To Whom It May Concern

They’ve harmed no-one, nor committed any actual crimes. Yet each
day over 200 million Christ-followers in dozens of countries risk being
beaten, raped, imprisoned or even killed simply because they dare to
follow Christ. With the Gospel spreading into more of the world than
ever before, persecution is at its worst in history. In fact, more
Christians have been martyred for their faith in this century than in
the 19 prior centuries combined. As a family of believers, we cannot
look the other way. The persecution of Christians is the number one
human rights issue of our time but is anyone aware of this? Does anyone
care?

In August of this year:

Two Egyptian Christians were murdered in the village of El-Koshesh.
Also, over 1,000 Christians were rounded-up by the police and
interrorgated via torture sessions in order to extract false
confessions. Churches have been closed around Laos and Vietnam and
Christians have been sent to prison for "re-education".

In Pakistan, the nation’s civil legal system is being replaced with
Islamic law, while blasphemy laws make it virtually impossible for
Christians and other non-Muslims to defend themselves against charges of
blasphemy which require the death penalty.

In Sudan, leading relief and development organizations state that
2.5 million persons face death by starvation as the radical Islamic
government of Khartoum continues their barbaric campaign of death and
slaughter against the largely Christian South.

These are but a few of the reports published regularly detailing
what Christians face in over 50 nations worldwide according to a 1997
USA State Department Report. When faced with these true stories how do
you react? It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed and decide that
someone else with greater knowledge, power or resources will meet the
challenge in confronting these gross violations against Christian family
members. But if you rightly understand these persons to be your
brothers and sistes, can you so easily distance yourself? It is time to
shatter the silence surrounding the issue of Christian persecution! On
Sunday, November 15, in over 100,000 churches across the USA and in 130
nations worldwide, Christians will be coming together to celebrate the
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and to pray for
those who share our faith, but not our freedom. Will your church be one
of them? Now is the time to educate our churches and ourselves
concerning the extent of the suffering our brothers and sisters endure
around the world. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do
something. The results of our combined efforts have made and will make
a difference.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) was
initiated by the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF) in 1996. Prayer for
the Persecuted Church works alongside WEF and other Christian freedom
organizations in directing the historic prayer event internationally.
The call to pray for the persecuted is for everyone, regardless of his
or her denominational affiliation or size. In part, it is the power of
this gathered witness that is serving to point people to Jesus Christ,
as only God Himself could bring such a diverse group of people together
to pray and take action on a subject so close to His heart.

I’d like to suggest three very specific steps we can all take in
joining a movement of prayer and advocacy that is especially critical at
this hour:

1.
Please forward this message to every Christian in your
personal electronic mailing list. If we are all diligent to do this in
a few weeks a wake-up call will reach every Christian and concerned
individual with the means to receive electronic mail.

2.
Pray, pray, pray! Pray not only on November 15, but also
daily as we consider the plight of the Christian family members under
siege all over the world. Pray for their release, their protection,
their encouragement and their families. Pray for the persecutors as
they too are precious to God. Pray against the enemy of souls, the true
enemy.

3.
Kindly but firmly inform your pastor, your church’s prayer
ministry and friends and family members about the present situation
faced by millions of believers worldwide. Ask them to be involved on
November 15 and beyond. Information on the persecuted church can easily
be obtained from: http://www.persecutedchurch.org/

At this website you will be able to gain updated news stories on the
persecuted church worldwide, 10 country biographies on IDOP highlighted
nations for 1998, a photo gallery of Christians persecuted for their
faith, daily prayer points, a listing of religious freedom organizations
(hyper-linked) and an opportunity to obtain resources for church and
personal use.

Thank you for taking time to consider this critical request,

Steve Haas,
2025 South Arlington Heights, Suite 113, Arlington
Heights, Il 60005
Tel:847/718-0560

List of some of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted
Church Board of Advisors:

Charles Colson,
Honorary Chairman, President, Prison Fellowship
International

Dr. M. Craig Barnes
Sr. Pastor, National Presbyterian Church
(PCUSA)

Rev. Ronald Black
Executive Director, General Association of
General Baptists

Dr. William Bright
President, Campus Crusade for Christ
International

Dr. Clive R. Calver
President, World Relief Corporation

Dr. Anthony Campolo
Professor, Eastern College

Paul Cedar
President, Mission America

Johan Campanjen
International Director, Open Doors

Dwight Gibson
N.American Director, World Evangelical Fellowship

Gary A. Haugen
President, International Justice Mission

Jim Jacobson
Director, Christian Freedom International

Nagi Kheir
Director, American Coptic Association

Dr. Richard Land
President, Ethical & Religious Liberty
Commission of the Southern Baptist Conv.

Dr. Duane Litfin
President, Wheaton College

Daniel R. Lockwood
President, Multnomal Bible College & Seminary

Dr. Richard Mouw
President, Fuller Seminary

Commander Robert Watson
Salvation Army

Tom White
Executive Director, The Voice of Martyrs