‘We Never Saw The Church Closed’: Bethany Believers Mourn Second Sunday Without Worship

Proddatur, Andhra Pradesh: For the second consecutive Sunday, the gates of Bethany Prayer House remained locked, preventing regular worship services and leaving scores of believers emotionally distressed. Nearly 70 worshippers who arrived expecting to participate in Sunday prayers and fellowship were forced to return home disappointed as an ongoing dispute over church leadership and administration continued without resolution. For many members of the congregation, the closure of the church has become more than an administrative issue. They say it has struck at the heart of their spiritual lives, depriving them of the opportunity to gather in prayer at a place that has served generations of believers for decades.

• Dispute over pastoral leadership continues

The controversy centres on the transfer of Pastor B. Solomon from Nandalur to Bethany Prayer House, Proddatur, through orders reportedly issued by the ‘Trust’ Management, Hyderabad.

According to Pastor Solomon and ‘Trust’ representatives, he was officially transferred to Bethany Prayer House and is entitled to assume charge. However, incumbent Pastor K.M. Ephraim has reportedly questioned the implementation and validity of the transfer, leading to a continuing standoff over the administration of the church.

The dispute has now resulted in worship services being disrupted for two consecutive Sundays, a situation many believers describe as unprecedented in the history of the church.

• Worship conducted outside the locked church

As the church doors remained closed, believers, ‘Trust’ members and devotees assembled outside the premises from around 8 a.m. and conducted prayers and worship on the roadside.

Participants said the service was conducted peacefully, prayerfully and in a spirit of brotherly love so that those who had arrived seeking God would not leave entirely deprived of worship.

Several worshippers sat outside the locked gates for hours, praying, singing hymns and appealing with slogans for the reopening of the church.

Many said the sight of a locked house of worship on a Sunday morning was deeply painful and difficult to comprehend.

• “We have never seen this before”

N. Anil Kumar (32) and M. Pradeep (36), who said they have been attending Bethany Prayer House since childhood, expressed profound disappointment over the situation. “We have never seen the church locked in our lifetime,” they said, urging all concerned parties to respect the spiritual sentiments of believers and ensure that Sunday worship is never interrupted. They added that irrespective of legal disputes, ordinary worshippers should not be denied the opportunity to gather for prayer and fellowship.

• “Two Sundays without worship has deeply hurt us”

P. Raja (58) and S. Nikita (29) said they were deeply saddened that worship services had not been conducted for two consecutive Sundays. They stated that believers arrive each week seeking spiritual strength, comfort and fellowship, and that being unable to enter the church had caused emotional pain to many families. They appealed to all parties to work towards a peaceful solution that would allow worship to resume immediately.

• Senior believer appeals with tears

Paul (55), a senior believer, became emotional while speaking about the situation. With tears in his eyes, he appealed to authorities to recognize the devotion of local worshippers and ensure that such an incident never occurs again. “The church belongs to God and to the believers who come here to worship Him,” he said, urging officials to intervene and help restore normalcy.

• “In 52 years, I never saw the church locked”

Rajanna (85), one of the oldest members of the congregation, said he has been attending Bethany Prayer House for more than 52 years. Recalling decades of church history, he stated that disagreements and differences had arisen in the past, but worship services had never been stopped and the church had never been locked. He said the present situation was deeply unfortunate and appealed for immediate steps to preserve the spiritual heritage and harmony of the congregation.

• “We came for worship, but found closed gates”

Sister Prabhavathi (50) said her family has been worshipping at Bethany Prayer House for nearly four decades. She said believers arrived on Sunday expecting to worship peacefully, reverently and in accordance with the law and police instructions, only to find the church gates locked. According to her, many worshippers were left heartbroken after travelling to church only to discover they could not enter the sanctuary. She urged all parties to remember the spiritual needs of ordinary believers who simply wish to worship God in peace.

• Call for legal and administrative resolution

Senior congregation member M. Yesuratnam (48) urged the authorities to carefully examine all legal, administrative and judicial aspects of the dispute. He appealed for an early resolution that would enable worship services to resume and restore confidence among believers.

‘Trust’ representatives also called upon police officials and higher authorities to intervene and facilitate the reopening of the church. ‘Trust’ members, speaking in one voice, appealed to the authorities to implement the transfer orders issued by the ‘Trust’ Management and transfer Pastor K.M. Ephraim in accordance with the recent court verdict. They maintained that the ongoing dispute and disturbances would come to an end once the transfer order is enforced and urged the authorities to take prompt action to restore peace and normalcy at Bethany Prayer House.

• Pastor Ephraim cites safety concerns

Meanwhile, Pastor K.M. Ephraim reportedly informed members through the official Bethany WhatsApp group that no worship service would be conducted on Sunday due to concerns relating to law and order and the safety of believers.

Those supporting his position maintain that decisions concerning church administration should be taken only after all legal and procedural issues are fully resolved.

• Beyond the dispute: A congregation prays for peace

Despite the differing positions taken by the parties involved, a common theme emerged among the worshippers gathered outside the church.

Many believers said they are not seeking victory for one group over another. Rather, they long to see the doors of Bethany Prayer House reopened, Sunday worship restored and brotherly love preserved within the congregation.

For them, the deepest wound is not the legal dispute itself but the reality that, for two consecutive Sundays, believers were unable to enter their church and worship together.

As prayers concluded outside the locked gates, many worshippers expressed hope that church leaders, Trust representatives, legal experts and authorities would soon find a solution—one that restores peace, protects the spiritual interests of believers and ensures that the doors of Bethany Prayer House are once again opened for worship.

(Source: IAIJ/BIN/DPJB)