.International (MNN) — As Easter celebrations come to a close, many Christians around the world answer the call to take up their crosses to follow Christ.
Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA (VOM USA) says that the last five years have marked a rise in persecution of Christians.
“It’s certainly true in China. It’s true in the Middle East, it’s true in North Africa. And some of that is a good news story, because part of the reason for that is there’s more Christians in these places. There’s more Christians in the Middle East. So yes, there are more Christians who are facing persecution. The church is growing in China. So yes, there are more Christians who are potentially arrested or beaten or put in prison. There’s a good news side to that story; the church is growing, so there’s more persecution. But there’s a bad news side too, because that means there’s more of our brothers and sisters who are suffering.”
Persecution in Unseen Areas
According to the 2024 World Watch List from Open Doors, more than 380 million Christians face very high persecution for their faith. With fast internet and phone connections, the Church can often share stories within minutes of persecution. However, there are harder-to-reach areas where information is scarce. Nettleton notes that many of these difficult-to-reach places include areas of Africa like Eritrea, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso or places in the Middle East like Afghanistan.
(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)
“There were, I believe, five pastors who in 2024 marked 20 years in prison in Eritrea,” Nettleton states. “Some of those pastors I met. It’s great to talk about the joy of the Lord, and it’s great to talk about how the church is growing, but that’s 20 years that those guys have been in prison, and they’ve been away from their families. I know that the Lord is with them. I trust that He is caring for them and encouraging them, but that’s such a hard thing. So I never want to get depressed, but I also never want to forget that this is very real suffering that our brothers and sisters are encountering and dealing with.”
Yet, despite the intense persecution and years left languishing, many persecuted Christians truly exemplify James 1:2 by counting all their troubles as joy for the spread of the Gospel.
“One of the counterintuitive things about interviewing and talking to persecuted Christians is our picture of them is these sad, depressed, downtrodden people who have just suffered so much they can barely put one foot in front of the other,” Nettleton says. “Then when you sit down with them, they are filled with joy and excitement about what God is doing. Yes, it’s coming at a cost, but boy, look at what God is doing. They are not depressed.”
An Impetus for Sharing Truth
The bigger picture of what is happening fuels these brothers and sisters. Ultimately, the enemy they face is not men, but Satan and the forces of darkness. Pastors in the Middle East have told Nettleton that they don’t hate Muslims who persecute them. They know sin holds people hostage. Those in darkness need to be rescued. And whatever happens to the Christian, God will ultimately win the battle.
For many in the West, persecution is not a personal trial, but there are still ways to be faithful. The number one thing persecuted Christians ask for is prayer.
(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)
Nettleton challenges Christians. “Number one, commit to pray. Number two, educate yourself so that you can pray more effectively. And then number three is whatever God asks you to do. Do it because as you’re praying and as you’re learning, God’s going to put his thumb on something and say, ‘Okay, I want you to x’… We have to choose to be obedient when God asks us to do that.”
VOM USA offers many different ways for the Church to support persecuted Christians. Their app makes specific prayers simple. VOM USA also shares many resources and ways to get involved on their website. Commit to praying for the persecuted Church today.
Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs, USA
