28th January, 2015
Two Mennonite church leaders have survived an attack by five men in Vietnam but are still recovering of their injuries, Christians told BosNewsLife.
Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and his associate pastor were reportedly assaulted with bricks and rocks and, after collapsing to the ground, kicked relentlessly near their Bible college north of Ho Chi Minh City.
Both men were taken to the emergency department of the hospital after the 18th January incident, according to Christians with close knowledge about their situation. No arrests were made as of Friday, 23rd January.
Pastor Quang needed most treatment as he "sustained broken ribs, as well as facial wounds, including a broken nose and injuries to his teeth and jaw," confirmed Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM), an aid and advocacy group supporting the pastors.
He was later transferred to a local hospital for further treatment and observation.
This wasn’t an isolated incident: Pastor Quang and his Bible college were targeted several times in recent years, BosNewsLife learned.
In another recent attack last November, some 300 assailants reportedly threw stones and other objects at the school building.
VOM said it had asked supporters to "pray that the Lord will completely heal and restore both of these pastors" and "that the symptoms of Pastor Quang’s more serious injuries will quickly abate".
The group stressed that the men needed God’s strength "to fully commit themselves to their ministry work, granting them and all those affiliated with the Bible college divine protection from any potential further attack." Christians said it was also important to remember "the perpetrators of this crime, asking the Lord to extend His mercy and bring them to sincere repentance".
Vietnam, a Communist-run nation, has seen several attacks against especially evangelical churches and house churches, despite some reforms introduced by the government.
