MY ACCOUNT
At A Glance:
- Three Baptist pastors and their driver were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, on May 13.
- Reports said the group had been traveling after attending a peace-focused church gathering in Churachandpur.
- Other church leaders were reported injured, including Rev. SM Haopu Sitlhou.
On May 13, three senior Baptist pastors and their driver left a peace-focused church gathering in Churachandpur and began the drive home through Kangpokpi district, in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur. According to a report from Christian Daily International, armed attackers ambushed their convoy along the Imphal–Tamenglong highway.
As followers of Jesus, we can't look away. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and what happened to them didn't come from nowhere.
Manipur has faced ongoing ethnic violence and displacement since 2023, with tensions affecting multiple communities. The peace gathering they were returning from was part of local Christian leaders' efforts to pursue dialogue and coexistence in that volatile environment.
Those killed were Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou, Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum, and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou. Other reports, including AsiaNews, also identified their driver, Lelen, among those killed. Other church leaders traveling with them were reported injured, including Rev. SM Haopu Sitlhou, who was taken for treatment in Imphal.
This is what Christian persecution in India can look like when instability, ethnic conflict, and violence collide – even for church leaders working toward peace. GCR tracks Christian persecution trends through its Red List, which places India among the Top 5 countries in the world for Christians experiencing assaults and abductions.
How to pray
Don’t let this become something you consume online and forget about. Let this news become an opportunity for intercession. Pray for persecuted believers in India with clarity and compassion, and ask the Lord to strengthen churches facing similar pressure.
Bring Manipur before the Father:
- Pray for comfort for grieving families, and strength for the church leaders who are shepherding others while carrying their own grief.
- Pray for healing for those injured, and wisdom for the caregivers attending to them.
- Pray for protection for Christian communities living with fear – and courage to keep gathering for worship.
- Pray for truth and accountability – that those responsible would be identified and that violence would not spread unchecked.
- Pray for peace across communities and a restraining mercy that interrupts cycles of retaliation.
We can’t undo what happened in Manipur, but we can refuse to let faithful pastors and vulnerable congregations face this kind of pressure alone.
They are family, not just a cause Will you stand when it matters most?
We often treat persecution as a distant issue until we see the faces, like Sonia's. It’s time to move from sympathy to solidarity. Become a Frontline Partner today and ensure our persecuted family never faces the fire alone.
