MORE COVERAGE
Twitter Coverage
JOIN SATYAAGRAH SOCIAL MEDIA
"Every story of conversion is the story of a blessed defeat": Villagers caught a Christian priest red handed with minors who were lured into the Friends Missionary Prayer Band missionary church with incentives like sweets, biscuits and wine for conversion
On 18 December 2022, villagers of Maruvapalli village, Andhra Pradesh caught a Christian priest, red handed with young children who were lured into the church, despite several earlier warnings by the minor children’s parents and village elders, against unsolicited invitation. The villagers had been complaining for a while about church authorities inviting children as young as six and seven into the Church with incentives like sweets, chocolates and biscuits, luring their children into the Church for conversion activities.
|
The villagers, including parents of the young children, were shocked to find that the priest and his helpers were getting ready to offer “wine” to innocent minor children. This incident targeting minor children took place at the FMPB Church – a church belonging to the Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB) missionary organization. Plenty of self revealing information regarding this Christian group’s fanatic beliefs and their stated mission of “Evangelize the nation (India) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ”, is available on the missionary organization’s website.
The villagers of Maruvapalli village, Satya Sai district in Andhra Pradesh, alleged that Pastor ‘Keneth Kaniyappa’ of FMPB Church had targetted their children by offering biscuits, chocolates, and cakes in order to convert them to Christianity. The villagers had warned the Church authorities several times, not to target their innocent children for illegal conversion to Christianity through inducements. They suspected that the church was offering their children, free food and snacks and in the process forcing them to listen to stories from the Bible, mentally grooming the young ones for an eventual conversion to Christianity. The villagers appeared to be aware of the typical conversion tactics of christian missionaries via inducements of all types including free food, education, small loans and employment opportunities.
On Sunday, 18th Dec, the villagers searching for their missing children, suspected that their children were taken to the Church without their permission and consent.
With the help of VHP and Shiva Shakthi volunteers, they entered the Church and found their children in it. They also found a tray with small glasses of coloured liquid from a bottle marked “wine” that was ready to be offered to the gullible children.
They informed the local police immediately and expressed their suspicion that the church was using missionary tactics to convert their children to Christianity and if necessary, even drug them with what was labelled “wine”.
|
The local Police visited the spot, listened to the complaints of the residents and took samples of the “wine” for testing. However, the Police department has not yet registered a case against the church authorities as of this date, even though it has been several days since the disturbing incident, coupled with recorded video proof of overwhelming evidence that the church was indulging in predatory conversions among not just vulnerable adults but innocent young children through inducements.
There are plenty of witnesses to this case of aggressive missionary tactics, hence the villagers are disappointed by the lack of timely action on the Church by the local police department and the local politicians. The villagers are left wondering about the results of the samples of a coloured liquid specifically marked “wine” on a bottle found in the church, that was taken by the Police for further investigation. They have not yet been given updates on any laboratory tests done on the sample of the “wine”.
A few videos taken of the incident show the concern and anxiety of the villagers and their helplessness against the predatory tactics of the church members, in spite of stern warnings. The videos capture footage of young children confirming that the church invites them for free food tasty snacks and asks them to listen to Christian preachings. The children admit they go to the church for the free food but appear confused about the purpose of the teachings in the church, indicating that the church is targeting them early to take advantage of their innocence.
The video also shows the anxiety of the agitated villagers as they complain to the police with their children’s statements as evidence. Videos of angry villagers questioning the christian pastor and holding up a bottle marked “wine” are also in circulation.
On 22 December 2022, the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), an legal activism organization fighting for rights of Dalits and tribal, filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), urging action on the church for converting minors by inducing and drugging.
“The said act of the Church is a suppression of the Right to Freedom of Religion of the children and is in contravention of Article 25 of the Constitution of India. Though the said incident is very serious in nature and attracts the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, no FIR has been registered by the police to date.With this email, we seek your kind intervention into this matter and notice to the Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh to register FIR under relevant provisions of the law against the Church authorities.”, the complaint read.
|
About FMPB Church
FMPB Church is a church belonging to the Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB) missionary organization. Their stated mission of “Evangelize the nation (India) with the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.
The FMPB is a missionary movement of Indian Christians with, having established 1150 churches and over 6600 congregations.
The main emphasis of the early period was evangelization of the nation. A ten-year plan was formulated which had the following goals:
- 11 states- Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa
- 220 districts
- 440 missionaries
The information published on the missionary organization’s ( FMPB) website points to a fanatic, extremist belief that the whole nation of India needs to be converted to Christianity. It becomes clear that this missionary organization employs aggresive conversion tactics aimed not only at poor, gullible adults but at innocent children as young as six, seven years and older. It is also clear that the organization is well funded.
Excerpts from their published information on the website are disturbing, to say the least:
“FMPB has different kinds of training programs to cater to the needs of different people with a desire to grow spiritually. Church elders, women and young people are trained to grow in the Lord and to do evangelism. Local Evangelists’ Training programs are conducted with systematic methods and curriculum”., the website reveals.
The following statement speaks of their relentless, ruthless expansionist ambitions:
“Its ministry in the unreached frontiers begins with a ‘survey’ which leads to opening of mission stations in receptive areas to preach the Good News, teach the believers, plant Churches, appoint elders, raise Evangelists, train the native leaders and strengthen the Church to become self-supportive, self-governing and self-propagating. These are then integrated with the nearest mainline church bodies so as to continue the cycle of activities described above in unreached areas”.
References:
Support Us
Satyagraha was born from the heart of our land, with an undying aim to unveil the true essence of Bharat. It seeks to illuminate the hidden tales of our valiant freedom fighters and the rich chronicles that haven't yet sung their complete melody in the mainstream.
While platforms like NDTV and 'The Wire' effortlessly garner funds under the banner of safeguarding democracy, we at Satyagraha walk a different path. Our strength and resonance come from you. In this journey to weave a stronger Bharat, every little contribution amplifies our voice. Let's come together, contribute as you can, and champion the true spirit of our nation.
ICICI Bank of Satyaagrah | Razorpay Bank of Satyaagrah | PayPal Bank of Satyaagrah - For International Payments |
If all above doesn't work, then try the LINK below:
Please share the article on other platforms
DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text. The website also frequently uses non-commercial images for representational purposes only in line with the article. We are not responsible for the authenticity of such images. If some images have a copyright issue, we request the person/entity to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will take the necessary actions to resolve the issue.
Related Articles
- Goa Inquisition and massacre of Native Hindus by Portuguese: A Forgotten Chapter of the Bloody History of the European Colonization of India
- If Islam Is a Religion of Violence, So Is Christianity – the scientifically barbaric and intolerant religion
- "Christ's Facade in Chittoor": Sacred tank of Hindu temple "Venugopala Swamy Mandir" in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor becomes a flashpoint for religious tensions as baptism performed for conversion of Hindus to Christianity, local church members booked
- A Missionary Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School continuously pressurized a student to convert to Christianity to continue her study: 12th standard girl Lavanya ends life by committing suicide in Tamil Nadu
- Supreme Court agreed to hear a case of an Evangelist and founder of Global Peace Initiative KA Paul - Centre had refused to renew FCRA registration of various NGOs who failed to justify their donations
- Makarpura police registers FIR against Mother Teresa's exposed Missionaries Conversion racket in Gujrat
- Lavanya who chose death than choosing Christianity has become a nationwide Resolution #JusticeForLavanya: BJP launches massive agitation in Tamil Nadu after girl committed suicide because of forced conversion by school
- Tamil Nadu Police in the wee hours arrested Ganesh Babu from Pudukottai district who had given a complaint about religious conversion happening in his area
- State Police arrested Kerala based Christian pastor couple of forcefully converting over 1000 Hindu Adivasis working in the coffee estates of Kodagu district: Anti-conversion ordinance becomes reality in Karnataka
- Christian evangelists offend the local cultural ethos of Assam by appropriating Bihu dance music to convert members of backward communities of Nepalese and Adivasi / Banvasi who work in the tea gardens of Assam