families could do

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 15

16 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

for your church

Lego house: members of the

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 17

“Love one another as I have loved you”

This is how suffering Christians in Burma

When Christians suffer for their faith, the

Younis is a Pakistani Christian whose home

Another Pakistani Christian flood victim, Lal,

Of course, the encouragement of knowing

Again and again the Bible calls Christians to

18 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011 – 12

This passage from John’s Gospel is part of

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 19

Loving our Christian family

20 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Christians in South Asia: Suffering Church Sunday 2011-12

BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 21

Order your free suffering

22 BARNABAS AID SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

Your actions bring change News in brief

Mega-mosque update other Muslims and to trade amongst

Request ACTS for the new school year!

Mission Statement: Operation Nehemiah is committed to maintaining Christian values of

“Love one another as I have loved you”

A 3 poster SCS 2011-2012 DVD and

Other _________________* Signature Date