Open Doors

Open Doors in one of the charities that we support with a portion of our church giving - weblink to Open Doors.

Open Doors originated in 1955, when a young Dutchman started smuggling Bibles to the persecuted church in Communist Europe. He became known as Brother Andrew, and his work led to more than six decades of support for the persecuted church.

Every year we support Barnabas Aid in their Suffering Church Action and Awareness Week (SCAAW) and Open Doors in their International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDoP). And every year we send at least one representative to the Open Doors 'Standing Strong' event in Birmingham.

World Watch List
More than 365 million Christians worldwide face persecution and discrimination for their faith – that’s a staggering one in seven believers - in over 70 countries.

Each year Open Doors updates its World Watch List ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Follow the link to explore the country profiles to find information, stories and prayers for each of the countries, along with ways that we can stand with our persecuted church family in prayer and action. 

There are 335 new MPs in the UK. We need to ensure every MP hears directly from the persecuted church, so the crisis of Christian persecution remains a priority for the UK government. We have the power to make sure the voices of the persecuted church are heard where it matters most - right at the heart of Parliament. By inviting our MP, Harriett Baldwin,  to the World Watch List 2025 launch on Wednesday 15 January 2025, we will be playing a key role in raising awareness and encouraging action.

ARISE AFRICA
Millions of Christians face violent persecution for their faith in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Open Doors World Watch List research, over 90% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in sub-Saharan Africa, and the number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa recording extremely high levels of violence against Christians rose from 13 to 15 from the previous year. According to Open Doors research, 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are displaced by violence and conflict. This rising violence is being driven largely by Islamic extremists taking advantage of political instability in the region.

In response, the African church is calling for their brothers and sisters around the world to join them in the Arise Africa campaign. It aims to see that the global community acknowledges and acts against extreme violence and supports the church to persevere – and to be resilient, resourceful and influential. 

The African church is asking you to stand with them against violent persecution. Add your name to the on-line petition today to stop the violence and start the healing.