Please pray for the Persecuted Church in Vietnam – World Watch List #21 (Open Doors USA)
VIETNAM (Wikipedia)
Population: 89.7 million (9.7 million Christians)
Main Religion: Buddhism
Government: Communist state
Source of Persecution: Communist oppression/dictatorial paranoia
Christians are perceived as Western agents and the state, with the help of tribal leaders, watches churches closely. The government requires permits for larger gatherings and issues them last minute – if at all – to deter people from attending. Converts from Buddhism come under pressure from family and community, and authorities in tribal areas often hire gangsters to harass pastors and new believers. The government has begun placing more restrictions on Christians in the wake of the Arab Spring.
PLEASE PRAY: More than a dozen believers were imprisoned in 2012.
- Pray for strength and perseverance for Christians in prison.
- Pray for Christians from ethnic minority groups, like the Hmong, who face great pressure to return to traditional beliefs.
- Pray for safety for those distributing Open Doors’ Illustrated Children’s Bible. Importing Christian materials is prohibited.
PERSECUTION DYNAMICS
Vietnam is one of the remaining countries in the world following a Communist ideology. The authorities still perceive Christianity as a foreign influence and Christians from a tribal background like the Hmong face pressure to return to traditional faith, especially in rural areas. Gatherings are suspected as meetings to plot against the government and are closely monitored.
Obtaining recognition for churches or permission to renovate a church building is a long process. In 2012, at least seven churches, all Catholic, were confiscated. Training of leaders has to be done secretly and integrating converts has to be done very cautiously. Importing Christian materials is prohibited. Christians face violence and are sent to prison, not officially because of their faith, but because of ‘anti-government’ propaganda. It is unlikely that the situation will change substantially in the coming years.
ANECDOTAL ACCOUNT – “Vietnamese Authorities Hire Gangsters to Harass Christians” (Open Doors)
“Kneel! Kneel!” shouted a village thug. Unfazed by the threats, Pastor Vinh* stood his ground. In Vinh’s culture, kneeling is seen as an admission of guilt. Although authorities prohibited planting of new churches, Vinh would not allow their threats to stop him from spreading the gospel message.
“He was one of the most promising students in the class,” explained by Vinh’s spiritual mentor. “He was very passionate to share God’s word and had a deep love for Jesus.”
The leader of the gang began battering Vinh’s knee with a lead pipe in an attempt to force the pastor to his knees. The tall and well-built, 24-year-old Bible school student endured the series of blows and still refused to kneel. Seething with anger that the young man remained standing, the gang leader violently struck Vinh twice on the jaw with the lead pipe. As the lead pipe connected with Vinh’s jaw in a sickening crack, the pastor pitched forward, falling face forward into a gutter.
Vinh had come under the scrutiny of watchful eyes earlier this year when the church that he planted had grown to a hundred believers in just six months! The police—who often perceive organized meetings as a threat to national security—began to take notice and mark Vinh’s movements. Authorities in Vietnam’s tribal villages often hire local gangsters to harass and discourage Christian pastors as a way to prevent new churches from mushrooming. Vinh had become a prime target for such attacks.
Vinh’s jaw was broken in four parts in the July 2012 incident. Unable to eat solid food for a several weeks, he had to eat his meals through a straw. According to an Open Doors worker, after spending weeks in the hospital, “He is on the road recovery. He has begun preparing to head back to the church he started and to continue his ministry.”
Please consider sending a letter of encouragement to this young pastor as he heals form his injuries and prepares to go back to the field share the gospel message.
*His real name has been changed to protect his identity.
The Peanut Gallery 