As Nepal deals with the horrific toll of tragic flooding that killed more than 1,000 people, at least 20 churches have reportedly been destroyed by the damaging waters.
Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that one congregation has 80 individuals and families who lost their homes — and that’s just one example.
CSI has been working to get food, mattresses, mosquito nets, cleaning supplies, and other items to people in Nepal to help meet basic needs.
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Veldkamp said there’s another dynamic unfolding inside the South Asian nation: persecution, an issue gaining steam and attention before the deadly flooding began.
“We’ve seen in the last 10 years … persecution of Christians has spiked in Nepal,” he said. “It wasn’t really a big problem before, and today it’s still not on the scale like we’ll see in India, or Pakistan, or other nearby countries. But there is now a law against conversion, so it’s illegal to try to get someone else to change their religion.”
Veldkamp said this is a violation of human rights standards, but that this law is used to prosecute pastors and missionaries — even Christians who might happen to visit and speak with Hindu friends.
“We have seen an uptick in these cases of Christians being jailed on accusations,” he said, noting that sharing the Gospel can be enough to spark legal chaos.
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