Tibet, South Asia
Population: 2,700,000
Christian: <1%
Dominate Religion: Buddhism
Persecution Ranking: Not Ranked
Political Leader: President Hu Jintao
(Under China Rule)Religious Freedom in Constitution: Yes
Even after years of patient and often heroic missionary labor, the Tibetan church is still developing. One key reason may be that Christian spiritual vocabulary is largely meaningless to the Tibetans, whose religion revolves around the making of “merit” the antithesis of the Gospel of grace. Tibet has been governed by China since the Dalai Lama (Tibetan “god king”) fled to India in 1951 to set up a new government in exile. Although there are no written laws against holding a Christian meeting in public or preaching the Gospel, those caught participating in those activities are almost always arrested and might be imprisoned. By one estimate, there may be as few as 300 Christian Believers in Tibet, and they are opposed by their government, their culture, and Tibetan Buddhism. God is working among them, however, and new churches are appearing in various places. The opening of Tibetan borders to travelers in 1986, has provided a miraculous opportunity for Christians to enter the country as tourists.
