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King
Zahir Shah’s government in Afghanistan demolished the
first and only church building in Kabul. Read on to
discover what happened to his government and country.
J. Christy Wilson Jr. was born to missionary parents in
Tabriz, Iran. In 1951 he went with his wife, Betty, to
Afghanistan as “tent-makers”, where they worked for 22
years. Here Dr. Wilson relates his first hand experience
regarding the first evangelical Christian Church
building in Afghanistan.
Dr. Wilson was asked to serve as the pastor of a house
church in Kabul, Afghanistan.
At first, the church was made up of the Christian
teachers who had come to Afghanistan as tent makers.
Then Christians from the various Embassies and from the
United Nations began to attend.
Eventually so many came so that they didn’t have enough
room. They would draw the curtains so that no one will
see them worshipping the Lord Jesus. Dr. Wilson came to
learn that in 1959 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
was coming to Afghanistan on his Asian tour, and had a
divine idea.
The first mosque was built in Washington, D.C. for the
Muslim diplomats. Dr. Wilson wrote to President
Eisenhower. This was to make a request for the Shaw of
Afghanistan to build a Christian church for the
diplomats in Kabul in which he had planned to visit.
The President agreed, and in Kabul he asked the king’s
permission to build a church, and the request was
fulfilled. For the construction of the church building,
donations came from all over the world. The first
evangelical church was established in Kabul in 1970. But
having given permission to build the Christian church
building in Kabul, the Muslim government demolished the
building three years later.
When the troops arrived and started knocking down the
wall between the street and the church property, German
Christian businessman, Hans Mohr, asked the mayor of
Kabul to rescind the door to demolish the church
building. Mr. Mohr said to the mayor “ if your
government touches that house of God, He will overthrow
your government!”.
This would prove to be prophetic. Despite Mr. Mohr’s
prediction the mayor sent a letter to the members of the
congregation ordering them to give over the church for
destruction.
They replied that they could not give the church to
anyone, since it did not belong to them but to God. They
added that if the government destroyed the church
building, the officials will be answerable to God.
Soldiers, police and workmen with bulldozers were sent
to destroy the church building. Instead of opposing
them, the congregation offered them tea and cookies. All
around the world the Christians prayed , and many wrote
letters to Afghanistan embassies in various countries.
Dr. Billy Graham and other Christian leaders, signed a
statement of concern to be sent to King Zahir Shah. But
on July 17, 1973, the government completed the
demolition of the building’s foundation.
That very night, the government in Afghanistan was
overthrown in a coup. Afghans, quick to see omens in
events, say that Jesus came down from heaven and
overthrew the government because it had overthrown His
church. A monarchy for 227 years, Afghanistan that night
became a republic under Muhammad Daoud. Five years
later, in 1978, the republican government was toppled in
a Communist coup, and in 1979 Afghanistan was invaded by
the Soviet Union. Millions of Afghans fled as refugees
to nearby countries.
One refuge said “Ever since our government destroyed
that Christian Church, God has been judging our
country”. Even today, there is no peace.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “I will build my
church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.” Jesus is the Lord of lords. Let no one mess with
Him!
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