On September 25, the third missiological engagement plenary was held at the Fourth Lausanne conference. Three scholars and ministers from India and Iran addressed speeches on the theme of “God’s Mission Amidst Challenge and Adversity.”
In the speech “Persecuted Churches and Missions in Indian Context,” Dr. Babu Verghese, a journalist, historian, linguist, and author of 27 books, living and working out of India, gave an overview of the current persecution situations for Indian Christians today and how they respond manifesting the gospel.
The tribulations and persecutions of Christians in India could not be denied, according to Dr. Babu, confirmed with terrifying attacks and intolerable anti-conversion laws.
Four incidents that happened in May, June, and July 2024 were spoken out by Dr. Babu: religious extremists attacked innocent Christians, who were farmers, workers, etc., when they were harmlessly praying and worshiping. People died, were severely wounded, and houses burned, but never refused Jesus. Ironically, the police refused to uphold justice for an excuse of treating them as family disputes.
Shift views from local to the whole country, Dr. Babu emphasized the strictest article of the Indian anti-conversion law released in August 2024, saying that handing a Bible or sharing the gospel with another will be recognized as inducing a person to convert from the original religion, resulting in a penalty of at most 20 years in prison and a huge amount of fine.
“The law is unconstitutional, immoral, unjust, inhuman, and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights,” Dr. Babu quoted from a legal scholar.
Moreover, holding a copy of the Indian constitution, Dr. Babu announced to all the audiences from over 200 countries in the Congress that the law made it ridiculous and nonsense that the state constitution promised citizens the freedom of religion, protection of the interests of minorities, and freedom to manage religious affairs.
Quoted from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues, the persecution conducted in India is “messy, systematic, and dangerous.”
Christians in India suffered five brutal attacks daily in 2024, in the forms of physical damage, possession loss, and daily life discrimination, said Dr. Babu.
He disclosed, holding up a burned Bible from a burned church, “We are facing a battle against the Bible, against the Bible people, a battle against the Bible belief.”
Despite all sufferings, Dr. Babu affirmed, Indian Christians lived out the power of faith. They fought against physical harm with prayer for persecutors, accomplished local self-sufficiency by faith against financial loss and injustice, and confronted the wrong narratives; they explained with adequate proof that it was Christian missionaries who created modern India.
He added that Indian Christians saw persecutions not only as destruction but in a more constructive way, according to an Indian brother. They treated them as opportunities to participate in the suffering of the Lord Jesus, to purify themselves, and to propagate the person of Christ to all the Indians.
Born in a Muslim family, converted to Christianity, arrested, and got in jail for five years because of evangelism, Pastor Farshid Fathi, now working with Elam Ministries, addressed attendees in a speech “How Did the Persecution Open the Doors for the Spread of the Gospel in Iran?” after Dr. Babu.
Back in 1996, Pastor Fathi was caught by the Holy Spirit; the joy was so overwhelming that he could not stop running for God. After graduation from the UK, he established an underground church in Iran, which expanded to 48 churches in 20 cities in Iran within 5 years.
At 6 am on December 26, 2010, all pastors in his church were arrested, and he was sentenced to five years imprisonment for an accusation against national security through evangelism, released until December 2015.
He was not special at all, said the pastor. Hundreds and thousands of pastors and Christians were put in jail, and even 7 key Christian leaders were killed in Iran.
However, he notified Congress that Iran is now one of the fastest-growing churches in the world. Revival is obvious: the Christian population had increased from 500 to more than one million; 3000 baptized in one day in Pentecost 2024; at least one person was added to the church weekly.
“Evangelism became a lifestyle for our church members, so our church is growing not only through the pastors but through the people,” he explained. “Because as long as we are excited about our salvation, we cannot remain silent no matter what the cost.”
“I am standing here in Lausanne 2024 to testify that suffering and persecution is not the end of the story,” said Pastor Fathi boldly, “this is the part of the story, not the end of the story. We know the end of the story. And we are all part of the story.”
Same as Pastor Fathi, Sara Akhavan was arrested on the exact day of December 26, 2010, too. She stepped to the stage after Pastor Fathi spoke again, “I am here to testify that, yes, the church in Iran is suffering, but I am a witness, as in the book of Acts, that the word of God continues to express.”
Lived in Tehran, Iran, Saran got an inspirational vision from God after fasting and praying for two months that their team would establish seven churches surrounding another important religious city in Iran. So seven evangelism teams sent, just walking and praying, and one day suddenly, people added to churches day by day.
However, the time came on December 26, 2010, when five policemen knocked out her family house door and put her into custody.
Confessing frankly, Sarah was trapped in shock, fear, and desperation at the beginning, until four days later she heard a voice from the Lord Jesus Christ, “Look at yourself; you are acting like I am dead.”
Repeating this sentence again and again, she began to sing fearlessly, “In Jesus’ name, we have victory.”
God opened the door, and 37 days later, she was released. Not choosing to leave the city as told by others, Sarah, who now was courageous under God’s sovereign, went to the same city for which she evangelized and got persecuted, and God fulfilled his promise of seven churches.
The churches now still exist and are continuously expanding, added Sarah, who encouraged all congregations, including nations and areas facing challenge and adversity, that “my brothers and sisters, whatever the opposition church faces, the word of God continued to express.”
