wfn.org | Christian Reformed Church Helps Those Dying for their Faith

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> CRC Helps Those Dying for their Faith

Nov. 4, 2008 ? In Yemen a group of people meet in secret to worship, whispering their songs of praise. To worship openly would lead to discrimination, imprisonment and even death.

Manar is a 19-year-old university student from Yemen who has access to Christian teaching through the radio and Internet ministries of Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI), the murli-media outreach of the Christian Reformed Church. She wrote of the risks she faces: "My brother knows that I believe in Jesus' Gospel, but he tells me that my father will kill me if he finds out. I don't know what to do."

According to The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) website, Christians in at least 35 countries face these same risks because of their active witness for Jesus Christ. And the list of countries continues to grow. In fact, according to a report by Christian Solidarity International, more Christians died for their faith in the 20th century than at any other time in history.

Prayer is crucial for people like Mana in Yemen, even as they face persecution. VOM is calling on Christians worldwide to set aside November 9 as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. They ask, "Pray for Christians around the world who daily live under the threat of persecution."

One of the answers to prayer is the way in which God brings direct encouragement to these brothers and sisters through Christian media outreach. Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI), the media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church, broadcasts in at least 190 countries, including 32 of the 35 where the oppression is the most severe.

"Through the strategic use of media, we can effectively deliver encouragement to those who so desperately need to hear God's Word," says Rev. Bob Heerspink, Director of Back to God Ministries International.

"Christians experiencing persecution, like all believers, need the fellowship of the Christian community. Isolated believers often find media the sole means to connect with the broader church. Our indigenous ministry teams are addressing what it means to live as Jesus' disciples in places of the world where following Christ is costly."

Mrs. Indo S., a 65-year-old woman from the Bugis tribe on South Sulawesi Island, is a member of one of BTGMI Indonesian listener communities. She sent a letter asking prayer for her husband. "I am a Christian but my husband is Islam. The majority of Bugis people are Muslim. I am always persecuted for my faith. But we keep praying that someday [my husband] will become a Christian."

Those who organize the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church remind Christians to pray for not only for persecuted Christians, but for the persecutors as well. They ask that people pray for believers as they share the gospel and for ministries that bring encouragement to brothers and sisters in countries where worship of God is prohibited.

If you would like more information about how Back to God Ministries International uses media to encourage Christians worldwide, see their website at www.backtogod.net or contact them at 6555 West College Dr., Palos Heights, IL 60463.

Nancy Vander Meer, Back to God Ministries International

> -- Chris Meehan
> News & Media Director
> Christian Reformed Church in North America
> 1-616-224-0849