The Persecuted Church

Matthew 5: 11-12 - “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NIV)

Devotional Series: The Beatitudes

For those of you who may not know, I am based in the UK. I was born here and have lived here my whole life. Both my parents are Christian. I was raised in home that has always respected, believed in and embraced Christianity. So, when I decided to follow Jesus for myself, it wasn’t really an issue, problem or concern. Nothing really changed for me in terms of my relationships with my immediate family. The same is true for my wider family – cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even my friendship groups. Everything stayed the same.

But my story is a rare one. I live in the United Kingdom, which is steeped in Christian history, tradition and values. Despite the secularisation of our society (and the countries of many in the Global North), our “persecution” is nothing compared to our Christian brothers and sisters around the world in places like North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Over 380 million Christians face persecution and discrimination, that’s 1 out of every 7 believers in the world. In the last year alone 4,476 Christians were killed because of their faith.*  In countries such as Nigeria, Sudan and Eritrea, 210,000 were driven out of their homes into exile or hiding, simply because they believe that Jesus Christ is the saviour of the world. Violence against Christians is on the rise in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Yemen, Sudan, Mexico and Myanmar. Churches have been forced to close in Algeria, China and Libya.

Despite this, the Church continues to grow around the world even where there is serious persecution like in North Korea and China. The fall of the Asaad regime appears to be an opportunity for open worship for our Syrian brothers and sisters.

Do these accounts mean that those of us who are free to practice our faith should disregard our own struggles? No, I believe the testimonies of the Persecuted Church should cause us to be grateful to God for where we are. These stories ought to encourage us to pray for our brothers and sisters, donate and/or support charities and churches who are working with the Persecuted Church like Open Doors. I also think we have a duty to remember them and share their stories with our friends, family and colleagues. Why? Because persecution, injustice, and wickedness only flourish in darkness.

Questions for reflection: Have I ever prayed for the Persecuted Church? How can I support the Persecuted Church? Am I willing to talk about the persecution of Christians with my friends and family?  

*The data in this devotional is taken from Open Doors World Watch List 2025