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CHHATTISGARH, INDIA   (ANS) -- Two recent Bible college graduates, in their first year as Gospel for Asia-supported national missionaries, have been forced to leave their mission station because of death threats by India's Maoist insurgents.

Rujul Abraham and Manik Ranjan are ministering in a village in Chhattisgarh, a state where the Maoist rebels are strong. Six people have chosen to follow Christ in the place where Rujul and Manik serve, and relations with the other villagers have been good.

But as followers of the area's traditional religion began preparations for one of their annual festivals, some of the Maoists entered the village and destroyed two statues of the local gods that were to be honored during the celebrations.

The Maoists threatened the villagers.

"We will not allow any kind of religious celebrations," they warned, "and we don't want to see any religion being practiced, either. If you do not obey us, there will be fatal consequences."

At that point, both the new believer and the village sarpanch (chief) advised the GFA-supported missionaries to leave the village.

"You can return and continue your ministry once tensions have gone down," the sarpanch assured them.

The Maoist insurgency, known to operate in 220 districts across 20 Indian states, is seen by national leaders as the greatest threat facing the country today.

GFA President K.P. Yohannan has asked Christians in the West to be in prayer for the missionaries and other believers facing this threat.

"Please be in prayer for our missionaries as they face both the threats of the Maoists and the persecution of other anti-Christian elements," he said. "Hold them up in prayer as they share the Good News of God's love among those whose hearts are filled with hate. And pray that those who use the plight of the poor to further their aims would see that the true hope for those in need lies not in guns and blood but in the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ."