Source: Open Doors, April 18, 2022
It was March 6 and the congregation had already gone home; that’s when the assailants saw their opportunity. Led by Buddhist monks, a mob of 600 marched towards the newly established church, ready to threaten Pastor Indunil, his family, and their message.
Days prior to the incident, Pastor Indunil (among other local pastors) was warned his church was under threat of imminent attack, yet he told his congregants—no matter what—they must never repay evil for evil.
A Christian leader in Sri Lanka said, “Right now, Christians in the area are so afraid … However, they are still gathering to worship. They say, ‘It is difficult, but we know we will have to face these things, and we need to be ready for this. This is God’s work and we will not deny him.’”
When the frenzied mob reached Pastor Indunil’s church, they beat on gates and smashed windows. After throwing death threats at the pastor, the angry mob turned on the congregants and beat several quite severely, sending some to the hospital; but the congregants did not retaliate.
The local government has since forced Pastor Indunil and his church to suspend services, but it has only strengthened their resolve.
The pastor and his family continue to meet with their congregants in homes. Not only that, but they’ve also seen God at work through the attack: A recent convert of Pastor Indunil’s church, who had been struggling with alcoholism, has not returned to drinking since the attack. “This one incident was able to accomplish what ten sermons could not,” Pastor Indunil said.
Since the attack, the Bible has come alive in new ways for the congregation, too, with both the pastor and other believers sharing verses they had never fully understood until they experienced their persecution; it has moved them to spend more time on their knees, despite opposition from locals, other religious leaders, and the government.
You may remember the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on three Sri Lankan churches and three hotels, killing at least 350 people and injuring thousands more. Open Doors has several updates from survivors.
- Sri Lanka Survivors Find Joy Despite Immense Loss
- “What If Another Bomb Goes Off?” Pray With Grieving Family
- Three Years After the Bombings, Sri Lanka Church Sees Revival