At least 360 million Christians are facing persecution and discrimination – that’s one in every seven Christians on the planet.
Across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, millions of Christians risk everything, simply because they choose to believe. But, despite the risks, many are bravely still trying to shine
God’s love.
Our relationship with Jesus connects us to these millions of believers around the world. We share the same heartbeat. Together, we are God’s Church, all seeking to show the love we’ve received to the world around us. And when one part of the body suffers, we all do.
The world watch list for 2023 lists the places where faith in Jesus really costs; places where being known as a Christian could mean being cut off from family, shunned by community, facing an unjust prison sentence or being on the end of violent attacks.
This year, North Korea is once again at the top of the list. This is a place where merely having a Bible in your possession is enough to earn you a lengthy prison sentence in a labour camp. Afghanistan has dropped to 9th place.
And yet this is the testimony of one believer there. “The Taliban are conducting a door-to-door search to find us. God alone knows who has informed them about the whereabouts and identities of the believers. If they find us, they kill believers on the spot.”
The top 10 countries are now
- North Korea
- Somalia
- Yemen
- Eritrea
- Libya
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Iran
- Afghanistan
- Sudan
Around the world, 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith last year. That’s approximately 15 a day.