How Deep Is Your Commitment to Your Fellowship This Weekend?

The Bibles International staff was reminded this week of the difficult situations that many of our translators live under day by day – and of how desperately they need our prayers. An email was received in our office overnight from one of our national translators working on the Metanoia New Testament translation project. “Metanoia” is a code name used to identify one of our “Unnamed Projects.” These are projects in creative access countries where religious pressures and persecution can be very real and so we use code names in our desire to protect the identities of both our project efforts and the people involved.

The email reported that while 30 Metanoia believers were meeting for worship last weekend, 12 policemen and several other local authorities interrupted the morning service (which meets in a small building constructed in the pastor’s backyard). The group was accused of meeting illegally since they are not registered. The constitution of this particular country allows for freedom of religion, but what is enforced in reality can be much different. According to regulations, there must be 50 members for any group to gain registration, obviously making it impossible for any small group (like a church) to get started.

The police took 26 of the group to the police headquarters. After some time, 22 were released. Four were detained for additional hours of questioning, including the pastor, his wife, and the head translator. The entire group of 26 were told they would have to pay a $1,000 fine and a list was made of all their names and passport information. All the literature that belongs to the church was also noted.

So what will these believers do this week? Do they risk further escalation of the issue by meeting again? They were released last week, but would a second detainment result in more significant penalties? Will they risk another $1,000 fine, about a quarter of what an average worker in this country will make in one year?

And what if this were you? If going to church this weekend meant the real possibility of incurring a $10,000 fine for every member of your family, would you do it? When the rubber meets the road like this, how deep would be your commitment to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 11:25)?

As you meet with your church this weekend, would you uphold the Metanoia believers in your prayers? Frankly, many other BI projects face difficulties – perhaps not exactly like this, but burdensome nonetheless. Please pray that Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 4:8ff. would be manifested in the lives of our brothers and sisters in these difficult places …

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed … For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not.…”

And as you pray, please remember that the testimony of this encouraging Scripture, has not yet been printed in the Metanoia tongue – just as it has not been printed in more than 3,500 other languages around the world today.