Bihar is one of the poorest states in India. Known as the “graveyard of missionaries” since British rule, hundreds of western missionaries have given their lives to reach the people of Bihar. Today, it has not changed much. Two of our missionaries were brutally killed for sharing the gospel in Bihar. Reaching the villages of Bihar has many hindrances, some spiritual and some societal.
Spiritually it is one of the darkest areas due to witchcraft, idol worship, animal sacrifices, superstitions and other demonic religious activities. Societal issues include criminal activities, anti-Christian groups, and discrimination toward low caste people. Traveling to the villages is difficult and living among their culture is challenging.
In the last few years attacks on Christians, churches, and missionaries have increased significantly. Hundreds of new believers have been forced out of their homes because of their new faith in Jesus.
Despite all these hindrances, in the last few years Bihar has been witnessing a great move of God in the villages. New believers from native people groups have been trained and sent out to their own people groups, where they have been greatly used by the Holy Spirit in preaching the gospel. Through their sharing of the gospel and prayer, signs and wonders are happening and people are drawn to the Lord in large numbers.
We have 26 full time native missionaries who are working in Bihar. In the last few years, we have trained over 400 hundred men and women through our training centers and sent them to their people groups in different areas. Through their preaching and prayer every year we are seeing thousands of people come to the Lord through the work of our house church leaders.
In the first week of February Sherly and I (Regi) visited some of our mission stations in Bihar. It was a bit scary because the first day of our visit we heard that three different churches were attacked, and believers, along with their pastors, were beaten up. Several of them had injuries and had to be admitted to the hospital. Sherly and I dressed like the native village people and carefully went to different villages visiting our missionary families. In the five days of our trip, we had 11 meetings and several baptism services.
We visited our missionaries and house church leaders and their families, asking about the progress of the Lord’s work and the difficulties they are facing. Every one of them reported how the Lord has given favor, and there were amazing testimonies of God’s protection and divine intervention in the lives of the new believers. Miracles and wonders are being seen in ways beyond their capacity to understand. Almost every one of them reported that they were in danger. They are regularly threatened by radicals and followed by people when they go to the remote villages.
But in the midst of trouble, they declare the words of Romans: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
In one high caste Hindu village, we had around 41 people who were given baptism in the early morning, in the wheat fields where no one would be watching. After the baptism, we left in the evening. Somehow the news of the baptism was leaked to some Hindu radicals from neighboring villages. They came and threatened the newly baptized believers and local house church leader, and demanded they stop the prayer meeting. Instead of having their regular worship service on Sunday the new believers came together on Saturday. Around 75 Hindu radicals came to the meeting place. They knocked the believers to the ground and beat them with bamboo sticks, women and children included. The radicals forcefully paraded them through the village, took them to the local temple and demanded they bow down to the idol and put red marks on their foreheads. When they refused, the radicals again beat them up in front of the villagers. Again, with divine boldness, the new believers refused. They were beaten up a third time, and the radicals tore the clothes of the men, women, and even young girls in front of the villagers. Standing naked in front of the radicals, who continued to demand they bow down to the idols, the Lord gave them grace and boldness. Not one of them, not even the crying children, were willing to bow down in front of the idols. Finally, they took the house church leader and his wife and their young son and daughter. Making them stand fully naked in front of the villagers and the other believers, the radicals mixed cow dung with water and poured it on them (as a rite of purification). By this time a group of women from the village, along with the village chief, came forward, defending the new believers. They brought bed sheets and other cloths and covered them. By seeing support of the villagers growing in favor of the new believers, the Hindu radicals left the village threatening the believers.
These people are simple believers. They only came to know the Lord 6-8 months before this. They are not very educated. They don’t know much about the Bible, nor do they have a strong theological foundation. They just know Jesus loves them. They were blind but now they can see. They were in darkness but now they are in the light. They are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus. And they know it can be serious. In this area, if one is caught baptizing a person into the Christian faith, that person may be imprisoned for a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
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The people of India are searching and open to the Gospel, despite the persecution they face. The fields are ripe unto harvest. Join us in this work with your prayers and financial support.
To find out how your support will help us, click here. To read more inspiring and exciting testimonies of what God is doing among the unreached people groups of India, click the links on the right, and keep reading!
Proclaiming the Gospel…
…until He comes,