The Supreme Court has issued several petitions for Rajasthan to justify the anti-conversion law’s constitutionality, which allows state officials to seize property and demolish homes based on allegations of forced conversion.

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

John Pudaite, President and CEO of Bibles For The World (BFTW), says it’s part of a broader legal battle as India’s Supreme Court takes a magnifying glass to anti-conversion laws across multiple states.

“They are questioning how this current government — the BJP government — can continue to steamroll across the country and pass these anti-conversion laws, which are nothing but an attack primarily on Christianity,” he says.

This new scrutiny may also cause those who target Indian Christians using anti-conversion laws to think twice.

“As they felt impunity, they would attack the churches and attack the Christians,” says Pudaite. “People are realizing that the laws they thought covered them may not have as much strength…as they had hoped.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

Looking ahead, Pudaite urges the global Church to take this critical case, and others like it, before the Lord.

“We need to continue to pray for the Supreme Court and those justices, that they can be impartial in their evaluation of the evidence and of those laws. We can pray that they will not be politically influenced or otherwise influenced.”

Pudaite also encourages believers to keep the Gospel in sight — with hearts to reach their persecutors with the Gospel.

“Especially as we go into this Christmas season, pray that this may be a special time for the Body of Christ to be able to share the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ…. Pray that the true spirit of Christ in Christmas may be able to shine.”

Header photo: Architecture in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo courtesy of Dexter Fernandes/Unsplash)

“Since the Hindu party came into power at the central government they have been tightening restrictions, watching things a lot more closely, and putting ministries under a tremendous amount of scrutiny,” says John Pudaite of Bibles For The World (BFTW).

In this case, scrutiny means yearly trips to meet officials with several boxes of receipts and records that will be analyzed line by line by government representatives. “The government will expect to be able to point at an item and have us produce the receipt for it.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

On paper, increasing financial regulations might not seem like persecution, but in reality, Pudaite says it comes down to one goal: complication. “It takes a couple of weeks and repeat visits and intense scrutiny, and it’s a way that they can really frustrate and try to discourage those who are working in ministry for God’s Kingdom.”

What’s more, Pudaite is concerned that this is only a taste of things to come. He’s afraid pressure from the government and other forces will continue to grow in the coming years.

But the Body of Christ has a distinct advantage. “The way [the government] sees it, it’s purely economic or financial,” Pudaite says. “These forces in power don’t understand that this is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

“As this is happening, we see the Church growing stronger and coming together.” Smaller ministries are banding together with larger denominations, and the Church is uniting with new vigor in the midst of new pressure.

Want to help? You can provide your prayer and support through BFTW to encourage the indigenous Church in India.

“We just need prayer here for ourselves and our teams, that they may stay diligent and focused on their role of keeping things in order so we can continue to pass these inquiries without any problems,” says Pudaite.