Christian persecution has touched our conscience as historic Christian lands are emptied due to severe persecution. From the Middle East to Africa and parts of Southeast Asia, Christians are facing new and increasing challenges, causing many to flee.
These countries are of particular concern for KMS: China, North Korea, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Nigeria. There are four main kinds of Christian Persecution in the world today:
- Persecution born out of war torn contexts like Syria and Iraq
- Persecution by extremist groups where Christians are the minority like Bangladesh and India
- Persecution where Christianity is in a sort of active tension with another group like in Nigeria or Indonesia
- Persecution where Christianity is in a destabilizing relationship with the government or banned altogether like in China or North Korea
KMS helps to host evenings of prayer and witness around the Persecuted Church.
The lived experience of the Church around the ages has included season of intense persecution. The 20th century saw communist systems of government brutally kill hundreds of thousands of priests, nuns and millions of Christians. The church across the globe today faces the same kinds of totalitizing hatred, though in more regionalized forms. Christians across many parts of the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, North Africa, and West Africa face constant pressure from extremists as well as threats of brutal violence or imprisonment for their faith. Others are considered second class citizens and live under intense scrutiny from their own governments.
How You Can Partner
KMS is committed in the spirit of the book of Acts to raise diverse support for Christians in extreme need. During lent and advent, we encourage Churches to support persecuted Christians of a background other than their own. We believe that this intentional choice is a concrete way for those who call upon the name of Jesus to live into the unity Jesus commanded of us.
KMS is able to do an evening of prayer and witness on the Persecuted Church. KMS features the stories of persecution in four high-risk regions of the world within the context of prayer and reflection. The service time runs one hour. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting this unique event.