Pastor Khoun* is devoted to telling others about Jesus; he has seen people trust Christ. Yet as Scripture shows us, where the gospel is advancing, persecution follows. The people in Pastor Khoun’s village have seen increasing numbers of people trust Jesus and leave their tribal religion. However, threats also began to come Pastor Khoun’s way.
Where the gospel advances, persecution follows
The villagers—the people he had grown up with and knew—tried to intimidate Pastor Khoun. Finally, they gave him an ultimatum: “If you do not leave Jesus, we will destroy your house, and you will have to leave the village,” they told him. Pastor Khoun boldly testified to the truth of the gospel and refused. But they did not listen.
Pastor Khoun was leading a church under immense pressure. “I started receiving threats from the villagers,” he says. “They wanted me to stop the worship services I was conducting at my house.”
On New Year’s Eve, it reached breaking point.
Pastor Khoun had requested permission from village authorities to hold a thanksgiving service in his home. His request was quickly denied. The next morning, he found his water pipes cut.
“They are planning to kill you. You must flee.”
warning from a villager
"One person from the village came to my house hurriedly and warned me: ‘They are planning to kill you. You must flee.’ I was terrified and ran to a nearby village.”
Later, he heard that his house and houses of other Christian family were destroyed and their possessions were taken to a detention area.
‘Life is a struggle’
Since then, Pastor Khoun and his family have not returned to their village.
“Life is a struggle; we have very little food and resources,” Pastor Khoun shares.
Through your prayers and support, Open Doors’ local partners are responding to their practical needs and have sent the pastor to a persecution-preparedness seminar. It has encouraged Pastor Khoun to be even more concerned about the gospel.
“Many Christian leaders in villages did not undergo formal training and studied the Bible themselves,” he explains. “They read the Bible every day and are very dedicated to their ministry.”
‘My life is safe in Jesus’
“The Bible teaches that nothing can harm me.”
Pastor Khoun
Every day continues to be a challenge for Pastor Khoun and his family. Yet, even in this difficult and uncomfortable situation, he does not fail to acknowledge God’s goodness: “I am thankful to God that we have a place to stay and we are able to worship with some believers in a nearby village. The Bible teaches that nothing can harm me. I stand strong in my faith, and I know that my life is safe in Jesus.
It is remarkable how, even under this kind of crushing pressure, Pastor Khoun is confident in Jesus. His story reminds us that following Christ might come with a price, but it also brings a security grounded in faith in Jesus that can never be taken away.
*name changed to protect his identity
please pray
- Pray for Pastor Khoun to stand strong in the midst of difficulty, growing spiritually with trust and confidence in the Lord and knowing that God works for the good of those who love Him.
- Pray that Pastor Khoun can re-establish a house church, allowing him to fully serve the Lord and disciple more people.
- Pray for softened hearts among authorities—that they might see God’s love through the life of Pastor Khoun.
Please give
- Every HK$220 could give practical, medical, and pastoral support to an secret believer.
- Every HK$330 could train secret believers to persist through persecution and support others.
- Every HK$520 could build future churches through a youth leadership programme.
*Any excess funds from this appeal will be used to support vital long term work for Christians facing high levels of persecution.
My Gift: Underground Church
