International (MNN) — Upticks in Christian persecution have the potential to restrict the Gospel’s movement. Wayne Pederson of Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) serves with Alliance for the Unreached. He says when persecution increases, churches tend to go underground. If this happens, who will share the Gospel in hard-to-reach nations?
Persecution Restricts Gospel Work
In China, the government has shut down FEBC’s apps, live-streams, and podcast. The organization still has its content on short-wave radio, but only because this outlet is difficult to control.
(Photo and header photo courtesy of IDU via Facebook.
“We’re concerned about our people because many of our people that are working in China, even in Hong Kong, are under the watchful eye of the Chinese government. Some pastors are being put in jail as people go to church. There’s face recognition. Police are standing in the back; they’re monitoring very closely. So, it’s very critical, right now,” Pederson says.
At the same time, social media and other technology have proved to be bridges for discipleship and reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Pederson says local Christians are downloading “thousands of hours of content” from FEBC.
Rather than crying foul over increasing challenges, the ministry is utilizing available tools like computers and mobile devices to penetrate physical (and some digital) barriers.
“What we’re seeing in some of the most persecuted countries of the world, where’s the least access [to the Gospel], percentage-wise the Church is growing faster than any other part of the world. So, go figure; in God’s economy, what is humanly seems impossible, God is finding possible,” Pederson says.
Challenges in the West
One of the challenges groups like FEBC face is actually the North American and Western Churches. Christians in these two regions are relatively unaware or unengaged with realities of persecution facing parts of the global Church. Alliance for the Unreached offers resources to change this, along with a day for unity within the Church.
This day is called the International Day for the Unreached, which is held each year on Pentecost Sunday. In 2020, that date falls on May 31. It’s a day set aside for the global Church to pray for the Gospel to enter unreached communities and fulfill the Great Commission.
Get Involved
(Graphic courtesy of IDU)
But don’t wait until May 2020 to get involved. Visit the website for the International Day for the Unreached’s to learn more about unreached people groups and what you can do today for the Great Commission.
Take time to pray today, too. Pray for the persecuted church to remain resilient, to persevere in Christ, and to boldly and respectfully proclaim the Gospel message. Pray for believers to build relationships with unreached people in their country. Ask God to bless these relationships and to make them a pathway for His love and truth.
To learn more about the International Day for the Unreached, CLICK HERE.
Header graphic courtesy of IDU.
