Recently, Open Door released the 2021 World Watch List (WWL)of the top 50 countries where Christians are the most persecuted for following Jesus.
David Curry, the President and CEO of Open Doors USA introduced the report by stating, “You might think the (list) is all about oppression…but the (list) is really about resilience.”
According to the report, every day, 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith. Every day, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked. And, every day 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and another 5 are abducted.
Three in four martyrs are in Nigeria, which ranked among the 10 worst persecutors for the first time.
Mr. Curry states , “The numbers of God’s people who are suffering should mean the church is dying—that Christians are keeping quiet, losing their faith, and turning away from one another. But that is not what’s happening. Instead, in living color, we see the words of God recorded in the prophet Isaiah: “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 42:19 ESV).
Christianity Today notes that the list contains 309 million Christians living in places with very high or extreme levels of persecution. This is up from 260 million in last year’s list.
The report states that another 31 million could be added from the 24 nations that fall just outside of the top 50—such as Cuba, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—for a ratio of 1 in 8 Christians worldwide facing persecution. This includes 1 in six believers in Africa and 2 of 5 in Asia.
According to the report, three main trends drove this large increase in persecuted Christians:
“COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for religious persecution through relief discrimination, forced conversion, and as justification for increasing surveillance and censorship.”
Extreme attacks took place throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria.
“Chinese censorship systems continue to propagate and spread to emerging surveillance states.”
Christianity Today notes that Open Doors has monitored Christian persecution worldwide since 1992 and that North Korea has been Number 1 on the list since the watch list began.
The top ten countries listed as the worst persecutors of Christians are: North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea (in Eastern Africa), Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India. This year, Nigeria made the top ten and led the list for the number of Christians killed for reasons related to their faith.
Good news, according to Christianity Today, is that Sudan left the top ten for the first time in six years, after abolishing the death penalty for apostasy and guaranteeing, on paper at least, freedom of religion in its constitution, after three decades of Islamic law. Discriminatory practices still take place in the Sudan, moving it to 13th on the list.
Interestingly, China joined the top 20 in more than a decade due to its “Ongoing and increasing surveillance and censorship of Christians and other religious minorities.”
I would encourage you to download the summary article at Christianity Today or to read the full report online. There is much more detail within each. They disclose surprising information contained within the data, such as “20 nations are now deadlier for Christians than North Korea, nine in ten Christians killed for their faith were in Africa and the rest in Asia, and Nigeria led the world with 3,530 martyrs confirmed by Open Door on its 2021 list. Attacks and forced closure of churches numbered 4, 488 worldwide, with the majority of those in China, followed by Nigeria.”
Christianity Today points out that the main motivation for this persecution varies by country: Islamic oppression - 29 countries, Clan oppression (7 countries). Religious nationalism (3 countries), Communism and post-communism oppression (3 countries), and others.
So, as Christians, why should we care?
Our main reason for caring is that these are our brothers and sisters in the faith. Jesus, when learning that His mother and brothers had come for Him, pointed to His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.” (Matthew 12:48). Just as we would care that our biological families were in peril, likely, we should deeply care that our church family is suffering.
This report also is indicative of where our support is most needed.
What can we do?
There are three key supports I believe we can provide:
Prayer - this is our greatest weapon and greatest strength. Pray specifically for the persecuted church.
Support - find a charity that directs its funding in a meaningful way to support those suffering from persecution. My husband, long ago, introduced me to the Voice of the Martyrs. It is ranked as “silver” in terms of meeting all standards of giving by Guidstar.org—a very high ranking. Its mission is “serving persecuted Christians through practical and spiritual assistance and leading other members of the Body of Christ into fellowship with them". Voice of the Martyrs publishes a monthly magazine worth reading.
Speak out - through your blogs, Facebook posts, presentations to congregations, church newsletters, etc.—be the voice that they do not have. Bring others into this knowledge so they can act as well.
None of us knows the future. We, one day, might be part of this persecution. We might be the ones asking for support.
Help support the Persecuted Church today!