police inquiry after someone in his village accused him of bribing
people and forcing them to convert to Christianity.
Kumal was summoned and met with a local police officer who asked him a
lot of questions regarding the complaint. Kumal told the truth—that he is
not offering bribes or forcing anyone to change their religion against
their will. He shared the love of Jesus and the story of the gospel,
telling the officer that the love of Jesus is a free gift that can only
be accepted by a willing heart.
The officer was satisfied with Kumal’s answers and released him.
Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries frequently face accusations of
bribery and forced conversions. The allegations usually arrive when the
person making the accusation sees many people turn to Christ. The
complaints must be investigated because many areas of South Asia have so
called “freedom of religion” laws. These laws spell out stiff penalties
for anyone convicted of converting someone by means of “fraud or
allurement.” Christians are often accused of breaking these laws.
The complaints can also come after local people witness believers
offering physical help to individuals or families. This causes problems
for missionaries who serve on Compassion Services teams providing food
and shelter during a crisis situation. The accusations have also been
leveled against GFA-supported missionaries who give villagers gifts from
the Gospel for Asia Christmas Gift catalog.
The area where Kumal ministers is home to thousands of people who are
strict adherents to their traditional religions. He and his family have
served in the area for a number of years. They share the love of Jesus
in open-air meetings, home prayer fellowships, house visitations and
distribution of Bibles and gospel tracts.
Kumal asks for prayer that the complaint will formally be dropped and
that the person who filed it will truly understand the love of Jesus.
