Pastor found dead in his home in India

Pastor found dead in his home in India

HYDERABAD, India — The body of Gideon Periyaswamy — the 43-year-old pastor of Maknayeem Church in Adayachery village, Kanchipuram District, India — was found hung from the thatched roof of his house Jan. 20, a week after he complained to police about opposition from Hindu extremists, sources said.

A convert from Hinduism 25 years ago, Periyaswamy was single and served as pastor in Adayachery for more than 12 years, his close friend, Pastor Azariah Reuben said. Reuben said local Hindus had tried several times to stop the ministry, and at pastors’ meetings, Periyaswamy spoke of Hindu hostilities to his church services and requested prayer, he said.

India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2018 World Watch List of countries where Christians experience the most persecution, up from 15th the previous year, and ahead of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Egypt. (MS)