- 15 September, 2025
Raipur, Chhattisgarh – On 14 August, police in Raipur met nearly a hundred Pentecostal pastors and told them that all house churches in the district must stop operating unless they secured permission from the district collector.
No written order was issued, but pastors and Christian activists describe the verbal directive as an informal ban.
House churches, usually run by Pentecostal pastors, are small congregations that gather in homes rather than formal church buildings. In recent years, these groups have become frequent targets of attacks by Hindutva organisations.
According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission, Chhattisgarh recorded 86 incidents of “systematic targeting” of Christians between January and July this year, the second highest number in the country after Uttar Pradesh. Many attacks involved mobs storming house churches during Sunday prayers.
Ankush Baryekar, general secretary of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, accused groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal of disrupting services and assaulting worshippers. “The police often follow the mob. It seems they are acting at their disposal,” he said.
Police denied the claim. Additional Superintendent of Police Lakhan Patle, who led the Raipur meeting, insisted: “There is no ban on house churches. The pastors simply have to take permission from the district collector.” He ended the call without further comment.
Pastors say permission requests remain unanswered. “Some people have approached the administration, but nobody has received approval yet,” said Pastor Rakesh Jeyraj.
Violence and mistrust
Christianity in Chhattisgarh dates back to 19th-century missionary efforts in Adivasi areas. Older churches such as Roman Catholic and Anglican congregations are large, with buildings over a century old. Pentecostal denominations, by contrast, arrived only a few decades ago, gathering in homes for small-scale prayer.
Pentecostalism, which stresses a direct connection to God through the Holy Spirit, is the fastest growing denomination worldwide. Its growth in India, with its focus on healing and experience, has coincided with rising anti-Christian violence.
In December 2022, mobs in Narayanpur district evicted hundreds of Adivasi Pentecostal followers. Activists say violence has since spread across the state. “Almost every week there are five to eight attacks on Christians in house churches,” said Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.
Hindutva leaders accuse pastors of targeting poor communities and carrying out conversions, charges church leaders deny. “Almost 90% of Pentecostal followers remain Hindus who retain their religion but also pray to Christ and the Holy Spirit,” Pannalal said.
Discrimination alleged
Many house church members in Raipur come from Dalit and backward caste communities. Activists argue police apply discriminatory standards.
“The police tell us our churches lack registration numbers. Since when does belief in God require registration?” asked state secretary Dankeshwar Sahu. He compared house churches to Hindu households hosting small shrines or Ganesh pandals, which face no such requirements.
Some pastors said police suggested merging with older churches, but they rejected the idea. “Our customs and rituals are very different,” said Baryekar.
With no written order provided, pastors say legal recourse is difficult. Some congregations have shut down, while others meet covertly, shifting prayer to weekdays or early mornings.
For pastors, the closures are also personal. “I gave up my career to preach daily. I am dependent on my church for a living,” Baryekar said.
The Chhattisgarh Christian Forum is now strategising how to challenge the directive.
Source: Scroll.in
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