May 2024 Persecution Magazine
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MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
PERSECU ION<br />
PERSECU ION<br />
L A T I N A M E R I C A<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> At<br />
PERSECU ION<br />
the doorstep<br />
PERSECU ION.ORG<br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
PERSECU ION.ORG<br />
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN<br />
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Contents<br />
MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
ON THE COVER<br />
This month, we turn our focus to broader<br />
Latin America — including Mexico, Cuba, and<br />
Nicaragua —where Christian persecution is<br />
making headlines.<br />
FEATURES<br />
10<br />
14<br />
20 22<br />
PERSECUTION AT<br />
THE DOORSTEP<br />
Exposing the Hidden<br />
Realities of Oppression and<br />
Resistance in Latin America<br />
CHRISTIAN<br />
PERSECUTION DEEPENS<br />
An Inside Look at the Legal<br />
Battle Faced by Mountain<br />
Gateway<br />
THE ‘LIGHT OF FAITH’<br />
DESPITE HARASSMENT<br />
Alberto Reyes Pías, an<br />
Outspoken Critic of Cuba’s<br />
Crackdown on Freedom<br />
ON THE GROUND:<br />
FAITH UNDER FIRE<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> of Evangelical<br />
Protestants in Southern<br />
Mexico<br />
RECURRING<br />
04<br />
06<br />
08<br />
24<br />
26<br />
ICC NEWSROOM Your Source for <strong>Persecution</strong> News<br />
WEST WATCH Issues Involving Christianity in the West<br />
YOUR HANDS AND FEET ICC Projects Made Possible by Our Supporters<br />
“I AM THE WORST” A Prayer for the Oppressors<br />
CROWNS OF COURAGE Highlighting Those Who Have Sacrificed Everything for Christ<br />
@persecuted @persecutionnews @internationalchristianconcern International Christian Concern<br />
OUR MISSION: Since 1996, ICC has served the global<br />
persecuted church through a three-pronged approach of<br />
advocacy, awareness, and assistance. ICC exists to bandage<br />
the wounds of persecuted Christians and to build the church<br />
in the toughest parts of the world.<br />
DONATIONS: International Christian Concern (ICC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all<br />
donations tax-deductible). ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to<br />
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donor’s original wishes.<br />
2<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
© Copyright <strong>2024</strong> ICC, Washington, D.C., USA. All rights<br />
reserved. Permission to reproduce all or part of this publication<br />
is granted provided attribution is given to ICC as the source.<br />
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941 | Washington, DC 20006-5441<br />
STAFF<br />
Publisher Jeff King<br />
Managing Editor Alex Finch<br />
Editor and Designer Hannah Campbell
The Gospel Can’t Be Stopped in Latin America<br />
You can always tell when the gospel makes Satan angry! Jon Britton<br />
Hancock knows that better than anyone. Jon has been in<br />
ministry for 30-plus years, first with the poor, orphans, and drug<br />
addicts in Mexico before serving in Nicaragua.<br />
Since 2013, he and his team have faithfully shared the gospel and rescued<br />
people from natural disasters and poverty.<br />
The government first welcomed Jon with open arms, but recently<br />
turned against him when they saw a massive outpouring of hunger for<br />
the gospel associated with his ministry.<br />
At the Lord’s prompting, Jon began doing large-scale crusades throughout<br />
the country attended by tens of thousands of Nicaraguans. They<br />
culminated in the biggest gathering of more than 100,000 in the nation’s<br />
capital. As a result, the Marxist government felt threatened and<br />
later issued arrest warrants for Jon on trumped-up charges (see page<br />
14).<br />
Latin America is becoming a persecution hotspot as dictators like Nicaragua’s<br />
Daniel Ortega refuse to share power or the spotlight with<br />
Christ. He arrested many Catholic priests, bishops, and evangelical pastors<br />
this past Christmas.<br />
In Cuba, the Marxist government likes to pretend to the outside world<br />
that they have religious freedom, but Christians must walk on eggshells<br />
to avoid arrest or worse. Fr. Alberto Reyes Pías shared his story at<br />
this year’s IRF Summit in Washington, D.C., as our Advocacy team led a<br />
track that included the session, “Concerning Trends in Latin America.”<br />
Wherever Satan and his human affiliates try to strangle the gospel, the<br />
church explodes. This was more than clear on my many trips to Cuba,<br />
Vietnam, China, and more.<br />
We know how the story ends and who is on the throne.<br />
In the meantime, please pray for our brothers and sisters in Latin<br />
America.<br />
JEFF<br />
Jeff King, President<br />
International Christian Concern<br />
Author: The Whisper (NEW!), The Last Words<br />
of the Martyrs, and Islam Uncensored<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 3
ICC Newsroom<br />
YOUR SOURCE FOR PERSECUTION NEWS<br />
At Least 130 Students Rescued<br />
from Kidnappers in Nigeria<br />
Government officials reported that at<br />
least 130 students returned to their<br />
parents following the kidnapping of<br />
287 students in Kaduna state in northern<br />
Nigeria. The school initially reported the<br />
militants kidnapped 237 students, but the<br />
government reported the number was<br />
only 137. The government claims that all<br />
students have returned. Journalists have<br />
not verified the numbers outside of the<br />
130 returned the week following their<br />
abduction.<br />
Last month, various groups kidnapped<br />
more than 650 people within one week in<br />
Nigeria. The globally recognized terrorist<br />
group Boko Haram kidnapped half of<br />
the individuals while suspected Fulani<br />
militants kidnapped the other half.<br />
The terrorists kidnapped the students just<br />
one month before the 10th anniversary<br />
of the kidnapping of the Chibok girls who<br />
sparked the international revolution “Bring<br />
Back Our Girls.” Unlike the students in<br />
this kidnapping, many of the Chibok girls<br />
remain missing.<br />
The government of Nigeria told reporters<br />
that they returned all students from the<br />
recent incident in Kaduna without the use<br />
of ransom payments; however, Nigerian<br />
officials often do not report the use of<br />
ransom to deter future exploitation from<br />
terrorist groups.<br />
Nicaraguan<br />
Regime<br />
Launches<br />
Easter<br />
Crackdown<br />
As Holy Week approached,<br />
Nicaragua’s draconian Ortega<br />
regime had already started<br />
cracking down on plans to<br />
celebrate the most important<br />
week on the Christian calendar.<br />
According to attorney Martha<br />
Patricia Molina, the government<br />
has nixed 4,800 processions<br />
planned for the Easter season.<br />
Processions are an important part<br />
of Catholic religious practice in<br />
Nicaragua and the surrounding<br />
area. In most cases, Molina wrote<br />
in a Facebook post, parishes<br />
plan to conduct the procession<br />
inside the church. In a few cases,<br />
processions have taken place<br />
around the block rather than<br />
through town.<br />
The Catholic church has been<br />
heavily targeted in recent years<br />
due to its outspoken criticism of<br />
the regime’s sordid human rights<br />
record and its decision to shelter<br />
student protesters in 2019.<br />
4<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
VISIT OUR WEBSITE, PERSECUTION.ORG, FOR THE LATEST NEWS<br />
House Church<br />
Forced to<br />
Cease Worship<br />
Activities in<br />
Java, Indonesia<br />
Gunmen Kill Pastor, Five Others<br />
in Nasarawa State<br />
Gunmen reportedly killed six people,<br />
including a pastor, in separate attacks<br />
during one weekend in the Kadarko<br />
community of Keana Local Government<br />
Area in Nasarawa state, Nigeria.<br />
Three people in the Tse-Abir Azer<br />
community in Kadarko were shot around<br />
4 p.m. on Friday, March 22, as they fished<br />
by a local river. Two farmers died instantly,<br />
while Pastor Kingsley Orshase died on<br />
Saturday at the hospital. Three other<br />
farmers were gunned down on Sunday<br />
morning.<br />
Denis Utsa, chair of the United Farmers<br />
Association of Kadarko, confirmed the<br />
attack on Monday. In addition to the<br />
deaths, Utsa said, many other farmers<br />
suffered gunshot wounds.<br />
Utsa also shared that a Fulani pastoralist<br />
was killed in a retaliatory attack.<br />
Authorities have yet to confirm the deaths,<br />
and the gunmen have not been identified.<br />
New Hong Kong Law Raises Concerns<br />
of Chinese Influence<br />
Hong Kong passed a controversial<br />
security law, Article 23, on March 19,<br />
raising concerns among locals for its<br />
reach and severity. The bill imposes harsh<br />
punishments, including life in prison for<br />
treason, insurrection, or any threats to<br />
China’s sovereignty. It would also allow<br />
police to detain a suspect without charge<br />
for 14 days in addition to the 48 hours.<br />
Religious leaders in Hong Kong are<br />
concerned about the influence of this bill<br />
on Christian practices and ceremonies<br />
and asked for exemptions in the law for<br />
Christian leaders and church rituals.<br />
Concerns about the growing influence of<br />
China in Hong Kong continue to mount.<br />
A Hong Kong court recently sentenced<br />
12 people, some up to seven years<br />
imprisonment for rioting in the 2019 prodemocracy<br />
protests. Sources have told ICC<br />
staff that thousands of Hong Kong citizens<br />
are still detained and imprisoned from the<br />
2019 protests, with nearly half of those<br />
being Christians.<br />
A video of the disbandment of<br />
a Sunday worship service at a<br />
resident’s house in Balaraja,<br />
Tangerang Regency, on the island of<br />
Java, Indonesia, recently went viral<br />
on social media. Neighbors broke<br />
up the Christian worship service,<br />
which, according to Balaraja Police<br />
Chief AKP Badri Hasan, occurred on<br />
Sunday morning, March 17.<br />
After receiving reports of multiple<br />
residents gathering inside, police<br />
visited the home. However, they<br />
arrived after the worship time had<br />
ended.<br />
Badri said the house had been used<br />
as a place of worship during the<br />
last year. That Sunday, however,<br />
neighbors alleged that no permit<br />
had been issued to allow a worship<br />
gathering to take place at the house.<br />
Authorities asked the homeowner,<br />
who acknowledged she had hosted<br />
multiple worship gatherings, to<br />
publicly say she would no longer<br />
host worship services. “Declaring<br />
that starting today, I will no longer<br />
hold religious services in my house.<br />
Thus, I made this statement without<br />
any coercion from any party,” the<br />
woman said in a video.<br />
Police, who mediate between the<br />
homeowner and members of the<br />
community, are expected to follow<br />
up with each party.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 5
The United States Supreme Court refused to try the case<br />
of the dismissal of Christian jurors from a Missouri trial<br />
regarding homosexuality on Feb. 26, <strong>2024</strong>. The case of<br />
Missouri Department of Corrections V. Finney involves the<br />
harassment of Jean Finney that was because of her sexuality.<br />
A self-described lesbian who presents masculine, Finney<br />
experienced harassment in the workplace due to her relationship<br />
with a coworker’s ex-wife. While trying this case, however,<br />
three potential jury members were dismissed because of their<br />
“conservative Christian values.” Finney’s attorney questioned<br />
the jurors with what he called a tricky question, asking, if any<br />
juror “went to a conservative Christian church where it was<br />
taught that people [who] are homosexual shouldn’t have the<br />
same rights as everyone else because what they did was a sin.”<br />
In a statement released by Justice Samuel Alito of the Supreme<br />
Court, he agreed with the characterization of the so-called<br />
“tricky question” adding that “it conflated two separate issues:<br />
whether the prospective jurors believed that homosexual<br />
conduct is sinful and whether they believed that gays and<br />
lesbians should not enjoy the legal rights possessed by others.”<br />
In response to this question, multiple jurors attempted to<br />
articulate the distinction noted by Justice Alito. A pastor’s wife<br />
on the jury responded, “Homosexuality, according to the Bible,<br />
is a sin. So is gossiping, so is lying. None of us can be perfect. And<br />
so, I’m here because it’s an honor to sit in here and to perhaps<br />
be a part of, you know, a civic duty.” Another juror addressed the<br />
question by saying, “Homosexuality is a sin because it’s in the<br />
Bible. But every one of us here sins ... It’s just part of our nature.<br />
And it’s something we struggle with, hopefully throughout our<br />
life. And the fact that it is a sin has really nothing to do with — in<br />
a negative way with whatever this case is going to be about.”<br />
In her final decision, the trial judge granted the motion to<br />
dismiss, noting that both jurors said, “that they could follow the<br />
law” and that she should “err on the side of caution because<br />
there [are] enough jurors left.”<br />
West Watch<br />
ISSUES INVOLVING CHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST<br />
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Case Regarding<br />
Removal of Christian Jurors<br />
The plaintiff’s counsel expressed concerns about “getting into<br />
the bounds of religious discrimination,” and Justice Alito’s<br />
statement agreed stating, “I see no basis for dismissing a juror<br />
for cause based on religious beliefs.” Justice Alito eventually<br />
voted against trying the case due to a technicality in the filing<br />
process which led the case to include the subject of preservation<br />
of an objection rather than the dismissal on a religious basis.<br />
ICC UPDATE TO THOSE ON CAPITOL HILL<br />
If you’d like to stay informed about ICC’s advocacy work and<br />
policy recommendations, subscribe to our monthly newsletter,<br />
The Capitol Dispatch, at www.persecution.org/icc-advocacy<br />
6<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
POCKET POLICY<br />
Religious Freedom Legislation<br />
Introduced in the Senate<br />
Senators James Lankford, R-Ok., and Chris Coons, D-De.,<br />
introduced a resolution expressing the importance of international<br />
religious freedom amid increased global attacks on religious<br />
freedom. Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also<br />
cosponsored the legislation. This legislation outlines instances of<br />
persecution across multiple religions, including Sikhs, Muslims,<br />
Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians.<br />
Alongside recognizing the ongoing atrocities, this resolution calls<br />
for expanded support for religious freedom around the world, the<br />
use of all diplomatic tools available to further the effort, including<br />
sanctions, and highlighting religious freedom as a cornerstone of<br />
the United States foreign policy.<br />
In his remarks following the release of the resolution, Senator<br />
Lankford said, “The fundamental right of every person to have a<br />
faith, live your faith, change your faith, or have no faith at all must<br />
be recognized throughout the world ... The United States must<br />
continue its international leadership to defend religious freedom,<br />
which is why we are reaffirming our commitment to fight for<br />
religious freedom around the world.”<br />
Two leading members of the United States Commission on<br />
International Religious Freedom publicly expressed support for<br />
the legislation.<br />
Proposed Bill in Canada<br />
Threatens Religious Freedom<br />
A proposed bill in Canada that would dismantle religious freedom<br />
will be up for vote before legislators. Proposed Bill C-637 would<br />
remove the “religious exemption” protection in Section 319 of<br />
the Canadian Criminal Code. While the bill is being promoted<br />
as a way to combat antisemitism, it essentially removes the<br />
existing free speech protections for devout Christians, Jews, and<br />
Muslims, by opening them up to charges of hate speech for their<br />
religious beliefs. Currently, devout believers of all faiths are free<br />
to voice their opinions on things they disagree with because of<br />
their religious convictions. However, Bill C-637 would take these<br />
protections away. If passed, this bill would be a devastating legal<br />
tool to attack people of faith in Canada and allow the politicians<br />
working through the courts and police to send people of faith to<br />
jail for quoting the Bible, Quran, or other religious texts.<br />
H.R.3056<br />
Turkey and Ecumenical<br />
Patriarchate Religious<br />
Freedom Act of 2021<br />
House Bill 3056 of the 117th Congress<br />
also known as the “Turkey and Ecumenical<br />
Patriarchate Religious Freedom Act of 2021,”<br />
was introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn<br />
Maloney of New York and is a bipartisan piece<br />
of legislation that opposes violations of religious<br />
freedom in Türkiye by the government of the<br />
country.<br />
This legislation outlines the religious persecution<br />
of Christians in Türkiye, particularly that of the<br />
Ecumenical Patriarchate.<br />
This bill differs from many other pieces of<br />
legislation that pertain to religious freedom in<br />
that it furthers the requirements outlined by<br />
the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).<br />
In IRFA, the president and the State Department<br />
are not required to make any statement<br />
providing reasoning for their designation or lack<br />
thereof. Where H.R.3056 differs is that if the<br />
administration makes a designation for Türkiye<br />
contrary to the recommendation of USCIRF, they<br />
must provide public reasoning.<br />
While not currently up for consideration in the<br />
House, this legislation may prove helpful in<br />
future international religious freedom practices<br />
if expanded beyond application requirements<br />
for Türkiye. If reasoning were to be made<br />
a requirement, the State Department and<br />
presidential administration would be forced to<br />
uncover all related agendas that are potentially<br />
preventing the legislation.<br />
With other goals and agendas revealed, it may<br />
be possible for diplomacy to proceed uninhibited<br />
as politicians and NGOs may be satisfied with a<br />
lack of designation if they find the reasoning<br />
against the designation satisfactory.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 7
Your Hands and Feet<br />
ICC PROJECTS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR SUPPORTERS<br />
SUSTAINED BY GOD’S GRACE<br />
I’m so honored to travel each year to meet with<br />
our ICC partners and beneficiaries. Recently,<br />
I was meeting with several pastors and their<br />
wives who are navigating through the storms of<br />
persecution. I was reminded and humbled by the<br />
power of God’s grace to sustain His servants in the<br />
darkest times of suffering.<br />
In my quiet times with the Lord, I remember their<br />
stories as an image of hope. Each story lighted the<br />
path where I encountered them on their journey<br />
and calling with the Lord. It was in hearing their<br />
struggles that I found hope. I witnessed men and<br />
women who persevered through deep and dark<br />
suffering yet lived in confidence that they would<br />
find triumph in Jesus. As I listened to their stories<br />
I found immense inspiration. It was overwhelming<br />
how their unwavering faith reflected God’s<br />
unending love and faithfulness.<br />
Hearing the stories of ministry wives weeping and<br />
persevering under deep grief at the loss of their<br />
husbands and children brought an immense mix<br />
of emotions. Yet, I was able to cry with them,<br />
pray with them, and find deep gratitude for their<br />
sacrificial love and service to the Lord. I continue<br />
to struggle with the question, “Is this something I<br />
would do for the Lord?” Their stories of enduring<br />
persecution and standing firm in the face of<br />
adversity still resonate deeply with me, leaving<br />
me with a tremendous sense of humility and<br />
reverence in my heart.<br />
I find their stories remind us of the cost of<br />
discipleship and the true meaning of what it means<br />
to live a life of selfless devotion to serving Jesus.<br />
Thank you for your prayers and generous support.<br />
In Him, our hearts rejoice,<br />
Dr. Peggy Banks<br />
ICC’s VP of Global Assistance<br />
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial<br />
because, having stood the test, that person<br />
will receive the crown of life that the Lord has<br />
promised to those who love him.” — James 1:12<br />
Church of the King / Unsplash<br />
Radha’s Journey of Dignity<br />
and Determination<br />
SOUTH ASIA Radha is from a small village in India where her and<br />
her family’s Christian faith and marginalized status shaped her outlook on<br />
life. Limited by her family’s financial constraints, Radha could only pursue<br />
studies up to the intermediate level. Despite facing financial and social<br />
hardships, she worships the Lord every week at her local church.<br />
Last summer, ICC paid for Radha to take beautician training. She attended<br />
the courses regularly and graduated from the program with dreams of<br />
establishing a beauty parlor of her own in the village to support her family.<br />
“I am not able to start by own shop, but I’m seeking God for His help to<br />
come soon,” she said.<br />
Her prayers were answered when ICC helped her open her own beauty<br />
parlor in the village. Her business not only gives her a sustainable income<br />
but also the dignity of being the proud owner of the business establishment<br />
that she runs with the skills she’s learned.<br />
“You stood by my side and provided me with the opportunity to receive<br />
training as a beautician. Your unwavering support and encouragement was<br />
truly a blessing to me,” Radha said. “With your assistance, I am able to get<br />
employment in the beautician shop which not only created employment<br />
opportunities for me, but also allowed me to become financially<br />
independent. The investment made in this venture has been a tremendous<br />
blessing for my family, as it has provided us with a stable source of income<br />
and a brighter future. Thank you so much!”<br />
8<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
Rania’s Escape from Danger<br />
MIDDLE EAST Rania was married to her husband Hassan,<br />
and they had two daughters. They were a Muslim family living a<br />
peaceful life until Rania decided to follow Jesus a few years ago.<br />
Since then, everything has changed.<br />
Her husband divorced her and threatened to take away her<br />
children. She was forced to testify in court and denied her<br />
conversion to Christianity for fear that the verdict would be issued<br />
in favor of her husband. She won the case and retained custody<br />
of her children.<br />
After court, Hassan became furious and chased her, threatening<br />
to kill her. She moved eight times to try to escape him. The<br />
children missed an entire year of school since they were on the<br />
run. With the help of her Christian brothers and sisters, she was<br />
able to enroll them in school.<br />
When ICC heard of her story, we helped Rania by covering the<br />
rental fees for more than a year in a safe location.<br />
“Finally, I feel like we have a family that cares about us,” she said.<br />
“Because of you, I will not have to worry about paying the rent for<br />
the coming months. Thank you very much. Please remember us<br />
in your prayers.”<br />
Christie Luke / Unsplash<br />
A Safe Haven for Sarah<br />
AFRICA<br />
Sarah endured rejection from her family due to<br />
her disability and faced further hardship when she was taken<br />
advantage of and became pregnant. After her father died when<br />
she was very young, her mother rejected her due to her disability.<br />
When she became pregnant, she had nowhere to turn and married<br />
the father of her child, who was a Muslim and had other wives.<br />
Despite her struggles, she embraced Christianity in 2022.<br />
However, her newfound faith led to her husband’s anger, resulting<br />
in her expulsion from their home.<br />
Left with nowhere to go, Sarah sought refuge with her<br />
grandmother in a Muslim community, where she continued to<br />
face threats unless she reverted to Islam. Unable to do physical<br />
labor, she dreamed of owning a shop to sustain herself. We<br />
relocated her to a safer community and set her up with a small<br />
business to generate income.<br />
Grateful for the support, Sarah exclaimed, “I thank God for this<br />
shop! I can’t believe it! My situation has changed so much that<br />
ICC saved me from crying day and night.” With the shop, she’s<br />
able to support her family and pay for her son’s education.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 9
<strong>Persecution</strong> at<br />
the Doorstep<br />
Exposing the Hidden Realities of Oppression<br />
and Resistance in Latin America<br />
By Alex Finch<br />
10<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
It can be easy to overlook Christian persecution at the doorstep<br />
of the United States, as withering attacks in Nigeria and<br />
ongoing bullying by China and North Korea hijack our focus.<br />
Yet we turn to broader Latin America this month – including<br />
Mexico, Central America, and South America – where Christian<br />
persecution makes headlines. And countries like Nicaragua have<br />
all but declared war against Catholics.<br />
Like many in the West, we were caught off-guard when priests<br />
were rounded up and arrested in Nicaragua at Christmas – Pope<br />
Francis condemned the attack in his Jan. 1 address, and the<br />
Vatican negotiated their release a month later. More than 100<br />
priests have fled or been kicked out of the country, and hundreds<br />
of religious organizations have had their registrations canceled,<br />
according to the Washington Post. And as recently as late<br />
March, 11 Christian pastors were arrested on sham charges in<br />
connection with U.S.-based Mountain Gateway ministry. In Cuba,<br />
government officials regularly harass and target church leaders.<br />
“As a church, we<br />
are living through<br />
the worst moments<br />
in our history in<br />
Nicaragua since its<br />
arrival more than<br />
500 years ago to the<br />
present moment.”<br />
— Persecuted Nicaraguan Priest<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 11
Two sources of Christian persecution are<br />
evil and Communist/Marxist regimes.<br />
The latter put the “State” ahead of Christ,<br />
while the former can fester in disillusioned<br />
hearts as greed, envy, and power.<br />
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega, 78,<br />
embodies both as he punishes Christian<br />
leaders for threatening his regime’s<br />
control of the people.<br />
“[Ortega] has been hostile toward<br />
Christianity since day one but it has<br />
grown much worse recently with a brutal<br />
crackdown on Catholics and now the<br />
evangelicals,” said International Christian<br />
Concern (ICC) President Jeff King. He<br />
added that Ortega’s presidency since 2007<br />
has been marked by “tyranny, torture, and<br />
persecution.”<br />
More than 500 churches and religious<br />
organizations have been attacked since<br />
2018 under President Ortega and his wife,<br />
Vice President Rosario Murillo, according<br />
to The Hill. These include an altar boy’s<br />
murder and the arrests of dozens of<br />
priests and evangelicals Monsignor<br />
Rolando Álvarez served more than one<br />
year of a 26-year sentence on false<br />
charges for criticizing Ortega’s regime —<br />
he was released in January along with<br />
other priests.<br />
According to the United States Commission<br />
on International Religious Freedom<br />
(USCIRF), “Government forces and citizens<br />
sympathetic to the regime have routinely<br />
harassed Catholic clergy and worshipers.<br />
Catholic clergy have recently come under<br />
direct persecution.”<br />
In January, a Nicaraguan priest told of<br />
his beating and imprisonment to more<br />
than 1,000 attendees at the International<br />
Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in<br />
Washington, D.C. Hiding his identity<br />
behind a screen and using a voice<br />
scrambler, the priest spoke of the need<br />
to stand for human rights in the face of<br />
severe persecution.<br />
“I have agreed to come for two reasons<br />
— because I believe that there is a God<br />
who cares for us and because if we, as<br />
Christians, who believe in democracy, in<br />
freedom, in social justice, do nothing,<br />
no one else will,” the priest said. “Every<br />
Sunday, patrol cars full of police are parked<br />
in front of the country’s Catholic churches.<br />
The faithful who attend the Eucharist<br />
on Sundays are photographed [and] the<br />
homilies delivered by the remaining<br />
priests are being recorded. As a church,<br />
we are living through the worst moments<br />
in our history in Nicaragua since its arrival<br />
more than 500 years ago to the present<br />
moment.”<br />
The U.S. Department of State has included<br />
Nicaragua in its Countries of Particular<br />
Concern list, which cites nations that<br />
severely violate religious freedom.<br />
“It is important for Christians around<br />
the world to stand with the persecuted<br />
church,” King said. “They need to know<br />
that fellow believers are praying for them<br />
and working on their behalf.”<br />
12<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
“[Ortega] has been hostile<br />
toward Christianity since<br />
day one but it has grown<br />
much worse recently with<br />
a brutal crackdown on<br />
Catholics and now the<br />
evangelicals.”<br />
— Jeff King, ICC President<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 13
Christian<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong><br />
Deepens in<br />
Nicaragua<br />
14<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
An Inside Look at the Legal Battle<br />
Faced by Mountain Gateway and<br />
other Christian leaders in Nicaragua<br />
By Lynn Arias<br />
After more than two decades of missionary<br />
work in Mexico and Central America, U.S.<br />
citizen Jon Britton Hancock stands accused<br />
of unsubstantiated crimes of money laundering and<br />
organized crime by the Nicaraguan government. The<br />
accusation, made in late 2023, is an often-used falsehood<br />
hurled at anyone deemed a threat by the authoritarian<br />
regime governing that nation.<br />
Hancock is not alone in his charges. His son, daughter-inlaw,<br />
and 11 pastors associated with Hancock’s ministry,<br />
Mountain Gateway, have also been charged with, and<br />
in some cases imprisoned for, the alleged crimes while<br />
being denied basic due process. According to the ministry,<br />
they have not been allowed to read their official charging<br />
documents.<br />
Today, the 11 pastors remain imprisoned, and Hancock<br />
and his family will be tried in absentia.<br />
“Our people say that the church is encouraged and unified<br />
and sort of not duped,” Hancock said. “They understand<br />
all the charges are bogus, and they’re trying to get us to<br />
plead guilty and all the things that they do, which we’re<br />
not going to do.”<br />
U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., in February<br />
condemned the arrests and spurious charges in a press<br />
release.<br />
“In December 2023, eleven Nicaraguan pastors and<br />
other individuals associated with Mountain Gateway,<br />
a Christian organization based in Texas with missionary<br />
presence in North and Central America, were arrested<br />
and imprisoned by the Nicaraguan government without<br />
access to legal counsel, understanding of the allegations<br />
against them, or documentation of their alleged criminal<br />
charges,” the statement declared.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 15
A bipartisan letter was sent in February to the Ambassador<br />
of Nicaragua, signed by 58 members of the U.S. Congress,<br />
expressing alarm over Nicaragua’s violations of religious<br />
freedom. Additionally, House Resolution 1019, also introduced<br />
in February, expresses concern “that United States citizens<br />
affiliated with the Mountain Gateway ministry are being targeted<br />
for arrest and extradition by the Nicaraguan government.”<br />
In a statement released by the ministry, the missionary group<br />
denied all wrongdoing.<br />
It stated that “Mountain Gateway has documentation<br />
demonstrating that the Nicaraguan government viewed and<br />
approved all funds that entered the country, and the organization<br />
operated under the government’s oversight to ensure that all<br />
funds were used and managed appropriately.”<br />
A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE<br />
Hancock, who runs Mountain Gateway, has been involved in<br />
missionary service since 1996 and expanded his work into<br />
Nicaragua in 2013.<br />
According to its website, Mountain Gateway “served the citizens<br />
of Nicaragua through discipleship, church planting, feeding and<br />
clothing those in need, providing food, water, equipment, and<br />
recovery assistance during natural disasters, and sharing the<br />
gospel of Jesus Christ in mass evangelistic campaigns.”<br />
Initially, the Nicaraguan government allowed Hancock’s ministry<br />
to remain in the country, likely because of the aid it provided to<br />
victims of natural disasters and the calming effect it had on the<br />
people.<br />
However, the attitudes of those in power shifted drastically after<br />
the Christian missionaries hosted events that brought together<br />
large numbers of Christians and Christ-seekers from many<br />
different backgrounds.<br />
A NATION-WIDE REVIVAL<br />
In 2023, Hancock worked with dozens of pastors and evangelical<br />
Christians who organized a massive evangelism campaign in<br />
Managua, the capital city and heart of Nicaragua. An estimated<br />
1 million people attended eight events during that year, where<br />
they heard the message of Jesus Christ.<br />
Churches from every major and independent Christian<br />
denomination joined together and represented 6,000 churches<br />
at the events, bringing about a coalescence of many like-minded<br />
individuals.<br />
In an interview with ICC, Hancock expressed that those in power<br />
in Nicaragua “don’t like … such a massive, unified movement.”<br />
A REGIME THREATENED BY THE GOSPEL<br />
After the evangelism campaigns of 2023, Nicaraguan authorities<br />
revoked the license of Mountain Gateway, which operated as<br />
Puerta de la Montaña within the nation, to work in the country.<br />
Additionally, according to Hancock, authorities “seized all of<br />
[their] assets, 47 vehicles, four pieces of real estate … [and] put<br />
11 of [their] personnel in prison.”<br />
Nearly 1 million people attend a mass evangelism campaign in Nicaragua<br />
through the partnership of Shake the Nations Ministry and Mountain<br />
Gateway. Photos courtesy of @shakethenations on Instagram.<br />
Hancock also explained that the Nicaraguan government put out<br />
an international notice on him and his family requesting their<br />
detainment. According to Hancock, “six countries have said,<br />
okay, if they come here, we’ll arrest them and extradite them<br />
to Nicaragua for you.” Those countries, he stated, are “Cuba,<br />
Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras, and Mexico.”<br />
ICC President Jeff King offered words of encouragement to<br />
Hancock as he continues to endure persecution at the hands of<br />
the Nicaraguan government.<br />
“We’re in a battle, so you can’t not get shot … but this is the battle<br />
and not the war,” King said.<br />
King’s reference speaks to Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle<br />
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the<br />
16<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
QUICK FACTS<br />
POPULATION: 6,359,689 (EST. 2023)<br />
RELIGIOUS BREAKDOWN:<br />
50% ROMAN CATHOLIC<br />
33.2% EVANGELICAL<br />
2.9% OTHER<br />
0.7% NONE<br />
13.2% UNSPECIFIED<br />
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: SPANISH<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 17
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,<br />
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”<br />
A TROUBLING TREND<br />
The recent escalation of Christian persecution in the Central<br />
American country comes as no surprise to many who have, for<br />
years, endured the authoritarian rule of Nicaraguan President<br />
Daniel Ortega, whose roots are in the Marxist-inspired Sandinista<br />
political party.<br />
As is often the case in authoritarian or Marxist rule, leaders do<br />
not relinquish their power voluntarily and are easily threatened<br />
by the unification of any group, including religious ones, as they<br />
are considered a potential threat. To retain power, authoritarian<br />
regimes forcibly deny intrinsic human rights to individuals,<br />
thereby quelling any dissent that may arise, through violence or<br />
any other means necessary.<br />
Saddled by what is quickly becoming a police state, a litany of<br />
public anti-government protests has taken place since Ortega<br />
came to power for the second time in 2007. Citizens have<br />
become progressively dissatisfied with the increasingly repressive<br />
governmental policies of the Ortega regime.<br />
STANDING UP TO AN OPPRESSIVE REGIME<br />
Throughout the years, Ortega absorbed a sense of dictatorial<br />
paranoia, prompting him and his inner circle to jail, exile, or<br />
intimidate anyone viewed as a potential threat to his power,<br />
including journalists, opposition leaders, members of the Catholic<br />
clergy, or anyone who holds dissenting opinions to his rule.<br />
One such case is that of Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who<br />
was detained by Nicaraguan authorities in 2022 for preaching<br />
that human beings have God-given rights and expressing<br />
opposition to the Ortega regime. After learning of his sermons,<br />
Nicaraguan authorities detained Alvarez from August 19, 2022,<br />
to January 14, <strong>2024</strong>. The bishop was convicted of “undermining<br />
national integrity, propagation of false news through information<br />
and communication technologies, aggravated obstruction of<br />
functions, and disobedience of contempt for authority.”<br />
In <strong>2024</strong>, Alvarez was released from detention and exiled to the<br />
Vatican after Vatican officials and Nicaraguan authorities reached<br />
an agreement. In similar fashion, the bishop’s fellow clergy were<br />
also exiled to the Vatican.<br />
According to Open Doors’ World Watch List of <strong>2024</strong>, “President<br />
Ortega continues to see Christians as enemies of the government,<br />
and recent changes to the law have been used to label church<br />
leaders as terrorists. They have been harassed and arrested, and<br />
churches are fiercely monitored.”<br />
Additionally, in 2018, protests erupted after Ortega proposed a<br />
change to the country’s social security program that would have<br />
made workers pay more while receiving fewer benefits, which<br />
was the final straw for many Nicaraguan citizens. After 11 years of<br />
coping with the injustices of the Ortega regime, many individuals<br />
reached a boiling point.<br />
"There is a<br />
move of God<br />
that really<br />
started in 2023,<br />
and they can't<br />
stop that.<br />
I know God<br />
literally shook<br />
the entire<br />
nation, and I'm<br />
satisfied that<br />
it's continuing."<br />
— Jon Britton Hancock,<br />
MOUNTAIN GATEWAY<br />
According to the U.S. State Department, “the ensuing conflict left<br />
at least 325 persons dead, more than 2,000 injured, hundreds<br />
illegally detained and tortured, and more than 52,000 exiled in<br />
neighboring countries. Beginning in August [2018] the Ortega<br />
government instituted a policy of ‘exile, jail, or death’ for anyone<br />
perceived as opposition, amended terrorism laws to include prodemocracy<br />
activities, and used the justice system to characterize<br />
civil society actors as terrorists, assassins, and coup-mongers.”<br />
Amnesty International stated that “the government of President<br />
Daniel Ortega has committed crimes against humanity in the<br />
context of the crisis … with the intention to kill and persecute<br />
those who opposed their policies.”<br />
THE GOSPEL PERSEVERES<br />
As our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nicaragua, including<br />
Hancock and others associated with Mountain Gateway, continue<br />
to endure persecution for their faithful Christian witness, may we<br />
stand with them in prayer and make their struggles known. <strong>May</strong><br />
we also pray that the gospel continues to spread in Nicaragua,<br />
despite Ortega’s leadership.<br />
“There is a move of God that really started in 2023, and they can’t<br />
stop that,” Hancock said. “I know God literally shook the entire<br />
nation, and I’m satisfied that it’s continuing.”<br />
18<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
Photo courtesy of Mountain Gateway<br />
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE<br />
Watch ICC President Jeff King’s two-part interview<br />
with missionary Jon Britton Hancock.<br />
Scan the QR Code with your mobile<br />
device or visit our YouTube channel<br />
for Jeff’s interview with Jon!<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 19
The ‘Light of<br />
Faith’ Despite<br />
Harassment<br />
in Cuba<br />
20<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
International Christian Concern (ICC) led planning for the Violations Track at the <strong>2024</strong><br />
International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. One of the five track<br />
sessions, spearheaded by the International Republican Institute and other sponsors, was,<br />
“Concerning Trends in Latin America.” The session featured several key panelists including<br />
Alberto Reyes Pías, a Roman Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Camagüey, Cuba. He has<br />
been an outspoken critic of his government’s crackdown on religious freedom. Below are his<br />
panel remarks that give insight into Christian persecution in Cuba.<br />
In Cuba, one of the most subtle<br />
mechanisms of evil is what we call<br />
‘normalization’ which is nothing more<br />
than evil becoming a habitual part of<br />
our life. We not only take its presence<br />
for granted, but also focus our energies<br />
not on eliminating it and freeing<br />
ourselves from it, but on figuring out<br />
how to continue walking, despite it<br />
hindering our steps, tying our hands,<br />
and oppressing our throat.<br />
In appearance, religious freedom<br />
is respected in Cuba. In general,<br />
churches are open, worship is allowed,<br />
catechesis exists, young people gather,<br />
one can openly talk about God, possess<br />
a Bible, and wear religious symbols.<br />
Yet, in Cuba, there is a thirst for God.<br />
Pastoral agents focus on serving those<br />
seeking an experience with God that<br />
touches their lives, even at the cost of<br />
accepting as ‘normal’ what is not.<br />
The truth is that there is a universe of<br />
realities that repress the full enjoyment<br />
of religious freedom in Cuba. Many of<br />
us have had no choice other than to<br />
accept it as ‘normal.’<br />
However, it is not normal, despite<br />
attempts to make it so, to have an<br />
Office of Religious Affairs led by the<br />
Communist Party, overseeing, and<br />
attempting to control every single<br />
movement of the Church. It is not<br />
normal for this office to pressure<br />
Cuban bishops to restrain the social<br />
actions or political actions of priests<br />
and committed laity.<br />
It is not normal to depend on permits<br />
for any public expression of faith.<br />
It is not normal to lack access to media<br />
communications and for the Church to<br />
be prohibited from having its own. It is<br />
not normal for different denominations<br />
to be denied access to the national<br />
education and health systems and be<br />
unable to have their own schools and<br />
healthcare facilities.<br />
It is not normal for the Church to be<br />
harassed for defending the innocence<br />
of political prisoners and for assisting<br />
their families. It is not normal for<br />
priests, nuns, and laity who, moved by<br />
their faith, speak up for the people who<br />
face harassment and defamation.<br />
Fighting directly and openly to solve<br />
these issues would only lead to our<br />
destruction or discouragement. This is<br />
a luxury we cannot afford.<br />
Therefore, with the spirit of survivors,<br />
we seek every opening that allows<br />
the light of faith to pass through. We<br />
systematically ignore threats and<br />
attacks from the Office of Religious<br />
Affairs and other state actors. We insist<br />
repeatedly on the permits needed<br />
to rebuild our church buildings and<br />
permits to express our faith publicly.<br />
We buy houses and register them under<br />
[the names of] trusted individuals to<br />
turn them into churches for the people.<br />
We distribute evangelistic materials by<br />
hand and use our personal social media<br />
networks. We find our own ways to<br />
obtain and distribute medicine, food,<br />
clothing — anything that can alleviate<br />
the precarious situation of the people.<br />
However, we cannot deny that this<br />
life of struggle and survival drains us.<br />
Humans can face any war, but they<br />
are not made to live perpetually in [a<br />
state of] war, and our war has lasted<br />
for 65 years — 65 long years where we<br />
have had to start over and over again,<br />
dealing with a system allergic to the<br />
central values of the Christian faith. A<br />
system that is on high alert whenever<br />
it hears about truth, justice, freedom,<br />
and goodness in which they are not the<br />
protagonists and administrators.<br />
We will continue to fight, despite<br />
the high price, but we need to know<br />
that we are not alone, that there are<br />
others who will speak up when we are<br />
silenced, who will defend the truth<br />
when others lie about a Cuban paradise<br />
that does not exist.<br />
We need to know that there are others<br />
who will not play along with official<br />
propaganda, who will denounce<br />
anything that binds our spirit and<br />
suppresses our actions.<br />
We need to know that there are others<br />
who, day by day, pray for us to the God<br />
who unites us, asking for the desired<br />
freedom, the conversion of our people,<br />
and forgiveness for those who oppress<br />
us and need to open their souls to a<br />
God who is also their Father.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 21
ON THE GROUND:<br />
FAITH UNDER FIRE<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> of<br />
Evangelical<br />
Protestants in<br />
Southern Mexico<br />
BY LINDA BURKLE, PH.D., ICC FELLOW<br />
22<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
In November 2023, I had the privilege of attending and<br />
speaking at an evangelical pastor’s conference in Oaxaca,<br />
a city in southern Mexico. Every pastor attending the<br />
conference has experienced various levels of persecution,<br />
and I interviewed several of those attending. The conference<br />
was hosted by Pastor S.M. of Iglesia Evangelica Nacional,<br />
whom I first interviewed by phone in 2021. He has been at<br />
the forefront of evangelistic efforts to indigenous minority<br />
groups in unreached remote mountainous regions and<br />
church planting amid persecution. Many people in these<br />
communities, which maintain a separate identity and<br />
language, practice “Christo-paganism,” a syncretistic blend<br />
of ancient pagan practices and Roman Catholicism. In<br />
addition, there is a strong atheistic communist movement,<br />
most notably in the state of Chiapas. [1]<br />
During the November conference, I interviewed Pastor<br />
S.M. again. He stated that Evangelical Christianity is<br />
viewed negatively as an American “Yankee” religion.<br />
Christians are blamed for the poverty in the region. Pastor<br />
S.M. has personally experienced being arrested and<br />
imprisoned and having his church burned and property<br />
confiscated. He literally was run out of town at gunpoint.<br />
The persecution has not deterred him from his ministry. In<br />
fact, he is making inroads into mountainous villages that<br />
have not been reached by the gospel and have had no<br />
Christian presence. [2]<br />
As I wrote in a previous article, “Religion, Tradition,<br />
and <strong>Persecution</strong>: The Plight of Christians in Mexico,”<br />
published by International Christian Concern in February<br />
2021: “<strong>Persecution</strong> has a variety of sources and forms.<br />
Drug cartels may target Christians because they do not<br />
approve of drug use nor participate in illegal activities<br />
and are averse to bribes. <strong>Persecution</strong> is most prevalent in
the mountainous regions of the southern<br />
states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Yucatan.<br />
The indigenous people who populate these<br />
rural areas practice a syncretic religion<br />
that mixes Catholicism with pre-Hispanic<br />
<strong>May</strong>an beliefs. Communal life is centered<br />
around various religious holidays and<br />
traditions which promote drunkenness.<br />
All community members are expected<br />
to contribute to these events both with<br />
money and service. Evangelical Protestants<br />
who cannot afford to contribute or who<br />
do not wish to participate in community<br />
religious holidays are intensely pressured<br />
to do so, first with fines or jail time. If they<br />
still refuse, they are denied basic services<br />
such as water and electricity that are<br />
guaranteed in Article 4 of the Constitution.<br />
Their churches and homes are burned, and<br />
belongings are confiscated. They are then<br />
forced to leave the community.” [3]<br />
Although the Constitution of Mexico<br />
guarantees all persons the right to practice<br />
their religious beliefs and ceremonies,<br />
local political leaders, supported by<br />
the Catholic majority, have significant<br />
autonomy in indigenous communities,<br />
using Mexico’s “Law of Uses and Customs”<br />
to force Evangelicals to comply. The state<br />
government seldom intervenes. Rather,<br />
they relocate the persecuted outside of<br />
their community. [4] In April 2019, Mexican<br />
publication Somoselmedio, reported that<br />
“over 700 people from 115 indigenous<br />
families had been expelled from nine<br />
different communities for failing to<br />
participate in local Catholic festivals.” [5]<br />
With approximately 83% of Mexicans<br />
identifying as Catholic, “The Catholic<br />
Church in Mexico has historically been<br />
one of the most powerful and politically<br />
conservative institutions in Latin America.<br />
Deeply embedded in Mexican society and<br />
culture, the Church fiercely defended its<br />
effective monopoly over religious practice<br />
— particularly as a bulwark against Yankee<br />
Protestantism.” [6]<br />
When I first spoke with Pastor S.M. by<br />
telephone in 2021, I asked him at the<br />
conclusion of the interview if there was any<br />
hope for change. He responded that if the<br />
churches come together with one voice,<br />
they could leverage political power for<br />
change. Since then, Pastor S.M. has been<br />
instrumental in forming an association of<br />
evangelical pastors, which now includes 20<br />
churches and 40 missions. This association,<br />
Nacional Nueva Generacion, provides<br />
mutual support to members and leverages<br />
united political clout in responding to<br />
persecution. They also engage the media<br />
to draw attention to acts of persecution,<br />
while the government prefers to downplay<br />
such occurrences. While Evangelicals have<br />
united collectively to mitigate persecution,<br />
it still very much occurs. [7] According to the<br />
Open Doors World Watch List 2023, Mexico<br />
is ranked 38th of the top 50 countries<br />
where persecution is prevalent. [8]<br />
In interviewing several pastors who<br />
attended the conference in Oaxaca,<br />
I listened to firsthand accounts of<br />
persecution as summarized here: Pastor<br />
E.Z. stated that in Chiapas, the Catholic<br />
church created a paramilitary unit carrying<br />
AR-15 guns, expelling 1,500 Evangelicals<br />
from their community. [9] Pastor A.P.S has<br />
been going to unreached communities in<br />
remote mountainous regions where 60%<br />
practice witchcraft. He shared that there<br />
is strong opposition to the gospel, pastors<br />
have been shot, and local religious leaders<br />
have discouraged community members<br />
from accepting the gospel. Evangelists<br />
have been detained and questioned by<br />
local authorities. The city council held a<br />
town meeting where people expressed<br />
a desire to kill Pastor A.P.S. but he was<br />
jailed instead. In jail, he prayed, and some<br />
people started to support him. He was<br />
released from jail on the stipulation that<br />
he not preach or evangelize. However,<br />
he continued to teach those who wanted<br />
to hear the Good News, and miracles<br />
followed. Five or six witches received the<br />
gospel, and 200 people became believers<br />
attending church. However, some witches<br />
have continued to harass him and have<br />
made attempts to kill him. [10]<br />
Another pastor shared that the Catholic<br />
church demanded that he contribute to<br />
their celebrations. He refused and was<br />
subsequentially denied basic services and<br />
needed supplies, such as concrete and<br />
fertilizer. Pastor E.M.R. described how he<br />
courageously addressed a potentially fatal<br />
situation. The village mayor was murdered,<br />
and then the federal workers left in fear.<br />
With the federal government’s presence<br />
gone, the locals attacked him. They shot at<br />
his house, denied him water and medical<br />
services, and expelled his children from<br />
school. His family feared they would be<br />
killed. Pastor E.M.R. saw a need for medical<br />
services and transformed the church into a<br />
clinic, although they had no medicine they<br />
relied on prayer. The community realized<br />
the church was there to help and become<br />
more tolerant. Some church members were<br />
teachers and started providing secondary<br />
education five hours a day. Pastor E.M.R.<br />
experienced a change in community<br />
attitudes as his church provided needed<br />
services. He stated he had no option but to<br />
pray and rely on Jesus. The Lord protected<br />
him and used him to bless those who had<br />
persecuted him. [11] These are just some of<br />
the powerful testimonies of those risking<br />
everything to reach people for Christ. Let’s<br />
continue to pray for their protection and<br />
favor.<br />
SOURCES<br />
[1] https://www.persecution.com/globalprayerguide/southern-mexico/?_source_code=WHPB20C<br />
[2] Face-to-face interview with Pastor S.M., November 7, 2023, in Oaxaca, Mexico<br />
[3] https://www.persecution.org/2021/02/03/religion-tradition-persecution-plight-christians-mexico/<br />
[4] https://state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/mexico/<br />
[5] https://missionsbox.org/news/religious-persecution-in-mexico/<br />
[6] https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/publications/mexico-persecution-of-religious-minorities<br />
[7] Face-to-face interview with Pastor S.M., November 7, 2023, in Oaxaca, Mexico<br />
[8] https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/mexico/<br />
[9] Face-to-face interview with Pastor E.Z., November 7, 2023, in Oaxaca, Mexico<br />
[10] Face-to-face interview with Pastor A.S.P., November 7, 2023, in Oaxaca, Mexico<br />
[11] Face-to-face interview with Pastor E.M.R., November 7, 2023 in Oaxaca, Mexico<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
Linda Burkle, Ph.D.<br />
Linda retired from The Salvation Army in early 2019<br />
where she oversaw an array of social services in a<br />
multi-state region. Along with the State Attorney<br />
General, Burkle Co-Chaired the Nebraska Human<br />
Trafficking Task Force. Burkle holds a doctoral<br />
degree in international relations. Her dissertation<br />
focused on religious persecution; specifically,<br />
regarding Iran, Iraq, Sudan, China, and Burma<br />
(Myanmar). She has worked with and ministered to<br />
persecuted Christians in several countries.<br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 23
“I Am the Worst”<br />
A PRAYER FOR THE OPPRESSORS<br />
INTRODUCING<br />
“I Am the Worst”<br />
“I am the worst” is how the Apostle Paul<br />
described himself to his young protégé, Timothy.<br />
Paul said he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and<br />
a violent man who had Christians put into prison<br />
and killed. Yet the greatest apostle met Jesus on<br />
a road to Damascus.<br />
“I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance<br />
and unbelief,” wrote Paul. “The grace of our<br />
Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along<br />
with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1<br />
Timothy 1:14).”<br />
If the Lord can change Paul’s heart, he can work<br />
in the lives of any oppressor. While we see daily<br />
the evil atrocities committed by persecutors,<br />
we know that they, like Paul, are deceived and<br />
act in unbelief. The Lord knows their hearts and<br />
draws them to himself in many ways. He wants<br />
everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). He also<br />
tells us to love our enemies and pray for our<br />
persecutors (Matthew 5:44).<br />
“Here is a trustworthy saying that<br />
deserves full acceptance: Christ<br />
Jesus came into the world to save<br />
sinners—of whom I am the<br />
worst. But for that very reason<br />
I was shown mercy so that in<br />
me, the worst of sinners, Christ<br />
Jesus might display his immense<br />
patience as an example for those<br />
who would believe in him and<br />
receive eternal life. Now to the<br />
King eternal, immortal, invisible,<br />
the only God, be honor and glory<br />
for ever and ever. Amen.”<br />
— 1 TIMOTHY 1:15-17<br />
THIS MONTH:<br />
JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR THE<br />
Leaders of Nicaragua and Cuba<br />
Communism/Marxism is one of the leading drivers of Christian persecution. Authoritarian regimes leave<br />
little room for authentic worship in Christ. In this issue we highlighted ongoing challenges and atrocities<br />
for believers in Latin America. We pray for the Lord’s miraculous intervention in the lives and hearts of<br />
government leaders including Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. We<br />
pray that they discover the truth in Jesus and are drawn, like Paul, to him as only Christ can do.<br />
24<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
PERSECUTION.ORG 24
MORE WAYS TO PRAY<br />
Unity of the Church<br />
“It is important for Christians around the world to stand<br />
with the persecuted church. They need to know that fellow<br />
believers are praying for them and working on their behalf.”<br />
— JEFF KING, PAGE 12<br />
The Spread of the Gospel<br />
As our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nicaragua, including<br />
Hancock and others associated with Mountain Gateway,<br />
continue to endure persecution for their faithful Christian<br />
witness, may we stand with them in prayer and make their<br />
struggles known. <strong>May</strong> we also pray that the gospel continues<br />
to spread in Nicaragua, despite Ortega’s leadership.<br />
“There is a move of God that really started in 2023, and they<br />
can’t stop that,” Hancock said. “I know God literally shook the<br />
entire nation, and I’m satisfied that it’s continuing.”<br />
— JON BRITTON HANCOCK, PAGE 18<br />
Freedom and Forgiveness<br />
“We need to know that there are others who, day by day,<br />
pray for us to the God who unites us, asking for the desired<br />
freedom, the conversion of our people, and forgiveness for<br />
those who oppress us and need to open their souls to a God<br />
who is also their Father.”<br />
— ALBERTO REYES PÍAS, PAGE 21<br />
Protection and Favor<br />
The Lord protected [Pastor E.M.R.] and used him to bless<br />
those who had persecuted him. These are just some of the<br />
powerful testimonies of those risking everything to reach<br />
people for Christ. Let’s continue to pray for protection and<br />
favor for [Christians in Southern Mexico].<br />
— DR. LINDA BURKLE, PAGE 23
Crowns of Courage<br />
HIGHLIGHTING THOSE WHO HAVE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR CHRIST<br />
MARTYR OF LOVE<br />
FATHER<br />
FRANS’<br />
SACRIFICE<br />
IN WAR-<br />
TORN SYRIA<br />
26<br />
<strong>Persecution</strong> | MAY <strong>2024</strong>
Father Frans van der Lugt, a Dutch Christian,<br />
embodied Christ’s commandment to “Love<br />
one another as I have loved you.” He fully<br />
lived out this mandate, following Jesus’<br />
example on the Way of the Cross.<br />
Settling in the Jesuit Monastery in Homs’ Bustan<br />
al-Diwan neighborhood in 1993, Father Frans<br />
dedicated himself to his faith and community.<br />
Despite humble accommodations — a mattress<br />
on the floor surrounded by countless books — he<br />
made the monastery a place where many young<br />
people would go to hear the word of God and<br />
learn how to live it.<br />
When armed groups entered the city of Homs<br />
in March of 2011, forcing the evacuation of the<br />
city’s Christians, Father Frans remained steadfast,<br />
refusing to abandon the 66 Christians who could<br />
not leave.<br />
Enduring the horrors of siege — hunger, cold, and<br />
illness — he stood by his people, rejecting the<br />
option to return to the safety of his homeland. He<br />
told one of the young men about his unwillingness<br />
to leave the area, saying, “I am the head of this<br />
monastery. How do I leave it? How do I leave<br />
Christians? This is impossible.” He also said,<br />
“There is also a reason that is very important<br />
to me. I love the Syrian people<br />
and (have) lived with them in<br />
the most beautiful of times,<br />
and if the Syrian people are<br />
currently suffering, I would<br />
like to share their pain and<br />
problems with them.”<br />
His love for the Syrian people knew no bounds.<br />
Father Frans chose solidarity over comfort, sharing<br />
in the suffering of his fellow Syrians. He witnessed<br />
their struggles firsthand, from the scarcity of food<br />
to the desperation of parents unable to feed their<br />
children.<br />
Father Frans’ unwavering commitment to his<br />
adopted home distinguished him as a true father<br />
figure, beloved by all. He was the only foreign<br />
Christian who preferred to remain in old Homs<br />
with the besieged residents of the neighborhood,<br />
and he repeatedly refused to leave despite the<br />
evacuations carried out by the United Nations,<br />
which helped hundreds leave the besieged areas<br />
of Homs.<br />
Tragically, his selflessness cost him his life. On<br />
April 7, 2014, armed groups came to his house,<br />
took him out, and shot him twice in the head — a<br />
final testament to his devotion to his faith and the<br />
people he served.<br />
For more than 35 years, Father Frans lived and<br />
died in Syria, leaving behind a legacy of love and<br />
sacrifice. His story is a poignant reminder of the<br />
profound influence one individual can have when<br />
guided by unwavering compassion and dedication<br />
to others.<br />
Background Photo: A Syrian refugee walks<br />
among severely damaged buildings in<br />
downtown Homs, Syria, on June 3, 2014.<br />
Photo by Chaoyue PAN / Flickr<br />
Photo source unknown
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