Vietnam: evangelical churches appeal for prayer
Apr 29 2008
Postings >> Vietnam

Vietnamese evangelicals have broken their silence and made a public plea for global action on behalf of the suffering church in Vietnam.

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN) has issued 'an appeal for prayer', after the government failed to respond to ECVN protests over persecution.

This is an unprecedented move for an officially recognised group whose leaders usually shy away from confrontation with the authorities, according to Compass Direct.

The ECVN appeal, addressed to 'the church of God everywhere', follows persistent petitioning about discrimination against Christians, church property being confiscated and state interference in church affairs. The ECVN executive committee says it has been forced to 'go public' because the government has ignored its protests for months.

Evangelicals provided the government with a list of 265 church properties seized by local officials since 1975. Although a few small buildings have since been returned, the government has refused to discuss the seizure of several key properties, including a seminary campus in Nha Trang and an international church building in Ho Chi Minh City.

Attacks on Christians often raise no response from the authorities, it also claims. The ECVN cites the specific example of a pastor and his congregation beaten up by a swarm of Buddhist monks in Tra Vinh in January and November last year. 'There were witnesses from the local government but these people only stood aside, leaving the people of God to be beaten up ruthlessly by hundreds of people,' the ECVN claims.

• Pray for the church in Vietnam, as it pushes for greater religious freedom.
  
• Pray that Vietnam's communist leaders will reconsider their repressive policies on religious groups such as Christians.