August 17, 2023–
Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson released a video statement to the Virginia Conference on August 17, 2023 asking the conference to join in prayer for Christians in Pakistan.
She shared that 21 churches right now have been burned.
“There is disturbing video out of Pakistan where they topple crosses as they burn churches and they are terrorizing Pakistani Christians, and it’s a matter of great concern to all of us,” Bishop Sue said.
Bishop Sue asked in the video for prayers for the people in Pakistan and Christians around the world and called upon the entire United Methodist connection to prayer.
To Pakistani Christians, Bishop Sue said, “I want them to know we stand in solidarity with them, and we encourage them and we all condemn this violence and these attacks.”
She called upon the Pakistani government to intervene and to continue making arrests and stopping the violence.
According to a BBC report, more than 100 people have been arrested in Jaranwala in east Pakistan after thousands of people joined in to burn churches and vandalize homes. This took place after claims surfaced that two Christian men had torn pages from a copy of the Quran.