Getting to Know Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a country with long-standing divisions. This was most recently observed in the civil war between the two dominant people groups (Sinhala and Tamil) which ended in 2009. However, the country has been marked by power struggles since before the British imperial rule (Harvard International Review, 2020). There are still many prejudices and systemic injustices that exist in Sri Lanka today, and they impact more than the Sinhalese and Tamil peoples. Joshua Project reports that there are currently over 149 people groups that make up the total population of almost 22 million. Over 80% of these are Hindu and Buddhist, with a mere 1.4% of the population being Evangelical Christian (UNHCR Refworld, 2018).
Christians in Sri Lanka are often the target of persecution. Recent examples include deporting visiting Indian pastors who came to participate in a celebration of a church in the northern part of the country. Sri Lankan Christians also face the possibility of retribution and harassment for sharing the Gospel. People on the ground have shared with FAIR about church leaders (and their families) who have been threatened, kidnapped, or killed; Christian-run orphanages have been shut down overnight with the children forcibly being taken away. In 2019, three churches were bombed on Easter Sunday, killing over 250 people in a coordinated attack (BBC, 2019).
With so many scars and anger running deep in the country’s history, how can healing happen? Only through the Gospel. Yet many communities remain hostile to hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Enter: the ministry of Fellowship International missionary Ronald Jeyaseelan, Love Trust, which is a Fellowship Child Sponsorship ministry, but also serves the families of the students and empowers local church leaders.
His ministry, which began about two decades ago, was built following the same strategy that the Wesley brothers used centuries before in Sri Lanka. Through meeting the practical needs of the community in ways the government is unable to, like building schools and hospitals, the community comes to know that the Christians in their midst love them. This opens doors to share the Gospel and invite program participants to church services.
The vision of Love Trust in Sri Lanka is to provide holistic community care under the umbrella of Christ’s love. They prioritize three areas of holistic ministry: church planting, children’s ministry, and leadership training. The children are the main priority because they haven’t been trained in the prejudices that cause division in communities and block the work of Christ. Because education (especially early childhood education) is an essential and often under-available social service for rural communities, it’s a significant focus of the ministry.
Over the years, the Lord has built Love Trust to include preschools, afterschool programs, vocational training for mothers, and church leadership and church planting training. Every part of the ministry is integrated with the local church. Love Trust has become a very welcome part of the communities it serves. The progress sometimes seems slow to the human eye, but we always celebrate it, knowing the Lord will build His Kingdom in His own way and timing.
There is significant opportunity for believers and churches in Canada to partner with this ministry and see it continue to grow. Check out the Foundations special appeal to learn more about how you and your church can help.