by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - A 33-year old evangelist was beaten to death by Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda, right after he led Muslims to faith in Christ at a Gospel event on September 6, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. The killing was the latest of numerous acts of deadly violence committed against Christians in Uganda by Islamic extremists.
Well-known for preaching the Gospel to Muslims in Buseeta, Lwatama, Katiryo and other parts in eastern Uganda, Philip Bere killed while cycling to home in Katiryo from the evangelistic event that had been held in Kituuti town, MSN reports. Philip Mudenya Sirasi, who had assisted Bere at the event, was with him. In a statement to MSN, Sirasi said many people had accepted Christ at the event, including Muslim women and two young Muslim men.
Describing the event leading up to the killing of his friend, Sirasi said the two evangelists were ambushed at about 7:40 pm, MSN reports. “We heard people talking from both sides of the road at a nearby bush saying, ‘They are the ones who converted our members today – they are not supposed to live, but to be killed,’” Sirasi told Morning Star News.
“From nowhere, one man who was stationed in front of us grabbed our bicycle that we were riding on and hit Bere with a blunt object on his back,” Sirasi continued. “I could see the attackers brutally injuring my friend. One of the attackers hit him with a big stone, and he bled to death.”
In a separate statement to MSN, the pastor of Bere’s church, who has not been named for security reasons, said police from Katiryo, Kibukuand were investigating the matter. “Our evangelist was killed because of his passion for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, especially to Muslims,” the pastor told Morning Star News.