A Jackson native returns home after being held in India for 7 months

"This year we were going over to Nepal and we were stopping over for a few days in India on our way because it was closer to that airport in India", says Bryan Nerren. Jackson native and pastor in Shelbyville, Tennessee, Bryan Nerren, has taken trips to Nepal, India for 17 years but his recent trip was longer than expected. Nerren and a group of his members were stopped in Delhi and questioned about $40,000. And two specific questions. Nerren says, “but the government decided immediately when I was in Delhi, they didn’t care about the money. The first set of questions was ‘Are you a Christian and are you going to meet a Christian in India?" Nerren says this money was to support the group when they made it to Nepal on their mission trip. “Then they let us go, they said everything is alright y’all can go and we left Delhi and went to the next airport where we were going to Bagdogra. In Bagdogra I was met as soon as we got off the plane and arrested", adds Nerren. Bryan’s brother, Brad Nerren, says this time tested his faith. “I would stop in the driveway before getting in my vehicle to go to work and I pray and every night, and I would say, god bring Bryan home today", says Brad. Bryan spent 6 days in prison and then was detained for 7 months before coming home. “I didn’t really make the deal the American Ambassador in India at the Embassy did a wonderful job and a great job to get me home. But he made the deal with the higher government of India to let me come home", says Nerren.

Bryan believes there is one reason why he was held in India.

"And they decided from the very beginning that they were going to make an example of me as a Christian coming to India. They don’t want Christians to be in India.”