Hindu militants attacked at least two churches in recent weeks. On the evening of May 26, militants demolished a thatched church in the district of Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, the Masihi Mandir Church in the district of Oriya Para, Chhattisgarh was attacked by a group of Hindu militants during a morning church service on June 1. At approximately 11:00 a.m., the militants barged into the church building and destroyed the facility's furniture. The attackers accused the believers present of forcibly converting people, and threatened them of dire consequences if they continued to worship Christ.

Pray for healing for Pastor Kori. Ask God to strengthen the believers whose churches were attacked to continue to stand in His grace (1 Peter 5:12).

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, click here.

Eritrean police arrested 34 evangelical Christians in the city of Keren on May 28, according to a June 2 report from Compass Direct. The Christians, who are members of the Berhane Hiwet (Light of Life) Church, were meeting in a private home for prayer and fellowship. All 24 men and 10 women present in the meetings were taken to prison, with their children left behind. The next day security officials transferred the women prisoners to the Adi-Abeyto Military Confinement facility on the outskirts of the capital city of Asmara.

Pray for the release of Eritrean Christians who are imprisoned for the sake of Christ (Acts 12:5). Ask God to strengthen and comfort their families. Pray that the Eritrean government will respect the rights of Christians to freely worship their Lord.

For more information on the persecution facing Eritrean Christians, click here.

A Hindu nationalist leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), B.S. Yeddyurappa, was elected as the chief minister of Karnataka state on May 25, according to a May 29 report from Compass Direct. This first-ever victory of the BJP in a south Indian state is causing concern among the minority Christian community in Karnataka, where anti-Christian attacks have been on the rise since 2006. The BJP is the parent organization of the Hindu militant group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a major force behind attacks on Christians.

Ask God to embolden Christians in Karnataka to remain steadfast as they suffer for the sake of Christ (Rev. 2:10). Pray that those who persecute Christians will see Christ's grace and mercy and be reconciled to Him.

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, click here.

An Iranian Christian convert, Homayon Shokohie Gholamzadeh (48), who was arrested on May 11 by police in the city of Shiraz
(click here for more details), was released from prison on May 22, according to a May 29 report from Compass Direct. He was taken into custody with his wife and another couple of Christian converts before boarding a flight at Shiraz International Airport. On June 2, another Iranian Christian convert from Islam arrested on May 11, Mojtaba Hussein (21), was also released from prison, according to a June 3 report from Compass Direct. The authorities demanded valuable property deeds as bail collateral for the release of the two believers.

Take time to read the most recent weblog commentary by VOMC CEO, Glenn Penner. In "Just a Wee Bit of an Update," Glenn shares about his recent health challenges, and his prayerful desire to model a cross-centered style of leadership.

To make comments on these and previous VOMC weblogs, go to persecutedchurch.blogspot.com.