Supreme Court “Voids” arrest warrant for Hopegivers Founder

New Delhi – India’s Supreme Court has voided an outstanding arrest warrant for Hopegivers’ founder Bishop M.A. Thomas and has ordered a hearing before the Rajasthan court on April 21.

According to a report released by Hopegivers International on Tuesday, the 72–year–old Thomas had been forced into hiding for more than two months because of death threats from radicals, including Hindu militants, and persecution by anti–Christian local authorities.

“This is great news,” said Hopegivers COO, Michael Glenn, after his return from a fact–finding mission to the Indian capital of New Delhi. However, he stressed “we still need to keep praying and writing letters,” to government officials amid concerns over the bishops’ son and HI’s co–founder Samuel Thomas who has been held for over a month in a Rajasthan jail on suspicion of causing of “communal disharmony,” charges he strongly denied.

Glenn led a delegation from the Hopegivers International board to New Delhi to try to understand the violent campaign of persecution against Bishop Thomas and his son, Hopegivers co–founder, Dr. Samuel Thomas, in the state of Rajasthan.

Dr. Thomas has been in jail for more than 33 days and his bail hearing has been delayed three times and has now been set for April 24.

Among those on the trip was the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ga., Dr. Don Wilhite, who reported that the trip was successful.

“The letter writing campaign to the Indian leadership is working wonderfully. We met many top leaders and they are very aware of Dr. Sam’s situation and sympathetic to what the Christians are going through in Rajasthan,” he said adding “We met with the highest leaders and Hindu religious leaders. We are confident that our efforts will lead to greater awareness and more religious freedom in India.”

The Hopegivers International delegation, which included Hopegivers board members Robbie Robinette and Pastor Wilhite, was accompanied by Executive Director of the Policy Institute for Religion and State John Prabhudoss.

In addition, the delegation met with the U.S. ambassador and other American officials, Indian church leaders such as the Rev. Dr. Donald H.R. De Souza, the director of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India; Dr Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians; and Dr. John Dayal, member of the National Integration Council. They also met Hindu leaders such as Pandit K. Sharma and Swami Agnivesh and minority rights activists Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Qari Mohammad Mian Mazhari.