10 life-changing moments from the persecuted church in 2015

We asked our CEO, Mike, to tell us what has challenged or encouraged him in his faith this year. These were his answers…

1. Indonesia: ‘We will not stop hunting Christians’

‘We will not stop hunting Christians’ – these have to be some of the most chilling words I heard from last year, words used by extremists after they had burnt this church down. This image really brings to life the reality of persecution in Indonesia. It’s an image that for me really conveys stress, anxiety, pressure and fear.

2. Egypt: 21 Christians killed, Believers respond with love

My daughter was born in this tent…

My daughter was born in this tent and died in it.

You did not get the chance to meet her. If you had met the beautiful Arwa, you would have certainly loved her. I do not have a picture of her. My daughter came into this world and left it without a single picture taken. The world does not know of her existence in the first place.

All of us, we Syrians, have become numbers, numbers that decrease or increase. When the storm came that took her the number decreased.

We tried. We tried a lot to warm her up. I begged for a cover to protect her from the heavy showers, or a small blanket to prevent the cold from seeping into her body. No one cared. She was four months at the time, and her frail body could not bear the cold.

6 Ways We are Helping in Syria

Working in over 60 countries worldwide, Open Doors runs hundreds of programs, projects and training events. Here are just 6 of the ways Open Doors is providing for the needs of over 9,000 families in Syria.

Walk to Water – and support the persecuted church!

In Africa, there are Christian communities that are denied access to daily essentials, such as safe drinking water, healthcare, education and work. For seven years, Open Doors has been running ‘Walk to Water’, an event aimed at raising awareness and funds to strengthen the church in Africa. We do this by providing necessities such as safe drinking water, infrastructure, healthcare, education, vocational training, and micro-loans.

Walk to Water and support Christians in Africa

Business Training course

Livelihood support

Christians also face the threat of extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and al-Shabaab.