Evangelical leaders and local organizations publicly supported the student movements protesting alleged irregularities in India's national university entrance exams.
Not every story in this section is about the church as a target — this one is about the church as part of Indian civil society. According to International Christian Concern (ICC), evangelical leaders and local Christian organizations publicly voiced support, on July 27, for the student movements protesting alleged irregularities in India's national university entrance exams.
The gesture has no direct connection to religious persecution — it is, rather, a sign that local Christian communities see themselves, and want to be seen, as an active part of the country's civic life, not just an isolated religious minority. ICC describes the stance as a way to "show the local church's civic engagement amid a climate of growing social marginalization."
It's easy, when following only persecution news, to form the impression that the Indian church lives isolated, always on the defensive. Stories like this one are a reminder that this isn't the whole picture: amid the pressure, local Christian communities keep taking part in the country's public life — including causes that aren't, at first glance, "religious" at all.
Pray for wisdom for Christian leaders as they decide when and how to take a public stand, for a fair resolution for the students harmed by the exam irregularities, and for an Indian church recognized as a legitimate part of society, not as a foreign body.
Church in IndiaEvangelical organizations in West Bengal launched a statewide campaign to counter false social media claims that churches and missionaries convert people through bribery or manipulation.
Church in IndiaEven after having gatherings disrupted and facing direct threats from nationalist groups, Indian evangelists keep providing practical community help and sharing the gospel in the country's interior.
