India: Please pray for Manipur

Please pray for the protection of these leaders, for God’s Spirit to work in them, and for the hearts of the leaders of armed groups to be softened.

        Source:                       www.21wilberforce.org
Date:                            May 21, 2026

On Wednesday, May 13, I woke up to a flood of messages on my phone from India. Three pastors from Manipur, including Rev. Vumthan Sitlhou, former General Secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention, had been ambushed and killed while returning from a regional gathering focused on peace and reconciliation.

There’s no easy framework to explain the conflict in Manipur. This latest attack appears to have been driven primarily by tribal and ethnic tensions, not religion. But many of you may remember that in 2023, more than 200 people were killed and over 300 churches and church buildings were destroyed in violence that was religiously motivated.

Today, I am simply asking you to pray.

Today in Manipur, Baptist and Christian leaders among the Kukis and Nagas (majority Christian) and among the Meiteis (majority Hindu) are continuing to pursue peace despite enormous pressure and danger. Several meetings are planned in coming days, and 21Wilberforce has been invited to support these efforts.

Please pray for the protection of these leaders, for God’s Spirit to work in them, and for the hearts of the leaders of armed groups to be softened.

I also want to share this short, powerful video of Haominlun Sitlhou speaking at the funeral of his father, Rev. Sitlhou. He said, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. Today I want to ask every Christian in Manipur: do you have the fruit of the Spirit in you?”

Please pray with Haominlun Sitlhou for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident among Christians throughout Northeast India.

At the same time, around 20 men remain captive following a series of abductions carried out by armed groups from opposing tribes. The Manipur Baptist Convention, together with Indian and global Baptist families, is working to mediate the release of captives on all sides.

Please pray for the safe return of all captives and the safety of the mediators.

Manipur desperately needs renewed momentum toward peace and unity. Northeast India is home to millions of Baptists, many connected to a legacy of more than a century of American missionary work. This is not a moment for deeper division.

Please pray for unity among Baptists and Christians across Manipur and Northeast India, that our shared identity in Christ would be stronger than our tribal or ethnic divisions, and that the world would see Jesus through the witness of His people (John 17).

Thank you for praying.

Wissam al-Saliby, President
21Wilberforce