Churches in India restrict entry to non-Christians
More than 40 congregations in Chhattisgarh ask that only Christians attend, following a law that penalizes conversions.
More than 40 churches in the Dhamtari district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh are restricting entry to non-Christians, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported. The congregations placed notices in Hindi on their doors.
Among the temples is the Sunderganj Mennonite Church, with 116 years of history. It is run by the Episcopal Mennonites, who also operate a hospital previously flagged for alleged forced conversions.
Signs in Hindi and an unprecedented decision
The signs warn non-Christians that if they enter the facilities by their own decision, they do so at their own risk and responsibility. The measure, according to ICC, sparked debate in the region and strained coexistence between communities that once shared festivities and prayers.
«The cost appears elsewhere: worship lost its public and welcoming character.»
Diamond Philus, general secretary of the Christian Forum of the Dhamtari district, explained in statements cited by media that the decision works as a "precautionary measure" to protect the congregations (Sígueme translation). The trigger is the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act of 2026, which sanctions conversions obtained by force, fraud or inducement.
On September 15, at a meeting at the district collector's office, Hindu nationalist groups asked to ban non-Christians from entering churches until they formally register as converts.
Previously, more than a thousand non-Christians had submitted forms to the administration to declare that they attended prayers of their own free will. That number of documents increased the suspicion of activists who interrupted services with accusations of conversion, ICC reported.
What the measure costs the churches
The notices serve as a legal barrier against complaints of fraudulent conversion. The cost appears elsewhere: worship lost its public and welcoming character. Believers live with a sense of siege and anxiety, and those who once entered a church for peace, comfort or fellowship now find an environment of exclusion and suspicion.
Legislative pressure and local surveillance led these minority institutions to operate as private clubs, according to ICC. Observers fear the precedent will be replicated in other districts and anticipate constitutional challenges over religious freedom and access to public places of worship.
The district was left with a defensive legal stance, administrative silence and an uncomfortable calm, ICC reported.
What you can do from your city
Jesus sent his disciples with an instruction that describes this tension well: "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16, ESV). Legal prudence, yes. But also simplicity so as not to close the door to those seeking comfort.
Pray for the believers in Dhamtari and for those making legal decisions under pressure. When you share this news, cite the facts and do not repeat unverified figures. And check your own church: what would someone do who arrives for the first time and knows no one?
