“Be happy and have fun. Your image is big in the sky”
Nepal’s Supreme Court has confirmed a one-year prison sentence and a fine for a pastor accused of forced conversion, even though there is no evidence to prove the alleged evangelism.
According to the U.S. Christian Post (CP), Rev. Keshav Raj Acharya (35), who served the “Abundant Harvest Church” in Pokhara, Nepal, for nine years, was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 10,000 Nepalese rupees (about 98,000 won) under the conversion law that took effect in August 2018.
In an interview with CP, Junu Acharya, the pastor’s wife, said, “We have been waiting in hope for the Supreme Court’s ruling, but this result does not make sense” and expressed her position, “We still cannot understand the reason for such a ruling.”
“My husband didn’t force anyone to change their religion,” Yunu, the pastor’s wife, said. “His indictment is a deliberate act by the government to prevent the Christian community in Nepal from spreading the faith. Hindu extremists feel threatened by Nepal’s Christian growth,” she said.
“Witnesses testified that my husband was not involved in any kind of religious conversion, he was simply distributing paper pamphlets,” she said. “When asked if he should be convicted of conversion, everyone answered ‘no’. The witnesses’ statements still remain in the court records,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, Nepal ranked 34th in the annual list of Christian persecuted countries released by Open Door, which provides information on persecuted churches. Nepal’s Constitution defines Nepal as a secular state, but it has been legally prohibited from converting to Christianity since 2015. (Source: Daily Good News Synthesis)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
God, may You intervene in the situation of Pastor Acharya, who was unjustly sentenced on charges of forced conversion without evidence, and may You give him the bold faith of those who have the gospel. In the circumstance of the Nepalese church, may You help them to remember the cross, persevere, and move forward with joy that they are considered worthy of suffering for the kingdom of God. May they hold on to the word of the Lord, who promised heaven’s reward, and pray for the expansion of the kingdom of God in Nepal through churches that do not stop spreading the gospel as they look to eternal glory after suffering.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
