Population: 21,143,315
Religions: Buddhism 71.9%, Hinduism 12%, Islam 8%, Christianity 7.6%, Other 0.5%
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island nation in South Asia, located about 18½ miles off the southern coast of India. Popularly referred to as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.
The majority of Sri Lankans follow Buddhism, the state religion. There is a growing resentment towards Christianity―, which is seen as a colonial religion. Christians have encountered harassment and physical attacks on property and places of worship by some local Buddhists, who believed they were threatened by these groups and were opposed to conversion.
Oswald Salgado is the national director of Church Movements in Sri Lanka. Last Month, Mike trained him in how to add churches to our global church mapping system. The map you see shows individual churches and clusters that are working directly with Oswald to start new churches in the area.
Prayer Points:
- For two decades, children have been kidnapped or recruited into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militia. These child soldiers suffer both mentally and physically as a result. Pray for God to end this travesty. Pray for the healing of these children. Pray for all the children and adults coping with the trauma of the experience of war.
- Buddhism is religion based on non-violence and tolerance, so the violence of Buddhist extremists against Tamil Hindus and Christians has shattered the illusion. Pray that in this uncertainty people would begin to look for Jesus.
- Pray for church leaders—that God will give them wisdom in responding to the current wave of persecution. (Daniel 2:14)