PERSECU ION International Christian Concern | July 2014
Sending Light Into The Darkness: The Life of the Underground Pastor
Withgreatpowertheapostlesgavetheirtestimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, & great grace was upon them Acts 4:33
CENTRAL ASIA
A Light in the Dark Pastors in Central Asia
P
ersecution faced by pastors and gospel workers in Central Asia comes in all shapes and forms, from the mild job discrimination to assassination. Daily they minister the Gospel in this hostile territory. They run small house churches, children’s programs, family groups, and prayer meetings. They are excited, humbled, and blessed as they see God moving in the hearts of those who would persecute them.
Rustam
Rustam, an ICC supported pastor (and former Muslim) and his family live in a city surrounded by rural villages populated mostly by practicing Muslims who see Christianity as shameful and offensive. He told us, “I never had peace when I was a servant of Islam. When I was Muslim, the devil would visit me in my dreams. There was no peace in my heart before Jesus.” Rustam came to Christ as a child, and as a result of his conversion suffered persecution at the hands of children at school, who threw rocks at him, as well as at the fists of family members who attempted to beat him back to Islam. Now in his mid-twenties, he is a fervent messenger of the gospel to the villages surrounding his home.
Benoit
Benoit was an “unofficial” pastor in his village. He was very bold to share his faith in his village because when he found Jesus, there wasn’t a church 10
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or even other believers there. As he shared the Gospel with enthusiasm in his village he angered the Muslim villagers, but he didn’t care. He had found the truth and absolute freedom and hope in Christ, and he wanted others to share the good news and join him for worship and prayer. However, this village, like most rural villages, was hostile to Christians and didn’t want anything to do with Jesus. So one day they called Benoit onto his front porch and beheaded him, causing him to pay the ultimate price as a church planter, hopeful pastor, and follower of Christ.
Pastor BK
One of the better known cases of persecution as of late is that of Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev (BK) of Kazakhstan who spent much of 2013 imprisoned for his faith. ICC worked on his case for months after he was imprisoned after complaints from a Muslim mother who was angry over the conversion of her adult daughter to Christianity. While imprisoned, Pastor Kashkumbayev was subjected to psychological torture and denied much needed medical help. He was finally released from prison. However, he was convicted of “harming the health” of his congregants and is awaiting a decision on his appeal. His arrest has led many pastors and believers in Central Asia, and Kazakhstan specifically, to live in fear. The pastors don’t know what they might do which might find them arrested as well. “Now we are telling our parishioners to be careful who they pray for and how they pray,” one pastor told ICC. “We tell them not to hold hands to pray; not to lay hands on each other to pray because someone might accuse them of harming the health of the other person.”
Prayer Needed
A spirit of fear has crept into the churches and pulpits and this is the intended effect of the authorities’ (and Satan’s) attacks and imprisonments. This reaction is quite normal but represents the first stage of persecution. Some pastors and Christians will wash out of the churches, but those who stay will be more determined and more on fire. If they stay close to Jesus, they will be lights in the darkness and draw many to Christ. Please keep them in prayer.
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