Pastor and 12-Year-Old Daughter Beaten by Radicals in India

A mob of about 20 Hindu extremists wielding clubs broke into the home of a church leader in India while believers were gathered there singing worship songs, destroying his belongings and brutally attacking him, International Christian Concern reports. When the pastor's 12-year-old daughter asked the extremists why they were attacking her father, they began to beat her too. They then dragged the pastor and his wife to a nearby Hindu temple and forced them to worship the idols there. "This is a pretty typical thing; it happens quite often in India," said Dave Stravers of Mission India. "Persecution is a growing reality in India." One of Mission India's partners believes that a non-Christian relative may have told the attackers about the pastor's worship group. He and his family are currently in hiding. According to Stravers, a similar pattern takes place in India whenever believers face persecution: they lie low for a few weeks until the chaos dies down, then resume their work quietly. "We need to pray that they will take courage, that they will receive comfort and support from other believers," he said.