International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 1999

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THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

CONTENTS

• WHAT TO DO
• A PRAYER
• THE MARTYRS AND THE PERSECUTED
• DETAILS ON 10 SPECIFIC COUNTRIES: [ China | Sudan | Saudi Arabia | Burma (Myanmar) | North Korea | Indonesia | Vietnam | Turkmenistan | India | Egypt ]
• PRAY FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA
• PRAY FOR THE CHURCH IN SUDAN

WHAT TO DO

1. BECOME BETTER INFORMED

Become better informed about today's persecuted Christian by subscribing to free publications offered by organizations who minister to the persecuted church. One example is the ICC newsletter CONCERN. It can be received free by calling 1-800-ICC-5441 or visiting ICC on the Internet at www.persecution.org.

"With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape." - Proverbs 11:9 (NIV)

2. PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED...AND FOR THEIR PERSECUTORS

The most powerful weapon we Christians have is prayer.

• Pray individually, with your family, and corporately as a church.
• Form a PRAYER AND ACTION group in your local church.
• Remember to pray for the persecutors, that they will come to know Christ.

"Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed earnestly to God." - Acts 12:5

3. GET INVOLVED IN HELPING THE PERSECUTED

• Support ministries whose efforts are aimed at helping the persecuted.
• Show your love by writing letters of encouragement to the persecuted.
• Serve as a voice for the persecuted by expressing your concerns by writing letters to government officials, both here and to the violating country.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." - Proverbs 31:8

Note:  ICC encourages involvement. Receive free resource materials and learn more about Christian persecution by visiting ICC on the World Wide Web or by calling and asking to receive the information by mail.

A PRAYER

International Day of Prayer
for the Persecuted Church

"O Lord, Thou art our Shield,
We turn to Thee.
For us it is a minor pain
When they take our lives.
Eternity Thou has prepared for us,
So when we suffer shame and stress here
It is not for nothing, We will be amply repaid."

- Stanza 6, Hymn No. 61, Ausbund -

A prayer written by seven anonymous anabaptist martyrs in 1528 just before their painful death. The youngest, a 14 year old boy, refused to recant his faith despite inducements of a handsome income for the rest of his life.

The Martyrs and The Persecuted

Many Christians down through the ages have suffered persecution. However, most Christians today don't realize that a greater number of believers have suffered persecution and martyrdom this century than all previous centuries combined. Sadly, many persecuted believers continue to suffer without even so much a prayer spoken or a tear shed from their brothers and sisters in America. May this be a day of awakening - an awakening to the cries of our persecuted brothers and sisters. May God hear our prayers and see our tears. Today, may our persecuted brothers and sisters know that they have not been forgotten.

Though the methods of persecution may have changed slightly over the years, the reasoning behind the madness remains the same. Take for example 15 year old Roy Pontoh. Roy was among 150 members of Bethel Church in Indonesia attending a retreat on January 20, 1999 when a Muslim mob attacked. Roy was asked, "Are you a Christian?" Armed only with his Bible, he proudly replied, "I am a soldier of Christ." The attacker then cut Roy's hand with a sword and asked again, "Are you a Christian?" Once again, young Roy bravely replied, "I am a soldier of Christ." Angrily, the Muslim attacker stabbed Roy in the stomach and killed him. Roy's youth pastor, Meiky Sainyakit and two other believers, Hengky Patiwael and Hermanus Kursam, also became martyrs that day.

The dictionary defines a martyr as "one who dies, suffers, or sacrifices everything for a principle or cause." Interestingly, the word witness in our English Bible is translated from the Greek word martur (martyr). The Greek definition for the word martur is "one who declares what he has heard, seen or knows."

Many modern day martyrs and fellow believers who are persecuted today for their faith have boldly declared what they have "heard, seen or known" regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. They are witnesses for Christ, as we are all called to be.

"Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." Hebrews 11:33,34 (NIV)

*******

"I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.

They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"

Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed." Revelations 6:9,11 (NIV)

*******

Take up the cross, preach the Gospel and you will be filled with peace.

(A song written and sung by Chinese Christians after being tortured and paraded in public)

*******

"If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?" Proverbs 24:10-12

*******

"Dear ones, I long for a sight of your dear faces, but I fear we shall not meet on earth...I am preparing for the end very quietly and calmly. The Lord is wonderfully near, and He will not fail me...and now I just pray for grace to meet the terrible end bravely. My little baby will go with me. I think God will give it to me in Heaven. Dear ones, live near to God and cling less closely to earth. There is no other way by which we can receive that peace from God which passeth understanding." (The last letter written by Lizzie Atwater, missionary to China. She had been married for only two years and was pregnant at the time of her and her husband's arrest. Twelve days later, on August 15, 1900, they were killed .)

*******

"I must go and tell them that Jesus loves them...How else will they know?" Michael is a 19 year old Cuban Christian. He travels on foot. His bicycle was stolen. "It's no problem, after all God created me with feet, not wheels," declares Michael. He walks up to 100 miles every week to share the Gospel in a remote village. The Cuban government says that he can not preach. Undaunted, he preaches on the dirt floor of a villager's home. The people who come to hear him are people plagued by poverty, disease, witchcraft and much more. Michael and many other young men and women just like him are committed to winning their country for Christ.

DETAILS ON 10 SPECIFIC COUNTRIES

1. CHINA - The communist government has intensified repression against Christians by raiding unregistered private homes and house churches, imprisoning the leaders, imposing harsh fines, confiscating property, and publicly slandering house church leaders. Hundreds of homes have been raided in recent months. More than 200 Christians were detained and interrogated by the Public Security Bureau. At least 150 Christians remain detained, including ten of China's most influential house church leaders.
   
2. SUDAN - The militant Arab-backed regime in Khartoum is using every method possible to repress non-Muslims. Over 25% of the population of Southern Sudan are Christians. Suffering the most are the Christians of the South and the Nuba Mountains. Arab forces continue to enslave children, rape women, violently attack and bomb villages, and withhold food and medicines. There is also evidence of the use of chemical weapons. More than 2 million people have died in Sudan over the past ten years, mostly non-Muslim black Africans. Every attempt is made to force Christians to become Muslims.
   
3. SAUDI ARABIA - This is perhaps the most oppressive of all countries when it comes to Christians practicing their faith. The practice of the Christian faith and the public display of any Christian symbol is forbidden. Christian workers from outside the country are forbidden from praying or holding Bible studies in their homes. Evangelism and conversion to Christianity is punishable by death by beheading. Filipino Christian Romeo Macabuhay remains in jail since May 24 for "preaching" after a photo was found that showed him standing behind a pulpit. Arsenio Enriquez also remains in prison after being arrested for possessing a Bible. On October 8, 1999, police raided a prayer meeting in Riyadh and arrested about 40 Christians. Several are still in prison.
   
4. BURMA (Myanmar) - The government of Burma has been involved in a brutal campaign to eliminate Christian and other minorities. Suffering the most are the Chin and Karen people. Buddhist monks backed by the military have been entering villages and forcing Christians to recant their faith. Buddhist leaders recently declared all Christian radio programs a threat to Buddhism and published a document suggesting how to eliminate Christianity from the country. Many Christians have been killed and forced from their homes. Several raids were conducted against refugee camps in Thailand.
   
5. NORTH KOREA - In May 1999, the government issued an open warning to all citizens that missionaries are "tools of imperialism" and must be "ferreted out." The number of believers in North Korea has dramatically reduced as a result of years of harsh persecution. Between 1987 and 1992, former prisoner Soon Ok Yi says she witnessed monthly executions of Christians. Christians were asked to deny Jesus. If they refused, they were beaten to death. In North Korea, to be a Christian is costly.
   
6. INDONESIA - Christians have come under increasing attack from Muslims. Over the past four years, at least 300 churches have been destroyed . In East Timor, 19 priests and seven nuns have been reported killed since September 4, 1999. On August 11 on the island of Ambon, following a referendum vote for independence, 30 Christians were massacred by soldiers. Rev. Francisco Barreto and 40 coworkers were attacked and killed. Christians are victims of a carefully-planned Muslim holy war that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and destruction to scores of churches and property.
   
7. VIETNAM - The Protestant denominations continue to face persecution and the communist government destroys places of worship. Thousands of Christians have suffered ill-treatment, aimed at forcing the minorities to give up their faith. A recent government census document allows people to identify themselves with one of the six "official" religions. Christian converts recently tried to register and were told that they could not because their old identity cards showed that they belonged to another religion. Persecution has been especially harsh for Christians of the Hre, Bahnar and Hmong minority groups. Thirty-year-old house church evangelist Nguyen Van Hoang was arrested on September 17, 1999. He had previously been detained for nine months and subjected to beatings and confined to a dark cell.
   
8. TURKMENISTAN - All religious groups under 500 members are required to register, limiting religious activities to only the Orthodox church and Sunni Muslims. Evangelism and conversion is strictly forbidden. On August 4, 1999, Shagildy Atakov of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Turkmenbashi was arrested on false charges following his conversion to Christianity. He was beaten, fined $12,000, an amount impossible to pay, and sentenced to four years in a labor camp.
   
9. INDIA - The rise in Hindu nationalism has resulted in over 100 acts of violence against Christians since June 1998. This is more than all the years combined since India's independence 50 years ago. The escalation of persecution against Christians made headlines after Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were mercilessly burned alive. Last year many Christian churches were destroyed. Several nuns have been brutally raped and Christian schools attacked. In September, Catholic priest Father Arul Doss was killed by a gang armed with bows and arrows.
   
10. EGYPT - Conversion of Christian girls to Islam is often coerced. Poor Christians are offered incentives to convert. One Egyptian organization claims that it has documented 218 cases of abduction. Muslims, however, are forbidden to become Christians. Churches can not be built or repaired without special permission, but the construction of new mosques continues to flourish.
    

11. ---

PRAY FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA

Chinese Christians suffer stiff prison sentences because they refuse to join the repressive state-controlled church. House church leaders are labeled as "criminals" simply because they encourage prayer and Bible study in private homes. In recent months, more than 200 Christians have been imprisoned, fined or had property confiscated. Photo:  Pastor Zhang Rongliang

RECENT PERSECUTION

• August 23, 1999 - Zhang Rongliang and 30 other house church leaders were arrested in Henan province.
• August 18, 1999 - Chao Dexin and seven others who met in his home in Wu Gang city in Henan province were arrested and sent to labor camps for holding an illegal religious meeting.
• May 13, 1999 - Yan Weiping, a 33 year old priest for the underground Catholic church was arrested during a raid on a house in Beijing. Several hours later, his dead body was found dumped in a street. Other priests have been tortured including Wang Qing from Hebei Province who was beaten, hung by his hands for three days, and fed a dirty liquid causing an intestinal illness.
• April 25, 1999 - Police raided a rural church service in central Henan Province. 25 Christians were arrested. All Bibles and literature were confiscated. This was the fifth raid on house church meetings in Henan since October.
• January 25, 1999 - Catholic Fathers Pei Junchao and Chen Hekun were arrested in Hebei Province for illegal religious activities.
• January 20, 1999 - 46 Protestants and Catholics (including one pastor and 2 priests) were arrested in Henan province for participating in illegal worship services. Some were said to have suffered various forms of torture and abuse.
• Christmas Day, 1998 - Catholics in Nanguan Machi Village were arrested and fined 60-$120 for holding a Christmas worship service in a vegetable shed.
• Christmas Eve, 1998 - Three Catholic leaders and a 12 year old girl were detained in Hebei Province and beaten with electric batons for holding an illegal Christmas Eve service. Injuries sustained caused the need for hospitalization.
  

PRAY FOR THE CHURCH IN SUDAN

Sudanese Children

The Christians in Sudan continue to be the victims of the National Islamic Front (NIF), the radical Islamic regime in Khartoum that has committed some of the most savage acts of terrorism of this century. Since the civil war began in 1989, each passing year brings increasing hardships. The inhumane treatment against Christians and other non Muslims has resulted in repeated atrocities, including: the use of chemical weapons against civilians, the vicious slaughter of entire villages, the forced relocation of tens of thousands to concentration camps called "peace villages," the capturing and enslaving of children, the raping of women, the withholding of food as a weapon, and forced conversions to Islam.

One of the least publicized atrocities of our time is the enslavement of thousands of Sudanese women and children. Although the practice of slavery has been taking place for centuries in Sudan, the NIF is using slavery as a war strategy. Once captured, the slaves are forced to embrace Islam, receive Muslim names, and serve their Arab masters. Many of the boys are forced to fight in battle against their own people.

In the Nuba Mountains of central Sudan, 172,000 hard-working Nuba people have been forced from their farms into 72 "peace camps." The Nuba people are plagued by slavery, rape and starvation because of military campaigns against them.

Little effort has been made by western governments to end the systematic genocide. The United States and other western leaders are possibly intimidated by Muslim leaders who accuse the United States of being hostile toward Muslims. Even Louis Farrakhan, the Afro-American leader of the Nation of Islam, refuses to condemn Sudan's atrocities and instead serves as a publicist for the brutal regime.

Despite the extreme hardships of the Sudanese Christians, the church is growing stronger in number and in faith. A revival is spreading throughout Sudan, with many Muslims coming to Christ. Once again, God allows persecution to refine His church.

For additional information on the International Day of Prayer, visit the official International Day of Prayer web site at http://www.persecutedchurch.org/

Posted:  October 16, 1999

Other information on: 
International Day of Prayer 2002 
International Day of Prayer 2001 
International Day of Prayer 2000 
International Day of Prayer 1999 
International Day of Prayer 1998