Zion Church, Batticaloa

Zion Church is an evangelical church located in Batticaloa. The church is located at 34A, Central Road, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.[1]

Zion Church
சீயோன் தேவாலயம்
Zion Church
Location in central Batticaloa
07°42′35.90″N 81°41′43.90″E
LocationBatticaloa
CountrySri Lanka
DenominationEvangelical church
WebsiteOfficial website
History
Founded1974 (1974)
Founder(s)Inpam Moses
Architecture
Functional statusActive

History

Zion Church was founded by Rev. Inpam Moses in 1974.[2] The senior pastor is Rev. Roshan Mahesan.[3]

The Zion Church is affiliated to the Lighthouse Church in Kandy.[3] Additionally, it is a charismatic church and a member of the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka.[4] It broadcasts, Zion FM, a christian radio programme in the Tamil language.[5]

Easter Sunday bombings
Main article: 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings

The church was one of the sites affected during the terror attacks which occurred on Easter Sunday on 21 April 2019.[6] The explosion took place at the church between local time 8.45 to 9.30 in the morning during the mass event. The bomber was prevented from entering the church by Ramesh Raju, one of the worshippers, who died in the explosion outside the building.[7] About 25 casualties were reported in the church bombings and few casualties were also reported near the location of the church.[8][9] More than 100 were wounded.[10] Many of the dead and wounded were children because members of the church's Sunday school had gathered outside the church during a break between their classes and the start of the main service.[11]

The church's pastor, Rev Roshan Mahesan, was not in Batticaloa at the time of the bombing as he was visiting the Faith Tamil Baptist Church in Oslo's Grorud Valley in Norway.[12] Subsequently, Mahesan said: “We are hurt. We are angry also, but still, as the senior pastor of Zion Church Batticaloa, the whole congregation and every family affected, we say to the suicide bomber, and also to the group that sent the suicide bomber, that we love you and we forgive you."[13]

President Maithripala Sirisena visited the church on 9 May alongside other politicians to inspect the damage.[14] Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, visited the church on 15 June alongside Catholics to "spread love and brotherhood among those who left the world and among those who sustained injuries".[15]

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References
  1. "Zion Church Batticaloa Sri Lanka – Zion FM Online Christian Radio". Zion Church Batticaloa Srilanka. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via zionfm.lk.
  2. Tomlinson, Hugh; Fernando, Susitha (22 April 2019). "Sri Lanka attacks: Worshippers closed their eyes in prayer . . . then the carnage began". The Times. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 12 June 2019 – via thetimes.co.uk.
  3. "Rev Roshan Mahesan". zionfm.lk. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. Shellnut, Kate (21 April 2019). "Easter Suicide Bombings Kill 290 at Sri Lankan Churches and Hotels". Christianity Today. Retrieved 24 April 2019 – via www.christianitytoday.com.
  5. "Zion FM tamil christian radio channel online". Tamil FM radio stations online. Tamil Fm radios. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via www.tamilfmradios.com.
  6. "Another explosion at Zion Church in Batticaloa". Ada Derana. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via www.adaderana.lk.
  7. Vaidyanathan, Rajini (24 April 2019). "Sri Lanka: The worshipper who blocked a bomber". BBC News. Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 26 April 2019 – via www.bbc.com/news.
  8. "Over 300 killed as ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka bomb attacks". Tamil Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via www.tamilguardian.com.
  9. McKirdy, Euan; McKenzie, Sheena; Hu, Caitlin; Said-Moorehouse, Lauren; Kaur, Harmeet; Yeung, Jessie; Wagner, Meg (24 April 2019). "Sri Lanka attack death toll rises to 290". CNN. Retrieved 24 April 2019 – via www.cnn.com.
  10. Poopalaratnam, Seevagan (24 April 2019). "'Attack against humanity': Church bombing shakes Batticaloa". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via www.aljazeera.com.
  11. Graham-Harrison, Emma (24 April 2019). "Sri Lanka: tributes paid to worshipper who confronted bomber". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  12. Fjeld, Iselin Elise; Roalsø, Martin (21 April 2019). "Spurte etter pastoren før han sprengte seg, men pastoren var i Oslo" [Asked for the pastor before he blew himself, but the pastor was in Oslo]. NRK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via www.nrk.no.
  13. Parke, Caleb (29 April 2019). "'We love you and we forgive you:' Sri Lanka pastor has powerful message for radical terrorists". Fox News. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via FoxNews.com.
  14. "President Maithripala Sirisena visited Zion Church in Batticaloa". Daily News. 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019 – via www.dailynews.lk.
  15. "Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith tours Zion Church". News 1st. 15 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019 – via www.newsfirst.lk.
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