Release International, which serves the persecuted Church worldwide, has been looking ahead to the challenges facing Christians in 2009 – and celebrating answers to prayer.

 

‘For many of us the New Year offers renewed hope and the possibility of realising dreams and plans,’ says Release International’s CEO Andy Dipper. ‘But for pastors and other Christians jailed for their faith, 2009 may simply mean more imprisonment, hard labour, solitude, beatings and abuse from those who persecute them because of their faith in Jesus Christ.’

 

For the past seven years, Release has been asking supporters to pray for suffering Christians in seven countries. The conclusion of this campaign – and many answers to prayer – are celebrated in the New Year edition of Release magazine.

 

The seven nations under the spotlight were China, Indonesia, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan and Vietnam. Here is a brief survey of the challenge facing persecuted Christians in those countries in 2009, as well as some of those answers to prayer.

 

 

Although the constitution provides for religious freedom, China's Government tries to control religious practice. All religious groups are required to register. Those who refuse are regarded as 'illegal' and sometimes forced underground. State-sanctioned churches are closely monitored.

 

'Illegal' groups are sometimes branded 'evil cults', which makes prosecution easier. Members of unregistered churches risk imprisonment and sometimes torture. Thousands of dissidents are detained in prison camps, often without trial. Some are held for their religious views.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

The Church – especially unregistered churches – continues to grow in China. And a number of Christians imprisoned because of their active witness to Christ have now been released.

 

They include Zhou Heng, who faced up to 15-years for possessing illegally-published Bibles. He was freed after six months in February 2008.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For churches and Christians who continue to face harassment and detention.

 

 

 

Islam is gaining strength politically, often at the expense of religious minorities such as Christians. The province of Aceh has imposed Sharia (Islamic) law.

 

Christians say they are being marginalised in society - and increasingly persecuted. Many house churches have been closed.

 

Islamist groups have carried out jihad against Christian communities, particularly in the Moluccas and Central Sulawesi. The Indonesian army has been accused of complicity and involvement in these attacks.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

Christian clothes trader Abraham Bentar Rohadi - jailed for blasphemy in 2006 - was released on parole in April 2008, a year early.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For the release of the 41 Christians jailed in July 2007 for five years for ‘abusing the Koran’. They had taken part in a prayer retreat during which they prayed for the Muslim world. Video footage caused offence to local Muslims.

 

 

NIGERIA

 

Hardline Islamists seem bent on turning Nigeria into a Muslim nation. 12 states have adopted Sharia (Islamic) law. In many instances, Sharia is applied to all citizens, not just Muslims. The result has been communal clashes for which religion is often the trigger - and in which thousands of people have died.

 

Christians are often marginalised and discriminated against in work and education. Churches have been burned and Christians killed in riots. Although there have been Muslim casualties, the death toll among Christians is disproportionately high.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

Release thanks God for the continuing ministry of its partner Stefanos Foundation, which has given practical assistance to persecuted Christians in Plateau state, and in some northern states.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For Christians and church leaders to stand firm in the face of continuing civil disturbances – especially in Plateau and northern states.

 

 ‘We want the church internationally to continue to pray for our unity and help our leaders to be strong,’ says Mark Lipdo, of the Stefanos Foundation.

 

 

 

North Korea is one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Defectors describe a society where human rights do not exist and freedom of association, worship, movement - even thought - are denied.

 

Christians in North Korea are forced to hide their faith. Entire Christian families have been rounded up into prison camps. People have reportedly been executed just for owning a Bible.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

Yoo Sang-joon was arrested by the Chinese authorities in August 2007 for helping refugees. Yoo is a former North Korean refugee and co-worker of Release’s partner Helping Hands Korea.

 

Release asked for prayer that Yoo would not be forcibly repatriated to North Korea, where he could have faced imprisonment, torture or even summary execution. Yoo was eventually repatriated to South Korea, his adoptive home, where he also holds citizenship.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For Release’s partner Helping Hands Korea, and all Christians helping North Korean refugees in China.

 

 

 

The founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, promised equal rights for religious minorities. Yet Christians are among the poorest and most marginalised in Pakistani society.

 

In court, a Christian man's testimony is worth half that of a Muslim man's: a Christian woman's is worth only a quarter. So Christian women and young girls can be easy targets for abuse - and justice for them can prove elusive.

 

The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion: proselytising among Muslims is banned.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

In November 2008 Dr Robin Sardar walked free from jail in Punjab after the man who had accused him of blasphemy changed his story. He was accused of insulting Islam's prophet Mohammed. ‘I am grateful to all people who prayed for me,’ he said. ‘I stayed in the jail silently, reading the Bible and praying to God.’

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For Dr Sardar and his family. He cannot return home because of extremists' death threats, and he and his family are now in hiding. Please also pray for the protection of Release’s partners CLAAS and Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan. Militants have tried to attack CLAAS staff on several occasions.

 

 

 

Africa's largest nation has recently emerged from a devastating civil war which cost the lives of 1.5 million people. Its infrastructure is in tatters: much of its population still struggles to survive.

 

The Khartoum Government declared holy war on southerners, targeting churches and Christian organisations. Life for Sudan's Christians is tough, particularly in the north, where Christians face discrimination in the workplace. Churches have been closed, destroyed - or prevented from being built.

 

Some church leaders say security forces in the south are rewarding people who convert to Islam - and are forcing others to do so - to try to influence the outcome of a national referendum planned for 2011.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

In May 2008 Release asked supporters to pray for an end to hostilities in the disputed oil-rich border town of Abyei. Fierce fighting had broken out there between former southern rebels and the northern army. In June politicians from the north and south jointly took decisive action to stop the dispute escalating, and pledged to resolve boundary disputes around Abyei.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For the rebuilding of Sudan, and for Christians and churches in the north, where persecution is greatest.

 

 

 

Vietnam's constitution guarantees freedom of worship - but the Hanoi regime recognises few religious groups and denominations. Recognised churches have to register their congregations and are then subject to close surveillance and tight control.

 

All unregistered groups are banned and their members may face imprisonment, torture or death. Many house churches have been trying unsuccessfully for years to register and so remain outside the law. Christianity is seen as a Western religion and its adherents as potential subversives.

 

ANSWERS TO PRAYER

 

After an international campaign of prayer and letter-writing, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, former General Secretary of the Mennonite Church and human rights activist, was released from prison in August 2005. Pastor Quang was one of the so-called ‘Mennonite Six’ sentenced in November 2004. The Vietnam Mennonite church was finally officially recognised by the Government in November 2008.

 

Despite continuing repression the church in Vietnam continues to grow – even in the north-west highlands where persecution has been most severe.

 

KEEP ON PRAYING

 

For Christians currently imprisoned in Vietnam because of their active faith in Christ.

 

Andy Dipper, Release International’s CEO says, ‘We hope that all these testimonies of answered prayer will encourage you to keep on praying for Release, our partners and the persecuted Christians we serve. Prayer makes such a difference, and is a key part of our ministry.’

 

While Release’s 7x7 prayer campaign finishes this year, Release continues to publish regular prayer resources. These include Prayer Shield, which gives a daily item for prayer; Prayer Alert, sent by email every fortnight, Prisoners of Faith Alert, sent monthly by email, and World Update - Release’s award-winning 10-minute video news bulletin, available to download from the Release website: www.releaseinternational.org

 

‘Please consider setting up a prayer group to pray for the needs of persecuted Christians regularly,’ says Andy Dipper. ‘To help you, we’ve produced a free prayer group guide, available on request.’

 

Through its international network of missions, Release International serves persecuted Christians in 30 countries around the world by supporting pastors and Christian prisoners, and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles; and working for justice.

 

 

A pdf of the latest edition of Release magazine is attached. Please ask by email for examples of Release copyright photos used in the magazine. A large prayer map is also available.

 

Country profiles of China, Indonesia, Nigeria, North Korea, Sudan and Vietnam can be found at: http://www.releaseinternational.org

 

For further information please contact Release International on 01689 823491 or by email at info@releaseinternational.org

 

For more information on Release International please go to: www.releaseinternational.org