The Parish Magazine December 2024

parish noticeboard — 6
Nothing is impossible for God . . .
The Parish Magazine — December 2024 15
THE PERSECUTED CHURCH BY COLIN BAILEY
A market in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, Africa. In Africa the market is more then a place where people buy and sell something, it is
the centre of African life.
Lucavanzolini, dreamstime.com
Aid and advocacy agencies joined
together to highlight the issue
of the persecuted church for an
international day of prayer on the
first Sunday of November. You can
watch the video via the link in the
references below.
The Evangelical Alliance (EA) hosted
the meeting and there were films,
discussion, and prayer from CSW
(Christian Solidarity Worldwide),
Open Doors, and Release International
on the situations in North Korea,
Burkina Faso and Egypt respectively.
STRONG MESSAGE
In North Korea, any religion is
viewed as a threat to the regime’s
ideology, and we heard of the forced
disappearances that take place.
A strong message was that the
persecuted are the ones that are going
to be teaching the rest of us and not
the other way around.
One prayer for this country is that
China would stop illegally repatriating
North Korean refugees, returning
them to certain danger.
FAMILY PERSECUTION
Egypt is the 13th most populous
country in the world with 115 million
people. A film told of persecution
largely from family members in the
case of people who have left Islam to
follow Christ.
Please pray for Muslim-background
believers who are suffering because of
their faith in Christ and pray for God’s
protection over Christians who are illtreated
by their own families.
Burkina Faso has this year topped
the global terrorism index. Last year
2,000 people were killed by terrorists
in Burkina Faso, an increase of twothirds
on the previous year.
The country jumped into Open
Doors’ Top 50 of most persecuted
countries for Christians (the World
Watch List) in 2020 at number 28,
which is quite exceptional, as usually
countries joining that list climb up it
gradually.
RAPID SPREAD
Open Doors is seeing an incredibly
rapid spread and intensity of terrorism
across the country.
In Africa 16.2 million Christians
are internally displaced due to violence
and conflict. However the world is not
talking about it!
The Arise Africa campaign calls for
awareness to be raised, and justice,
restoration, and protection for these
people. (This campaign petition may be
signed at the back of St Andrew's Church).
We should listen to the persecuted
and find out what their needs are.
Someone asked about how to get your
voice heard at the political level: the
guidance is to engage with your MP
regarding what matters to you.
SPECIAL ENVOY
In the UK Government, there is a
'Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or
Belief'.
This post was previously held by
former MP Fiona Bruce (not the TV
presenter) who lost her seat at the last
election.
Currently, the post is vacant. It
would be worth writing to your MP to
encourage the Prime Minister to make
this appointment.
The role serves to keep the
government aware of issues around
the persecution of Christians. When
writing, tell them you pray for them
and ask how you can pray for them.
The strong messages from the
Evangelical Alliance meeting were:
'Nothing is impossible for God'.
'Be an evangelist for the
persecuted church!'
EA shared some prayers from the
Iona Community’s 'Liturgy for healing
for an international situation':
Lord Jesus, we place before you the
suffering places of the world, places of
war, of famine, of disasters, of darkness.
Guide us in how best to respond,
through the giving of our time, action,
and finance.
Give us the courage to challenge, inform
and engage those who walk in the
corridors of power,
in our land and the lands
for which we pray.
We give thanks for the countless
unknown witnesses who have served
you in the darkest situations.
Jesus Christ, who ate with the wealthy
and provided food to the poor, enter all
nations and bring justice, and peace.
We pray all this in Jesus’ name.
AMEN
References and further reading
IDOP Video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Q2GwZ05
mHs8?si=axsrsS4BluUaZDXm
Open Doors: What is the Arise Africa
campaign?: https://www.opendoorsuk.
org/news/latest-news/arise-africaexplainer/
135 DECEMBER 2O24.indd 15 13/11/2024 10:15:05