September 2017 Persecution Magazine
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WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
PERSECU ION<br />
ICC’S<br />
THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON THE PERSECUTED CHURCH<br />
<strong>2017</strong>: NORTH KOREA<br />
Bridge Speakers:<br />
• Rick Warren<br />
• Francis Chan<br />
• Johnnie Moore<br />
• Hyeonseo Lee<br />
• Joseph Kim<br />
• Senator James Lankford<br />
• Congressman Ed Royce<br />
• Congressman Chris Smith<br />
• And More!<br />
PERSECU ION.org<br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Table of Contents<br />
In This Issue:<br />
FEATURE<br />
18 | ICC’s Policy Day<br />
ICC’s Policy Day provides hope and<br />
possible solutions to address the suffering<br />
of Christians in North Korea.<br />
FEATURE<br />
22 | The Bridge: Rick Warren<br />
Rick Warren (Saddleback Church)<br />
offers insight and wisdom on persecution,<br />
challenging the Western Church to<br />
stand up boldly for the Christian faith.<br />
FEATURE<br />
24 | The Bridge: Francis Chan<br />
Francis Chan spoke at the Bridge <strong>2017</strong><br />
and challenged the audience to share in<br />
the suffering of others.<br />
FEATURE<br />
26 | A Revived Bride<br />
God wants to give His heart for<br />
persecuted believers to the Western<br />
Church—but to do that, God must first<br />
have the heart of the Western Church.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
32 | Unity in the Face of Global<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong><br />
At ICC’s <strong>2017</strong> Bridge Conference,<br />
leaders of four of the world’s largest<br />
persecution ministries gathered<br />
together to share unique insight into<br />
aiding the persecuted.<br />
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma<br />
21<br />
Regular Features<br />
3 Letter from the President<br />
A few words from ICC’s president, Jeff<br />
King, on The Bridge and why it was<br />
focused on North Korea.<br />
4 World News<br />
A snapshot of the persecution that<br />
impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in<br />
every corner of the world.<br />
8 Your Dollars at Work<br />
Learn how your gifts are providing<br />
comfort, relief, Bibles, education and<br />
vocational training to the persecuted.<br />
12 West Watch<br />
Faith under threat in the Western world.<br />
Pastor Rick Warren<br />
Pastor Francis Chan<br />
23<br />
25 Partners & Projects 31<br />
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President’s Letter<br />
“We are now close to the end of the struggle, walk in faith, so that when you<br />
have finally entered into Heaven, we may greet one another. I leave you my<br />
kiss of love.”<br />
Andrew Kim Taegŏn (1861), the first Korean Catholic priest, writes to<br />
his congregation just before being martyred.<br />
Catholics first arrived in Korea in the late 1700s and suffered 100 years of<br />
brutal persecution. Protestant missionaries started coming in the late 1800s,<br />
and from 1905-1910, the Holy Spirit descended on Korea and tens of thousands<br />
of Koreans came to Christ each year. So many Koreans converted that<br />
Pyongyang, the (now) capital of North Korea, became known as the Jerusalem<br />
of the East.<br />
Jeff King, President<br />
International Christian Concern<br />
The previous incidents of persecution were merely skirmishes, but in 1910, spiritual war broke out and Satan inspired the<br />
Japanese to invade. They stayed in Korea for 35 years in a brutal occupation. The Church suffered as Japan was ruled by a<br />
god-emperor who was to be bowed to. You can imagine how this went for the Christians.<br />
The Japanese were expelled at the end of WWII, but right away Satan turned Korea into a meat grinder with the invasion of<br />
the communists and the ensuing Korean War that resulted in the deaths of approximately 2.5 million lives. Saving his worst<br />
for last, Satan then brought the Kims to power and North Korea has been hell on earth ever since. The Kims have probably<br />
killed over 1 million Christians and another 2 million non-Christians (not counting the Korean war), many of them suffering<br />
demonic levels of torture and abuse. North Korea currently has 200,000 people in torture-death camps and 30-70 thousand<br />
of them are Christians.<br />
The Church has largely forgotten the dead and living victims of North Korea, with many seeing it as only a rogue state or<br />
geopolitical problem. Even the slice of the Church that is awake to persecution has largely given up on North Korea as the<br />
problem seems intractable.<br />
After interviewing defectors in 2016 and hearing their pain, I felt compelled to focus The Bridge <strong>2017</strong> on North Korea.<br />
Within this month’s edition of <strong>Persecution</strong>, you will see the outworking of that broken heart for North Korea.<br />
Using The Bridge, we seek to bring together government leaders, politicians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),<br />
ministries, the persecuted, and the free Church to focus on one persecuted country or region. It’s not an ICC conference,<br />
but a gathering for all ministries to bridge the gulf of communication that exists between various sectors of humanity that<br />
work on persecution.<br />
In the end, we are seeking to build a bridge between the persecuted and those who need to hear their cries.<br />
Please join us as we bandage and build His persecuted Church. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively,<br />
and ethically.<br />
I promise!<br />
Jeff King<br />
President<br />
International Christian Concern<br />
www.persecution.org<br />
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Cuban Pastor Sentenced to One Year<br />
of Heavy Labor and House Arrest<br />
1 | CUBA On July 7, <strong>2017</strong>, Ramon Rigal, pastor of<br />
Iglesia de Dios en Cristo, was issued a sentence of one<br />
year of heavy labor and house arrest for opting to homeschool<br />
his children. The pastor has openly voiced that<br />
he decided to homeschool his children primarily because<br />
of his Christian beliefs.<br />
According to a religious freedom activist and pastor<br />
named Mario F. Barroso, in sentences of heavy labor,<br />
the state chooses a location, such as a farm, where the<br />
accused is then forced to participate in demanding physical<br />
labor. While Rigal was initially handed a one-year<br />
prison sentence, the severity of his punishment was<br />
reduced during a recent appeal. The pastor noted that his<br />
legal counsel proved that he did not break any criminal<br />
laws, yet he was given a serious penalty nonetheless.<br />
Since Rigal’s arrest in February, many human rights<br />
activists and concerned Christians around the world<br />
have spoken out on his behalf. In May, protestors<br />
gathered outside of the Cuban Embassy in Washington<br />
D.C., while flashing signed that said, “Free the Rigals.”<br />
However, the protestors also addressed the overarching<br />
issue of the government’s repression of education in<br />
Cuba and its ban on homeschooling. Homeschooling<br />
poses a threat to this socialist society because it would<br />
allow families to teach their children about religion and<br />
other concepts that question the control of the regime.<br />
A protest pushing for the release of Pastor Rigal.<br />
Schools in<br />
Nigeria Remove<br />
Christian Study<br />
2 | NIGERIA In<br />
Nigeria, Christian<br />
Religious Knowledge<br />
has been removed<br />
from secondary<br />
schools as part of<br />
a new curriculum.<br />
In the new curriculum,<br />
students are<br />
now forced to study<br />
either Islamic Arabic<br />
Studies or French.<br />
However, according<br />
to the Christian<br />
Association of<br />
Nigeria (CAN), there<br />
are very few French<br />
teachers in secondary<br />
schools, leaving<br />
students without any<br />
other choice but to<br />
attend Islamic Arabic<br />
Studies, regardless<br />
of their own faith.<br />
In response, CAN<br />
protested the new<br />
policies outside of<br />
the Presidential Villa<br />
in Abuja in June.<br />
The group called<br />
for a return to the<br />
old curriculum and<br />
criticized the change<br />
as a step toward<br />
the Islamization of<br />
Nigeria.<br />
Iraq’s Prime Minister Declares<br />
Victory Over ISIS in Mosul<br />
3 | IRAQ After years of ISIS occupation, Iraq’s<br />
Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, announced in<br />
early July that Mosul had officially been liberated<br />
from ISIS. This victory came after more than three<br />
years of ISIS control, as the group first captured<br />
the city on June 10, 2014.<br />
This announcement has been long awaited<br />
by thousands of Christians who were driven<br />
from their homes in Mosul upon the entrance<br />
of ISIS years ago. In total, more than 100,000<br />
Christians were forced to flee from Mosul and<br />
the surrounding area and ended up in camps for<br />
internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout<br />
Iraq. Those who chose to stay were given the<br />
choice of converting to Islam, paying a protection<br />
tax, or facing death. All 45 of the churches<br />
in Mosul were either destroyed or taken over by<br />
ISIS during the city’s occupation.<br />
While this is absolutely a cause for celebration,<br />
the fight is not yet over. Shortly after the prime<br />
minister’s announcement, a local television station<br />
reported that ISIS still occupied a neighborhood in<br />
Mosul and attacks have continued since the liberation.<br />
Let us remember to pray for this community<br />
as they begin to rebuild and restore.<br />
Mosul faces rebuilding after liberation from ISIS.<br />
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Chinese authorities tore down a church that was deemed an “illegal structure” and arrested and beat several church members. This is<br />
not an isolated incident, as the Chinese government continues a crackdown on Christianity in recent years.<br />
Chinese Authorities Destroy Church, Arrest 40<br />
4 | CHINA In May, government authorities demolished a church in<br />
Henan, China. Authorities claimed that the church building was an<br />
“illegal structure” and that the church did not pay a required “road<br />
usage fee.” In the midst of the demolition, 40 churchgoers were<br />
detained without formal arrests as they were trying to protect their<br />
church. Furthermore, several members of the church were beaten by<br />
authorities. Christians in China continue to suffer from restrictions on<br />
their religious freedom at the hands of the government.<br />
Christian Refugee Dies in Detention Center<br />
5 | THAILAND In late May, a Pakistani Christian refugee named Ijaz<br />
Tariq died in a detention center in Thailand. Although he reported<br />
chest pain, Tariq was not permitted to go to the hospital by immigration<br />
authorities. Within a matter of hours, he suffered a fatal heart<br />
attack and died in his cell. Pakistani refugees living in Thailand<br />
often face poor treatment from the government as they are treated<br />
as illegal immigrants and forced into detention centers which are<br />
widely criticized for their poor conditions.<br />
Gunmen Kill at Least 35 Coptic Christians in Egypt<br />
6 | EGYPT As part of an ongoing anti-Christian campaign of violence in Egypt,<br />
gunmen ambushed a caravan of Coptic Christians in late May. The two buses<br />
and two other vehicles were travelling to the Monastery of St. Samuel the<br />
Confessor, roughly 140 miles south of Cairo. Suddenly, a group of masked gunmen<br />
stormed the vehicles and opened fire on the passengers. In total, at least 35<br />
people died in the attack and more than 25 were wounded. Many of those who<br />
were killed or wounded were children. Sources told ICC that the precision and<br />
execution of the attack indicate that it was planned out well in advance.<br />
In recent months, there has been an increase in both the scale and<br />
severity of attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt. In one instance, an<br />
ISIS affiliate promised to eliminate the Christian minority, claiming that<br />
they were the group’s “favorite prey.”<br />
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Christians face continued attacks in Egypt.<br />
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Christina was reunited with her family<br />
after three years with ISIS.<br />
Young Girl Reunited with Family after<br />
Three Years of ISIS Imprisonment<br />
1 | IRAQ In August 2014, a young girl named<br />
Christina was kidnapped by ISIS militants right out of<br />
her mother’s arms at the tender age of three. She was<br />
taken shortly after ISIS militants took over the primarily<br />
Christian town of Qeraqosh. As many Christian<br />
families fled the region, Christina’s family was forced<br />
to remain behind because her father is blind. Now,<br />
after nearly three years of captivity, Christina has been<br />
reunited with her family.<br />
However, years in ISIS captivity, especially at<br />
such a young age, does not come without scars.<br />
Upon the reunion, there was much celebration and<br />
dancing, but something seemed amiss. As Christina<br />
sat upon the shoulders of her dancing father, her<br />
face seemed to be struck with confusion and a<br />
feeling of being overwhelmed. Her mother reports<br />
that Christina forgot who her parents were, but<br />
that she is slowly learning to call them “mum” and<br />
“dad” again. Despite<br />
the trauma, the family<br />
expressed their<br />
immense joy over the<br />
return of their daughter<br />
and gratitude to<br />
all those who prayed<br />
for Christina’s return<br />
throughout the three<br />
years.<br />
According to witnesses,<br />
she seemed<br />
to be in good physical<br />
health, but it will<br />
be a long road to<br />
recovery to establish<br />
a new life with her<br />
family apart from the<br />
life she developed in<br />
captivity. Reports<br />
indicate that during<br />
her time away<br />
from her family, she<br />
lived with a Muslim<br />
family in the Tanak<br />
neighborhood of<br />
Mosul.<br />
Christian women<br />
and girls in the<br />
Middle East have<br />
long suffered from<br />
kidnapping and<br />
abuse.<br />
As ISIS begins to<br />
lose power in the<br />
region and some<br />
families experience<br />
the joy of restoration,<br />
let us not forget to<br />
pray for them as the<br />
road to recovery will<br />
surely be difficult.<br />
“The issue of ‘untouchability’<br />
has caused untold<br />
discrimination against<br />
Christians in Pakistan.”<br />
Christian Sewer Worker Dies After<br />
Doctor Refused to Touch Him<br />
2 | PAKISTAN A Christian sewer worker named Irfan<br />
Masih recently died in a Pakistan hospital after doctors<br />
refused to touch him. Masih was cleaning in a<br />
manhole for work when he inhaled poisonous fumes<br />
and fell unconscious. Although he was quickly taken<br />
to the hospital, the senior doctor denied Masih treatment<br />
because he was “fasting” and claimed that<br />
touching him would make him unclean.<br />
Masih’s brother, Pervaiz, reported that the doctor<br />
would not touch Irfan’s body until it was cleaned.<br />
Therefore, Pervaiz took it upon himself to clean his<br />
brother. Even still, the hospital only issued Masih<br />
an empty oxygen pump. If not for the preventable<br />
delays and the hospital’s negligence, Masih’s life<br />
could have been saved. Pervaiz has since stated that<br />
authorities promised to investigate the case, which<br />
is a glimmer of hope in a dark situation. While this<br />
will not bring his brother back, it will hopefully<br />
bring justice to this family as they grieve this unnecessary<br />
loss.<br />
The issue of “untouchability” has caused untold<br />
discrimination against Christians and other religious<br />
minorities in Pakistan. Those who are part<br />
of a minority religion are often viewed as social<br />
outcasts and relegated to the lowest rungs of society,<br />
forcing them to take menial labor positions,<br />
such as working in sewers. This mindset can lead<br />
to discrimination and violence alike.<br />
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12-Year-Old Christian Girl Kidnapped in Bangladesh<br />
3 | BANGLADESH In late May, a 12-year-old Christian girl was kidnapped by a Muslim man nearly three times her age in Bangladesh. According<br />
to her family, even though they have visited the police station on multiple occasions, the authorities have done little to provide them with any<br />
assistance. The family even turned to local Islamic leaders to ask for assistance, who told the family that they would help, but have been unsuccessful<br />
thus far. In response to the young girl’s disappearance, a group of fellow students decided to stage a protest against her kidnapping.<br />
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Christian children in Bangladesh are often kidnapped and taken to Islamic<br />
madrassas where they are forcibly converted to Islam.<br />
Kim Seung-mo arrested under spy charges for visiting family.<br />
North Korean Faces Spy Charges After Visiting<br />
Christian Relatives in China<br />
4 | NORTH KOREA A North Korean man named Kim Seung-mo was<br />
recently arrested after visiting Christian relatives in China. Seung-mo<br />
was aggressively detained and dragged around by authorities outside<br />
of a North Korean train station. One anonymous witness told Radio<br />
Free Asia that it was evident that Seung-mo had been handled violently<br />
because he had a black eye and cut lip. Due to the tight grip of control<br />
that the government holds, authorities require that travelers report the<br />
details of their trips. However, because he did not mention that his<br />
family members are churchgoers, Seung-mo is now facing spy charges.<br />
Al-Shabaab militants murdered one teacher and kidnapped others.<br />
Al-Shabaab Murders Teacher in Kenya<br />
5 | KENYA On May 31, suspected al-Shabaab militants stormed into<br />
Fafi Primary School in Kenya and fatally shot one of the Christian<br />
teachers. As they were about to shoot another Christian teacher,<br />
a Muslim teacher tried to defend his colleague. Unfortunately,<br />
the militants then kidnapped both of the teachers and took them<br />
to an unknown location. As it shares the border with Somalia,<br />
Christians living in northeastern Kenya often face violence at the<br />
hands of the Somalia-based group, al-Shabaab. The incident has<br />
increased fears among Christians in the community, who have<br />
since called out for greater government protection.<br />
Former Eritrean Church Leader Allowed to Attend Mass<br />
For First Time in Over a Decade<br />
6 | ERITREA In 2005, Abune Antonios, the leader of the Eritrean Orthodox<br />
Church, openly called for the release of political prisoners in Eritrea. In response,<br />
the Eritrean government then told Antonios to excommunicate 3,000 churchgoers<br />
who had voiced opposition against the government. This would effectively strip<br />
them of their right to worship as part of this body of believers. Antonios refused<br />
and, as a result, was removed from leadership and forcibly detained.<br />
Ten years later, at the age of 90, Antonios was able to attend mass for the<br />
first time in more than a decade. While it was a relief to see that Antonios is<br />
still living, unfortunately, he was quickly brought back to his place of detention<br />
afterwards, deflating hopes of a possible release. During the service, Antonios<br />
was not permitted to speak and was kept under careful control by authorities.<br />
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Abune Antonios.<br />
7
Your Dollar$ at Work<br />
HR 390 to Aid<br />
Iraqi and Syrian<br />
Christians<br />
Where Most Needed<br />
On June 6, <strong>2017</strong>, HR 390, the Iraq<br />
and Syria Emergency Genocide Relief<br />
and Accountability Act, passed in the US<br />
House of Representatives by unanimous<br />
consent. As the name implies, the bill<br />
would provide essential aid to groups that<br />
have been targeted for genocide by ISIS.<br />
The passage of HR 390 has been a<br />
top priority for ICC. Over the past few<br />
months, ICC has held an event in support<br />
of this bill on Capitol Hill featuring<br />
congressional members and a pastor from<br />
Syria; held numerous meetings with congressional<br />
members and staff to promote<br />
funding and co-sponsorship of the bill;<br />
and led multiple letters urging congressional<br />
leadership to make this a priority.<br />
Following the passage of HR 390 in the<br />
House, the bill was sent to the Senate where<br />
it awaits approval. However, at the time of<br />
writing, the bill is currently stuck in the Senate<br />
Foreign Relations Committee. As a result,<br />
35 non-governmental organizations (NGOs)<br />
joined together to sign a letter, led by ICC, to<br />
Senate leadership urging them to prioritize the<br />
passage of HR 390.<br />
Additionally, ICC activated its grassroots<br />
network, asking supporters to call Senate<br />
leadership to encourage them to pass the<br />
bill. ICC was also given the opportunity by<br />
congressional allies to address a large group<br />
of religious freedom NGOs and government<br />
staff to update them on the bill’s progress<br />
and importance.<br />
This bill would ensure that the US takes<br />
greater action on behalf of persecuted religious<br />
minorities who have suffered gravely<br />
under ISIS. ICC continues to work with congressional<br />
staff to urgently pass this bill out<br />
of the Senate to the president’s desk so that<br />
Christians in Iraq and Syria can receive the<br />
help they desperately need and deserve. We<br />
ask for your continued support and prayers as<br />
we seek to harness the resources of the federal<br />
government to aid our Iraqi and Syrian brothers<br />
and sisters in Christ.<br />
Rep. Chris Smith at the HR 390 press briefing.<br />
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Medical and<br />
Clothing<br />
Assistance<br />
Hand of Hope<br />
Badri, an Indonesian Christian, was<br />
kicked out of his house seven years<br />
ago after his family discovered that he<br />
had converted to Christianity. His pastor<br />
has been supporting him by giving him a<br />
place to live and providing for his other<br />
needs like food, clothing, and personal<br />
care items. Unfortunately, Badri is starting<br />
to have vision and hearing problems, but<br />
his pastor cannot afford to take him to a<br />
specialist nor to buy him glasses.<br />
Thanks to our faithful donors, ICC has<br />
been able to take Badri to see a doctor<br />
to help him with his vision and hearing<br />
problems. We will be purchasing a pair of<br />
glasses, a hearing amplifier, and clothes<br />
that he can use for ministry.<br />
Once again, God proves that He takes<br />
care of the needs of His people.<br />
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Church<br />
Equipment in<br />
Indonesia<br />
Broadcasting the Gospel<br />
When a group of radical Muslims in<br />
Indonesia threatened Pastor Edwin for<br />
holding church services in his house, he was<br />
forced to stop services for a few weeks. The<br />
radicals demanded the church to be closed<br />
permanently, but many community leaders<br />
argued that the church had been there for over<br />
10 years and had never created any problems<br />
among them. After a period of time, Pastor<br />
Edwin was able to restart church services.<br />
We wanted to encourage the church so they<br />
can continue to spread the Gospel. We bought<br />
equipment that they desperately needed, but<br />
could not afford. They were overwhelmed!<br />
“I really thank ICC for...giving our church<br />
all these things,” said Pastor Edwin. “It’s<br />
really beyond our understanding on how the<br />
Lord could answer our prayer through ICC.<br />
Thank you ICC for this blessing!”<br />
Clothing<br />
Businesses for<br />
Arish Widows<br />
Suffering Wives & Children<br />
T<br />
hough Christians in El-Arish, Egypt, have<br />
faced an intense upsurge in persecution,<br />
they have no protection from an indifferent<br />
state. Three Christian women, Marina, Sofia,<br />
and Kasrin, were widowed when their husbands<br />
were shot in front of them by militants.<br />
Not only do they have to deal with overwhelming<br />
grief, but they are now forced to<br />
find a way to provide for their families.<br />
To help them support their families, ICC<br />
funded the start-up costs for a clothing business<br />
so they can sell clothes and earn a sustainable<br />
income. Marina conveyed her appreciation,<br />
saying, “Thank you ICC for making<br />
this project for me. It will help me to earn<br />
money to support my children. You are the<br />
only one who has stood with my children and<br />
me in this hard circumstances. We appreciate<br />
you helping us…”<br />
9
Your Dollar$ at Work<br />
New Business<br />
for Persecuted<br />
Christian in<br />
Pakistan<br />
Community Rebuild<br />
Yasir Alvi, a Pakistani Christian, started his<br />
own business driving a car. Unfortunately,<br />
his Muslim colleagues did not like a Christian<br />
living a lifestyle comparable to Muslims.<br />
They kidnapped, tortured, and beat Yasir, and<br />
severely damaged his car.<br />
Yasir began to work as an assistant electrician,<br />
with hopes of owning his own business, renting<br />
speakers and microphones for weddings and<br />
other functions. ICC heard of Yasir’s struggles,<br />
and in late March, funded the start-up equipment<br />
for Yasir’s small business.<br />
Yasir and his family are very grateful.<br />
His wife told us, “I have met several people<br />
working in different NGOs…[but] I have<br />
never experienced such a wonderful…initiative<br />
for…victims. When Yasir lost his car and<br />
source of earning, it was almost end of life for<br />
us; however we had hope in Jesus and we are<br />
now happy and thankful to God and ICC.”<br />
Watch the CBN Interview at: www.goo.gl/<br />
www1.cbn.com/content/isis-defeated-christians-still-fa<br />
Following<br />
Mosul from<br />
Start to Finish<br />
Where Most Needed<br />
An essential segment of ICC’s mission<br />
is to spread awareness about persecution<br />
around the world. In doing so, ICC<br />
has formed close relationships with media<br />
outlets throughout the US and beyond. Due<br />
to our staff on the ground and relationships<br />
with indigenous partners, which both give us<br />
real-time updates, ICC has become a leading<br />
source for news related to persecution and<br />
other religious freedom issues.<br />
In July <strong>2017</strong>, all eyes were on Iraq as the<br />
Islamic State began to lose their grip on the<br />
vitally important city of Mosul. On July 8,<br />
ISIS was finally driven out of Mosul and the<br />
700 Club contacted ICC in reponse to our<br />
press release.<br />
In addition to discussing updates about life<br />
for Christians in Iraq, we were able to discuss<br />
our recent work in Iraq and our April trip to<br />
Iraq.<br />
Proverbs 31:8 reads, “Speak up for those<br />
who cannot speak for themselves, for the<br />
rights of all who are destitute.” ICC takes<br />
this command seriously and considers it a<br />
privilege to share the stories of the persecuted.<br />
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Your Dollar$ at Work<br />
Campaign Aids Sudanese Churches<br />
nkBfts or<br />
ce-uncertain-future-iraq<br />
Where Most Needed<br />
As previously reported, in <strong>September</strong><br />
2016, 27 churches in Sudan were notified<br />
that their church buildings were marked<br />
for demolition. At the time of writing, two<br />
have been demolished with others to follow<br />
if their appeals are denied.<br />
ICC launched an intensive grassroots campaign<br />
to save these churches. We activated<br />
our supporters, requesting that they email<br />
the Sudanese embassy to call for an end to<br />
the church demolitions. We also worked<br />
aggressively within Congress. On July 11,<br />
a bipartisan letter proposed by ICC was<br />
sent from the US House of Representatives<br />
to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,<br />
requesting that he address this issue with<br />
the Sudanese government. The letter was<br />
signed by 12 members of Congress and sent<br />
to Sec. Tillerson one day prior to a possible<br />
State Department decision to evaluate<br />
current sanctions against Sudan. This was<br />
followed by meetings between ICC and the<br />
State Department to ensure that the US does<br />
not grant economic relief to Sudan while<br />
they continue to persecute their own people.<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
Iraqi citizens flee<br />
the battle of Mosul.<br />
Photo: Kainoa Little<br />
11
est<br />
atch<br />
Church Banned from Township by Arbitrary Zoning Decision<br />
hen Livingston Christian Schools<br />
W (LCS) outgrew its facility, LCS<br />
found a new home in Brighton Church of<br />
the Nazarene, centrally located in Genoa<br />
Township, Michigan. Unfortunately,<br />
despite the recommendations of the town’s<br />
planning commission and consultants who<br />
approved the school’s application, Genoa<br />
Township refused to give LCS a permit<br />
to operate its school at the church, effectively<br />
banning the school from operating<br />
in the town. The school sued the Township<br />
in federal court, but the federal district<br />
court ruled against LCS. The First Liberty<br />
Institute and attorneys from Covington &<br />
Burling, LLP, filed a brief appealing the<br />
district court’s decision to the US Court of<br />
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Oral arguments<br />
were heard on April 26, <strong>2017</strong>. On<br />
June 2, <strong>2017</strong>, a three-judge panel of the<br />
Sixth Circuit upheld the Township’s denial<br />
of the permit. LCS is continuing to fight<br />
for the right to operate their school in the<br />
Genoa Township.<br />
Jackson County, Michigan, prayer case<br />
threatens 200-year-old precedent.<br />
County Government Sued<br />
over Prayer before Meetings<br />
Each month, the Board of Commissioners<br />
in Jackson County, Michigan has<br />
opened its proceedings with an invocation<br />
given by one of the county commissioners.<br />
In 2013, Jackson County was sued by a<br />
plaintiff who argued that these legislative<br />
prayers violated the US Constitution’s<br />
Establishment Clause. A federal district<br />
court ruled in favor of Jackson County.<br />
However, in February of this year, a<br />
three-judge panel of the US Court of<br />
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit overturned<br />
that decision, ruling that the invocations<br />
violated the Establishment Clause. On June<br />
14, <strong>2017</strong>, the Sixth Circuit reheard the case<br />
with all 15 judges participating. Their decision<br />
is pending at the time of writing.<br />
Since the founding of the US, governmental<br />
invocations and days of prayer and<br />
fasting have been common. This new challenge<br />
to these traditions threatens to seal off<br />
prayer from the public domain.<br />
Supreme Court to Hear Groundbreaking Religious Liberty Case<br />
After numerous cases challenging the<br />
right of Christians to operate their<br />
businesses in keeping with their religious<br />
beliefs, a new case has come forward<br />
which could set a groundbreaking precedent<br />
for decades to come. Masterpiece<br />
Cakeshop, located in Lakewood, Colorado,<br />
has served people of every background<br />
Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop.<br />
Moriah Bridges graduated from high<br />
school in Beaver, Pennsylvania this<br />
spring and was asked to give remarks at<br />
the graduation ceremony on June 2, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
Bridges prepared her remarks, but was then<br />
forced to censor her comments of any religious<br />
material upon the direction of her school<br />
superintendent. He informed her that her<br />
remarks could not reference religious content<br />
and “most certainly may not recite a prayer<br />
that excludes other religions.” On June 13,<br />
<strong>2017</strong>, the First Liberty Institute sent a letter<br />
to the school district on Bridges’ behalf pointing<br />
out that her words were her own “private<br />
speech, not government speech,” and as such,<br />
since 1993; but in 2012, the owner, Jack<br />
Phillips, was asked by a same-sex couple<br />
to make a cake for their wedding. While<br />
he offered to sell them any other items<br />
from his store, he informed them that<br />
his Christian beliefs precluded him from<br />
using his artistic skills to make a cake<br />
that promoted ideas that violated his<br />
faith. The same-sex couple later sued<br />
Masterpiece Cakeshop and won. A judge<br />
then forced Phillips to bake the cake and<br />
undergo extensive “re-education” and<br />
compliance procedures.<br />
In July 2016, the Alliance Defending<br />
Freedom petitioned the United States<br />
Supreme Court to take up Phillips’ case.<br />
Thankfully, on June 26, <strong>2017</strong>, the Supreme<br />
Court granted review of the case and will<br />
hear oral arguments later in <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
High School Senior Prohibited from Using Religious Language in<br />
Graduation Remarks<br />
could not violate the Establishment Clause.<br />
Private religious student speech “is entitled to<br />
full First Amendment protection.” The school<br />
has not responded as of this writing.<br />
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School Program for Low<br />
Income Students Attacked by<br />
Anti-Religious Activists<br />
I<br />
n 2011, Douglas County, Colorado created<br />
the Choice Scholarship Program<br />
to give low income students the chance to<br />
attend a private school that best suits their<br />
needs, even if that school is religious. In<br />
June 2011, the American Civil Liberties<br />
Union, Americans United for Separation<br />
of Church and State, and several other<br />
organizations sued to stop the scholarship<br />
program. The court ruled that the<br />
program violated the state constitution’s<br />
Blaine Amendment, an anti-religious provision<br />
adopted in the mid-19th century to<br />
discriminate against newly-arrived Catholic<br />
immigrants in the US.<br />
In April 2012, the Becket Fund for<br />
Religious Liberty filed an amicus brief in<br />
the Douglas County School District appeal,<br />
spotlighting the amendment’s unconstitutional<br />
treatment of children in religious<br />
schools who wish to be treated the same<br />
as that of students in secular schools. After<br />
years of battles in the court system, Douglas<br />
County appealed to the US Supreme Court.<br />
It is hoped that the recent win for religious<br />
liberty in the case of Trinity Lutheran Church<br />
of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer on June 27,<br />
<strong>2017</strong>, will set a precedent that will protect<br />
the Colorado Choice Scholarship Program.<br />
Thousands of Colorado students risk<br />
losing funds over a religious school<br />
voucher lawsuit.<br />
City Sued over WWII-Era<br />
Cross Monument<br />
I<br />
n<br />
Cross under fire in Pensacola, Florida.<br />
Pensacola, Florida’s historic Bayview<br />
Park, a large cross erected as a monument<br />
in 1941 has been a part of the scenery<br />
for generations without any complaints. In<br />
May 2016, four plaintiffs, represented by<br />
the Freedom From Religion Foundation and<br />
the American Humanist Association, filed<br />
a lawsuit to remove the cross. Two of the<br />
plaintiffs live in Canada; one has held his<br />
own ceremonies at the cross; another lives<br />
seven miles away from the park. But they<br />
all claim that seeing the cross offends them.<br />
Despite recognizing that the cross “is part of<br />
the rich history of Pensacola,” and that the<br />
cross “might well pass constitutional muster,”<br />
a federal court ruled that the cross has<br />
a “religious purpose” and must be removed.<br />
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty<br />
came to the city’s defense, arguing that religion<br />
is a fundamental aspect of human culture<br />
and history, and the constitution does<br />
not require the government to strip every<br />
religious symbol from public property. The<br />
case is now on appeal at the United States<br />
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit,<br />
with a ruling expected in 2018.<br />
Christian Applicant to<br />
College Program Rejected<br />
for Mentioning his Faith<br />
D<br />
ustin<br />
Buxton applied to the Community<br />
College of Baltimore County’s<br />
(CCBC) Radiation Therapy Program for<br />
the 2013 and 2014 academic years. While<br />
his academic record exceeded the standards<br />
of a competitive candidate for both years, he<br />
was nonetheless denied admission.<br />
During an interview in 2013, Buxton<br />
was asked by the CCBC interview panel,<br />
“What do you base your morals on?” He<br />
replied, “My faith.” His faith was not mentioned<br />
again; yet, in a written review of his<br />
interview, the program director, Adrienne<br />
Dougherty, stated that Buxton had lost<br />
points because he “brought up religion a<br />
great deal during the interview. Yes, this is a<br />
field that involves death and dying; but religion<br />
cannot be brought up in the clinic by<br />
therapist or students.” After an initial loss<br />
at a lower court level, Buxton’s case is now<br />
before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals<br />
and is pending a ruling.<br />
Teacher Reprimanded for<br />
Offering to Pray for Her<br />
Colleague<br />
T<br />
oni<br />
Richardson is a teacher who<br />
works with special needs students at a<br />
high school in Augusta, Maine. In a private<br />
conversation, Richardson offered to pray<br />
for a coworker who was a Christian and<br />
fellow member of her church. A few weeks<br />
later, a school official ordered Richardson<br />
to never make “faith-based” statements on<br />
school grounds. Even phrases like, “that’s<br />
a blessing” violated the First Amendment,<br />
according to the school official. The school<br />
threatened Richardson with further disciplinary<br />
action, including possible termination,<br />
if she said anything considered<br />
“unprofessional” in the future, including<br />
using faith-based phrases.<br />
On May 16, <strong>2017</strong>, the First Liberty Institute<br />
and the Eaton Peabody law firm filed a complaint<br />
of religious discrimination and retaliation<br />
against the school district with the US<br />
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.<br />
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13
THE<br />
BRIDGE <strong>2017</strong><br />
North Korea<br />
We gathered the Church, the persecuted, government leaders, ministries,<br />
and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Capitol Hill and at<br />
Saddleback Church in Southern California to loose the chains of the<br />
persecuted in North Korea.<br />
By Jeff King, President of ICC<br />
Over a year ago, I sat and<br />
interviewed numerous<br />
defectors from<br />
North Korea, including<br />
Young Gwang Il.<br />
He wasn’t just a defector,<br />
but had also served<br />
time in its infamous<br />
prison camps.<br />
He told me of the different forms of torture<br />
he experienced and then spoke of how to<br />
this day he cannot fall asleep unless he has<br />
music blaring in his ears to suppress the terror<br />
that still imprisons him. Another defector<br />
recently testified before the UN about how<br />
camp guards tortured her repeatedly until<br />
she agreed to drown her baby with her own<br />
hands.<br />
Another defector testified about how he<br />
saw 13 of his cellmates die in his short<br />
stay at a camp. This is really the purpose<br />
of the worst camps. They are death camps<br />
like Auschwitz. They kill their victims a bit<br />
more slowly, and with starvation instead<br />
of gas, but make no mistake, the spirit of<br />
the Nazis is still here with us on earth even<br />
though politicians everywhere mouth the<br />
slogan “Never Again!”<br />
You may hear a lot about North Korea in<br />
the news, but the narrative usually centers<br />
around missiles and geopolitics.<br />
What’s lost are the voices of 30,000<br />
Christians and another 170,000 or more<br />
prisoners of its death camps.<br />
Even among the persecution movement,<br />
we tend to ignore North Korea because it<br />
has been so bad for so long.<br />
For this reason, we felt compelled to<br />
gather the Body together to expose the horror<br />
of North Korea and move the Body of<br />
Christ to send the Gospel in and to care for<br />
her defectors.<br />
Since you may not have been able to<br />
attend, we wanted you to see and understand<br />
the various pieces of The Bridge and<br />
invite you to come to next year’s Bridge,<br />
where we will work to build a bridge<br />
between the free and persecuted Church.<br />
Learn more about The Bridge and sign up<br />
to stay informed about next year’s conference at:<br />
www.thepersecutionconference.org<br />
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“The Spirit of the Lord<br />
is on me<br />
to bring<br />
good news,<br />
to set the oppressed<br />
free,<br />
to proclaim freedom<br />
for the captives,<br />
and release from<br />
darkness for the<br />
prisoners.”<br />
Isaiah 61:1<br />
I have inscribed you on<br />
the palm of my hands.<br />
Your walls are<br />
ever before<br />
Me!<br />
Isaiah 49:16<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
15
SPEAKERS<br />
GOVERNMENT POLICY<br />
RICK WARREN<br />
“In North Korea alone,<br />
estimates of 70,000<br />
Christians are languishing<br />
in dark prisons.”<br />
FRANCIS CHAN<br />
“God, I hate suffering,<br />
but I hate my pride even<br />
more.”<br />
HYEONSEO LEE<br />
“I believe God works<br />
through His believers. It<br />
is our duty to part the Red<br />
Sea for the North Koreans.”<br />
JOHNNIE MOORE<br />
“We have to do a little bit<br />
more. We are obligated to.”<br />
MARK RUTLAND<br />
“Those people in North<br />
Korea must somehow<br />
know that we know they<br />
are there.”<br />
JOSEPH KIM<br />
“Unfortunately this<br />
isn’t just my story, but<br />
the story of millions in<br />
North Korea.”<br />
US SENATE<br />
Senator Ted Cruz<br />
Senator James Lankford<br />
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL<br />
T. Kumar<br />
HERITAGE FOUNDATION<br />
Bruce Klingner<br />
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF<br />
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP<br />
Dr. Mark Rutland<br />
US HOUSE OF REPS.<br />
Congressman Chris Smith<br />
Congressman Ed Royce<br />
HUDSON INSTITUTE<br />
Melanie Kirkpatrick<br />
ONE FREE KOREA<br />
Joshua Stanton<br />
THE COMMITTEE FOR<br />
HUMAN RIGHTS IN N.K.<br />
Greg Scarlatoiu<br />
THE CALL TO THE CHURCH<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> Bridge featured a variety of speakers<br />
who brought different topics to the main stage.<br />
North Korean defectors, experts, US officials,<br />
church leadership, and many others joined us.<br />
The dedication and unity of our speakers was an<br />
invaluable aspect of The Bridge <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
POLICY CHANGE<br />
To share expertise on the political and legal<br />
scene surrounding North Korea, the <strong>2017</strong> Bridge<br />
included a Policy Day in DC with numerous<br />
government experts.<br />
Their knowledge and experience brought the<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Bridge to new depths of understanding.<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
MINISTRIES & NGOS<br />
THE CHURCH<br />
International Christian<br />
Concern<br />
Voice of the Martyrs<br />
North Korea<br />
Freedom Coalition<br />
Justice for North Korea<br />
Improving North Korean<br />
Human Rights Center<br />
Open Doors USA<br />
Christian Solidarity<br />
Worldwide<br />
Liberty North Korea<br />
Crossing Borders<br />
Free North Korea Radio<br />
The JESUS Film<br />
Saddleback Church<br />
Bethel English Church<br />
Young Nak<br />
Celebration<br />
Grace Korean Church<br />
Crossway<br />
Community<br />
We Are Church<br />
Revival Church<br />
King of the Nations<br />
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS<br />
Our partners across the country and the world<br />
joined us this year to share their work and hope<br />
for the people of North Korea. They brought reallife<br />
experience and knowledge to The Bridge.<br />
Bridge attendees were given special insight to the<br />
work happening on the ground in North Korea.<br />
CHURCH LEADERSHIP<br />
The Bridge brought together church leaders and<br />
communities from across America. A united<br />
American Church is the first step to a united<br />
global Church.<br />
Our spiritual leaders are awakening a revival<br />
that will soon reach North Korea.<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
17
Feature Article<br />
ICC’s Policy Day Provides<br />
“It is worth remembering for<br />
everyone here that the light is<br />
stronger than the darkness, and<br />
truth is stronger than lies. And<br />
the work of the people here is<br />
speaking truth and singing light.”<br />
– SENATOR TED CRUZ<br />
By Nate Lance<br />
““Let us not love with words or<br />
speech but with actions and in<br />
truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV)<br />
Action”<br />
a n d<br />
“truth”<br />
are two<br />
words<br />
n o t<br />
usually<br />
associated<br />
with<br />
Washington DC, but ICC brought<br />
both to Capitol Hill during The<br />
Bridge’s annual Policy Day: a<br />
one-day event in Washington DC<br />
assembling together senators,<br />
congressmen, and other policy<br />
leaders to discuss possible solutions<br />
to the humanitarian crisis<br />
that continues for Christians and<br />
others in North Korea.<br />
For a place once called the<br />
“Jerusalem of the East” because<br />
of its strong Christian faith, North<br />
Korea has become one of the<br />
world’s most egregious human<br />
rights and religious liberty violators.<br />
Although North Korea’s<br />
regime seems to be a problem<br />
without solution, ICC’s Policy<br />
Day speakers highlighted mul-<br />
18 PERSECU ION.org<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Feature Article<br />
Real Solutions<br />
tiple potential solutions to the<br />
“unsolvable” problem.<br />
Senators, Policy<br />
Experts, and<br />
Religious Leaders<br />
Tackle North Korea<br />
Speakers included elected<br />
leaders such as Senator Ted<br />
Cruz from Texas, Senator James<br />
Lankford from Oklahoma, Rep.<br />
Chris Smith from New Jersey, and<br />
Rep. Ed Royce from California,<br />
as well as policy experts and<br />
religious leaders such as Dr.<br />
Mark Rutland, speaker, author,<br />
and former president of multiple<br />
Christian universities.<br />
Senator Lankford summarized<br />
North Korea’s fear of<br />
Christianity when he stated, “The<br />
regime is terrified of the words in<br />
[the Bible], like these ones, ‘You<br />
shall love the Lord your God<br />
with all your heart, with all your<br />
soul, and with all your mind.<br />
This is the first and foremost<br />
commandment. The second is<br />
like it: you shall love your neighbor<br />
as yourself. On these two<br />
commandments rely the whole<br />
law and the prophets.’ The Kim<br />
regime is terrified of that statement:<br />
to love God and love your<br />
neighbor.”<br />
Senator Cruz echoed a similar<br />
sentiment: “It is worth remembering<br />
for everyone here that<br />
the light is stronger than the<br />
darkness, and truth is stronger<br />
than lies. And the work<br />
of the people here is speaking<br />
truth and singing light.” Senator<br />
Cruz continued by emphasizing<br />
that one of the most important<br />
things we can do as a country<br />
and as Christians who want to<br />
help our fellow brothers and<br />
sisters in Christ is to continue<br />
to speak out on their behalf.<br />
He ended his remarks by saying<br />
that he wants to encourage<br />
those seeking change in North<br />
PERSECU ION.org<br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at ICC’s Policy Day.<br />
Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey speaks at ICC’s Policy Day.<br />
‘The North Korean regime fears<br />
Christianity because it offers a<br />
venue for the exchange of ideas. ’<br />
– GREG SCARLATOIU<br />
Korea “to keep on and double<br />
your efforts. To speak truth and<br />
change the world.”<br />
While both of these senators<br />
focused on the need to be outspoken<br />
against the lies of the North<br />
Korean regime, they also encouraged<br />
action by our federal government<br />
in supporting change.<br />
Senator Lankford explained that<br />
while there may be few actions<br />
that can be taken, the United<br />
States and our allies should do all<br />
that can be done to bring relief to<br />
the people of North Korea.<br />
Dr. Mark Rutland also made a<br />
call for action against the facilitators<br />
of North Korea’s violations<br />
against the rights of Christians<br />
and others. Rutland spoke about<br />
the need to continue to spread<br />
the truth and let its light be the<br />
catalyst for change. However,<br />
he also highlighted the need to<br />
put pressure on countries with<br />
diplomatic relations with North<br />
Korea, like China. The Chinese<br />
represent the vast majority of all<br />
trade with North Korea, making<br />
them responsible in part for<br />
Kim to continue his totalitarian<br />
regime, and a prime target for<br />
future economic sanctions.<br />
Following the keynote speeches,<br />
a panel of policy experts including<br />
Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive<br />
Director of the Committee for<br />
Human Rights in North Korea,<br />
Joshua Stanton, head of One<br />
Free Korea and Korean policy<br />
expert, and T. Kumar, Director for<br />
International Advocacy at Amnesty<br />
International, offered their views on<br />
the future of this crisis and policy<br />
proposals to address it.<br />
Greg Scarlatoiu explained that<br />
Christianity is a considerable<br />
threat to the North Korean regime.<br />
He stated that there are at least<br />
60,000 Christians in the country.<br />
He continued, “The North<br />
Korean regime fears Christianity<br />
because it offers a venue for the<br />
exchange of ideas. Remember,<br />
this regime has maintained its<br />
19
Feature Article<br />
Expert panel at the <strong>2017</strong> Bridge Policy Day.<br />
“As a human being you have to see<br />
this as a problem we need to address.”<br />
– T. KUMAR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL<br />
grip on power through information control,<br />
through an absolutely overwhelming level of<br />
coercion, surveillance, punishment…each and<br />
every person has to be an informer in Korea.”<br />
He went on to discuss that economic market<br />
forces and information from the outside<br />
world, as well as the underground church, are<br />
tremendous agents for change in North Korea<br />
and should continue to be supported by the<br />
US government.<br />
Joshua Stanton focused on the need for<br />
the existing sanctions on North Korea to<br />
be enforced to a much higher degree. He<br />
explained that the Trump administration<br />
should use the US dollar and sanctions to<br />
force China to decide between trading with<br />
North Korea and facilitating the evil regime,<br />
or continuing trade with the United States, a<br />
country they need to continue to be the economic<br />
powerhouse they have become.<br />
Stanton also noted that the North Korean<br />
government has not been listed as a terrorist<br />
organization. However, the actions of the<br />
regime have proven otherwise. They have<br />
sent assassins to kill human rights activists<br />
and dissidents, among other terrorist acts.<br />
Rounding out the panel, T. Kumar stated<br />
that North Korea is by far the most isolated<br />
country. He offered two possible solutions<br />
to addressing this humanitarian crisis: insert<br />
information from the outside world into North<br />
Korea and convince other countries to get<br />
involved. He explained that “as a human<br />
being you have to see this as a problem we<br />
need to address.”<br />
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Feature Article<br />
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma speaks at ICC’s Policy Day.<br />
In addition to the inperson<br />
attendees at the<br />
event, over 30,000 viewers<br />
were able to participate<br />
through ICC’s livestream of<br />
Policy Day via Facebook.<br />
Additionally, the Policy<br />
Day received a variety of<br />
media coverage. Articles<br />
were written by The Blaze,<br />
Christianity Daily, The<br />
Christian Post, National<br />
Prayer Chapel, and Pakistan<br />
Christian Post. Other news<br />
outlets that attended the<br />
event in-person included<br />
Voice of America and<br />
Radio Free Asia. With<br />
this strong coverage, the<br />
message of The Bridge was<br />
spread far beyond those<br />
who attended in person.<br />
Facebook livestream of <strong>2017</strong> Bridge Policy Day.<br />
Practical Application on<br />
Capitol Hill<br />
These policy prescriptions from elected<br />
leaders and our panel of North Korea experts<br />
coordinated well with one of ICC’s main<br />
advocacy objectives of the Policy Day—to<br />
raise awareness and support for H.R. 2061<br />
and S. 1118, the North Korean Human Rights<br />
Reauthorization Act of <strong>2017</strong>. These bills in<br />
the House and Senate would: 1) promote<br />
international cooperation on North Korean<br />
human rights, 2) increase transparency in the<br />
provision of humanitarian assistance to the<br />
North Korean people, and 3) protect North<br />
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Korean refugees.<br />
Policy Day attendees took part in advocating<br />
for these bills through our annual<br />
literature drop on Capitol Hill. Attendees<br />
who wished to participate visited more than<br />
400 offices, delivering literature on the North<br />
Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act.<br />
The literature drop also focused on urging<br />
the Trump administration to appoint a new<br />
Special Envoy on North Korea. This envoy<br />
would seek to document human rights abuses,<br />
report to the State Department on their<br />
findings, and offer policy recommendations<br />
to improve conditions for Christians and others<br />
inside North Korea.<br />
Solving the Unsolvable<br />
Problem<br />
For a problem that seemed unsolvable to<br />
some before their attendance at the Policy<br />
Day, numerous solutions were discussed<br />
that could improve the lives of our brothers<br />
and sisters in Christ in North Korea.<br />
What was made clear throughout the event<br />
is that speaking the truth of God to the<br />
people of North Korea and the Kim regime<br />
holds tremendous power that could serve<br />
as a catalyst to bring about a return of the<br />
Jerusalem of the East.<br />
21
Rick Warren<br />
Challenges the Free Church<br />
at The Bridge <strong>2017</strong><br />
By Jorge Gomez<br />
Christians are the<br />
most persecuted<br />
group on the planet.<br />
Now that might be<br />
a surprise to most<br />
people because it is<br />
the most ignored,<br />
overlooked, and<br />
underreported news<br />
in the world,” noted<br />
Pastor Rick Warren, best-selling author and<br />
founder of Saddleback Church. “The source<br />
[of persecution] is Satan. We are in an unseen<br />
spiritual battle. It’s going on all around us.”<br />
Pastor Warren spoke on Christian persecution<br />
from a place of authority and experience<br />
at this year’s Bridge. Despite his famed<br />
accomplishments, he is known to be humble<br />
and gentle in spirit, all while maintaining an<br />
unwavering conviction to God’s Word. In<br />
2010, under Warren’s visionary leadership,<br />
Saddleback became the first local church<br />
to send a missionary to every nation in the<br />
world. His endeavor to reach the world with<br />
the Gospel is evidence of his commitment<br />
to empathize and care for the least and most<br />
vulnerable among us.<br />
Warren imparted a practical message to<br />
Bridge attendees of what it means to stand up<br />
for the Christian faith. In his characteristic<br />
fatherly tone, he explained the spiritual foundations<br />
associated with persecution. First, he<br />
reminded us that “opposition can make us<br />
more like Jesus.” When facing trial or persecution,<br />
we have to recognize that there is a<br />
more profound purpose in our suffering and<br />
pain. God’s transcendent plan is to transform<br />
us into the image of His perfect Son, Jesus<br />
Christ. In the midst of tribulation, it is easy<br />
to be distracted from this idea. But following<br />
Christ comes at a cost, at times the cost of<br />
knowing that we will be the enemies of the<br />
world, scorned and battered. Nevertheless,<br />
that is the same type of opposition and rejection<br />
that Christ faced, which will ultimately<br />
lead us to become more like Him.<br />
Secondly, when thinking of persecution,<br />
we may also be predisposed to interpret<br />
suffering and criticism as negative signs.<br />
Warren exhorted the Body to acknowledge<br />
that “persecution and oppression are a sign<br />
that we are doing something right.” The<br />
Bible supports this spiritual truth, as outlined<br />
in 1 Peter 4:14 (NIV), “If you are insulted for<br />
the name of Christ, you are blessed.” As followers<br />
of Christ, we cannot ignore the reality<br />
that we are set apart from the world. When<br />
we proclaim and magnify His name, we are<br />
alerted about the inevitable affliction and<br />
“Cause us to care<br />
not just about<br />
ourselves, but all<br />
those around the<br />
world who are<br />
right now sitting<br />
in prison…and the<br />
millions that will<br />
die, unless you do<br />
something<br />
about it.”<br />
persecution we will face (John 15:18-20).<br />
Repression and harassment are indicators<br />
that we are adhering to God’s truth. This is<br />
the consolation and solace that thousands of<br />
brothers and sisters in Christ hold on to when<br />
they face persecution.<br />
Thirdly, Warren offers hope to those who<br />
face persecution and affliction, encouraging<br />
them to remember that “opposition will<br />
give us more rewards in heaven.” This does<br />
not mean we stand up for our faith simply to<br />
extract some type of benefit from God. On the<br />
contrary, we are to stand firm by our beliefs<br />
and face persecution with valor. In spite of<br />
any temporary loss in this world, we will reap<br />
a greater reward when we are reunited with<br />
Christ. For all who face persecution, whether<br />
those that suffer violent attacks or those that<br />
encounter ridicule from their peers, the hope<br />
of future riches in God’s Kingdom provides<br />
a reason to remain joyful. It is not so much<br />
about acquiring or amassing riches in heaven,<br />
but knowing that by doing His will and fulfilling<br />
our obligations as His emissaries, God’s<br />
blessings will outweigh even as we encounter<br />
persecution, affliction, and difficulties.<br />
What’s the significance behind these key<br />
spiritual principles and how do we apply<br />
them? Warren’s pragmatic advice to the<br />
Church and to the persecuted is this: Do not<br />
be afraid or surprised by persecution, nor be<br />
ashamed of being a Christian. When persecution<br />
or affliction strikes, do not retaliate;<br />
instead, respond by praying for those that<br />
persecute you. He concludes with the counter-intuitive<br />
yet powerful truths of Scripture,<br />
telling us to combat persecution not with further<br />
attacks, but by offering blessings. The<br />
underlying principle, he states, is to be filled<br />
with God’s love: “When you return good for<br />
evil, when you return love for hatred, racial<br />
bigotry, injustice, all of these kind of things,<br />
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Did You Know?<br />
• Warren’s mega best-seller,<br />
“The Purpose Driven Life,” was<br />
on the NY Times’ best-seller<br />
list for 90 weeks.<br />
• When Warren received a<br />
windfall from the book, he<br />
paid back Saddleback Church<br />
25 years of salary.<br />
• Warren “reverse tithes” and<br />
gives away 90 percent of his<br />
income.<br />
• Saddleback has trained<br />
400,000 pastors around the<br />
world.<br />
• Saddleback has sent<br />
missionaries to every nation<br />
of the world.<br />
• Warren started Saddleback<br />
only after being rejected as a<br />
missionary to China.<br />
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Pastor Rick Warren<br />
Rick Warren is a leading<br />
evangelical pastor and author best<br />
known for “The Purpose Driven<br />
Life.” He is the founder and senior<br />
pastor of Saddleback Church in<br />
Lake Forest, California. Saddleback<br />
Church partnered with The Bridge<br />
and hosted the <strong>2017</strong> conference.<br />
…it is the single most powerful form of witnessing.”<br />
In his final challenge to the free Church, Warren<br />
asked, “If it became a crime to follow Jesus in the United<br />
States of America, would there be enough evidence<br />
to convict you? Would you be thrown in jail because<br />
everyone knows that you live for Christ? Let me ask<br />
you another question. When people say insulting things<br />
about Christians, do you wimp out and keep your mouth<br />
shut and say nothing? Or do you stand up for your brothers<br />
and sisters?”<br />
Warren’s closing prayer demonstrated his heart for the<br />
persecuted and for our courageous involvement: “Father,<br />
may [the persecuted]…motivate us to pray, to give, to<br />
serve, to advocate, to elect leaders that will push for<br />
this, …to do everything we can to relieve the burdens<br />
of [the persecuted]. I pray that... [we may have] a new<br />
commitment to be fearless for Christ…to not back down,<br />
but to share God’s love everywhere, with everyone as<br />
fast as we can. Cause us to care not just about ourselves,<br />
but all those around the world who are right now sitting<br />
in prison…and the millions that will die, unless you do<br />
something about it. I ask you to motivate us all to be<br />
more courageous for Christ.”<br />
23
FRANCIS<br />
CHAN<br />
By Amy Penn<br />
“Remember those who are in prison, as<br />
though in prison with them, and those who<br />
are mistreated, since you also are in the<br />
body.” Hebrews 13:3 (ESV)<br />
We live in<br />
an individualistic<br />
society<br />
guided<br />
by principles<br />
of selfreliance,<br />
comfort, and status. We aren’t taught to ask<br />
questions about who our neighbor is or who<br />
we have a responsibility to help, especially<br />
if the answers impede our pursuit of comfort.<br />
It can be difficult to understand how we can<br />
be connected to our persecuted brothers and<br />
sisters worldwide, but when Francis Chan,<br />
pastor, renowned speaker, and best-selling<br />
author of Crazy Love, spoke at The Bridge<br />
<strong>2017</strong>, he indelibly showed us both our responsibility<br />
and connection to those outside of our<br />
immediate circle.<br />
Chan acknowledged that it is difficult to<br />
face issues like persecution because of the<br />
environment that surrounds us. It’s extremely<br />
difficult to even begin to imagine the suffering<br />
faced by others around the world, so God has<br />
to supernaturally change our minds and help<br />
us to focus.<br />
The Body of Christ<br />
Chan presented us with a mystery. In<br />
Ephesians 5, Paul talks about the “profound<br />
mystery and I’m talking about Christ and the<br />
Church.” Have you ever considered the mystery<br />
associated with Christ and His Church?<br />
As Chan explained, “This God who dwells<br />
How do we<br />
“nourish<br />
and cherish”<br />
each other,<br />
especially with<br />
thousands<br />
of miles<br />
separating us?<br />
in unapproachable light, the Bible says He<br />
shines brighter than the sun…and yet the<br />
Bible is saying that there is this profound mystery<br />
that the God who…lives in this high and<br />
holy place, somehow, I can become a member<br />
of His body.”<br />
It doesn’t matter who you are…anyone can<br />
be a part of the Church, and thus be connected<br />
together as the body of Christ. “To think that<br />
Christ sacrifices for me to be a member of His<br />
body and you’re attached to me, and therefore,<br />
I cherish and I nourish you.”<br />
Joining in Suffering<br />
That’s the connection: the Church. Because<br />
we are members of His body, we are connected<br />
to one another, including our persecuted<br />
brothers and sisters worldwide. But what do<br />
we do about this connection? How do we<br />
“nourish and cherish” each other, especially<br />
when there are thousands of miles separating<br />
us?<br />
Chan refers to Hebrews 13:3 in an attempt<br />
to answer the question. “Remember those<br />
who are in prison, as though in prison with<br />
them, and those who are mistreated, since<br />
you also are in the body” (ESV). How do you<br />
remember as though you’re in prison?<br />
Joining someone in prison is a countercultural<br />
idea. As Chan contended, we think<br />
rescue first. “Let’s rescue them…let’s get<br />
them in a house with a pool, put their kids<br />
in soccer, right? I mean, that’s just the way<br />
we think…We got them out…Yay!...I’m not<br />
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saying at all that that would be wrong…but I<br />
want to challenge you with something.”<br />
Is that what the New Testament tells us to<br />
do? No, the New Testament tells us to join in<br />
suffering. Chan cites Paul’s letter to Timothy<br />
where Paul tells Timothy to join him in prison.<br />
Paul doesn’t try to join Timothy’s more<br />
comfortable lifestyle; rather he tells Timothy<br />
to come to him. Yes, that means we will be<br />
scorned, laughed at, and humiliated by the<br />
world’s standards.<br />
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Pastor Francis Chan<br />
Francis Chan is a pastor and<br />
best-selling author of Crazy<br />
Love, Forgotten God, and You<br />
and Me Forever. He founded<br />
Cornerstone Church and<br />
Eternity Bible College.<br />
That’s hard. But look at Jesus. Jesus’ death<br />
humiliated him on earth. But, the Bible says,<br />
“he learned obedience through what he suffered”<br />
(Hebrews 5:8 ESV).<br />
“Jesus, the Son of God, learned obedience<br />
through suffering,” Chan exclaims, “How can<br />
you stand that? It’s like, ‘God, I keep wanting<br />
to learn without suffering’…but that’s pride…<br />
so yes, ‘God, teach me obedience through<br />
suffering.’ ”<br />
Intimacy through<br />
Suffering<br />
God will never abandon us during times<br />
of suffering. In fact, Chan argued, He reveals<br />
Himself in uniquely intimate ways to those<br />
who suffer. Chan told us about a group of<br />
Korean missionaries who were being held<br />
by the Taliban. The missionaries accepted<br />
their impending deaths and all but two died.<br />
The ones who escaped returned to Seoul. The<br />
missionaries told Chan that since their return,<br />
they tried to reconnect with God at the same<br />
level of intimacy that they experienced in<br />
captivity. But they couldn’t find it.<br />
No amount of prayer, fasting, Bible reading,<br />
or service had ushered them into the same<br />
intimate relationship. Chan realized that God<br />
reveals Himself to those who suffer in ways<br />
that He doesn’t do to those in relative comfort.<br />
The Profound Mystery of<br />
the Church<br />
Chan challenged us to fully live the profound<br />
mystery of the Church—to be afraid of<br />
our own discomfort and pride and to be connected<br />
with our brothers and sisters around<br />
the world in their suffering.<br />
As the body of Christ, we are immediately<br />
responsible to enrich and assist fellow<br />
members of the Body. Sometimes that means<br />
rescuing and aiding, but ultimately it means<br />
sharing in their suffering—mourning their<br />
losses, sharing their pain, and remembering<br />
them in prayer. These are difficult tenets to<br />
follow because we live in a culture of comfort;<br />
however, they’re the tenets Scripture<br />
challenges us to follow.<br />
“But God has so composed the body…<br />
that the members may have the same care for<br />
one another. If one member suffers, all suffer<br />
together” (1 Corinthians 12:26-26 ESV).<br />
25
Pastor Greg Zetts speaks at ICC’s <strong>2017</strong> Bridge conference.<br />
Zetts is a veteran missions pastor who has traveled all over<br />
the world. He is the head pastor of King of the Nations<br />
Christian Fellowship in Rockville, Maryland.<br />
A REVIVED BRIDE<br />
By Jordan Hawkins<br />
Nobody is going to<br />
burn my house<br />
down, kidnap<br />
my children, or<br />
rape my wife<br />
because I preach<br />
the Gospel this<br />
coming Sunday,”<br />
Pastor Greg Zetts<br />
expressed to a<br />
customs official as he returned to the US from<br />
a mission trip in North Africa. “But where I<br />
just came from, they experience that.”<br />
Now, Zetts shares passionately shares his<br />
heart for persecuted believers with others.<br />
Personal Revival<br />
Pastor Greg Zetts participated in this year’s<br />
Bridge as both a speaker and a minister<br />
to attendees. Amidst the hustle and bustle<br />
of sessions and speakers at the conference,<br />
Zetts witnessed God stirring revival within<br />
the hearts of individual lives. Attendees who<br />
may have come in hopes of loosening North<br />
Korea’s bonds found that God also wanted to<br />
destroy their own chains and bring revival to<br />
the Western Church.<br />
Many attendees approached Zetts for prayer<br />
and counsel throughout the conference. “Some<br />
of the people I ministered to were machines,”<br />
he shared. “They were working for God rather<br />
“Our hearts<br />
need to break<br />
that our people<br />
and our nation<br />
have left God.”<br />
– ICC PRESIDENT JEFF KING<br />
than working with Him,” and harbored uncertainty<br />
about God’s love for them. Caught up<br />
in the cycle of performance, they were striving<br />
to please God but felt unsatisfied in their<br />
relationship with Him. “The most important<br />
ministry,” reflected Zetts, “[is] just loving Him<br />
and being a worshipper.”<br />
Others struggled with histories that held<br />
them back from intimacy with God; they<br />
were challenged to be vulnerable before Him.<br />
“When a person is vulnerable, he gives the<br />
Father access to their heart,” Zetts explained.<br />
This same vulnerability toward God allowed<br />
attendees to confront aching questions during<br />
The Bridge—questions about bitterness, lack<br />
of forgiveness, resentment, condemnation,<br />
shame, guilt, and listening to the devil’s accusation,<br />
all which distance believers from God.<br />
These breakthroughs are the first step<br />
toward reaching out to the persecuted<br />
around the world. It gets to the heart of the<br />
message of the persecuted: revival. Personal<br />
revival precedes large-scale revival. Jesus<br />
shared His heart with twelve men, and those<br />
disciples then reached others who radically<br />
altered the world.<br />
A Revived Church<br />
Zetts senses “an unprecedented harvest that’s<br />
coming…. A church that’s revived means God<br />
gets His possession,” Zetts explained. “Jesus<br />
gets His bride…. When you’re revived, then<br />
you become aware; you become sensitive to<br />
the Holy Spirit,” Zetts related. His time at<br />
The Bridge encouraged him of God’s work.<br />
“That’s what I see happening—this awakening<br />
that’s going to bring people into a place of<br />
prophetic sensitivity to what God wants to do<br />
in nations like North Korea.”<br />
ICC’s president, Jeff King, passionately<br />
desired to see revival at The Bridge—revival<br />
individually, and revival of the Western<br />
Church: “Our hearts need to break that our<br />
people and our nation have left God.” God<br />
desperately wants the Western Church to have<br />
His heart for persecuted believers around<br />
the world—persecuted believers who are our<br />
brothers and sisters, part of the body of Christ.<br />
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To do that, though, God must first have the<br />
heart of the Western Church.<br />
Awakening to God<br />
Zetts shared that awakening to God is a<br />
critical first step before serving persecuted<br />
brothers and sisters around the world. “When<br />
we make time to hear God’s heart, to hear<br />
testimonies, to go into the Word of God and<br />
get an understanding of what God is saying<br />
about the persecuted Church, it can bring<br />
radical changes,” conveyed Zetts. “We cannot<br />
despise the day of small beginnings.”<br />
His words echo King’s burden for the<br />
Church: “[God] has to have all of us. We<br />
need to hear His heart, and to do that, we just<br />
need to give Him everything.”<br />
Zetts remembers when God challenged<br />
him to give everything. Over twenty years<br />
ago, he boarded a plane to Andhra Pradesh,<br />
India. He felt God asking him how far he<br />
would go for souls. Would he still get on the<br />
plane if he knew he would not come back? “It<br />
rocked my world,” he related.<br />
Since that time, Zetts has witnessed persecution<br />
around the world that greatly impacted<br />
his relationship with God.<br />
Awakening to God may not look dramatic.<br />
It may look like a faithful life. It may look<br />
like intentionally digging into Scripture. It<br />
may look like prayer and fasting. It may<br />
look like giving up our will to follow God’s<br />
will. “I think if the American Church can<br />
capture that, we will go way, way out there<br />
in the grace of God to touch the persecuted<br />
Church,” concluded Zetts.<br />
“The solution is on our knees,” King shared.<br />
“We need to cry out, and we need to invite<br />
Him back to be first place in my heart, and in<br />
your heart, and in our nation’s heart.”<br />
1 Bridge attendees join in prayer for North Korea.<br />
2 Attendees praise God during a worship session.<br />
3 Bridge attendees welcome speakers to the stage.<br />
4 Saddleback Church worship team leads during The Bridge.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
4<br />
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3<br />
27
THE BRIDGE <strong>2017</strong><br />
The “secret agenda” of the The Bridge is to show Western believers the example of the<br />
persecuted where we see pure devotion at a high cost so that our hearts are revived and<br />
the free Church is inspired to go deeper in their faith.<br />
The <strong>2017</strong> Bridge brought together the humanitarian leaders and experts on the persecuted<br />
Church. This panel included (from right to left) Jeff King of ICC, Todd Nettleton<br />
of Voice of the Martyrs, Mervyn Thomas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (UK), David<br />
Curry of Open Doors, and Isaac Six of ICC.<br />
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1 North Korean testimonies<br />
2 Bridge attendees in worship<br />
3 Defector Hyeonseo Lee<br />
4 Anaheim gathering<br />
5 Policy Day on Capitol Hill<br />
6 Speaker Johnnie Moore<br />
1<br />
5<br />
2<br />
6<br />
3<br />
4<br />
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29
“Almost hard to conceive of something like this. I felt encouraged by<br />
the people who cared about it but left profoundly impacted by the<br />
magnitude of the problem for people under that regime.”<br />
“Did not know how bad it was in North Korea. Media<br />
only talks about the political part of what’s going on.”<br />
“The REAL heroes in this life are those who have survived and tell us what is going on<br />
inside. Life-changing for us who live in a free society.”<br />
“It was a drumbeat to my long craving to be brought to the banks of the river<br />
we must cross to the deliverance of His special people from the tyranny. “<br />
“It challenged me to re-engage in prayer and action<br />
especially for the people of North Korea.”<br />
“Very helpful and awakening.”<br />
“It motivated me to get more involved.”<br />
“The stories from the North Korean refugees were very<br />
moving and eye-opening.”<br />
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THE BRIDGE <strong>2017</strong><br />
“I have prayed for North Korea for over<br />
15 years so to have an opportunity to<br />
hear from and personally meet several<br />
brothers and sisters who shared what<br />
life is like in North Korea was a privilege<br />
and emotional experience.”<br />
“<br />
“<br />
“THANK YOU! I loved EVERY moment<br />
and will tell others. I also LOVED that<br />
leaders from many organizations came<br />
and spoke. UNITY!”<br />
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31
UNITY IN THE FACE OF<br />
GLOBAL PERSECUTION<br />
By Isaac Six and Samantha Gassaway<br />
On June 3, <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
attendees of<br />
ICC’s annual<br />
Bridge conference<br />
had<br />
an incredibly<br />
unique opportunity.<br />
Assembled<br />
before them<br />
were leaders<br />
from four of the world’s largest persecution<br />
ministries: Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), Open<br />
Doors USA, Christian Solidarity Worldwide<br />
– UK (CSW), and International Christian<br />
Concern (ICC).<br />
The ministries united together to provide<br />
unparalleled insight into how to aid<br />
the persecuted Church. The four leaders<br />
represented well over half a century of<br />
experience in ministering to the persecuted<br />
as well as oversight over hundreds<br />
of projects in dozens of countries. Here<br />
are just a few highlights from this unprecedented<br />
gathering of persecution ministry<br />
leaders.<br />
Q: What was it that led you into this work<br />
to begin with? How were you called to this<br />
type of ministry?<br />
David Curry (Open Doors–USA): Years<br />
ago, I was doing ministry down in Peru, when<br />
the Shining Path, an extremely violent terrorist<br />
group, came in and tried to take over an<br />
event we were doing to train pastors. They<br />
threatened my life, and it was in that moment<br />
when I really became acquainted firsthand, if<br />
only for a brief period of time, with what it<br />
was like to be under pressure for your faith. It<br />
was my introduction [to persecution] and the<br />
beginning of a journey that led to Open Doors.<br />
Jeff King (ICC): I had a dream: I was talking<br />
on the phone to an imaginary businessman<br />
I call ‘Bill.’ I hang up the phone and decide<br />
to go visit his business but all his workers are<br />
standing outside. I ask them, ‘Where’s Bill?’<br />
and they say, ‘Bill’s gone.’ I said, ‘Well, where<br />
is he? I was just talking to him.’ They said,<br />
‘No, no, he’s dead.’ I said, ‘He’s not dead, I<br />
was talking to him five minutes ago.’ I woke<br />
up and I looked at my cell phone and one of<br />
my supporters had called—she’s never called<br />
me in 11 years. I get up and call her back,<br />
and she says, ‘My husband and I are involved<br />
with this organization, and the founder just<br />
died, and all I can think is that you’re the guy<br />
that’s supposed to run this organization. Are<br />
you interested?’<br />
Q: How do you keep people excited or<br />
involved in helping the persecuted Church?<br />
Mervyn Thomas (CSW): I simply<br />
encourage people by telling the stories of<br />
those people that I meet, that I have the privilege<br />
to meet. And I’ve met so many incredibly<br />
inspiring people… One of my greatest<br />
friends was a guy called Shahbaz Bhatti,<br />
who was a Christian minister in Pakistan.<br />
And I said, ‘Shahbaz, are you frightened?’<br />
And his face, I remember it, he just broke<br />
out into a broad smile and he just said,<br />
‘Frightened? No, I’m privileged. Jesus gave<br />
His life for me, so nothing I could do short of<br />
that would be [enough]. I really am prepared<br />
32 PERSECU ION.org<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Ministry Heads<br />
ICC’s Isaac Six (far left)<br />
moderates the executive<br />
panel at The Bridge <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
David Curry, CEO of Open<br />
Doors-USA, Mervyn Thomas,<br />
CEO of Christian Solidarity<br />
Worldwide, Todd Nettleton,<br />
Director of Media and Public<br />
Relations for Voice of the<br />
Martyrs-USA, and Jeff King,<br />
president of ICC, gathered at<br />
The Bridge to talk about what<br />
unites us all: the cause of the<br />
persecuted.<br />
to put my life on the line.’ And two months<br />
later he did.<br />
Todd Nettleton (VOM): If one of my<br />
brothers was in prison getting beaten every<br />
single day, what would I do? I wouldn’t stop<br />
with anything. I would say, ‘That’s my brother.<br />
They’re beating on him every day. How are<br />
you going to help me stop this?’ The people<br />
that we’ve talked about in North Korea, those<br />
are our brothers and sisters. So I think when<br />
you understand that, I don’t think motivation<br />
is a problem anymore.<br />
Q: What is one of your favorite projects,<br />
one of the things your ministry has done<br />
that is fascinating or something you’ve<br />
thought is a really great project and loved<br />
doing that?<br />
King: We were at a Religious Liberty<br />
Partnership meeting overseas and I’m thinking,<br />
‘Why don’t you take this [broadcast]<br />
approach?’ We found a great media ministry<br />
who does a lot of this work, and we developed<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
this 24/7 Gospel-oriented programming for<br />
Muslims who have converted to Christ<br />
Thomas: This lady, she had come out of<br />
North Korea. And she told me she wasn’t<br />
able to tell anybody [for two years] that she<br />
had accepted Christ. Then she pulled out two<br />
books. She said, ‘This is my journal of my<br />
spiritual journey.’ My mind was going, ‘How<br />
do you have a spiritual journey when you’ve<br />
not got a pastor, a fellowship, a Bible?’ And<br />
then the person who was with her started<br />
interpreting and there was Scripture in there.<br />
She talked about things that she could never<br />
have known about except the direct inspiration<br />
of the Holy Spirit. And there’s going to<br />
be lots of stories like that lady because God is<br />
doing His work and He’s building His Church<br />
despite everything else.<br />
Q: What’s the most challenging situation<br />
or story you’ve come across?<br />
Thomas: It dates back to about 1989, 1990,<br />
when I was in Russia… I said to [Konstantin<br />
Kachev, a Russian official], ‘Would you allow<br />
us to bring in a million Bibles?’ He immediately<br />
said, ‘Yes.’ Eighteen months later,<br />
that man came back to the UK and he met<br />
with me. The first thing he said was, ‘I’ve<br />
got a problem, because you only sent in half<br />
a Bible.’ We had sent in a million Russian<br />
New Testaments. ‘Would you like permission<br />
to send in another million, on the condition<br />
that they’re the full Bible?’ I said, ‘Of<br />
course, but Mr. Kachev, you’re an atheist.<br />
Why would you suddenly want to flood Russia<br />
with Bibles?’ He said, ‘Well, we have tried<br />
to drive Christianity out of the country over<br />
many, many years. All we’ve succeeded to do<br />
is drive it underground. I come to your country,<br />
where I find a Bible in every hotel room I<br />
go to. I know that every home has more than<br />
one. But I go into your churches and they’re<br />
empty.’ This communist had seen and thought<br />
that if he flooded Russia with Bibles, then he<br />
would empty the churches.<br />
Nettleton: This one lady shared how, in<br />
the camp, they had forced her to hold out her<br />
hands and they beat her hands with an iron<br />
bar. And her hands were mangled. And I was<br />
like, ‘What can we do to help?’ There’s nothing<br />
you can do for them. Except, and I take<br />
great comfort in this, we can pray for them.<br />
And God can go. I’ve heard the rest of the<br />
story, after they come out of the camp and<br />
they say, ‘God was with me, I experienced<br />
Christ. I sometimes wish I could go back to<br />
prison.’ Because they’ve had that experience.<br />
Today, all four of the organizations represented<br />
on the panel work closely to raise<br />
awareness, advocate, and assist the persecuted<br />
Church around the world.<br />
33
IDOP <strong>2017</strong><br />
IS COMING<br />
I N T E R N A T I O N A L<br />
DAY OF PRAYER<br />
FOR THE PERSECUTED<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
11/5 or 11/12<br />
Register for an IDOP kit<br />
or Request A Speaker:<br />
ICC’S IDOP <strong>2017</strong> KIT<br />
Register today to receive ICC’s International Day of Prayer<br />
(IDOP) Resource Kit! Our kit includes tools and resources for<br />
your church and faith community:<br />
• Resource Guide<br />
• Prayer Bulletin Insert<br />
• Worship and Prayer<br />
PowerPoints<br />
• Sunday School Lesson<br />
• Sermons<br />
• Social Media Tools<br />
• Petition<br />
• Video<br />
SCHEDULE A SPEAKER<br />
Interested in having ICC’s president or a persecution expert<br />
speak at your church? Contact us today through the web<br />
address below.<br />
info.persecution.org/idop<strong>2017</strong><br />
or call 1-800-422-5441<br />
PASTORS TRIP<br />
ICC is inviting missions-minded pastors to<br />
come with us to Egypt to see, touch, and feel<br />
persecution firsthand.<br />
For more information, visit<br />
info.persecution.org/pastors-trip<br />
or call 1-800-422-5441<br />
34 PERSECU ION.org<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
COME SERVE THE PERSECUTED<br />
“I have but one candle of life<br />
to burn, and I would rather<br />
burn it out in a land filled<br />
with darkness than in a<br />
land flooded with light”<br />
- John Keith Falconer<br />
VOLUNTEER:<br />
We need volunteers to assist us in each of our goals to<br />
make a difference in the lives of our suffering brothers<br />
and sisters in Christ: www.persecution.org/how-youcan-help/volunteer<br />
INTERN:<br />
We match your skills and career paths to engage in real,<br />
impacting, and tangible work: www.persecution.org/<br />
how-you-can-help/internsandfellows/internships<br />
Communication Director/Manager:<br />
Five to ten years of experience<br />
in managing a marketing/<br />
communications office (graphic<br />
design, inbound marketing, social<br />
media). Must have excellent<br />
writing skills and management<br />
experience.<br />
EMPLOYMENT AT ICC:<br />
Administrator ($20/hr):<br />
Looking for a talented administrator<br />
with five or more years experience.<br />
Initial four month contract with<br />
strong possibility of permanent<br />
placement for those with excellent<br />
performance. Strength in creative<br />
writing a big plus.<br />
Capitol Hill Fellowships:<br />
Two openings - 9 mon. to 1 year<br />
Become expert in Christian human<br />
rights through our Fellowship<br />
Program. Advocacy mentorship<br />
at ICC HQ (3-6 mos). Then<br />
qualified fellows will be placed in a<br />
legislator’s office on Cap. Hill for 6<br />
mos. Stipend of $30k/annual.<br />
Openings: Now and Jan. 2018<br />
Learn more at: www.persecution.org/how-you-can-help/work-with-us/<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
35
You Can Help Today!<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
SEND DONATIONS TO:<br />
ICC<br />
PO BOX 8056<br />
SILVER SPRING, MD 20907<br />
OR ONLINE AT<br />
WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG<br />
OR BY PHONE<br />
800-ICC-5441<br />
GIVING TO ICC VIA<br />
YOUR WILL<br />
Provide now for a future gift to ICC<br />
by including a bequest provision in<br />
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would like more information on giving<br />
to ICC in this way, please give<br />
us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.<br />
MEMBER<br />
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