There were at least two incidents of violence against Christians in Sri Lanka in recent weeks, according to a July 7 report from the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka.

Unidentified assailants set fire to the house of an Assemblies of God church pastor in the city of Middeniya on the evening of July 3. The pastor, his wife and his two children awoke to find that a fire had been started by the main door of their house. The family managed to put the blaze before it caused extensive damage and no one was injured. Local villagers opposed to the pastor’s church have reportedly been threatening him and his family in recent weeks.

On July 6, a mob attacked the Calvary Church after false rumours about Christians attacking a temple spread in the district of Colombo. At approximately 9:30 a.m., five Buddhist monks charged into the church building during a worship service and demanded that the service cease. The pastor led the monks outside where they told him that there was no need for Christians in the village and threatened to destroy all local churches. By the time the police arrived on scene a large mob had gathered around the building. Fearing violence, the pastor sent his congregation away. The mob then attacked the building, completely destroying the contents. They beat the pastor and at least five others with clubs and rods. The pastor and his father were severely injured while others sustained minor injuries.

Ask God to strengthen and heal the victims of these attacks. Pray that the faithfulness of Christians in Sri Lanka will be a light that draws others to Christ (Matthew 5:14-16).

For more information on the challenges facing Sri Lanka's Christians, go to the Sri Lanka Country Report.