The church rising from the ashes: restoration in Jaranwala

A church in Pakistan has been rebuilt after it was destroyed, and has since become a beacon of hope for the community.

Written by Tarryn Pegna | 25 Apr 2025

Rubble and burnt debris inside the remains of a building.

The burnt remains of the church after the 16 August 2023 attack in Jaranwala. This once-destroyed church has now been rebuilt and become a beacon of hope in Jaranwala, uniting the congregation with a renewed sense of purpose. Credit: Tearfund

Christians make up around two per cent of the population in Pakistan and are often in the lower economic groups in the country. As in many other places in the world, some of Tearfund’s work in the country is carried out through local churches or church organisations to help people find long-term solutions to issues of poverty in their communities.

One of these local churches is in Jaranwala, Faisalabad.

This church was built sometime before 1970 by a pastor who wanted to provide migrant families from nearby villages with a place to express their faith. Since then, it has continued to provide a spiritual home for worshippers in the community. Currently, it has a congregation of around 200 local families.

But, on 16 August 2023, a devastating attack on the predominantly-Christian community of Jaranwala left this church, along with 23 other local churches and more than 500 houses, burnt and vandalised.

An enraged mob of around 600 people was stirred into acts of violent destruction after a member of the Christian community – a man reported to be an illiterate sanitation worker – was accused of desecrating a copy of the Qu’ran by writing on it.

In Pakistan, acts of blasphemy (where anyone is deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic figures) can carry the death penalty. Although no one has ever been executed for blasphemy, many who have been accused of such things, or associated with those accused, have been at great personal risk of loss of life, belongings and livelihood.

Bibles burned, churches in ruins

The homes of several pastors were destroyed in the August 2023 attack, and hundreds of Bibles were set on fire.

Fortunately, no one was physically harmed during the vandalism, as members of the community had already fled by the time the mob reached the scene, but the situation was very frightening and upsetting for residents. In a neighbourhood where families often already struggle to make ends meet, many lost everything they owned.

For a while, the community had no electricity, gas or water.

Tearfund’s local partners responded at the time, helping people access immediate necessities like food and water.

‘The church has been rebuilt and reimagined as a symbol of resilience, healing and sustainability.’

A beacon of hope

But, the once-destroyed church has become a beacon of hope in Jaranwala, uniting the congregation with a renewed sense of purpose.

The church has now been rebuilt and reimagined as a symbol of resilience, healing and sustainability.

Summer temperatures in Faisalabad regularly soar to 40 degrees Celsius, so electricity to power cooling systems is crucial to make life manageable. Because power outages in the area can sometimes last for hours at a time, Tearfund’s local partner has supported the church to install a solar panel system. This has reduced the church’s electricity costs by more than half and ensures uninterrupted power for church gatherings.

Mothers, particularly, have appreciated no longer needing to fan their small children during services and they can now enjoy being able to focus their attention on prayer and worship.

The church’s solar panels have also been part of Tearfund’s commitment to environmental stewardship, recognising that people’s relationship with their environment is a key consideration in order to address poverty fully, and inspiring the community to embrace green practices.

Bearing fruit

Further to this, the church grounds now also have an orchard with ten fig trees, ten olive trees and ten grape vines, which, as well as their restorative environmental value and the fruits they are able to produce, are held by the congregation as fertile symbols of new beginnings and growth after the destruction that they experienced.

And, continuing to cultivate a deep sense of responsibility for the environment within the community – particularly amongst the youth – Tearfund has helped provide input for the church to introduce other practical initiatives too, such as waste segregation bins and ‘5Rs’ training (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover), which will help maintain a healthier, safer, cleaner, greener environment for everyone.

A cross and solar panels on the roof of a building.

A solar panel system has been installed, ensuring the church always has power and reducing the electricity bills by more than half! Credit: Tearfund

Pray with us

Pray for this church in Jaranwala and the other local churches and church organisations Tearfund works through in Pakistan. Ask God for his blessing and favour on the congregations and that they will be beacons of hope in their communities.
Ask God for relations between different communities to continue to improve and for churches to be fully engaged in building strong relationships across divides that help to bring unity and reduce poverty.