Source: Open Doors, August 11, 2022
Believers are relatively few in Chattagram Hill Tracts, the southeastern part of Bangladesh. The population is dominated by indigenous peoples, with Christians scattered throughout the Buddhist population. Christians [there] are often mistreated, largely without consequence.
Around 10 pm, the village’s local church was alight with flames. When the shocked worshipers came to their church the next day, they were greeted with a depressing sight—every Bible, chair, hymn book, and the pulpit reduced to ashes.
The church was built on the outskirts of the village to appease Buddhists in the community. A church in their village, they believed, should be out of sight and out of mind. Evidently, this church was out of time, too. Arsonists had to intentionally go out of their way to get there.
The church has cultivated a strong legacy of ministry and discipleship since its founding in 2014. Many Buddhist-background believers were part of the congregation, despite facing threats and danger from their Buddhist community. In the midst of such discouraging threats, the church continued to grow and bring people to Jesus.
When Christians pressed for action, the village turned on them, nearly escalating to physical violence. As they were asked to leave, Christians were told to not rebuild the church.
Read the full article. A related story says this happened on June 30.
You may have heard about another church fire that got more headlines. It happened on Sunday, August 14 at a Coptic church in Egypt. The accident killed 41 people, including 15 children. Please pray for the families of the victims and survivors.