Theology Thursday: Praying for the persecuted church

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
The apostle Paul writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Those words feel especially heavy as we learn of the sobering realities regarding the global church described in the ACN International Religious Freedom in the World 2025 report. For millions of Christians, faithfulness to Christ comes at a profound cost.
 
The main findings in the report include:

• Nearly two-thirds of humanity - more than 5.4 billion people - live in countries where serious religious freedom oppression is a regular occurrence.  
• 24 countries are ranked in the worst category - persecution (i.e. China, India, Nigeria, and North Korea). In 75 percent of these countries (18 out of these 24), the situation has worsened in recent years. 
• 38 countries are categorized as experiencing religious discrimination, potentially affecting more than 1.3 billion people —17.3 percent of the world’s population.

Statistics are one thing, but every number represents a name, a face, a story. A family worshiping in secret. A pastor imprisoned for preaching the gospel. A believer choosing faithfulness over safety. These are not just data on a page, they are members of the family of God - our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Scripture never promises that following Jesus will be easy. In fact, Jesus tells us plainly, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Yet he speaks those words alongside a deeper promise: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” The suffering of the global church does not mean God is absent. It means the gospel is alive, powerful, and often resisted.

The report reminds us that authoritarian governments, religious nationalism, and extremist violence increasingly shape our world. These forces seek to control belief, silence witness, and redefine truth. But they are not new. From Pharaoh to Caesar, from prison cells to catacombs, God’s people have always lived under pressure—and the church has often grown strongest there.

For those of us who worship freely, these realities should move us to humility and responsibility. We are called not only to gratitude, but to intercession. Hebrews (13:3) urges us to “remember those in prison as if you were together with them.” Prayer for those facing persecution for the crime of following Jesus is a holy act of solidarity. When we pray, we stand beside battered believers and declare that their suffering is not forgotten, nor is it in vain.

It is also important to remember that the religious freedom we enjoy in America is not guaranteed forever, and we should not take it for granted. The faith we hold lightly today may require deeper conviction tomorrow. The witness of persecuted Christians calls us to ask: Do we know what we believe—and why? And do we have the courage to stand by our faith when it is challenged, even threatened?

Even in the darkest places, Christ is present. His church endures. His kingdom advances, often unseen. And one day, every nation, tribe, and tongue will stand together before the throne of God.

Until that day, may we pray faithfully, live boldly, and love the global body of Christ as our own.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.