Persecuted pastors share Gospel while jailed in India
NEW DELHI (BP) -- Three Christians in northern India spent more than two months in jail suffering abuse from other prisoners, even though police found no evidence of wrongdoing and the complainant retracted his accusation, sources said. In Uttar Pradesh state's Mau District, 23-year-old pastor Ajay Kumar, fellow pastor Om Prakash, 20, and another Christian, 62-year-old Kapil Dev Ram, were released on bail in late January, but still face charges said to be fabricated.
U.S. pastor stranded in India awaiting hearing
NEW DELHI, India (BP) -- A U.S. pastor attending a Sunday School conference in India could be stranded there until December after being arrested for failing to report money he was carrying. Bryan Nerren, 58, was traveling to Sikkim state in northeastern India with two other U.S. pastors on Oct. 5 when they were detained at the Bagdogra airport, the closest airport to Sikkim. While the other two pastors were let go, Nerren was arrested when authorities alleged that he had violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Customs Act by not declaring the cash that he was carrying for his trip and for conferences in India and Nepal.
Report: 57% jump in church persecution in India
NEW DELHI (BP) -- Cases of hate and violence against Christians in India increased 57 percent the first two months of this year compared with the same period last year, an advocacy group reported. The Evangelical Fellowship of India's Religious Liberty Commission (EFIRLC) documented 77 incidents of hate and targeted violence against Christians in January and February, up from 49 cases during the same period last year. The cases include the murders of one Christian in Odisha state and another in Chhattisgarh state, both in February.
