SRI LANKA: CHURCH SERVICES INTERRUPTED

A Pentecostal church in Sri Lanka has faced attacks and opposition from Buddhist monks and villagers for two consecutive Sundays. The services were interrupted, and the church gate was damaged.

“Are you trying to convert the whole village to Christianity?” shouted two Buddhist monks followed by ten villagers, interrupting the peaceful Sunday service. 

Pastor Wasantha*, lead pastor of this Pentecostal church in the central province of Sri Lanka, was falsely accused of encouraging others to tell Buddhist villagers to be baptised in return for goods and supplies. 

A young believer attempted to record the situation, but his phone was snatched from his hands, and the recordings were deleted by the mob, leaving the pastor with no proof of the attack and interruption. 

PRAYER IS THE ONLY OPTION 

Authorities refused to act against the mob, citing a lack of evidence. The officers also accused the pastor and his family, asking him to stop conducting church services in the area. 

“We were helpless. There was no-one to help, even the police officers do not take legal action for a case like this,” said his wife. 

The church faced interruptions across two Sundays with the mob threatening repeated attacks. 

“Believers are reluctant to attend church due to these problems,” says Pastor Wasantha, “We were praying. We asked the Lord for protection to conduct the Sunday service.” 

Their prayers were answered, and the service was not interrupted the following Sunday. 

LOCAL PARTNERS OFFER A HELPING HAND 

Open Doors local partners went to visit Pastor Wasantha and his wife, to offer spiritual, emotional, and practical support. 

“We had no one, we were left alone. Thanks for coming to meet us and to pray for us. It means a lot to us,” said the pastor’s wife as she smiled.  

Pastor Wasantha requested security cameras for proof of any incident. Two days later, our local partners installed cameras in the church to help pastor to record any interruption. This will help the church get legal support if the mob decides to harass the church and the pastor again.

*Names changed for security reasons