Pastors Severely Beaten and Kidnapped

(ICC) – Yesterday, Pastors Tulsiram and Vijay in Chhattisgarh were severely beaten and kidnapped by anti-Christian elements as they prepared to baptize 32 new believers—precious souls who have passed from spiritual bondage to new life in Christ. After beating them, their captors dragged them out of the village and took them to an unknown location. The kidnapping was part of a plan to stop them from continuing ministry in the village. By God’s grace Pastor Vijay escaped and ran close to 25 miles to tell the GFA district leader of the incident. The district leader informed GFA’s Chhattisgarh state office and also rushed to the village where the kidnapping took place in hopes of securing the other native pastor’s release. The whereabouts of Pastor Tulsiram’s are still unknown. Pastor Tulsiram graduated from a GFA Bible college in 2001 and began ministry among the unreached. The 32 people Pastor Tulsiram was getting ready to baptize yesterday were first fruits of his evangelism in the village. “He is committed to the Lord’s work and has established a good ministry,” says GFA’s central India leader. “Please pray for God’s grace to be upon the church and ministry in this area.”