Christianity in Nepal is Thriving Inspite of Increased Persecution

To give context of our update, the following is a summary of a story originally published on Christianity Today:

In April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, after which eight Christians from Nepal were invited by a pastor to do trauma counseling for children at their school. Shortly after, these Christians were wrongly convicted of trying to convert the children. (There is freedom of religion in Nepal, however one is not allowed to try to convert anyone.) The Christians were detained, but were released on bail shortly after; and in December 2016, a Nepali court dropped the case against the Christians. This incident was the first freedom of religion dispute since Nepal’s new constitution that deemed the country secular. However, according to Lok Mani Dhaka, a member of the Nepali Parliament, “When the time came to pass the drafts constitution in parliament, major parties built a consensus that secularism means the state should protect the traditional majority religion [Hinduism] while granting religious freedom to the people.” With this interpretation of secularism, the result is persecution.

However, our God is bigger than that. In The Tide’s quarterly newsletter, we recently published the following that we received from one of our co-workers, who is a speaker on The Tide Nepali language program:

By the grace of our loving God, I am fine, along with my family, and hope the same with you too.

I have consulted with Mr. V.M., and the FM radio person in Kathmandu, who gave some information on our broadcast. He said there are several Christian radio programs, but people like our program most.

He was saying that in a place called Okahdunga, there is a district jail, where the jailer has allowed prisoners to listen to our Christian radio program. Some prisoners believed in the Lord through our program—praise the Lord! Mr. V.M. personally visits that place and said he met a Chief District Officer, and he is also regularly listening to our program. Mr. V.M. also said there are people who listen to the program and like it, and sometimes they give a call to the FM station.

I, while traveling through Eastern Nepal by bus, met a co-passenger who was our listener. He likes our program, and his family also listens. We had a good talk; he desires to read booklets to know more about Jesus Christ. I gave him a New Testament that I was carrying with me.

Surely thousands of people are listening to our program across Nepal. And our mighty God is planting His words in the hearts of the poeple. It is my prayer that God enables us to have sufficient literature through which we can make regular contact with them and get feedback.

Thank you for giving me this tremendous opportunity to reach thousands of people through radio ministry for the glory of God.

Your co-worker in Jesus Christ,

K.T.

God is moving despite persecution — and your continuous support has helped make that possible!