Nepal is the South Asian nation home to eight of the ten tallest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. Rich in rugged terrains, many communities in the country remain isolated from the mainland.
There may be many remote villages in Nepal, but geography doesn’t prevent Christians from spreading the Gospel. In fact, a study by mission organization WEC International revealed that Nepal has one of the fastest growing evangelical population in the world.
Despite being secluded, the area now has seven churches. Amir, together with other Christians, aims to evangelize people in nearby villages.
A group of Christians was once at one of the mountains in northwestern Nepal. From a distance, in another mountain, they saw signs of a village, reports Mission Network News.
Galen (not his real name) with Christian ministry Global Disciples shared that as the sun was setting and it was getting dark, the group saw lights flickering in a far village. They realized that the remote village couldn’t possibly have heard about the Good News.
“Beyond that mountain there’s another and there’s another all the way to Tibet where there are many villages that have no witness to the Gospel, no believers, and no Church,” said Galen.
Known as the anti-conversion law, it bans the sharing of faith and converting to another religion. Those found breaking the law could face five years in prison and a fine of about $472 (50,000 rupees).
The group’s leader, Amir, came from a remote community. He only learned about the Gospel six years ago through a discipleship mission training program. He now shares what he knows about the Lord to his fellow villagers.
Despite being secluded, the area now has seven churches. Amir, together with other Christians, aims to evangelize people in nearby villages.
Nepal is a predominantly Hindu country and only 1.4% of its population are Christians. Galen admitted that spreading the faith is difficult, especially in areas where there are many radical Hindu groups. He asks for prayers for those going out to spread the Word and for Nepalis to be open to the good message.
A change in its constitution made Nepal a secular nation in 2015 wherein Nepalis are free to choose and practice their faith. However, in October 2017, Nepal’s President Bidhya Dev Bhandari signed a Criminal Code Bill into law.
Known as the anti-conversion law, it bans the sharing of faith and converting to another religion. Those found breaking the law could face five years in prison and a fine of about $472 (50,000 rupees).
Many Christians in Nepal denounced the anti-conversion law. They have signed a petition urging the government to rescind the law.
“This decision made by [the] government made a great discouragement and brought fear in the life of Christians,” said a pastor in Nepal. “But, we Christians leaders [and] families stand and encourage our people to adapt to any situation and to continue [to] share Christ and continue [to] encourage each other and support each other.”
Sources:
Mission Network News
WEC International