This news is coming out of Gospel for Asia in the U.S. Gospel for Asia India has requested that their foreign offices suspend all vision tours and travel to their office, stating “the increased persecution on the field makes it too dangerous for anyone to travel to India until the end of the year.”
All trips and travel plans have been “immediately suspended” including the School of Discipleship January class’ trip that was scheduled for late September.
Persecution in India has increased some under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi according to an April report by the U.S. State department. However, GFA sent a group of students to India in April, each carrying $4500 in U.S. currency without declaring it in the U.S. or India. It was not disclosed what, if anything, has changed since April to spark this move.
No travel warnings to India have been issued by the U.S. State Dept. during 2015. Some concerns have been expressed by the Canadian government about areas bordering Pakistan and Burma but nothing general and no advisories have been issued for Kerala where the Gospel for Asia and Believers’ Church headquarters are located.