The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) General Assembly held in Seoul on Tuesday (October 28) drew attention to one of the most somber realities facing the global church, with Open Doors International President Joshua Williams issuing an urgent appeal for prayer, repentance and solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world.
Williams, director of Africa Services for Open Doors, shared heartbreaking testimonies of believers enduring violence and displacement in areas where faith in Christ has taken a devastating toll.
Referring to a previous panel on the specific effects of persecution on women, she detailed the experiences of women and girls who have been exposed to repeated violence in conflict zones. “It’s horror and hell,” he said. “You can’t even imagine what these girls and women go through when their villages and families attack them, lock them up, and rape them over and over again.”
Williams said such survivors often return home facing rejection. “Then let’s talk about stigma,” he said. “Then they come back and give birth to Boko Haram babies, and those children grow up as Boko Haram babies.”
“But I also want to say that these women deserve the highest respect. They are warriors of faith.”
He said persecution and conflict were widespread. “This isn’t happening in some corner,” he says. “It’s happening from Somalia to the west coast of Africa to Asia and so many countries.”
Williams called for caution with global statistics. Referring to 2024 data, he said: “35 of the conflicts are in Africa. This is one of 121 conflicts recorded in 2024 alone. More than 55 countries are affected worldwide. More than 45 million people are displaced in Africa alone.”
He added that “approximately 21 million people will be displaced worldwide in 2024” and stressed that while the world is focused on conflicts such as Gaza and Ukraine, “there are more than 121 global crises.”
Of the African conflicts, he said, “of the 45 million people displaced, 16 million are Christians. 16 million of our brothers and sisters are living in the most horrifying realities, the largest proportion of whom are women, girls and young people.”
Williams cited the story of Cain and Abel to illustrate our responsibility before God. “When Abel was killed by his brother, God came to hold Abel accountable for his life,” he said. “‘Where is your brother Abel? His blood is crying out to me.'”
He related this to today’s suffering, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of blood are crying out to God all over the world. One wonders where is the church? Where are God’s people?”
He said the appropriate response begins with repentance. “Nehemiah wept before God when he heard what the nation of Israel was like in the days of the city of Jerusalem,” Williams said. “He went into a state of repentance and confessed. He cried out to God. He confessed the sins of his family, he confessed the sins of his people, his community, his nation. So was Ezra, a man of God.”
Quoting Ezra 9, he said, “When he heard the news of the unfaithfulness of God’s people, (he) tore his clothes, and washed himself before God, and was smitten. And when he began to pray, he prayed this prayer in Israel. He said, ‘I am ashamed to lift up my head to you, for our sins are higher than our heads.'”
“I pray for a restoration of repentance in the church and in our people,” Williams said. “Otherwise, this person does not go out except for prayer and fasting.”
He added that the church in Africa, in collaboration with partners such as Open Doors, has launched an initiative called Africa Arise, which calls on believers to pray for Christians suffering from persecution. “We are calling on the people of God in the world, in Africa and everywhere to rise up to pray for our brothers not only in Africa but in more than 55 countries around the world,” he said. “Don’t talk about it, bury it under the cushion. Don’t talk about it as if it will go away on its own.”
Despite the harsh reality, Williams ended on a hopeful note, quoting Jesus’ words from Matthew 16:18. “Despite all these difficulties, I will build my church. Praise the Lord!” he said.
