Do Americans Care About Persecuted Christians?

VOM’s Todd Nettleton was interviewed last week by Mission Network News about the question of why more attention isn’t paid—in the media and in American churches—to the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. Here’s the resulting story from MNN:

International (MNN) — The Church is under fire. At that sentence, half the people who started reading this article just moved on to something more interesting.

However, that response is troublesome. The plight of believers gets little attention on the global stage, leaving many Christians throughout North America unaware, and therefore, indifferent to what’s going on in the body of Christ.

Mention persecution, and eyes glaze over. Silence continues because not enough church leaders are talking about it from the pulpit. Despite Barna Research stating the opposite, there’s a movement in North America where church leaders and pastors say their flocks don’t want to hear such negative and depressing things.

That’s despite the following:

Al Qaeda vows to slaughter Christians after the U.S. ‘liberates’ Syria. Nigeria’s Boko Haram has slaughtered 3,000 Christians since they began waging war. Egypt’s Coptic Church is under fire. A Church official there says after the recent violence that destroyed over 72 churches, there are just 57 Christian churches in the entire country, down from more than 300 as recently as 2003. The Barnabas Fund, a ministry to the persecuted Church, is airlifting Christians out of Sudan. So far, they’ve evacuated more than 5,000 Christians from northern Sudan. In Pakistan, believers are still trying to put their lives back together after 3,000 angry Muslims torched the Joseph Colony six months ago. That’s only part of the Middle East and North Africa. Asia is also on the list. North Korea is trying to erase Christians, and has been atop the Open Doors World Watch List for 11 years as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. There’s ‘religicide’ going on in Burma, and in parts of India.

And still, there’s relative silence from North America. There are a few who have been speaking out as loudly as they can, but the overall impassive response to the worldwide persecuted church begs the question: do we care? Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “I think the question arises because we look around the world. we see more than 60 countries where Christians face some form of harassment or persecution, and you look at the average response of the average American Christian which is basically, ‘Man, that’s too bad.’”

A defensive response is also common. But here too, Nettleton asks, “If we care, how is that being lived out? How are we SHOWING that we care? Not based on clicking the ‘like’ button on a Facebook page, but how are we showing that we care in action that is designed to produce a result or some easing if the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters?” He goes on to explain, “How we show we care is by being involved, by connecting with these Christians who are suffering. The first line of doing that really is knowing them: knowing their names, knowing their situations, knowing the countries that they live in so that we can pray effectively.”

Nettleton is also quick to note that the issue has gotten more traction as awareness of social justice issues has risen. “More people know about the persecuted church now than did 15 or 20 years ago. I think the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which is coming up in November, has been a significant part of making the American church aware of what’s happening with persecuted Christians.”

But there’s still a long way to go, he concedes. “One of the challenges is Americans are pretty home-focused. Our media covers things that are happening in America. In a 30-minute news program, we might get two minutes of what’s going on around the world.”

Another aspect is understanding the spiritual and biblical component of persecution. “These are not just statistics or people who live 10-thousand miles from here. This is our family. These are our brothers and sisters.” He points out his own two brothers. If they were to be arrested and face the scenarios faced by Christians in Eritrea, for example, he would be making noise about their plight. The same should be true of the body of Christ. “I should be aware of what’s happening with them, and when they’re being persecuted and oppressed, I should be speaking out on their behalf. I should be letting people know that it is happening and doing whatever I can within my power to make it stop happening.”

When believers put real faces, names and places to the stories, the bigger picture becomes clearer. Nettleton explains, “It’s not presented as ‘this is what the Bible said was going to happen. This is what Jesus said ‘if you follow me, the world will hate you’. This is happening all around the world. Followers of Christ are being hated because they’re followers of Jesus Christ.”

Sometimes Americans avoid the discussion of the persecuted church because the news is discouraging. It’s hard to hear and yet feel helpless about changing anything. However, Nettleton breaks response down to its most simple elements. “You start by praying. you educate yourself, an then, whatever God lays on your heart as a response, you keep saying ‘yes’ to that and keep responding to that. You will find that you will enter into the ‘fellowship of suffering’.”

The what? Nettleton explains that when people invest in taking on the troubles facing believers worldwide, they begin to understand the God who provokes such a response. As a result, “The persecuted church is strengthened because we can encourage them, we can stand with them, and we can be a voice for them. But we’re strengthened as well because we see their faithfulness, and we see God’s faithfulness to them. And our faith is encouraged and challenged, and we find that we grow spiritually, as well.”

You can start your journey by clicking here.

YOUR TURN: Do you think the issue of Christian persecution is given adequate attention in American media? What about in American churches? What can Christians do to help make sure the persecution faced by our brothers and sisters in hostile and restricted nations is known? Continue the discussion in the comments below.

Comments

[Alice Coulson]

I am glad to hear of others who are concerned. My heart hurts for those human beings who are being tortured for their faith and they are indeed our brothers and sisters in the Lord. I asked for prayer for the Syrian Christians one Sunday where I attend church. Mostly all the church there and others pray about are individual concerns of members health and such. I made a small contribution to a relief organization. I pray for the vulnerable humans who live in fear with little concern from Americans who may face the same situation some day. It is already happening in a small way now. Heads are in the sand.

[B. Brower]

I am a former Anglican who joined a latin rite catholic church. My father was russian orthodox . Not a day goes by that I don't pray for christians over the world and especially in the middle east, who are being persecuted and killed. Further, my priest reminds us from the pulpit to pray for those unfortunate brothers and sisters in christ who don't have the luxuries we have. Folks, the persecution is coming to America. Buckle up

[Pastor Terry]

I pastor a small rural church in the Blue Ridge Mtns. of N.C.. I work hard to bring the persecuted church into the lives of my church members. I realize they live sheltered lives and the MSM does not cover these stories. It is up to pastors to step up and do the Lords work, leading their church to follow suit. Only a faithful few will follow but those can make a big difference. Fellow pastors it is time to stand up and let the Lord speak through you.

[Randy Furco]

Not enough. I am so tired of men and women that are living like kings and queens here, with mansions and a fleet of luxury cars saying how they "suffer" and "sacrifice" for The Gospel. It makes me shake my head in discust. I could name, names but I wont.

Ministers here call having to give up maid service or a Bently sacrificing for The Gospel. They suffer "persecution", because even the heathen can see that there is something wrong with a proffessed minister of The Gospel living and acting like a celebrity,..plastic surgery, sports cars, million dollar vacation homes..and on..and on...and on....so they get called out on it. Poor things, so much worse than seeing your congregation beaten and your church burned.

One minister went as far as building a million dollar mansion right in the middle of where Katrina hit. So many there without homes still, so much poverty there, yet he really needed that million dollar mansion for him and his wife...head shake winner of the year.

Even ministers I repsect a great deal, get my head shake of confusion sometimes, because they seem so totaly blinded to the suffering of The Church in most of The World.....

Our churches here are too busy looking at gold dust and fake jewels falling form the cieling, money "miraculously" falling from the rafters....because of course God is all into entertaining us here, while our brothers and sisters are being killed, suffering starvation and dying for their faith...right???

[Erica Melicharek]

I think Matthew 25:31-46 applies, and I've been personally convicted by this verse and this issue time and time again. If you study the passage, you can notice a few things: 1. Jesus identifies personally with his bride, (Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME? Acts 9:4)
2. From vs. 40 - Jesus considers our care and concern for the brethren as equal with our care and concern for HIM, or on the flip side, if we neglect the needs of our brethren, we neglect HIM.
3. Our love for the brethren or our coldness towards them is a display of our spiritual life, or lack of it, and Jesus separates the two groups based on this, in this parable.

So I think a cold response of a person in the church is symptomatic of a cold response to Christ, which would indicate a serious condition of a lack of spiritual life...some have said that the North American church is now one of the greatest mission fields.

But instead of attacking and criticizing pastors, leaders, the seminaries they were trained at, and the people, I think Christ would have us pray for, minister to, teach and love them also .

So I see that there are two populations in this article desperately needing our ministry of the love of Christ: the persecuted church globally, as well as those who are unaffected by these issues.....let us be ministers of the Gospel of grace where ever we are with our nearest and furthest neighbors.

[Steve Anderson]

Sadly, North American Christians seem too focused on our "first-world" problems to even see the persecution of our brothers and sisters around the world.

Too often, I hear people claim to be persecuted for Christ because there is so much sex, drugs and violence in our media and culture. Almost as often, I hear Christians claim persecution because others do not believe precisely what they believe in regards to scripture. What bothers me most is that these are not Persecution, these are Temptation and Division, the first being something we cannot avoid while we are in this world, the second being something we are called to remove from the community of faith.

Thank you VOM for opening my eyes to the reality of persecution among believers. It has helped me to lay aside the divisions of doctrine or denomination and recognize what I believe is the only thing that matters to recognize a fellow Christian, that is... faith in Christ.

[Beebo]

Most mega churches (or at least in my area) rarely do mission trips and some preach the prosperity garbage. You get more action out of smaller churches, but they're limited financially.

There are those here in our country that claim they're being persecuted against when they have more freedoms here than in theocratic and communist countries. When they do that it lessens their view on those actually being tortured.

[Beverlie Myers]

I think that Christian Americans feel uncomfortable hearing about the suffering that people endure for their faith because our culture and our country gives us such liberties that we really don't have to face persecution in the way that believers in other parts of the world face. In many ways we are lulled into a comfort of non-concern. What doesn't concern us directly isn't important enough to get our time and attention. I have noticed that my posts about North Korea and the persecuted church do not get as much response from my friends as I would like. I sometimes feel like standing up and shouting : HEY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU HOW COULD YOU NOT CARE ABOUT THIS! But really the sad truth is that American complacency due to all of the comforts we have is our greatest enemy. It stops us from caring about the neighbor next door, and keeps us from doing something to help when we know their need, often even from finding out their need...no wonder then, too many Christians are oblivious to the suffering around them, and many of them choose to stay that way when it comes to the rest of the world.

[Bruce Emmel]

Paul asked the Corinthians, why they were living like Kings, while he and the rest of the church suffered; 1 Cor 4: 8 You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you. 9 Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade.....

[Angela]

Wow, praise G-d for the author and for those who've commented. My facebook experience is exactly the same - I have friends who make a living writing christian books, whose husbands are pastors and who are p&w leaders but none of them 'like', comment on or share posts regarding the persecuted church. I'm talking 100% NEVER and I've been on FB for over 5 years. I find it really, really sad and disheartening. I am thankful for this article and those that have commented just to know I am not alone. And I know that he speaks the truth about congregations not wanting to hear about it, but IMHO that speaks more to the pastors' leadership and training (or lack thereof) of their flock than anything else. Let's continue to bring the message to our fellow church members, keep posting on facebook, saying prayers for the persecuted and sending our donations. G-d will work in His own time in His own way.

[Teri]

I am reading this article now but these thoughts struck me after reading the following sentence ... "Despite Barna Research stating the opposite, there’s a movement in North America where church leaders and pastors say their flocks don’t want to hear such negative and depressing things."

1- Church leaders MUST LEAD and not allow their congregations to decide what is taught from the pulpit. That is supposed to be determined by God. (period)

2- Hearing about persecuted Christians should not be "depressing or negative things". Satan only goes after REAL Christians. So if you are being persecuted, shout "Hallelujah" from the rafters because you must be doing something right!

3- I no longer agree that this America is a "Christian nation" as we have lost both our salt and light although we were founded to be. We have become lukewarm and it SHOWS in our society as a whole. We NEED to repent immediately and start acting like who we claim to be!

Those are just a few of my thoughts from that one sentence. I will step off my soap box for a bit and now go finish reading the rest of the article.

[Don]

The article makes a great point, and I think it's right on target. I sometimes share VOM articles on Facebook to raise awareness of persecution among my friends. Now, if I post a casual picture, a "funny," or some trivial status update, I normally get several "Likes" or comments. But to most of my Voice of The Martyrs shares, I normally hear "crickets chirping." It's interesting and sad.

[Lon]

I'm screaming, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" at the top of my lungs.
all the while I was reading this. Being a part of VOM's VVN, I hear all the excuses. Todd is the first person I've heard say the same thing I've been saying. Thank you for bringing it to the attention oof those who have ears.

[Diana]

I have made it a habit to select a Martyr from the internet (usually VOM) every week and present it at our church's prayer meeting so the members of our congregation could pray for that person. If every local church had one member who was able to take this on as a ministry I think there would be more awareness. PS. Before I started to do this I talked it over with the Pastor.

[Jim]

Well I think, there are big problems with church leaders today, I have been in certain church for 3 years, I have never heard of the persecuted church there, the pastor was like a superstar and he was found with adultery (4 yrs) many church leaders today don't care about the sheep much less about the persecuted church; the leaders of those big churches where few "brothers" know each other look like what they want is a lot of people who give them the tithe.