This year’s turnout at the World Watch List launch saw more than 90 MPs attend. All those in attendance heard from persecuted Christians from North Korea, East Africa and India.
At the event, hosted by the Rt Hon. Stephen Timms MP, MPs, including Steve Brine, and parliamentarians heard from persecuted believers from North Korea, Africa and India. Timms opened by thanking supporters for continuing to invite their MPs to the launch. He also paid tribute to Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors, who passed away last year at the age of 94.
Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, started the launch by reminding MPs of the intensifying persecution of Christians across the world. “Since 1993, both the intensity and spread of persecution of Christians worldwide has dramatically increased. In the past 30 years, the number of countries in which Christians face high to extreme levels of persecution has nearly doubled from 40 countries to 76.
“There is no question that life is becoming more difficult for Christians in many countries,” she continued, “and yet, against all the odds, faith continues to grow when people are forced to choose between Jesus and the death of all they hold dear. Sustained pressure is refining the church.”
Henrietta finished by asking the UK government to ‘ensure that the role of Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief becomes permanently established in statute’ – a role that is currently held by Fiona Bruce MP, who also attended the launch.
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