As pastors speak and pray with their congregations, they say they’re also keeping persecuted Christians around the world in mind.
More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (93%) say their church has engaged in at least one of six ways to bring attention to Christians suffering persecution within the past year, according to a Lifeway Research study. Around 1 in 14 (7%) say they haven’t done any of those six, and less than 1% aren’t sure.
“The United States has extensive freedom for people to practice their faith without fear of retribution,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Despite the distance from persecution, pastors and churches are not ignoring the persecution Christians are experiencing throughout the world.”
Prayers for the persecuted
Praying isn’t all churches are doing for global persecuted Christians, but it is what the most congregations are doing. More than 5 in 6 pastors say they have encouraged their congregation to pray (86%) or prayed in a worship service (85%) for persecuted Christians worldwide within the past 12 months.
“While persecuted Christians may be hard to reach, churches are bringing requests to God on their behalf,” said McConnell.
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Evangelical pastors are more likely than their mainline counterparts to include prayer as part of their churches’ response to persecution. Compared to mainline pastors, evangelical pastors are more likely to say they have encouraged their congregation to pray for persecuted Christians worldwide (92% v. 80%) and have prayed in a worship service for Christians suffering persecution (89% v. 79%).
Pastors in the South are among the most likely to have encouraged their congregation to pray (89%) and to have done so during a worship service (88%). Those in the Northeast are among the least likely to encourage prayer (80%) and pray during a service (78%) for persecuted Christians.
Denominationally, Presbyterian/Reformed pastors are among the least likely to have encouraged their congregation to pray for Christians experiencing persecution around the world (75%) and prayed specifically for those persecuted during a service (72%).
Other means of ministry
Most pastors have used their sermons as an opportunity to bring up the topic of persecution, but fewer have gone beyond that. Two in 3 (66%) have talked about modern persecuted believers from around the world in a sermon.
Pastors are less likely to say they’ve handed out information about persecuted Christians (31%). Even fewer had an event to bring awareness of Christian persecution (17%) or showed a video during a worship service about persecuted Christians (16%).
“Examples and stories of newly persecuted Christians worldwide are readily accessible, and most pastors are sharing this news in sermons at least annually. Whether pastors are preaching from Bible passages that include persecution or those that promise Christians will face persecution, today’s global persecution is relevant to today’s biblical teaching,” said McConnell.
As with prayer, evangelical pastors are frequently more likely to be involved in other ways of raising awareness for Christians suffering persecution.
They are more likely than mainline pastors to have talked about modern persecuted Christians in a sermon (75% v. 53%), handed out information about the issue (36% v. 24%) and shown a video about the persecution of Christians worldwide (22% v. 9%).
Pastors at larger churches are among the most likely to have included something about modern persecuted Christians worldwide in a sermon in the past year.
Further, pastors at churches with 100-249 attendees (75%) and those with 250 or more (74%) are more likely than those with fewer than 50 (59%) to have broached the subject in a sermon. Pastors of the smallest congregations are also the least likely to have shown a video (10%).
Additionally, Pentecostal (82%), Baptist (74%), non-denominational (72%) and Restorationist movement (70%) pastors are more likely than Lutheran (56%) and Presbyterian/Reformed (47%) pastors to have mentioned modern global persecution in a sermon.
Non-denominational (39%) and Baptist (33%) pastors are more likely than Presbyterian/Reformed (23%) and Restorationist movement (20%) pastors to say they handed out information about persecuted Christians in the past year. Non-denominational pastors are among the most likely to have had an event focused on the issue (27%). Lutherans are the least likely to have shown a video about persecution (4%).
Pastors 65 and older are among the most likely to say they have handed out information about persecuted Christians (37%) or hosted a related event (23%).
“Pastors are quick to say they are praying for persecuted Christians, but remembering them with other emphases or events is much less common,” said McConnell.
Aaron Earls is a senior writer at Lifeway Research.
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6 Responses
Honestly, asking to only pray for our family members going through things that are unimaginable to most of us is still a big step up in the last several decades, I think. I’m not basing this on empirical research but admittedly, my anecdotal observations. For those of us who can we could give a small amount of money each month. I encourage people to research a couple of the organizations that seem to do a great job at ministering to the persecuted. Thank you for having so many stories about this.
I wonder how many pastors warn their congregations that raising funds for the persecuted is a favorite strategy for scammers and con-artists? There is no accountability anywhere when this goes on, just what the liars love. Much was given to Voice of the Martyrs and Gospel for Asia, both huge frauds because, of course, easy money to get. Pull on the heartstrings with sad stories and claim funds will go to good use instead of Panama. Buyers beware.
There is accountability for organizations that truly care. You can look at their financials. Who is gonna help the believers who are raped, tortured, imprisoned and driven out of their homes just for declaring Christ as Savior. I do not see any secular or religious rights organizations stepping up to the plate.
The money gets spent overseas, and it is top secret. So no there is absolutely no real accountability. You are missing my point as I have blown whistles on both orgs I mentioned. And Jesus said this, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
What these orgs are doing is the reverse of Jesus words. They are telling us that these people are cursed and that we need to help them by GIVING US YOUR MAMMON! Trust us for WE ARE NOT CONMEN! Yet there is nothing we can do really other than pray. And you can shill for them all you want, but you cannot prove that this money is not going to buy these guys luxury items. What you have stated are bold face lies and I suggest you look long and hard at that. There is no proof about these funds really go to help anyone, for I have seen it first hand at Voice of the (child) Molesters.
There is more human trafficking going on than any time in history. Christians are murdered and driven out of communities. Remember that the Risen Lord chastised Saul for persecuting Him when he was hunting down Christians. These are our brothers and sisters in the Lord and surely we can do better than talking about prayer on occasion. A believer has to take it upon themselves to find noteworthy organizations to support. You can find their financials and choose an honest organization. I support one where I can read on an app. The issue is that it is a brutal world for Christians in Hindu, Muslim, totalitarian and atheistic regimes. Many children and women suffer horrendous conditions and are often sold into slavery. I encourage believers to get out of their bubble and support the Body of Christ.
Again, I have worked as an accountant for a Christian International ministry. Books can be faked very easily. And I went through an ECFA audit there too. Nothing in that that proves that once the funds went overseas that they actually got spent in accordance to what projects they were given to. It did not even prove that our records were clean, 10 items selected out of thousands of individual line items. Again, a fool and his money are soon parted. And this ignores common sense for when something is done it can certainly provoke those who do persecute to anger, and so things get worse all because of our Mammon and letter writing projects.