Laos: Young Christian killed

It is with a heavy heart that we share the death of Koun, a Lao Christian who went missing earlier in October this year under suspicious circumstances in Khammouane province. After a four-day search, local Christians found Koun’s body and motorcycle in a ditch off a jungle road. Police have dismissed the case as a motorcycle accident, but Christians say Koun’s death is part of the crackdown against the rapidly growing Christian church.

Koun, 26, had recently decided to follow Jesus and was baptized in April. He is the third Christian to be killed in the past three years. In October 2022, Pastor See was found dead near a forest in the same province after two men visited his house. Village authorities had previously warned him to stop his religious activities. In July 2024, Thongkham Philavanh, a Khmu pastor, was shot dead by two masked men in Oudomxay province. Thongkham’s wife, Sengdala, believes her husband was silenced for his faith and ministry.

Local church leaders in Laos had asked for prayers for Koun after he went missing. According to his father, two strangers had escorted the young man from his home. The late Pastor See had discipled and trained KK, Koun’s elder brother, and started a church in his house. Church leaders said KK is a faithful house church leader who led his entire family and others to Christ in a mainly animistic village. The family now believe that the killers had wanted to target KK, and instead kidnapped and killed his brother.

Christians in rural areas of Laos are viewed with suspicion and are often arbitrarily detained and harassed. Some are expelled from their villages and have their property confiscated for refusing to renounce their faith. Many Christians have indeed recanted their faith and denied Jesus under pressure from the government. Local officials often turn a blind eye to abuse of Christians, with government officials denying that Christians suffer any discrimination or violence.

Many local leaders say they are being watched and are living in fear for their lives. Koun’s death has shaken the Christian community. The senseless death of the young man is a reminder of the deep pain and risk that our brothers and sisters in Laos face every day.

KK and his wife are asking for prayer as they consider moving to the capital, Vientiane, for the safety of their family and that of other believers in their rural village.

 

Prayer

Father,  we pray for your comfort, peace, and strength for Koun’s family as they grieve their tragic loss. We pray against the evil schemes of the enemy and bind them in the name of Jesus. Please protect your people and let your angels guard and keep them from all danger. We pray for the Christian community in Laos, especially pastors and church workers who are anxious and living in fear. We also pray for the safety of KK and his family and all the believers in the area. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

INDIA: House churches banned in Chhattisgarh

“Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 CSB)

House church meetings in Chhattisgarh state, central India, have recently been banned. In the state capital, Raipur, without providing legal justification or documents, police have been telling house churches that they need to get special permission from the district administration in order to hold prayer services.

These actions are in defiance of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, according to which “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”.

More than 200 house churches in Chhattisgarh have been affected. Many churches in Raipur have shut down, mostly due to fear of attacks by Hindutva outfits like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

The house churches are mainly run by pastors belonging to Pentecostal denominations and are small congregations gathering inside homes and not in formal church buildings. As per a Madras High Court ruling in June 2025, a private home in India can generally be used as a prayer hall if formal permission is obtained from local authorities.

In recent years, extremist groups have staged systematic attacks against Christians in Chhattisgarh. In April, 300 people had gathered for a prayer meeting in Bilaspur town when a mob led by a vigilante group protested outside the venue, threw stones, and accused them of carrying out religious conversions. At least 10 Christians were injured. There have been at least eight similar incidents in the past few months. According to local leaders, the police often act on behalf of these groups.

Christians comprise less than 2 percent of Chhattisgarh’s some 30 million people and are denied rights to land and burial grounds. Many cannot live in their respective villages unless they renounce their “foreign faith”. They also face violence and prolonged legal challenges under anti-conversion laws. A climate of fear has resulted in self-censorship among many Christian communities.

Extremist groups often falsely accuse pastors of luring people into churches by offering cash payments, free medical assistance, and foreign trips, funded by foreign donors. However, these allegations are not supported by evidence and are strongly rejected by Christian leaders.

In April, six Christian families were evicted from their homes after refusing to renounce their faith. In June, a mob attacked Christian families and pressured them to convert to Hinduism. In July, six men in Bhilai town were detained and severely beaten with wooden batons at a local jail for identifying themselves as pastors. Also in July, two nuns were arrested along with an Indigenous (Adivasi) youth at Durg Junction railway station and accused of human trafficking and forced conversion, prompting widespread protests.

The Indian Constitution does not have an anti-conversion law, but at least 12 states including Chhattisgarh have implemented their own versions since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

The Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India has documented 334 incidents targeting Christian communities across India between January and July 2025, of which 86 took place in Chhattisgarh. This is second only to Uttar Pradesh state. According to the ecumenical United Christian Forum, 165 anti-Christian incidents were recorded in Chhattisgarh last year, also the second-highest in the country.

 

HOME GROUP PRAYER

Dear Lord,

We pray that you will strengthen and protect your faithful children in India, especially in the state of Chhattisgarh where the house churches are facing intensified pressure and persecution. We pray for justice in these communities and that your Spirit will soften the hearts of local authorities and move them to always act fairly and in accordance with the law.

Pour out your Spirit of righteousness and love in these lands, so that your greatness and goodness may be made known to all.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.