July 2023 Persecution Magazine

A BLEEDING CHURCH
Multiple reports in the past several years reveal
the unprecedented decline in the number of
Christians in the Middle East, with a sharp decrease,
particularly in the past two decades. In addition,
several nations have seen high emigration rates
from intense persecution, conflict, and economic
crises, along with lower birth rates.
Turkey has seen its Christian population shrink from
more than 20% of its population to less than 1% in
the past 100 years since the Ottoman genocide of
Christians and the founding of the modern state of
Turkey. Perhaps the most striking example is in Iraq,
where around 80% of Christians left the country in
the past 20 years, leaving it with an approximate
mere 200,000 Christians (less than 2% of the
population).
Internal crises in Syria and Lebanon have left the
two nations with a similar downward trend. As one
Christian Syrian leader described it, the past decade
of war has resulted in Syria’s Christian population
“bleeding,” with around 50% fewer Christians left
in the country. Lebanon’s Christians, which at its
founding in 1943 was a majority Christian nation,
now comprise only about 35% of the population,
with continued high emigration rates due to the
nation’s prolonged economic crisis. Israel-Palestine’s
Christian population, the birthplace of Christianity,
has drastically declined to less than 1% of the
population.
Despite the unprecedented loss of Christians,
a remarkable movement of new believers has
emerged among the people of the Middle East.
God has been working through the region’s upheaval
to cause many from the region’s majority religion,
Islam, to question their faith and be attracted to
the love and hope of Jesus. In many ways, God is
uniquely using a shrinking, persecuted remnant of
Christians to advance the gospel.
“We ought always to thank God for you,
brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because
your faith is growing more and more, and
the love all of you have for one another
is increasing. Therefore, among God’s
churches we boast about your perseverance
and faith in all the persecutions and trials
you are enduring.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
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Persecution | JULY 2023