Violence affects audio Bible projects in India

We received sobering news today from Faith Comes By Hearing regarding ministry partners in India who are suffering under the wave of persecution against Christians that has swept India’s Orissa state in the last month.

Three people who were serving as readers for an audio-Scripture recording project in Orissa have been killed, and on another Orissa project being recorded in neighboring Nepal, two uncles of the recording director have been killed, one beaten to death and one burned in his home.

We felt this loss keenly here at Viña Studios, as recording the Scriptures is one of our main ministries here in Guatemala, having recorded more than 25 New Testaments in Guatemala and Central America. Our staff held a special time of prayer for the brothers and sisters there during our mid-morning break, lifting up heart-felt prayers.

Officials at Faith Comes By Hearing, the Albuquerque, N.M.-based ministry that sponsors our recording work and that of the Orissa projects, recommended a temporary halt to the recording in Orissa.

After the deaths of three readers, the Orissa project was halted temporarily, but the team has decided to push on, regardless of the present dangers they and their families at home are facing. “Personal safety is less important to them than getting out the Word of God,” said Ray Warrior, the recording manager for Faith Comes By Hearing.

“They are doing a good work,” said Brother Isidro, a co-worker here at Viña Studios who has recorded 20 New Testaments. “We give thanks to God that they haven’t given up hope and they haven’t abandoned the project. More than anything, they need prayer so they don’t suffer any more.”

Viña’s Scripture-recording project among the Kiché speakers in Joyabáj, Guatemala continues ahead, although slowly because of difficulties finding qualified readers. As of this morning, they have recorded about 62 percent of the New Testament.

Please pray for these projects, especially for those in India and Nepal that God would bless the audio-Scriptures and speak to many who cannot read or write their own language.

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For an overview of the violence in Orissa, check out these write-ups at TeamPyro, a blog of the Reformed persuasion dedicated to defending biblical truth. This first story focuses on the outbreak of violence and its causes, and the second shows some of the recent history of violence against Christians in India.