Persecution Blog

Front Line Workers Need Your Prayer

“When you face persecution day in and day out, you get discouraged and you can withdraw. There is nowhere where it is easy to preach the gospel.”

–“Rajul,” a VOM-supported front-line worker

Front-line workers accept persecution as part of sharing about Jesus and planting churches. Many have been beaten and arrested for showing the Jesus film or distributing Christian literature.

You can encourage them in God’s work through prayer. Adopting a front-line worker is a promise to pray. You will receive a card with a worker’s name and photo. Your daily prayers will encourage and empower their local ministry.

Rajul oversees a network of more than 5,700 pastors who have shared the gospel in more than 20,000 villages across India. With your support, VOM provides training, evangelistic materials and transportation to better equip many dedicated to advancing God’s kingdom.

“To know so many people are praying for us, and that The Voice of the Martyrs gives us Bibles and support to help us advance the gospel, we are enormously encouraged.”

–“Rajul”

Sign up online to adopt a front-line worker by committing to pray for them for one year.

Acts in the Real World

Recently one of my coworkers was in the Middle East to attend a conference for Syrian Christians. These conferences, which VOM sponsors, are designed to encourage and train Syrian Church leaders, who have been ministering in the midst of war for the past three years, in addition to the heavy persecution they face as gospel workers in a Muslim nation.

One evening several of the pastors and church leaders gathered in a group for a “breakout” discussion; the topic at hand was the story of Ananias from Acts 9. For these believers, some of whom live and minister in the city of Damascus in which the story took place, the discussion was both deeply personal and very current.

You remember the story: Saul was on his way to Damascus to hunt down Christ’s followers there and arrest them. Instead he encountered the very Christ he was persecuting and his life was changed forever. He goes into Damascus, his eyes blinded but his heart finally seeing clearly.

The Lord sends a messenger to meet, encourage and disciple this brand new believer: a man named Ananias. But it isn’t an assignment Ananias wants:

Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” (Acts 9:13-14)

Ananias had heard of this Saul; he knew he was a threat to the church and a man to be avoided. If Saul were to find him, it might cost Ananias his freedom, or even his life!

Yet God said go and meet him, and Ananias set aside his fear and hesitation and answered the call of God.

As our Syrian brothers and sisters discussed this story, they translated it into their modern situation. What if a known radical Muslim member of ISIS or Al Nusra Front called up their church and said, “I’ve had an encounter with Christ. I need someone to come and bring me a Bible and help me learn more about Him”? How would they respond?

Around the table the discussion went, each person answering with honesty. “I would be very afraid,” some said. “How would I know if his conversion was real or if it was just a trap?”

They discussed the risks of working among radical Muslims; they discussed questions they might ask the caller to try to determine if his intentions were genuine or not.

And at the end, these bold believers came to a conclusion: Of course we would be afraid, but we have to be faithful to Christ. If we have opportunity to bear His love and witness for Him, we must go, even if it is dangerous; even if we are afraid.

I am challenged and encouraged by the faithfulness of my Syrian brothers and sisters. They know the risks. They know the dangers. Yet they continue to serve God in the midst of a war zone and terrorist threats. They continue to answer His call, just as Ananias did.

Our prayer is that as they do God will take many more Sauls in Syria and turn them into Pauls who will carry His message to their nation and even to the broader world. Will you join in that prayer?

YOUR TURN: Has God ever lain on your heart to do something that, from your perspective, didn’t make any sense? Share your story in the comments to this post. 

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the principle author of Restricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books.

Photo credit: Conversion of Saint Paul by Parmigianino (1503-1540)

Pray for the Persecuted Church All Year Long

"Every time you kneel down and pray for Vietnam, you are working with us in Vietnam."

— Vietnamese pastor with more than 30 years of ministry experience

Prayer continues to be one of the main requests we receive from our persecuted brothers and sisters. Agreeing with them in prayer for their faithful witness for Christ in spite of the hardships and persecution they face brings us into fellowship with them.

“After going through what I went through, seeing other Christians go through suffering, having other Christians encourage me and pray for me, it all brought me closer to Christ.”

— Awuna Sunday, injured in a bomb attack at a Nigerian church

The Voice of the Martyrs’ 2014 Prayer Calendar is an excellent tool to help us remember our persecuted family in prayer each day throughout the year. Each day features a prayer request from one of the hostile or restricted nations where Christians face harassment and persecution for their faith.

The calendars also make an outstanding gift to help your Christian friends join with you in prayer for the persecuted church, and quantity discounts mean you can order multiple copies for less than $1.50 each. Give one to your pastor, to members of your Sunday School class and to other Christian friends.

Click here to order your 2014 VOM Prayer Calendar.

Syria Persecution Update

VOM's November newsletter was a special update on the situation for Christians in Syria, in the midst of a horrific civil war. In recent months our office has put a special emphasis on how we can assist Syrian Christians both inside and outside Syria. Those plans are being implemented now. In order to keep our workers and Syrian Christians safe, we can’t describe the exact nature of how we’ll be helping, but when we are able, VOM will update our supporters on how we have been helping persecuted Syrian believers.

Here is a recent update from one of our VOM contact inside Syria.

Since the beginning of the conflict, two small towns in Syria have been a place of refuge for 4,500 families, who were forced to flee their homes in other areas of Syria. The villages are historically Christian and both communities have lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors for decades. Since the arrival of the displaced, Muslims and Christians continued to live in harmony.

On the morning of Oct. 21, 2013 the situation took a dramatic turn for the worse.

Read the rest of this important update on Persecution.com.

State Department report on Religious Freedom

VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed this week by Mission Network News reporter Ruth Kramer about the release earlier this month of the US State Department's annual report on religious freedom around the world. Here's the article from Mission Network News' web site:

If you follow religious freedom issues, you are already aware of the connection between government restrictions on religious freedoms and countries prone to violence toward religious minorities.

That's been backed by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Research cited in this year's International Religious Freedom Report  points out the strong correlation and goes on to note that governments who repress religious freedom also create a societal intolerance toward those who are discriminated against. Worse, the seeming latitude seems to  embolden hatred and violence toward this minority population.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry releases the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2013. [State Department photo/Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry released the annual report on the state of religious freedom around the world as required by the U.S. Congress International  Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. It follows recommendations submitted to the State Department by the independent United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

IRFA requires the United States annually to designate as CPCs those governments that "engage in or tolerate" systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Todd Nettleton, a spokesman with the The Voice of the Martyrs USA, says, "It'll be interesting to see what happens with that. The Secretary of State was a part of the release of this report, made some comments about it, but the last time that our government designated Countries of Particular Concern goes all the way back to 2011."

IRFA provides a range of options for such action, adds Nettleton. "Now, they push it into the hands of the Secretary of State and say, ‘Okay. You've got the report; you've got the evidence; it is documented what's going on in these countries. Now it's time to designate which countries are Countries of Particular Concern.' That, then, opens the door for additional actions by the U.S. government including, even up to the point of sanctions." However, the United States has not made CPC designations since August 2011.

There is some urgency behind the designation because the clock is ticking. Sanctions on the currently-designated CPCs will expire in August 2013.

The countries singled out for special mention for violation of religious freedom in the 2012 report were: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. Nettleton admits to some mixed feelings about the report.  On the one hand, they're raising awareness of the problems. Still,  "The disappointing thing is some of the countries that were left off. When you're singling out religious freedom abuses, how do you leave out Egypt? How do you leave out Nigeria? How do you leave out Pakistan?"

Given the combination of government changes and insurgencies, along with the resultant targeting of Christians, Nettleton wonders, "Some of the countries that were left off, you [wonder], ‘How did that happen? Who missed the boat to leave those countries out of specific mentions of the abuse that's  going on there?‘"

The main themes of this year's report are: (1) Governmental restrictions and abuse; (2) Laws covering blasphemy, apostasy and conversion; (3) A rise in Anti-Semitism; (4) Societal Intolerance and Violence; (5) The problem of impunity for those who violate religious liberty.

Yet, none of this comes as a surprise to ministries coming alongside the persecuted Church. Open Doors releases an annual list of the top 50 countries known for their persecution. All of the countries spotlighted are on the list, most of them in the top 20.

With the State of the Church in such dire straits, is anyone sharing Christ's story? Is anyone responding to it anymore? Nettleton observes, "The Gospel is not dependent on political things. It is not dependent on the government; it's not dependent on freedom. People are spreading the Gospel regardless of what the government is doing, regardless of what the U.S. State Department says about religious freedom there."

In other words, he says that God is still at work. That means the job of the Church isn't finished. "Hopefully, as we shine the light on these abuses, and as we speak out on behalf of religious freedom, we can have an influence as the nation to improve those situations." How to influence? For one thing, suggests Nettleton, you can pray. But "beyond our prayers, which is obviously the most important thing that we can do, I think it's good for us to have a voice with our own government, with our own senators and even our State Department."

This is the part where you can engage. Write a letter, send an e-mail, or call. Tell your representatives in Washington that religious freedom is an issue that matters to you, explains Nettleton. "That really is the language of Washington: Who cares about this? How many people is this important to?"

This article was originally published on the Mission Network News web site. The full State Department report is here.

Meeting Saints: a good trip

Editor's note: a version of this story appears in VOM's February newsletter. U.S. residents can request a free subscription to the newsletter here.

There are good trips and bad trips when you go on the road to meet the persecuted church.

Bad trips where you come home with malaria (Sudan) or get so sick you actually consider going to a local doctor (Pakistan). But the good trips far outweigh the bad: trips where you meet a pastor and his wife eight days after the pastor was shot by Muslim radicals (Iraq) or watch as God opens door after door so you can meet widows of Christians martyred just a few weeks before (Turkey). Good trips where you are "smuggled" late at night to an underground Bible school and meet the future church leaders of a huge nation (China), or are tossed up in the air (literally!) by brothers in Christ as they thank you for coming to encourage them in their trials (can't say where for security reasons). Good trips where a kindly pastor's wife, seeing jet-lag overcoming you, invites you to take a nap in one of her children's beds (Uzbekistan).

I am often sobered by the fact that brothers with whom I've laughed over coffee and popcorn are in prison today because they follow Jesus (Eritrea). I am humbled and incredibly grateful God has allowed me the sacred privilege of meeting, interviewing and hopefully encouraging His beloved children who suffer so much for doing things most of us take for granted.

Visiting Nepal late last year was definitely a good trip. For one coworker it was the first time he'd been to meet the persecuted church, and seeing the trip through his fresh eyes was a great reminder of the blessing of our work. I was encouraged to hear from a Nepali brother that two books I helped write – Extreme Devotion and Hearts of Fire – are among their favorite tools to strengthen Nepali Christians to stand amidst persecution. And it was amazing to step out of my hotel room and look up at four of the 10 tallest mountains in the world!

Danmaya

The person I'll remember most from the trip was a sweet, joyful, pretty lady who gave up everything to follow Christ. After she got baptized, her high-caste Hindu husband threw her stuff out of the house, kicked her out and married another woman. Instead of taking her in after that, her own parents also turned her away when she refused to denounce her faith.

When her earthly family kicked her out, her spiritual family opened their doors and took her in. We met Danmaya in the stifling heat of a one-room brick house that belongs to her pastor and his family. They gave me a plastic chair to sit in while the pastor sat on the bed and his wife and Danmaya sat on the floor.

Danmaya couldn't stop smiling. She's lost every family relationship she had in the world because she followed Jesus. She's sleeping on the floor of someone else's house. But she couldn't stop smiling. She told us that she's forgiven her husband…and even prays for his new wife.

Danmaya and her pastor thanked us repeatedly for coming, as if we'd done something special. We thanked them for sharing their stories, and for their faithful witness. We rode almost two hours in a taxi with a/c that couldn't quite keep up with the heat to meet Danmaya. But after hearing her story, and seeing the joy of the Lord literally radiate from her face, I thought on the two-hour drive back to the hotel that I'd happily drive eight hours to spend one hour with such a Godly saint.

P. Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM almost 15 years. He has been interviewed more than 1850 times by various media outlets. He's the author of Restricted Nations: North Korea, and served on the writing team for FOXE, Extreme Devotion, Hearts of Fire and other VOM books.

"Very Much Disturbed" - VOM Intern Looks Back

From the minute I stepped into VOM’s offices for a college internship, I felt welcomed and loved – and very much disturbed. While a warm lady greeted me and an office manager gave me a tour, I couldn’t take my eyes off the pictures on the walls. A young boy whose limbs were burned. An Asian woman smiling brightly, her face disfigured beyond recognition. A man and his family standing outside what used to be their home. A lump caught in my throat. I shifted in my sandals. My life was about to be turned upside down.

On the second-floor news department where I spent three months copyediting, transcribing and writing, the peace of Jesus prevailed with an undercurrent of urgency. As a college sophomore, it was thrilling – breathtaking! – to have a front-row seat to the most important news on the planet. Popular syndicates do not cover it, but this breaking news from our persecuted family was precious to VOM staff. A pastor was released in China! We would celebrate. A Christian village was ransacked and burned. We would pray. I came to realize that it was good to be disturbed by those pictures lining the walls and stories filling my inbox. Because when we are disturbed, we do something about it.

It was in this environment of communion with the persecuted church where God got my attention about His agenda for my life. As I heard stories from Indonesia and Nigeria and Iran I started piecing things together. What was the common thread running through these nations and their persecutors? It was like a light bulb came on for me: Islam.

One of the best things about working at VOM was staff chapel. Each week, chapel was an encouraging time of worship and prayer, as well as a refreshing break from my cubicle! That summer, an Egyptian sister spoke about living in the heart of the Muslim world with “Kingdom mentality.” In her ministry she sought to plant the attitudes and mindset of the Kingdom of God, preparing the way for the Good News. She explained that Muslims must first be won to the mentality of a Christian before they are ready to receive the truth of the Gospel.

That got me thinking. Could I live among Muslims with a Kingdom mentality? Like this sister from Egypt, could I relate and respond to Muslims in a Christ-like way, clearing a space for the Gospel to take root and grow? God was developing in me a love for the most frequent persecutors of Christians. He was clearly calling me to be a laborer among Muslims.

After that summer at VOM, I returned to my university deeply changed and motivated to make my life count for the Kingdom. Walking into a packed lecture hall that fall, I took a deep breath and scanned the room.

One. Just one woman wearing a floral-print headscarf. She was sitting near the back of the hall, and there was an empty seat beside her. There was no mistaking the Spirit’s voice. You are my witness. And there is your seat.

That was ten years ago. Today, I am privileged to continue ‘taking my seat’ among Muslim women by living and ministering in the Muslim world. Whether from a mat on the floor or atop an ornate sofa, I laugh with my friends, hear their stories, and share Kingdom values little by little. Yes, the stories of the persecuted church disturbed me as I walked the halls of VOM, yet they inspired me to action. Perhaps we could all use a little more of that kind of disturbance.

Editor’s note: The author of this post was one of the first college interns to spend a summer working and learning at VOM. Because she is involved in gospel work in the Middle East, we cannot share her name. VOM’s internship program is available to students who have completed at least their sophomore year in college. CLICK HERE for more information.

Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs interviews Brad Phillips about the Sudan - Part 2

A few days ago we shared with you Part 1 of an interview Todd Nettleton did with  Martyrs (VOM) Brad Phillips of Persecution Project Foundation (PPF) about the current difficulties Christians are facing in Sudan and South Sudan, and today we have Part 2 of that important conversation.

Please share this with your friends and please keep praying for those in the Sudan.

Pray for Nigeria's Persecuted Christians

Nigeria has really been on my heart and sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words, so I created this graphic as a nice reminder to pray for Nigeria's persecuted Christians. Please join me and pass it on.

Image: africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Karnataka Most Dangerous State in India for Christians

Southern state remains most volatile place for third straight year.

NEW DELHI, January 13 (CDN) — Attacks on Christians accelerated over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays in the south Indian state of Karnataka, which was identified as the most unsafe place for the religious minority for the third consecutive year in 2011.

With 49 cases of violence and hostility against Christians in 2011, Karnataka remained the state with the highest incidence of persecution, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s annual report, “Battered and Bruised…”

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), which is based in Karnataka’s capital of Bengaluru and initially reported most of the incidents, also documented at least six anti-Christian attacks between Christmas Eve 2011 and New Year’s Day.

On the evening of Jan. 1, about 20 men disrupted the New Year’s Day worship service of the Blessing Youth Mission Church at the house of a believer in Hunnur village, in Jamkhandi division of Bagalkot district. Suspected Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal, the men manhandled pastor Siddu Seemanth Gunike, accusing him of forcibly and fraudulently converting Hindus. Local police intervened and rescued the pastor and other Christians.

On New Year’s Eve, more than 10 men trespassed onto the premises of the Karnataka Calvary Fellowship Church, in the Ganeshgudi area in Joida division of North Canara district, and disrupted a service of thanksgiving. Believed to be Hindu nationalists, the men forced the church to stop the service. Police arrived but only to summon the pastor, identified as P.R. Jose, to the police station the following morning. After GCIC’s intervention, however, a senior police official assured the Christians of security.

Please continue reading at Compass Direct.

Please also pray for Christians all throughout India. India is a restricted nation with approximately two and a half percent of the population as professing Christians. Learn more at Persecution.com.