4 Christians arrested in Laos

The converts were taken in the middle of a worship service

Lajor*, Kavia*, Jane* and Nacha* are four Christian converts and house church leaders in northern Laos. They were active in evangelism, sharing the gospel in their village and neighboring areas.

But when their community learned about their conversions and their evangelization activities, the four believers were immediately met with resistance. In many parts of Laos—particularly rural areas—village life is tightly tied to animist or indigenous religious beliefs. When a person leaves that faith and the rituals that come with it, it’s bigger than a religious conversion: Converts are often seen as leaving behind their ethnicity and community identity. The community will often then leverage the power of local authorities to try to persecute and discriminate against converts.

But that resistance did not stop the four Christians from sharing the love of Christ. Gradually, the number of converts started to grow. When the four believers saw how many people were accepting the truth of Jesus, they courageously started a house church in their village. Naturally, this made them even more of a target. Soon, the four church leaders were reported to local authorities.

Several weeks after that report, in the middle of a worship service, authorities barged in and shouted at the leaders: “You were already warned! We already prohibited you from practicing your faith within this community!” Then, the believers were taken to the district prison for investigation.

That was nearly five months ago … and the four converts are still in prison.

The believers back in the village are living in constant fear; villagers and local authorities keep an eye on the Christians, watching their every move. But in discreet ways, they are still able to fellowship.

“Until now, the leaders still do not know when they will be released,” explains Pachan*, an Open Doors local partner. “The police are silent about it. They don’t say anything about the case at all. This is a serious issue that highlights the challenges faced by tribal Christians as they live out their faith.

“The arrest,” Pachan adds, “not only impacts their personal freedom but also places a significant burden on their families, especially during this critical time—it’s the rice harvest season. Lajor, Kavia, Jane and Nacha are the heads of their families; without them, their families lack the needed labor and support.”

Through local partners, and thanks to your gifts and prayers, Open Doors was able to provide the imprisoned believers’ families with food supplies and meet other daily needs. Some believers in the area also donated. And our local partners ask you to pray with these believers and their families.

*Names changed for security reasons.