NEPAL AND CHRISTIANITY

TOPOGRAPHY SCENARIO

Nepal is naturally divided into three main “belts” running east to west.

Terai: about 17% of the total land area of the one-third of Nepal, known as “The Terai.”
Hills: the central belt of Nepal is the hill region, ranging in altitude from 610 meters (2,000 ft.) to1,600 meters (5,249 ft.). This belt consists mostly of hills and valleys and here lies Kathmandu, the capital, and largest, city.
Himalayan: the trans-Himalayan region lies along the northern sector of Nepal. It is between 1,600 meters (5249 ft.) and 8,848 meters (29028 ft.) at the peak of mt. Everest, the highest mountain on earth.
Climate: there are five clearly defined climatic zones in Nepal: tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, alpine and sub-arctic.
Peoples: Nepal is a country of mixed races, languages, religion and cultures. Different peoples have come into the area from all directions, mostly from the north, mongoloid types, and south, Aryan Indian people

Nepal is known as the paradise of mountains. The Himalayan range, which contains the tallest peak of the world, rests in Nepal; a small country nestled between the mammoth nations of India and china. The population of Nepal is around 30 million and is composed of many tribes, cultures, and languages. After centuries of Hindu monarchy, the revolution of 1990 saw Nepal evolve into constitutional monarchy. This offered partial freedom of religion and allowed the Christian church to start growing rapidly. However, lack of resources and continued resistance from the pagan majority has hampered a greater work, and the church continues to suffer and struggle.

NEPAL IS A FEDERAL REPUBLIC DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

A federal republic was established in May 2008 which ended 240 years of monarchy rule in Nepal. The politics of Nepal functions within a framework of a republic with a multi-party system. Currently, the position of president (head of state) is occupied by Vidhya Devi Bhandari. The position of prime minister (head of government) is held by Mr. K.P Sharma Oli. Executive Power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his cabinet, while legislative power is vested in the constituent assembly.

EXISTING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITY

Reformed Church of Nepal in Nepal is one of the officially registered Christian organizations with the government. Legal support has been granted for our humanitarian work, including medical outreach, clean well water construction, and food/medicine/clothing provision for the poorest people. To start children homes, orphanages and Christian School permit are granted to this organization for the welfare and benefit of poor and suffering children of Nepal at this time. The main problem in the ancient case system, an unwritten code that stratifies society and gives preference to a small, rich minority. Due to lack of opportunity, the majority of the populations have remained illiterate, uneducated and ignored.

Those who have found the light of our Lord Jesus Christ are immediately rejected from the families and the community. Most Christians are from the lowest caste and have no opportunities for employment. The churches are facing continuous financial shortage which hinders them from providing money. Thus, we are totally dependent on support from the wealthy, western churches that are currently immune from these challenges.

None of this would be possible without you. You’re prayers, your support, and your encouragements keep us going. We mean that sincerely. Your prayerful consideration and giving will carry us forward into the year in future. Thank you for all you do. It means more than these words can express and appreciate you.

NATIONWIDE EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING PROJECT.

The main task of this project is to proclaim the gospel to all 45 unreached tribes all over Nepal. We need to train a group of 12 young people to head smaller evangelical groups for different locations. This will require the purchase of film projectors, video sets, TV sets, literature, bicycles, motor bikes, music instruments, cassette players, comestibles, computers, vehicles, and tools. We also seek to create a centralized recording studio for the creation of evangelistic messages which can be distributed throughout these areas. Please join with us in prayer for Nepal and the world.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND EXPRESSION OF FAITH

At present, there is systematic discrimination or organized suppression of members of minority religions. Buddhists and Muslims have generally been treated with respect, as have members of local traditional religions. But religions which are newer to Nepal, such as the Christian and other new religion have not always been tolerated. Militant movements with links to India were responsible for religiously-motivated killings of Christians in 2007 and 2008.a key issue now is that the right to freedom of religion or belief must be protected fully in the new constitution.

The mandate for the constitution is that it must be fully consistent with universally accepted human rights, including the conventions approved by Nepal, but this is not the case with draft proposals on the right to freedom of religion or belief. Hinduism and Buddhism are the two dominant religions in Nepal. Hindus make up about 90% of the population and Buddhists approximately 7%. The remaining 3% is divided between Muslims (2.5%) and Christians (.5% – approximately 1.500,000 nationwide).

CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY

It is still illegal to convert from one religion to another. while church services can be held openly, occasional persecution continues for evangelism occurring outside the church walls. Christians can be sentenced to one-year prison for attempting to convert a person from another faith and up to six years for baptizing a convert. Conversion the issue of conversion is controversial or emotive in Nepal. Although at present there exists a general freedom to choose one’s personal faith, public evangelism and the teaching of a new faith to those under eighteen can provoke strong antagonism. Draft proposals for the new constitution deal with conversion in a problematic way. The provision that “no person shall be entitled to convert another person from one religion to another” leaves little room for seeing religious conversion as a positive choice, and it is not consistent with Nepal’s international human rights obligations.

Please visit our website: www.reformedchurchofnepal.org and you can DONATE through PAYPAL secure payment system.

Contact Address in Nepal

Reformed Church of Nepal
G.P.O. Box 160,
Kathmandu Nepal
Email: office@reformedchurchofnepal.org
Email: generalsecretary@reformedchurchofnepal.org
Email: president@reformedchurchofnepal.org
Website: www.reformedchurchofnepal.org