A Pastor Stood Up to Persecution in India. Christianity Spread.

In Malkangiri district of Odisha state in eastern India, tribal Christian farmers gathered on an overcast Saturday in June for an annual prayer gathering for the upcoming sowing season. The farmers placed their earthen pots filled with seeds by the pulpit, then knelt as the pastors blessed the seeds.

Suddenly, a mob of 200 Hindu fundamentalists attacked. Pictures from the site on June 21 show broken pots and pools of blood that turned a place of blessing and worship into a scene of horror.

When church members held a peace rally on the street outside the district administration office, condemning the attack, they became the focus of the police’s attention, said Bipul Prasad, the pastor who had planted the church.

This article was originally published on A Pastor Stood Up to Persecution in India. Christianity Spread.