MINORITY CHURCHES—PERSECUTED BUT INDESTRUCTIBLE

Today, an estimated 200 to 300 million Christians worldwide face persecution for their faith*.  

History of Suffering 

The history of God’s people is a story of suffering of the righteous at the hands of the wicked from Abel to Zechariah (Lk. 11:51). The Son of God Himself was crucified by the Romans under pressure from religious leaders. The honor roll of the persecuted extends from the Stephens and Polycarps of the Early Church to the Husses and Tyndales and down through the ages.  

It is divine grace that enables God’s people to endure hardship and persevere in injustice. God has promised that if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him in glory. (2 Tim. 2:11-12) 

Among the global Christian population, Christians in Muslim majority countries come under the most pressure.  

Christians in Muslim Majority Countries 

There are 44 Muslim majority countries from North Africa across the Middle East to Asia. In 38 of them, Christians are the largest religious minority. At around 56 million, they represent 2.6% of the total global Christian population.  

The hostilities that Christians in Muslim majority countries face include active persecution, systemic discrimination, and public passivity.  

Active Persecution 

The most severe form of repression is usually perpetrated by governments. In Iran, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, there were only a few hundred Christians. For forty some years, church leaders have been arrested, imprisoned, even sentenced to death under charges of apostasy and espionage.  

But today Iran has one of the fastest-growing churches in the world with over one million Muslim background believers (MBBs). Neighboring Afghanistan too has seen rapid church growth because of the influence of Iranian Christians, whose similar language and culture became a bridge for the spread of the gospel†.   

Systemic Discrimination 

Hostile governments use a wide range of policies to restrict the freedoms of Christians. These include the stripping of constitutional protection for freedom of religion, limitations or prohibitions on public preaching and the publication and distribution of religious literature. Employment and building permits can be denied, education and medical care too. Personal properties are confiscated, and arrests made for women wearing the wrong clothing. Mob violence, vandalism of Christian graves, and honor killings are not uncommon. Crimes against Christians are seldom prosecuted. Missionaries are banned and aid from foreign Christian sources is illegal.  

In recent years, many countries previously more habitable for Christians have become increasingly restrictive. The authorities regularly fine, threaten, detain, and shut down unregistered religious institutions. The process for religious organizations to register is so arduous and government protection so unreliable that religious groups often give up trying, thus rendering them illegal. Moreover, even registered groups are known to have been fined and raided. Now, AI is being employed for more surveillance and control.  

Public Passivity 

The public in Muslim majority countries passively condone existing discriminatory policies against Christians. On average, 64% of the population in Muslim majority countries favor making Sharia the law of the land. 43% believe that Sharia should apply to all citizens, even non-Muslims‡ . Some even support the death penalty for conversion to Christianity.  

 In Muslim majority countries, being a Christ follower comes at great cost.  Persecution could come from the local community, political leaders, government agencies, and businesses, and they tend to reinforce one another, with ostracism, mob attacks, jailing, beatings, or intentional destruction of businesses or dwellings. To survive in these anti-Christian environments, it is important for Muslim background believers to have a trade or a skill to support themselves. 

A Lesson from India 

Northeast India was once called “the graveyard of missions”. It is historically rich but spiritually dark.  Buddhism, Yoga and Jainism all originated here. The people are extremely poor and hostile to outsiders.  However, beginning in the 90s, the church has grown to over 10 million strong.  

Still, Christians are a persecuted minority. How do their leaders equip them to face hostilities? 

The workers who pioneered the movement there shared in a Lausanne article: “We do not pray persecution will go away. It pushes us to live a God-centered life and represent the kingdom well§.” Furthermore, to sustain the movement among the believers, they focused on raising up local leadership with a culture of empowerment rather than dependency on outside help. They also encouraged local leaders to be bi-vocational, i.e. to ply a trade in accordance with their skills while they serve the church.  

* International Christian Concern Nov 2023 Annual Report. 
† International Christian Concern, July 20, 2023 https://www.persecution.org/2023/07/20/the-worlds-fastest-growing-church/  
‡ Ibid. 
§ “Multiplying Disciples in the Graveyard if Missions”, Victor John & Dave Coles, March, 2022
https://lausanne.org/global-analysis/multiplying-disciples-in-the-graveyard-of-missions