Author: Opendoors Canada

Christians Face Large Fines and Increase in Fraud Accusations

A Chinese Christian man has been fined more than US$ 20,000 for organizing a religious training event.

Ji Chungang (41) was penalized for hosting an unauthorized religious training event on June 28th in Dali town, part of Dali city in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province.

He was ordered to pay approximately $27,000 after the authorities had reviewed the evidence of the gathering including photos, confiscated documents from the hall where the event was held, and a list of attendees.

“Heavy penalties are one of the ways in which the authorities hinder Christian leaders and their activities which are then also used as a warning to others,” an Open Doors field researcher said. “We recently heard of someone else who ran a Christian training and then was fined by the authorities.”

In December a court upheld a verdict against a Christian online bookseller in which he was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of approximately $42000.

Meanwhile the number of Chinese Christians accused of “fraud” has been increasing this year, the researcher said.  In August, a pastor of a house church was detained for purchasing Christian literature online and is facing charges of fraud. 

Chen Lijun has been held at the Lu’an County Detention Center in western Anhui province since August 13th while more than 100 members of his church also face persecution. Lijun also received a fine of approximately $18000 because of his faith, said his wife.

Party Congress

China is 17th in the 2022 Open Doors’ World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian. And the outcomes of last month’s 20th Congress of China’s Communist Party does not bode well for the future of Christians and other minority groups in the country, said Thomas Muller, persecution analyst with Open Doors’ World Watch Research.

“The Party Congress showed that authorities want to increase their push for control and, judging from experience, Christians are more likely to be seen as a threat to security than an asset,” said Muller. 

As for the Christians themselves, their response varies depending on the location and the church leaders, said Open Doors’ field partner Juliana whose real name is being withheld because of security reasons. “Some pastors are afraid of the potential of persecution that is coming, while others encourage their congregation to focus on the sovereignty of God and not to worry on the outcome of the event,” she said. 

Please Pray

  • Pray that, despite intense surveillance, faith will flourish in China and more people will discover God’s love
  • Pray for the authorities in China to recognize the importance of religious freedom, and allow the church to gather and worship without restrictions.

Believers Forced to Leave Their Home

Aida*, a believer from a Muslim background in the Philippines, comes from a devout Muslim family. She is a wife and mother to three kids. She is renting a home along with her family, her mother, and some of her siblings. All in all, there are 8 of them inside the house. Precious*, another believer from a Muslim background, has mentored Aida in her spiritual life and even assisted her with her studies.

However, while Aida was ministering to a group of ten young people in her home, one of them immediately assumed Aida was converting them to Christianity, and he spread the word in their community that Aida had already converted. Aida’s house is owned by one of the community’s religious leaders. When he found out, he ordered Aida and her family to leave the house right away all because of her faith.

If Aida and her family do not leave, the owner has threatened to throw all their belongings outside. “At that moment, I prayed to God for a miracle,” Aida said. Aida also called Precious and she told her not to worry because Jesus would help her. Aida surrendered all her problems to God, and they prayed together.

Thank God the religious leader didn’t chase them out immediately, instead, he has issued an agreement to sell the house to Aida within the next three months, if they do not buy the house, they will be evicted. The situation is messy and unpredictable, but Aida is still full of faith, “I’m assured by my belief and faith in the Lord that He will help me.”

The neighbourhood Aida lives in doesn’t make it easy for Aida either. She has heard some people say, “Why not just kill her? She’s a convert!”

Representative photo used

As frightening as it is to hear that from your neighbours, Aida chooses to believe that is better to die with faith than die in disbelief. She also believes that the more her faith is tested, the stronger it becomes.

Aida continues to participate in leadership training and monthly discipleship programs hosted by Open Doors’ local partners. Let us continue to support her spiritual growth and the believers in the community.

Please pray for Aida

  • Aida and her family are still living in the house. They currently have only one month to pay for the house. Let us pray that God will give Aida and her husband wisdom as they discern what to do. Pray for a place to live as well.
  • Thank God for Aida’s unwavering faith in the face of persecution. Let us keep her in our prayers for protection and that God will keep them safe, along with other believers in the community.
  • Pray for God’s ministry in their community as well. Aida and Precious are two ladies who are willing to give their lives for God’s work. Pray for the continuation of God’s ministry in their area, as well as for many people to come to testify to God’s power

New Music Program Impacts Christian Children in Malaysia

Open Doors local partners have been heavily involved in various discipleship programs for the youth and young adults in East Malaysia, but when they began to notice younger students wanting to be a part of the discipleship programs, they looked into ways to include the younger children in the teachings. Thus began the Music Program. A fun and engaging program, where children can pick up an instrument while learning about Jesus. So far, the program has been a win and many children are excited about the word of God. 

Local partners had been working with the teenagers in this boarding school, facilitating various discipleship programs that have been so incredibly impactful for them. However, for the much younger children in the boarding school, mainly ages 9-12 years old, local partners thought it’d be delightful to facilitate a music program where they can learn a new instrument while singing praises to Jesus.

Anna*, one of the volunteers in this new program, shares, “The connection was almost immediate between us and the kids. They were excited to see the materials that we prepared – the new books and the musical instruments.”

The program lasted three days, and during those days, local partners were able to engage with children with a few Bible stories and some arts and crafts activities, aside from learning to play the ukulele, the musical instrument of choice this time around.

“I was amazed at how much of the Bible these kids knew. They could understand the concept of God’s love and in turn, are trying to love others in the same way,” Anna explained excitedly.

“Jesus went to the cross for us,” said one of the little girls in the group.

“God forgave us of our sins and has redeemed us,” shouted a boy from the back.

“God is our Father who is full of love!” said another child.

Learning to play the ukulele was a highlight for many of the children. Even though there weren’t enough ukuleles for each child. The students who didn’t have an instrument went and found some buckets to be used as drums, while others just used their hands. They were so happy to be a part of the program.

Anna shared about the dance some of the children performed before the program started, which brought tears to her eyes, “They performed a traditional dance. I was astonished by how graceful they moved at such a young age. Though the dance is beautiful, the culture is not always welcomed by the majority religion. Some dances are considered provocative, and some music is considered sinful. Some of these kids are forced to abandon their culture because of this notion. But being a native girl myself, I loved their performance.”

These types of programs are an important part of discipleship. The children are living in an area where the people are under constant pressure to convert to the majority religion. Teaching children to love Jesus at a young age is just one way to see a strong, faith-filled generation, rising up.

Please continue to pray for the children of this country.

  • Please pray for the volunteers and local partners who are constantly coming up with ways to engage the younger generation to read their Bibles and pray. 
  • Pray for more partners in the ministry to help in volunteering for these programs.
  • Pray for students to stay strong in faith as their families are still holding on to ancient practices (pagan & ancestral worship)
  • Pray for the government to provide stable electricity & connection in the rural areas for all residents, and not just for those who are in the majority religion

Bangladesh Pastor in hiding due to death threats

Pastor Rafiqul, a believer from a Muslim background, has been in hiding for over a week now for fear of being killed. Rafiqul lives in the Northern part of Bangladesh. He has been serving as a local pastor and facilitating an Adult Literacy centre in his village. 

Over the last couple of weeks, Rafiqul received several death threats from an extremist group called Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). They threatened to kill Rafiqul and though they haven’t done it, the threat shook Rafiqul to the core.

The death threats came after a court verdict on June 23, 2022, concerning a murder case that took place on March 22, 2016.

On June 23, 2022, a court in Kurigram, northern Bangladesh, sentenced six accused JMBs to death for the murder of a freedom fighter, and Muslim background believer, Hossain Ali. Among the six accused, two are from brother Rafiqul’s neighbouring village.

With both brother Rafiqul and Hossian Ali being linked as Muslim background believers, family members of the accused and members of the JMB suspect Rafiqul provided information about the murder to the police. Because of this suspicion, they have threatened to kill Rafiqul.

“Rafiqul must die!” cried members of JMB.

Rafiqul is in hiding but his family, ten of them, are still in their family home and they are at risk. Members of the JMB are looking for Rafiqul every day, lurking around his home, awaiting his return.

“I worry for my family’s safety. I don’t know what to do,” said Rafiqul.

Open Doors local partners are praying for Rafiqul and looking into ways to keep him and his family safe.

Representative image used 

Please Pray

  • Pray for the safety and protection of Rafiqul and his family.
  • Pray for the family who is giving shelter to Rafiqul. Let them stay safe in this situation, and thank God for their kindness.
  • Pray for the people who are persecuting Rafiqul’s family. Pray for God to open the eyes of their hearts to understand and realize their wrongdoing and would not persecute others.

Three Kyrgyz Christians you can pray for today

There have been several new reports of cases of persecution in Kyrgyzstan where citizens converting to Christianity are being targeted because of their newfound faith. These Christians have been experiencing pressure and even physical violence because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Here are the stories of three recent cases.

Esa*

A 61-year-old believer by the name of Brother Esa had been attending a church in secret. When his relatives and the local villagers found out he had converted to Christianity, they threatened him with violence. He was told to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. As a result of a confrontation with a neighbour who came to threaten him, Esa, along with his family, was forced to relocate to another city. Now he is finding it difficult to find a proper job. He has resorted to selling scrap metal in the bazaar to provide for his family. 

A Prayer for Esa

Please pray that God would provide for Esa and his family’s daily needs. Pray also that they will remain strong and continue to hold on to their faith.

Bakbol*

Brother Bakbol is 18 years old. Bakbol, his father, and his sister became believers in Jesus Christ. Recently, Bakbol’s elder brother returned from Russia to live with them again. When the brother, who is also an alcoholic, found out that his family had become Christians, he violently beat Bakbol and his father. 

Now the older brother has taken control of the family. He has forbidden them from attending church. He is threatening to send Bakbol to Russia to work if he doesn’t deny Christ.  

A Prayer for Bakbol

Please pray that Bakbol, his father and his sister will remain strong in their faith. Pray also that the elder brother will discover the love of Jesus Christ, and that he will be able to stop his excessive drinking. 

Rene*

Rene started attending church after he became a believer. He shared this good news with his Muslim friends. But they responded by threatening him and telling him to deny Christ. As Rene remained faithful to the Lord and was not swayed by the threats, his friends cut off all communications with him. Not only that, but they also told other villagers, including his close acquaintances and relatives, about Rene’s new faith. He is now ostracized by his friends and family and is isolated and alone. 

A Prayer for Rene

Pray that Rene will feel at home in his new spiritual family. Pray that God will use him to be a light to his friends and family even though they have rejected him.

Five Christian Students Dropped Out of Scholarship Grant due to Threats

Many Christian youths who come from a Muslim background in the Philippines are neglected when it comes to education. Through Open Doors’ partners, and your donations, 38 young Christians have been given the opportunity to study in a community in the southern Philippines. This is thanks to a scholarship grant, initiated by Open Doors’ local partners in the Philippines. However, it hasn’t been an easy year for these students and they have been faced with a lot of pressure from family and their community. 

Many young Muslim background believers (MBB) are halted from the opportunity to study due to disapproval from their families. However, we know that education is a fundamental human right and is required for long-term social and economic development.

Open Doors’ local partners in the Philippines decided to initiate a scholarship program where students would be able to receive educational assistance. A total of 38 students in a small community in Southern Philippines from different schools received scholarship grants from our local partners to pursue their education. These students are between the ages of 13-18 years old. All of them are also actively involved in their community’s fellowship and discipleship gatherings. They said that without the scholarship, they would have struggled greatly in their studies.

When Islamic religious leaders discovered that there was a Christian movement in the community and that the local partners were the ones giving out scholarships, they informed the parents that their children were being ‘brainwashed’ to convert to Christianity. The threats made by these religious leaders put pressure on the parents, which made them force their children to drop out of the program and refuse the grant. This was the case for five of the students.

“We will drop out of the program to show respect,” one of them said, “but we will continue to attend the fellowships.”

Despite the threats and the absence of a scholarship, the students are still eager to attend the studies and discipleship gatherings. The pastor and his team are concerned that more of their scholars will be forced to decline the grant. The scholarship is given out of genuine concern and assistance for these students, who are not being forced to convert to Christianity but are slowly learning about Jesus Christ, and many of them have accepted Him as their Saviour.

Let us continue to pray for these young scholars and their community.

  • These five MBBs who dropped out of the scholarship will no longer receive financial assistance for their studies. Let us continue to pray that God will provide for their needs and that they will preserve their faith in God despite the threats.
  • Please pray for the other 33 MBB scholars as well. Please pray for them to continue to excel in their studies and to be a light and salt to their classmates.
  • Please also pray for the Pastor and his team who are granting the scholarship. Pray for God’s protection and wisdom to guide them in addressing this type of concern.

45 new believers baptized despite hindrances

Gathering for baptisms can be a challenge for churches in Bangladesh, especially for small local churches that do not have their own land or space. Churches often face hindrances and opposition from non-believing villagers when baptizing new believers, and in extreme cases, believers must leave their own villages for the sake of their safety and their family’s safety. Recently, a small church faced unexpected circumstances when some of its new believers were being baptized. The situation led to a lot of fear and panic in the lives of the believers. Please pray for small churches in Bangladesh.

An evangelical church in the southwestern part of Bangladesh was having a baptism for 45 new believers when some local villagers came in with the intention to stop the celebration.

A disagreement broke out between the villagers and the Christians. “They were unhappy seeing that people from their community were converting to Christianity,” said the local pastor, “Now they are witnessing their people being baptized and they wanted to put a stop to it. They even tried to stop all church activities here.”

The argument that broke out quickly turned violent when the local people started to pick up anything they could find to be used as a weapon. They threw violent and abusive words towards the Christians, words that even the local pastor refused to repeat when asked about the situation.

“They tried to attack us with woods and local weapons,” said the local pastor, “Realising the situation is going out of control I (the pastor) informed the local police, and they came for our protection. Then the situation became normal, and we managed to continue with our baptism program.”

“It was chaos! Many of the other villagers came to look at what was happening before the police arrived.”

When the Police officers arrived, they sided with the Christians and immediately the local villagers felt remorse. They began to apologize to the local pastor and asked for forgiveness from the believers.

Despite the happier outcome, seeing the rage of the local villagers was enough to put fear into the lives of the believers. They knew that though they are calm now, it is only because they are in the presence of the police officers. They know that the local people are still angry with the Christians.

On the other hand, the new believers did not expect to face such an insulting situation, especially on a happy day when they have decided to publicly declare their faith in Jesus. The church leaders and the local pastor have asked for your prayers – that the new believers would grow stronger in their faith even despite the ongoing opposition and challenges they face.

Prayer Points

  • Pray for the new believers that they will understand the situation they faced and will not be in fear and panic. Pray for God to help them to realize His calling and they will look to the Lord in times like these.
  • Praise the Lord that He led the church leader to take the right decision and allowed him to perform His work peacefully. Pray that the church leaders and the believers will extend mental support and loving heart toward the new believers so that they will feel welcomed in Christ’s society.
  • Pray for the local authority that they will continue their good work for the betterment of the people regardless of their religious background.

Christian couple facing charges in Sudan

A Christian couple from Sudan needs our prayers as they stand accused of apostasy now, on top of their past charges of adultery, despite the fact this is no longer a criminal offence under the country’s laws.

Nada Hamad Koko and her husband, Hamouda Teya Kaffi, were due to appear in court on September 15th for a hearing on charges of adultery when they learned a second criminal complaint had been filed against them, apostasy. The hearing was subsequently rescheduled, said John Samuel, Open Doors’ legal expert for sub-Saharan Africa.

The couple were both Muslim when they married in 2016. When, two years later, Hamouda converted to Christianity, Nada’s family forced her to have their marriage annulled by an Islamic, or Sharia, court.  

In Sudan, it is unlawful for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man, and at the time leaving Islam was punishable by the death penalty. 

Under so much pressure, they divorced and Nada and her two children returned to live with her family. Apostasy – leaving one’s faith to take up another – was decriminalized in 2020 which allowed the couple to be reunited in 2021 and Nada announced she, too, had become a Christian.

The family reported them to the authorities and they were arrested on charges of adultery, because the Sharia court had declared them divorced, and the prosecutor regarded Nada’s conversion as not valid. The couple, if found guilty of adultery, face a possible sentence of 100 lashes and a year in internal exile. 

“The psychological pressure on Nada and Hamouda is high,” Samuel said. “This is another example of the challenges Christians from a Muslim background face, both socially and legally. Judges open cases to 

intimidate and pressurize them to return to Islam and, even if charges are dropped, the accused become easily identifiable within their community and are subjected to greater threat and danger.”

Last month a court dismissed an apostasy case against four Christian converts from Darfur because leaving Islam formally is no longer a criminal offence in Sudan. 

In recent months, fear among Sudan’s Christians has been growing that their country is sliding back into the control of Islamists

Sudan’s transition to civilian rule after 30 years of military dictatorship under former president Omar al-Bashir started in 2019 but was halted by a coup in October last year. Since then Sudan’s military has started to give influential positions to former members of the National Congress Party (NCP) and allies of al-Bashir. Under the NCP, with al-Bashir at the helm, a strict interpretation of sharia was introduced and institutionalized.

Please Pray

  • Pray for Nada and Hamouda as they face new charges and are exposed to high levels of psychological pressure. 
  • Pray for the outcome of this court case to be in favour of Nada and Hamouda.
  • Also pray for the leaders in this community, that God will work in their hearts and unveil their eyes.

Open Doors’ Statement on Mahsa Amini’s death

Open Doors expresses its deep concern and sadness over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran after she was detained by the country’s morality police for wearing “improper” hijab. We condemn the practices of the Iranian morality police that enforce conservative Islamic dress code and behavior and use their power to punish anyone who does not abide by their religious standards.

Open Doors is also deeply troubled to see the increasing instability in the country over the past week as a result of Iran security forces’ violent response to the public protests against the government. We urge the Iranian government to respect its citizens’ right to protest peacefully.

The case at hand unveils a broader issue of Iran’s gross violations of international norms on freedom of expression, women’s rights and freedom of religion or belief, which affects many religious groups in Iran, including Christians.

Open Doors recognizes that the restrictions on religious freedom affect Christians in Iran in many ways, including harsh limitations on places of worship. We express our serious concern that Christian gatherings in private homes have been denounced as “illegal groups” and acts “against national security” while many churches continue to be closed. We urge the Iranian government to cease imposing criminal charges and imprisonment on these grounds and allow free exercise of worship to all religious groups. 

We also urge the Iranian government to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief for all, which involves ceasing to impose the obligation on women to abide to an interpretation of religious clothing that might not align with their own religion or belief.

We call upon the international community to continue raising the issue of freedom of religion or belief and discrimination against women, with the Iranian government through diplomatic channels, trade and JCPA negotiations, and to insist on accountability of perpetrators of violations of fundamental rights. 

Prayer for Iran

Lord Jesus, pour out Your peace and justice on Iran today. Comfort Mahsa Amini’s family as they grieve and seek answers about her death. Protect protestors from violence – help them to make their voices heard and so bring about greater freedom of religion or belief in the country. Help the church in Iran to unite in prayer and be a beacon of hope to their communities during this turbulent time. Amen.

Pray for Women in Bangladesh

Christian women in Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable to persecution. They are considered weak and are expected to follow orders rather than protest or fight back even though they are more than capable of doing so. An independent woman is frowned upon, and single mothers are not welcomed in society as they are treated poorly by their neighbours. Life is often even harder for converts as they endure countless persecution in the forms of mockery, threats, public shaming, and sometimes physical abuse. 

Here are two stories of women who have recently faced persecution for their faith in Bangladesh. 

Fatema

Life was never easy for 39-year-old Fatema*. After finding out that her husband had married another woman in secret, she took both her children with her and left to live in her parents’ house. Her family was accepting of her being a newly single mother, but the rest of the villagers in their small and remote village in the northern part of Bangladesh were less than pleased to see a woman in Fatema’s position.

Despite the backlash, Fatema did everything she could to provide for her family. She found hope in Jesus not long after and she began attending the Adult Literacy Class facilitated by local partners. She found friends and a place to belong.

On August 26th, 2022, Fatema was on her way to visit her Literacy Class Facilitator with a few other students, when she felt a hard hit on her legs. Her former brother-in-law had attacked her with a large bamboo stick and left. That one hit was enough for her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. By the horrific pain in her legs, she knew something had gone terribly wrong.

*Representative photo

The other students rushed to bring Fatema to the closest hospital where she was taken into treatment immediately. A bone in one of her legs had fractured and the doctors have ordered her to rest until she’s well enough to walk without crutches.

The perpetrator, her former brother-in-law, has despised Fatema since she chose to become a Christian. In fact, the entire family did not take the news of Fatema choosing to become a Christian well.

Fatema is currently resting but she hopes to start working again even though she wasn’t earning much, it was enough to feed her family.

Pray for Fatema

  • Pray for Fatema’s quick recovery and that she will be able to go to work and that her daily life will become normal soon. Pray that she, including her children, will not be frustrated, and panicked about the incident but will find hope.
  • Pray for the neighbouring believers to stand with her together, put their hands together and extend their support and encouragement to the family so that she will be strengthened mentally and spiritually.

Mother, Daughter, and Granddaughter

*Representative photo

For some time, the three women read the Bible and prayed together in secret, and together they were baptized in May 2022. But the joy they had in their hearts needed to be spoken about and shared. They began sharing the gospel with a few family members.

Rupa shared the gospel with her father, Roice Udin*, who was very receptive and open to learning more about Jesus Christ. He even spoke about getting baptized soon. With much excitement, Rupa and the others hoped that everyone else would also receive this message as openly as her father has, but they did not expect what was about to happen.

Earlier this year, in August, Rashida shared the gospel with her younger son, Rustom. After telling him about how she received salvation, she asked him to read the Bible and search for this truth. Rustom had been displeased and greatly alarmed by this new development. He rushed to the Muslim religious leaders in his village to inform them about his mother.

As expected, this news of the conversions spread throughout the village. The villagers became enraged and pressured the Christian family members to renounce their faith in Jesus. They were told that if they did not renounce their faith and return to Islam, they will be kicked out of the village.

Rustom said to his mother, “You are old enough, and very close to dying. How could you commit such a sin? You will be thrown into hell. Allah will never forgive you.” He continued, “If you do not return to Islam, I will disown you. I will never accept and respect you as my mother. I will cast you out of the village myself. Still,” he pacified, “you have time to change your mind.”

Despite this emotionally painful circumstance, Rashida and the other believers in her family have remained strong in their faith. Although they are fearful and concerned about their future, they are ready to face any challenge.

Please pray for Rashida

  • Pray for Rashida, Fulmoti and Rupa, that God would give them the strength and the power of the Holy Spirit to stand strong in their faith. Pray also that God would give them the wisdom to face any challenges that may come.
  •   Pray for Roice Uddin, that he will continue to follow Jesus Christ. Pray for God’s divine guidance, as he leads the family through this uncertain and dangerous situation.

Brother Andrew 1928-2022

Brother Andrew was the name Anne van der Bijl took to protect his identity when smuggling Bibles through the Iron Curtain. He was born May 11, 1928, in the village of Sint Pancras in the northern part of the Netherlands. His formal education ended in sixth grade when the German army invaded in 1940 and occupied the Netherlands until its liberation in Spring 1945.

Shortly after the end of World War II, van der Bijl enlisted in the Dutch army and was sent to fight in Indonesia where he was selected for special commando training. A bullet shattered his ankle and prematurely ended his career as a soldier. That led to a crisis of faith. While recuperating in a Catholic hospital he began reading the Bible. Continuing his recovery in the Netherlands he committed his life to following God wherever that led.

He spent two years studying to be a missionary at the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade school in Glasgow, Scotland. One day while standing before a world map at the college he realized that a large part of that map covered communist countries. Strangely, there were never missionaries from those countries visiting the college. That triggered his interest to travel behind the Iron Curtain.

In 1955 he journeyed with a Dutch delegation to the World Youth Congress in Warsaw, Poland. There he discovered a remnant of the Church behind the Iron Curtain desperately in need of Bibles. Brother Andrew distributed a suitcase full of Christian literature, marking the humble beginnings of Open Doors.

Brother Andrew’s autobiography, God’s Smuggler, an international bestseller with more than 10 million copies distributed in at least 35 languages, details dangerous border crossings, KGB pursuits, and his courageous journey of living radically for Jesus Christ. After the publication of this book, the world became Brother Andrew’s concern, specifically everywhere Christians were under pressure.

He made several trips to Vietnam and his first trip to China in 1965 shortly before the Cultural Revolution. He revisited Indonesia and everywhere he spoke in that country he asked forgiveness for what the Dutch army had done.

In 1975 Brother Andrew had a strong desire to bring together people who were seriously interested in reaching into Communist China. Many experts were saying it was impossible to work in China. With the help of the Open Doors Asia team, he organized “Love China” in Manila, Philippines, that brought together more than 400 mission leaders, most of whom had worked in China before Mao’s government kicked them out.

Johan Companjen, Founding President of Open Doors, says “Every time Andrew heard that word ‘impossible’ he perked up. He had a vision to bring together people who were seriously interested in China. Our organization paid most of the costs. Andrew challenged the group that now was God’s time for China.” Within a year, Mao Zedong died and most of the conference participants started working in China. In 1981 Open Doors completed its most ambitious smuggling operation, delivering one million Bibles in a single night to two thousand Christians waiting for them on a secluded beach in China.

Brother Andrew also travelled to Africa, visiting some 20 countries. During one of his early trips to the continent, he spoke at universities in South Africa during the protests against apartheid. A pastor in Johannesburg, Deryck Stone, launched one of the first fund-raising bases for the work and gave it the name Open Doors, which soon became the name of the international work.

In 1977 Brother Andrew travelled to Uganda to encourage the church when dictator Idi Amin was purging the country of all perceived threats. After returning home Brother Andrew learned his name was on a list of people Amin wanted arrested and executed. “Somewhere in my office I still have a copy of that list,” he said. The next year Open Doors organized the “Love Africa” conference in Malawi that brought together 250 church and organization leaders from 37 countries south of the Sahara. At the conference, Brother Andrew taught about the lessons learned from the Church in communist countries.

Brother Andrew made his first trip to Cuba in the late 1960s and later visited several other Latin American countries. In 2001 he met with leaders of the Colombian rebel group AUC (Autodefensas de Colombia) and urged them to lay down their guns. Within a year 15,000 members of AUC surrendered their guns in exchange for Bibles.

Never afraid to go into dangerous situations, Brother Andrew visited war-torn Lebanon twice per year during the 1980s, encouraging the Christians and attempting to build bridges among the various factions. With Bibles in hand, he went to see the prime minister and the president and most of the generals of the various armies engaged in civil war. He also had his first contact with Ayatollah Fadlallah, the spiritual inspiration for the fundamentalist group Hezbollah. Later he made contact with Hamas when their leaders were deported by Israel to Southern Lebanon in 1993. For several years after that, he reached out to various terrorist groups, claiming that the best thing he could do for Israel and Western nations was to “lead their enemies to Christ.” That story is told in his book Light Force, co-authored with Al Janssen. Light Force was published in September 2004. It has been translated and published in nine languages.

Besides God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew wrote 15 other books, including The Calling, which reveals his secrets for ministry. His last major release, co-authored with Al Janssen and published by Revell and Hodder and Stoughton, was Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ. It is written in two parts. Part 1 is in the form of a non-fiction novel and tells the story of the Church in an unnamed Islamic country. Part 2 issues a challenge to the Church in the West.

In 1993, Brother Andrew was knighted by Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands. In 1997, he was the recipient of the World Evangelical Fellowship’s Religious Liberty Award, recognizing his lifetime of service to the Persecuted Church and passion for spreading the Gospel. On February 22, 2003, in California, he received the Heritage of Faithfulness Award from the Christian Association of Senior Adults. However, Brother Andrew said he was proudest of being named a “Blood Brother” of the Apache Indian tribe in the 1980s. As part of the ceremony, he was given an Apache name that means “He who breaks through the lines.”

One more honour that Brother Andrew was proud of: after the fall of the Iron Curtain he obtained copies of the KGB reports numbering more than 150 pages about his work in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He was surprised that they knew so much about him yet were not able to stop his work.

Brother Andrew’s work through Open Doors has led the organization into places where most Christians are unwilling to go. Today Open Doors works in more than 70  to strengthen the Persecuted Church, sustaining indigenous Christians in hostile lands so they can spread the Gospel in their cultures and languages. The organization trains thousands of Christian pastors and lay leaders through trauma counselling, theological education, and preparation-for-persecution seminars. It also assists with economic relief, literacy training, and vocational training in the most dangerous countries in the world.

Brother Andrew passed away on September 27th, 2022. He and his late wife, Corry, who passed away in 2018, are now with Jesus. They lived all of their lives in the Netherlands and are survived by five children and eleven grandchildren.

One voice reaching thousands of people

How a small radio station strengthens the church in the whole of Iraq

The church of Iraq has a voice, and it is broadcast from Qaraqosh. Radio station ‘Saut al Salam’(‘Voice of Peace’) reaches up to 150,000 people all over Iraq and the Middle East. Their programs draw Christians closer to Christ and church life. The station also focuses on correcting misconceptions about Christians with other Iraqis.

Those who don’t know it’s there might not notice it because it’s a small business, they only employ ten people who work with full dedication every day. The station started in 2003 and has been broadcasting ever since. This small but mighty team reaches thousands of people every day.

The office itself contains a sound engineering desk and, of course, a spacious studio with a table and several microphones. Yet tens of thousands of people, from taxi drivers to students, from stay-at-home moms to cleaners, all tune in to hear or watch their favourite show. Saeb proudly adds, “Recently, we also started broadcasting video through Facebook.”

The concept of the programs is simple: no politics or conflicts. The stories are about the church, Christianity, and Christian life. For instance, there is a program on raising children, there is a program with Christian music, and there are reports about cultural events in the church.

A message about Christ and the church

One of the reporters of the radio station is Silva from Shekhan, a town north of Mosul. Until recently Silva was only writing for the church website. However recently she participated in a training organized by Open Doors through a local partner and now she makes reports for the radio show.

“In the training, we learned about the relationship between the media and the church, we also learned a lot of practical skills. I didn’t have any education in media, so this was very helpful for me.”

Silva, who had to flee Baghdad in 2007 because of persecution, loves her work at the station: “I use my talent to deliver a message.” She says: “The message of Christ; that is first. Secondly, I enjoy showing the world my church in the Shekhan area. We are not a big church, but we are special in our own way and it’s nice to be able to show our distinctive activities. To show the love that is in the church as well.”

Calmness and peace

The radio station doesn’t only strengthen the church on the inside, it also strengthens the position of the church in the country, says Saeb. “The programs provide a type of calmness that Iraqis crave for: it is something else than the constant news about war and political debate,” he explains. “That’s why our listeners are not just Christians. In fact, the large majority are non-Christians. Our frequency reaches Erbil and Mosul but, through the internet, we reach a big audience in the south of the country and even in countries such as Saudi Arabia.”

The station is loved by Muslims as well. One day someone posted a negative comment on the station’s Facebook page. “It was our Muslim listeners who responded to this post, defending the station. They said that we preached peace, and there was no reason to report negatively about us.”

Creating peace and understanding

Saeb agrees with his Muslim listeners. “I believe we create love and peace between people,” he says. “Through our programs, we show our neighbours a true image of who we are. Many Muslims and other non-Christians have misconceptions about Christians. Misconceptions that have been passed on from generation to generation. For instance, they think Christians just like to party and drink alcohol, something they despise.”

In a country torn by war, sectarian strife, and persecution, correcting that image is key in a journey towards peace. “In our programs, we show who we really are. We show the love that we have and we fight against the hate.” And it works: “We get a lot of calls from listeners. Many of them tell us that their view on Christians changed.”

For director Saeb, this radio station is a very important place. When the Islamic extremists of ISIS took over Qaraqosh in 2014 he thought he lost his beloved studio. So after liberation, the studio was one of the first places he went to check on: “When I came back that first time, we lit a candle in the studio with my prayer and I really felt the hand of God.”

ISIS stole all appliances and left the station in ruins, but the building itself was saved. Through a local partner, Open Doors helped the radio station with furniture and equipment. Would you take a moment and pray for all the people this radio station reaches, and while you are praying use the link bellow to light up the map and help believers in the Middle East know they are being prayed for world wide.

One Million Prayer of Hope

Let us stand with them to make hope last. Use the link bellow and add your light to the map to show where you are praying from.
I Will pray!

YOUR YEAR-END GIFT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.

Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss. 

The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?

Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more. 

Give a Year-end gift

Your year-end gift is more important than ever.

Persecution is growing, and so are the needs of persecuted believers. More Christians need Bibles, discipleship, trauma counselling, and relief aid as they face violence, displacement, and loss. 

The Canada Post strikes slowed the arrival of gifts during this critical time of year. Will you help?

Your support will empower persecuted believers through Bibles, training, relief aid, trauma counselling, and more. 

Give a year-end gift