Bryan Nerren has returned home to his favorite recliner after seven months in forced quarantine in India. This was a government-involved situation due to his Christianity, he said Thursday, not because of COVID-19.

A little thinner, the exhausted International House of Prayer pastor advised, “There’s no place like home.”

While he knew the dangers of his global missionary work, he said he never fathomed he’d get so close to martyrdom after 17 years with Asian Children’s Education Fellowship (ACEF) which he founded.

“We teach teachers to teach, that’s the only thing we do. I’ll never go back to India or Nepal either one. Legally, I can go back. When the judge released me Friday, he said, ‘All charges are dropped, everything is cleared, you’re guilty of nothing, and if you want to come back next year, you’ll be treated good, different.’”

He vowed only an idiot, under these circumstances, would return.

***New targets

“The main reason I wouldn’t go back is I’ve got really good friends there who are Christians. Everything we’ve ever done there has been indigenous. I take them resources and teach, but they do all the work. I’m a target now. Everybody knows me. If I’m seen with any of those, their lives would be in danger.”

Nerren explained BJP ideology, that is the ruling political party of the Republic of India. Hundreds of missionaries are dying, he said.

“The weekend President [Donald] Trump was there, the BJP murdered 55 Muslims in Delhi. If you Google . . . Muslim Massacre of Donald Trump. What nobody covered was what happened . . . 200 Christians were killed. They took pastors and their wives out of their houses, tied them up in a tree, beat them bloody and burned their houses. I knew a couple of those who got beat. I knew where I was going; He [God] warned me ahead of time before I got there. I thought it was going to happen in Nepal. I had a dream or two. I made a joke about it before I left. I said I’m taking Drew Hayes [local pastor friend] as a designated fellow.

“In the end . . . I went to jail, he came home. I forced them to go home. They literally camped outside the jail trying to get me out. They cried. It was a very emotional thing.”

***Saga begins

The “Out of India” situation for Nerren began in October, while passing through India (during a big festival) on the way to Nepal. “We had $40,000, but it was the three of us, going to meet 10 more people. I had $20,000 . . . Drew and Jim [Gore] had $10,000 apiece . . . declared it. Four different guys asked us the same questions. We never talked about declaration or illegal money or what needed to happen. They only cared about two things: ‘Are you a Christian?’ and ‘Are you going to talk to Christians in India?’ The answer was yes on both of them.”

Then they were on their way to International Airport in Bagdogra, where as soon as they hit the ground, customs grabbed the three of them. They were in eight hours of very Third World interrogation and eventually, headed for jail, Nerren said.

After a “deal,” he said government officials put the $40,000 in his sole possession, which he said was so he could legally be accused of taking too much money into India. It was up to the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), he said, to help him out of the country. A customs agent told him he had been directed by Delhi central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “group” to “crush him” and make an example before other American Christian missionaries.

COVID-19 stopped his court hearing scheduled for Sept. 1. Though he wasn’t charged with a crime, the government, he said, tried to make it happen in grand jury.

***Price of innocence

“In the end, Ambassador Kenneth Juster called me and said ‘You’re not ever going home, unless you give them the $40,000.’ Legally, they confiscated the money and I had a right for a legal appeal to get the money back, based on the rules that they took it. Easily, if it had ever gotten to the legal process, I would have gotten the money back. But the customs department drug things out and moved things around . . . trying to wear me down.”

The ambassador worked a deal, which entailed him giving up his missionary fund of $40,000 and, paying yet another fine. The ambassador told him otherwise, he’d live there the rest of his life. Nerren agree, but it was costly in many ways.

“There was $40,000 cash. I spent another $6,000 in fines. There were several thousands in bribes done through the lawyers. My legal fee was $30,000 cash. I spent about $7,000 living there.”

Nerren said he’ll never be able to payback those “real friends,” who took care of his legal fines, and those who prayed daily for him and his family. “ People we didn’t even know sent us checks in the mail,” said his wife Rhonda. “So God has taken care of us, every time we’ve needed it.”

Her husband added, “I have nothing. We’ve just been living off courtesy and kindness.”

Since getting home he’s tried to spend time with his children, Laura, who is disabled, and Kevin, an d his grandchildren — all who’ve suffered emotionally since his departure.

***Different world

The “Out of India” situation is something he will never forget, especially the part when a customs agent told him he had been directed by Deli central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “group” to “crush him” and make an example before other American Christian missionaries.

During his captivity, Nerren was in a small hotel room with internet and 2,000 Indian TV channels. He best described it as the lowest grade of an American motel, though the food cooked for him was good.

The first six days were in prison. I made bail. I couldn’t leave town . . . under house arrest. If I broke my bail . . . automatic life in prison. I was lied to, because he was first told it would just be a night in jail and a fine . . . didn’t happen. For six days I disappeared. Nobody saw me, talked to me, knew where I was . . . I just disappeared.”

***Hatred steels resolve

In hindsight, he said he’s paid the price, literally, for being a Christian missionary. Nerren said he lost $85,000, while trying to prove himself innocent. “I will spend the rest of my life burning the BGAP and Modi. For me, the story’s really not about me. When President Trump was there, he was supposed to talk to Modi about releasing me. He did send Rhonda a letter.”

The missionary said two days before the President’s arrival in February, he thought he was being released. After Trump left, he said the paperwork was destroyed. “They hate Christians in both countries. I knew that.”

Through it all, his wife awaited their conversations each morning. They also had Bible readings from the Psalms. The communication was especially her solace, and sanity, during missed holidays.

Nerren said ironically, the BGAP has only strengthened his desire to help India. “The good thing about this is, I didn’t really do much of anything in India . . . always doing stuff in Nepal. I will invest every penny I can find in the church in India, because they made me stay there long enough to get to know 100 pastors. I’m just getting started.”