What is the Persecuted Church and How to Support Them?
What is the Persecuted Church?
The Persecuted Church is a term that encompasses all believers in Jesus Christ worldwide who are experiencing various forms of oppression, attack, or ill-treatment because of their faith. Today, hundreds of millions of Christians around the globe are experiencing some form of persecution.
Types of persecution can include slander and false accusations, imprisonment, physical attacks and violence, destruction of property, murder, withholding of government aid or benefits, loss of employment, divorce and losing custody of children, excommunication from communities, and being shunned or disowned by family members.
In some areas of the world, Christians are not permitted to freely practice their faith or share their faith with others. In these areas, Christians are heavily monitored, and churches are shut down.
Persecution of Christians is highest in the 10/40 Window, a rectangular area between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude that spans North Africa, Middle East, and parts of Asia. The countries comprising this region are majority-Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. In recent years, persecution has increased in regions outside of the 10/40 Window, including sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Latin America.
Persecution is often levied at Christians from governments that have outlawed Christianity, extremist groups who want to purge their countries of Christians, families who feel shamed or betrayed by a family member rejecting their traditional religion, and societies that widely discriminate against Christians. For instance, in some countries, people’s religion is printed on their ID cards, making it extremely difficult for Christians to find employment.
Christians face persecution for a variety of reasons. In some cases, their beliefs are viewed as a threat to the power structures in countries under authoritarian rule. Christianity is also falsely viewed in many areas as synonymous with Western politics and ideas, an unwelcome foreign influence. In places where most of the population follows a strict form of Islamic, Hindu, or Buddhist religious practice, Christians are seen as a corrupting influence on the purity of the majority religion.
How to Pray for the Persecuted Church?
In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ explains to His disciples that, just as the world persecuted Him, so they will persecute those who follow Him. “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).
While persecution will not cease until Jesus Christ returns to earth to receive those who follow Him, we can pray for believers living in regions hostile to their faith by asking God to provide them with peace, protection, provision, wisdom, and boldness to be a witness for Him despite all manner of opposition and danger from their communities and national authorities.
How You Can Help Support Them
Christian Aid Mission assists indigenous ministries based in some of the world’s most difficult mission fields where persecution is high. These ministries act as havens for persecuted believers, offering them a variety of help and assistance depending upon their resources and location.
Forms of aid can include legal, medical, and practical. Practical aid includes shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities.
Some ministries relocate Christians in imminent danger. Others provide Christians who have lost their jobs with vocational training and help to become self-supporting. Still others provide Christian education to children of parents who have been excommunicated by their communities.
Multiple ministries are caring for the widows of martyred pastors and the wives and children of imprisoned pastors. In places where Christians’ homes and personal property have been burned or destroyed, ministries are helping to rebuild homes in more secure locations and replace property.
Your gift today will help provide persecuted Christians with practical, medical, and legal aid so that they can continue to share the truth of the gospel with people who do not Jesus Christ.