Persecution in India has been rising in recent years. For Ravi*, persecution for his faith in Jesus has been a part of his life for over 30 years in ministry.
He tells us his story, saying, “It has been over three decades since I started working as an evangelist. I have faced countless oppositions since then."
Ravi continued, “I have been falsely accused of trying to lure people to Christianity in the local newspapers; two times I was beaten brutally and once a group of extremists even came to burn my house.
“Once, during the early days of my ministry when we were younger, my wife and I were both beaten badly by extremists while we were returning from a prayer meeting... I felt humiliated and was extremely worried about my wife… The police arrived and stopped them. I was a little relieved, but to my surprise, instead of helping me they threatened me not to continue my ministry. Then we could go home. That day I was very fearful.
“Many times, I was so very afraid, but over time God helped me understand that I do not need to fear. After some years of continuing the ministry, I was able to overcome the fear of persecution. I have been interrogated many times since then, but the police could never find enough charges to arrest me. I never backed off my faith or my ministry because God strengthened me.”
Today, Ravi leads a church with 30 families and continues to preach the Gospel where ever he goes.
“Even at this age, I am able to reach 250-300 people with the Word of God in the vicinity of my village. We don’t have a church building that can accommodate so many people, thus we conduct Sunday worship in a tent.”
Open Doors is working through local churches and partners in India to strengthen the church.
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