Dear Friends,
This week, please intercede with us for Evangeline.
In Evangeline’s home country, the Church has grown rapidly in recent decades. Approximately two-thirds of the country’s Christian population worship in underground house churches, which face mounting pressure and persecution from political authorities. Many believers also live in rural areas, where formal theological training and resources remain scarce. Join us in praying for our sisters and brothers who face government surveillance, forcible church closures, spurious arrests and detainment, restricted access to Bibles, and other challenges. Ask our Lord to guide and guard their steps as they follow Jesus with courage, faithfulness, and unity.
Evangeline is pursuing a PhD in Educational Studies at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University in California). Her research will address secularization and postmodernism in her home country. Before commencing her program, Evangeline taught at an underground seminary. ScholarLeaders is supporting Evangeline’s studies through a Liefeld Scholarship.
Evangeline shares the following message:
Due to security concerns, I go by Evangeline. I taught at an underground seminary for three years. Since 2010, my father and other servants of God have been building this seminary.
In my country, most seminaries are forced to remain underground. Therefore, safety is a crucial concern for the school. The government has shut down some schools after discovering them.
At the underground seminary, faculty administration typically presents certain challenges related to the paucity of faculty, diploma issues, the lack of textbooks, etc. Because everything must be kept secret, it is difficult for the school to create a professional and methodical system.
Three weeks ago, the school’s location was exposed. All the faculty and students were evacuated without incident before the police arrived. Currently, students are taking online courses and living in groups of five or six at various Christian homes. Since the police took away all our documents, cooperation with overseas institutions has also halted.
The principal took all the responsibility upon himself, but, praise God, the police decided not to arrest him for many reasons. Unfortunately, they continue to spy on him. Since the principal has been exposed, he’s had to stop all his ministries for the sake of others’ safety.
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for the safety of all the faculty and students. May God bless those believers who have been willing to open their homes.
2. Pray that the seminary will be able to find a new location and resume in-person classes. (Online classes are not safe for us.)
3. Pray for the principal. May God make a way for him to resume his ministries.
4. Pray for God to provide another overseas institution that would be willing to cooperate with us. Since our school is underground, its diplomas cannot be used when graduates seek employment. Therefore, we must locate a foreign institution prepared to supply us with a diploma. May God open the door for us.
5. Pray that additional servants will join the community and serve God collectively. Schools need more instructors. May God send more servants to serve in Christian educational ministry.
6. Pray for the health, seminary and church ministries, and safety of my family.
7. Pray that I will successfully complete my studies. My concentration is in Educational Studies, and I am in my third year. May God give me more wisdom to finish my studies.
Evangeline