Iraq (MNN) — An Iraqi pastor was recently kidnapped and is expected to face death at the hands of his attackers.
Voice of the Martyrs, Canada reports that the house church leader's daughter recently witnessed her father's capture when a group of militants broke into their home.
Pastor Jamal reportedly works among the Shabak people–a people who have Jewish roots and speak Arabic and Kurdish. Several weeks ago, militants attacked the home of one of Jamal's converts with machine gun fire.
It is suspected that the militants targeted Jamal because he has led many Muslims to Christ. It's feared that the pastor will not be released, but instead will likely be killed by his captors.
Over the past several months, hundreds of thousands of believers have fled Iraq out of fear of just such an incident. (Read more about that here.) Pastor Jamal has bravely remained where he is but is paying the consequences for his faith in this hostile environment.
Pray that Jamal's capture would not be incentive for Christians to flee the region. Pray that believers would remain bold in their faith despite this frightening setback.
Pray for Jamal's safety and for peace for his family. Follow up with the pastor's plight on the Voice of the Martyrs Web site.
To learn more about the persecuted Christ-followers of Iraq, click here.
