After two churches were burnt down by unidentified persons in South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh this year, another Church was set on fire Thursday destroying 50 percent of the church; Christian advocacy group reported.
According to Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), India Mission Society Church at Jakaram village, Mulugu Mandal in Warangal district was set ablaze by unidentified persons at around 2 a.m. on Thursday, at a time when most people were sleeping.
The report said when the neighbours heard some noise from the fire, came out and saw the Church was in flames. They immediately informed Pastor P Kumarswamy , the in-charge Pastor who lives nearby and also called the Fire department. By the time the fire engine arrived about 50 percent of the Church was burnt, the report said.
GCIC said 45-year-old Pastor P Kumarswamy, from Padmasaly community accepted the Lord nine years ago through Mr. Sadanand, a believer who was his neighbour in his home town Regunda Mandal in the same district. He started ministering to the surrounding villages from the year 2000. In the year 2005, this Church belonging to India Mission Society was setup in Jakaram village. The church has 60 members and is located about 200 feet away from his house.
The burnt down of the church at Jakaram village came one month after Best Friend Church in Mahasamudram village in Bangarupalem Mandal of Chittoor district, made of a thatched roof was completely burnt on Aug.22.
In another incident, on May 3, suspected religious fanatics set a Church on fire in Sidapuram Village in the same district of Warangal.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Karnataka state, Evangelist Kumar Nayak and five other Christians were detained by police for a day after Hindu radicals accused them of forceful conversion on 21 October. They were released after GCIC intervened in the matter.
In the latest incident, the advocacy group said the Pastor had filed an FIR with the nearest police station - Mulugu Police Station; Sub-Inspector Karim Mullah Khan assured him that further investigation will be done. This incident has already been covered in the local newspaper in Andhra Pradesh, GCIC stated.
Nation
Church burnt down in Andhra Pradesh
By: Joseph Keenan, Christian Post
Saturday, 24 October 2009, 19:05 (IST)
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Added: Sunday, 25 October 2009, 3:32 (IST)
I do not certainly support any violence. Is that acceptable to sell "god" to poor people and force them to convert to Christianity. I studied at missionary schools and admired lots of dedicated teachers, and how much difference it made to some of the remote areas. These places would have seen nothing even after fifty or sixty years after independence. However, there is ALWAYS a string attached and selfish motives. This is deplorable, however, I commend improving social cause.
Sam, AP state, India, now in the united states
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