“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus Christ uttered these words nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, on this International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, the words ring as loud as they ever have.
Hardly a corner of the world where Christians do not experience persecution.
There is hardly a corner of the world where Christians do not experience persecution, discrimination, or ridicule today. Sadly, there is no shortage of persecuted Christians to pray for, nor a shortage of Christian martyrs to mourn for.
Open Doors estimates that there are 388 million Christians worldwide who suffer deeply for their faith. At my organization, Alliance Defending Freedom, we provide legal support and advocacy for persecuted Christians across the globe. Persecution against Christians is too often ignored by the mainstream media. These are some of the stories and situations that you and your church can pray for today.
Northern Nigeria continues to be one of the most dangerous places on earth for Christians.
Northern Nigeria continues to be one of the most dangerous places on earth for Christians, with thousands killed there every year for their faith. While President Trump’s actions towards Nigeria over the past year are bearing fruit and saving lives, the targeted killings, destruction of churches, mass kidnappings, and other forms of violence and discrimination against Christians are still ongoing at an alarming and widespread pace.
I think of the story of a young man, whom I’ll call David. I met David in Nigeria, and ADF was able to help him. David lives in a Muslim-majority state in northern Nigeria and helped his church minister to local Christians, including converts from Islam. After he helped two converts flee his town because of threats to their life, he and his pastor were kidnapped and tortured for weeks by militants.
A three-day sham trial.
The militants then handed him over to local police, who prosecuted him in a three-day sham trial for kidnapping and sentenced him to nine years’ imprisonment. Only through immediate legal intervention was he released on bail and his conviction overturned a year-and-a-half later. He still helps his church community, but the local government prevents them from evangelizing freely.
Similar attacks as in Nigeria occur all throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, often killing dozens at a time, whether by ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or militants in regions of Ethiopia. But despite these kinds of attacks, Christianity in the region is still thriving and growing.
In the Middle East and North Africa, however, Christian populations have dwindled severely.
In the Middle East and North Africa, however, Christian populations have dwindled severely, and many face continuing threats. The recent terrorist attack against an Orthodox Christian church in Jordan shows how vulnerable Christians can be in the Middle East, even in otherwise peaceful and relatively tolerant countries like Jordan.
Algeria, for example, has recently turned harshly against Christians by shuttering nearly all evangelical churches in the country, as they were so successful in drawing native Algerian converts to the faith. Since 2019, 43 evangelical churches have been forcibly closed, leaving only one open.
Dozens of Christians have been convicted of “illegal worship” and “shaking the faith” of Muslims, including Pastor Youssef Ourahmane. Pastor Youssef is a convert from a Muslim family and has led Christian congregations of converts in Algeria for decades, but he is now appealing to the Supreme Court of Algeria to overturn his conviction.
In Egypt... the government has been using blasphemy and anti-terror laws to crack down on Christians.
In Egypt, where Christians make up at least 10% of the population, the government has been using blasphemy and anti-terror laws to crack down on Christians simply sharing their faith online. Only a few weeks ago, six young Christian men from Minya were arrested simply for making a social media video imitating a comedy film popular with Muslims and Christians alike. Thankfully, they were just released, although charges against them have not been dropped.
Suffered terribly in prison before having to seek asylum in other countries.
Others, though, have waited years and suffered terribly in prison before having to seek asylum in other countries, such as Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, who was detained for three years because he was part of a Facebook group that ministered to Egyptian Christian converts from Islam. Right now, Augustinos Samaan is serving a five-year sentence just because he created videos explaining his Christian faith on YouTube. Augustinos is appealing his conviction.
In Turkey, for years, the government has sought to expel from the country Christian foreign missionaries (many of whom have lived in Turkey for decades and have Turkish families) in order to stop the spread of the gospel. At least 160 missionaries and their families have been affected and labeled “national security threats,” preventing them from entering the country.
One couple affected were Dave and Pam Wilson. Originally from the U.S., the Wilsons had ministered in Turkey for over 40 years. But in early 2019, after spending Christmas with their family in the U.S., authorities at the Istanbul airport informed them that they both had deportation orders and entry bans imposed on them. Soon, the European Court of Human Rights will hear their case, along with almost 20 others, and has a chance to try to stop this pattern of discrimination.
Elsewhere in Asia, there are millions of Christians (and have been for centuries, or longer) and yet they still face intense pressure, attacks, and unjust laws.
Gangs that pursue and seek to entrap Christians.
Pakistan is infamous for its harsh death penalty blasphemy law, and now there are gangs that pursue and seek to entrap Christians with fraudulent blasphemy accusations. One of these Christians is Ishtiaq Saleem, a sanitation worker, who is accused of downloading allegedly blasphemous material on social media and could face the death penalty if convicted. His case is connected to the so-called “Blasphemy Business Group,” which seeks to extort money through accusations, and more than 450 people have been targeted.
Widespread mob violence based on false accusations.
Christians in India continue to face widespread mob violence based on false accusations that they are “forcefully” converting Hindus to Christianity.
Recently, Indian states have been strengthening their anti-conversion laws to allow for punishment up to life imprisonment, and Christians are now regularly being convicted under false forceful conversion charges. On the national level, there are also new concerns that faith-based ministries in India could soon face heavier foreign-funding regulations that could lead to widespread closures of these ministries.
And in China, Christians continue to face enormous restrictions and arrests. One of the miracles of the past year was how the U.S. was able to arrange for Pastor Ezra Jin of the Zion Church in China to be released and flown to America on July 4, following his arrest during last year’s large crackdown on “unauthorized” churches. But eight members of the Zion Church still remain imprisoned, and their families remain in agony. We must continue to press for their release.
The Church... will always have enemies.
There are many more stories that could be told, in many other places. What is clear is that the Church, as Christ foretold, will always have enemies. But the stories of the persecuted—and very often, the victims of persecution themselves in their own witness—reveal the power and transforming love of Christ. I have met survivors burdened by what was done to them, but so often, their faith and inner joy are still radiant. They speak of how much prayers for them mattered and kept their hope alive.
We should all share the stories of the persecuted, support them, and pray for them. Today, and every day.
Sean Nelson is an international human rights lawyer serving as Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom, where he advocates on behalf of Christians and other religious minorities being persecuted for their faith around the world. In this role, he supports Alliance Defending Freedom’s Allied Lawyer Network, who represent clients whose freedom of religion is suppressed. Based in Washington, D.C., he engages with the U.S. State Department, U.S. Congress, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and various other institutions and organizations to coordinate efforts to promote religious freedom worldwide.
