Keeping the faith in Pakistan

Shan Joseph comes from a long line of Christians. His great-grandfather was an Anglican minister and his parents and grandparents devoted believers. But in a nation where only 1.6% of the population identifies itself as Christian, that can be difficult.

“In Pakistan, Christians are ranked alongside the lowest caste of Hindus,” said Shan. “There will be some jobs that are simply never open to me, particularly high-paying ones. Many Christians spend their whole lives working in sanitation.”

Shan’s home church, All Saints’ Church in Peshawar (Church of Pakistan), dates from 1883 and was established during the British colonial era. The congregation is one of the oldest in the city.

A recent graduate of the University of Peshawar with a Bachelor’s degree in economics, Shan, age 24, didn’t experience any difficulty getting into university. But he knew that any non-Christian applicants would get preferential treatment. Likewise, Shan knows there are some people who will never spend time with him socially because of his faith.

But for Christians in Pakistan, limited job prospects and social connections are the least of their concerns. That point was made exceedingly clear in September 2013 when twin suicide bombers attacked All Saints’ during a Sunday worship service. Some 80 worshipers were killed and over 100 wounded, including Shan’s mother. Shan had remained home that morning, breaking his normal routine to catch up on sleep.

“My mother turned out to be OK, although she received injuries to her breast and kidneys and was badly burned,” said Shan. “But the experience was shocking to me. All Saints’ Church is a family, especially in our context, where there are so few Christians. We all know one another.”

Despite a downswing in attendance for a time—many congregants were naturally traumatized and frightened—Shan said that Christians have returned to their pre-violence levels.

Attendance at the 2017 General Council meeting in Leipzig has been a formative experience for Shan. “It is a great privilege and honor to be here, to meet Christians from all over the world,” he said. “And it’s interesting to be in Germany, where you can be so open about your Christianity. I’ve seen people praying over a meal in public. You could never do that in Pakistan!”

As for his personal faith, Shan remains staunchly Christian despite—perhaps because of—his persecution. “I still think my Christianity is above everything in my life,” said Shan. “God said to love your enemies. And even though it can be hard, that’s what I am trying to do.”

Shan Joseph currently volunteers full-time in All Saints’ parish ministry. He plans to continue his studies at the Master’s level in September for an eventual career in community development.