It is a well-known fact that persecution of Christians is being carried out around the world. When we look at India, we see that those who have converted from Hindu to Christianity are under extreme pressure and persecution to renounce their faith. The punishments range from harassment to vandalism to beatings to rapes to execution. According to Open Doors, a ministry that serves persecuted Christians around the world, India ranks 11 out of 50 countries where extreme persecution exists, a clear move up from 17 in 2016 and 31 in 2013. It can be said persecution is on the rise. In fact, over 60% of Christians in India receive direct persecution. Another shocking piece of data is that one-third of the unreached people groups of the world are in India!

Hindu nationalists believe that to be Hindu is to be born in India and have a special bond for the love of country and nationality. It discriminates against all who are not born in India, no matter what religion, political stand or beliefs. In 2014, Narendra Modi, a proclaimed Hindu nationalist, was elected as the prime minister of India. He has been known to turn a blind eye to attacks against Christians and Muslims alike.

Christianity in India

How did Christianity find its way to India? A region in India called Kerala is famous for its spices.

The Christian church has been traced back to the apostle Thomas who visited Kerala in 52 A.D. being drawn there for spices. Of course, Thomas shared the message of Christ and baptized many during that time. Thus, the Christian church in India began. Over the centuries, others found their way to this region including Franciscan priests, and the church began to grow. The growth was very slow, but now we are beginning to see an evangelism explosion.

Another region, Rajasthan, has one church with over 2,000 in attendance. Another megachurch can hold 35,000 people at each of five services on Sunday. According to local pastors, not being able to train enough pastors to support growth is critical.

With a country as diverse as India, it is difficult to get accurate statistics, but several organizations say the church has grown by leaps and bounds in the last five years with reports of church numbers growing from 300 to 3,000 and 8,000 baptisms being recorded. It is apparent the church of Jesus Christ is on the move in India.

Of particular note is the fact that Christianity is reaching the upper classes of India that were previously closed to the Gospel. In the past, it has been mostly tribal and rural people who have accepted the Gospel, but it is now being witnessed a movement of the Holy Spirit to draw those toward Christ who have been historically unreceptive.

Intercessory Prayer – A Key to Growth

One would think a political change or a strong, charismatic leader would be the impetus for the growth of Christianity. Studies have shown that intercessory prayer is making the difference. The meaning of intercessory is on behalf of others. So, the Christian church around the world is praying for the persecuted church to withstand the pressures of Satan and to grow. The growth that is attributed to God’s hearing and answering the prayers of the faithful according to His divine will.

A Movement toward the Underground

Throughout history, we have seen seasons when the Church has been forced to go “underground” in order to keep practising their faith. It is highly likely that some regions of India will see this happening as persecution escalates. There will be a growing number of Christians who will meet in small groups in homes to study the Bible, worship and pray. There will be communities where basic needs such as food, water and clothing will be stored for those who are denied these commodities because of their faith. Even though they go underground, the message of the Gospel will still be shared and Christianity will fight against the strongholds of politics, legislation, and societal indifference.

What Can We Pray for the Persecuted Church in India?

As members of the Church, we can and should pray for our brothers and sisters of the faith around the world. Here are a few prayer points for India:

Pray in faith believing God will accomplish a great work in India
Pray for open hearts and minds to the Gospel
Pray for workers to go and share the Gospel
Pray for barriers to be broken
Pray for political, social and economic strongholds to be broken
Pray for removal of all threats to the Gospel, Christianity, and religious freedom
Pray for revival, the unity of the Church and perseverance.

As we stand in the gap for Christians of India, let us remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18.

“Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your waist girded with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace, and above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit always with all kinds of prayer and supplication. To that end be alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

Global resourcing specialist BPS World has warned that one of the main challenges facing employers in the UK in 2017 will be the impact of Brexit on the ability to attract talent, particularly in the high-value digital, technical and engineering industries where recruiters are already struggling with severe skills shortages. This follows the publication by BPS World, of: “Brexit: What the World is Saying” which, for the first time, researched the global impact of Brexit and how other countries believe it will impact on skills.

Simon Conington, Founder of BPS World, has urged the government to ensure that the UK continues to have access to skilled professional from Europe, particularly in the sectors where there are already skills shortages, or face a sharp decline in the UK’s ability to compete.

Although the UK will not be leaving the EU until 2019 we can expect an announcement this year on the shape of Brexit and what it will mean in practice. Under so-called ‘hard-Brexit’ freedom of movement would be restricted and it would be as difficult for talent to be recruited from France as from the US. It is this that alarms those at the sharp end of skills shortages, such as BPS World. Recruits themselves are already showing signs of being aware of these new competitive forces: research revealed that almost half (48 per cent) of UK jobseekers were more concerned about finding a job than before the referendum.

Last year BPS World spoke to business leaders, representative bodies and professionals in the recruitment and retention sectors in Europe, India, Australia and the USA. The research focussed on the sectors most affected by skills shortages in the UK and overseas. It is in these sectors that the impact of Brexit and any restrictions or changes to work permits, is likely to be most keenly felt.

One of those they spoke to was Marco Dadomo, from the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI, Association of German Engineers) in DÃƒ¼sseldorf: “As we know, Britain has already problems finding enough specialists in this sector. Brexit will make it less attractive for international experts to work in Britain for a British company. We have also heard that quite a lot of UK experts of different sectors plan to leave Britain when Brexit will be implemented.”

Simon Conington, Founder of BPS World argued;

“2017 is going to be a pivotal year for the UK economy. The decisions the government makes now on the implementation of Brexit will affect our ability to attract the talent we need to grow. The impact will be felt immediately as talent will not come to the UK if they know they will have to leave within two years. We urge the government to continue to ensure we have access to skilled people, particularly in sectors where we’re already struggling to find the talent we need.”

Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC welcomed the report:

“This review of the international community’s fears and needs following the EU referendum contains warnings about the challenges employers could face in the future. The prospect of skill and talent shortages intensifying in higher-end sectors is a huge concern. The government must ensure that any changes to immigration policy as a result of the EU negotiations reflect immediate labour market needs so that businesses can continue to grow.”

Brexit: What the World is Saying is available free to download from www.bps-world.com

Notes to Editors

BPS World are global resourcing experts who work across a number of sectors, specialising in technology, marketing and engineering.

For further information:

Julia Barton
Onyx
E: julia@onyxcomms.com
T: + 44 20 7048 2700

Tag: India