14 mins
Number of Christians facing persecution increases
OVER 300 million Christians worldwide are facing high or extreme levels of persecution for their faith, according to the charity Open Doors.
Christians announced the finding as it released this year’s World Watch List, its annual ranking of the 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.
It estimates that this year there are 260 million Christians in the 50 countries on the list (an increase of 15 million from last year) and a further 50 million in 23 countries outside the top 50 facing high levels of persecution.
The list is based on an analysis of faith-based persecution in five spheres of life, from private life to national laws, and the scale of violence Christians face.
North Korea remains at number one, as it has been since the list was started in 2002. Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, Iran and India make up the rest of the top ten. Countries which have risen sharply include China (at 23), where churches are pressured and monitored by the state; Burkina Faso (28), where there have been radical Islamic attacks on churches, Christian schools and health centres; and Sri Lanka (30), where more than 250 people were killed in church attacks on Easter Sunday 2019.
Other key findings include the growth of digital persecution, particularly in China where authorities are using artificial intelligence and biometric measurement to increase their surveillance and control of
However, fewer Christians were killed for their faith in 2019 than in either of the previous two years, largely due to fewer murders in Nigeria. And the Open Doors report highlights hopeful signs in Sudan, thanks to the ousting of President Omar Al-Bashir, and Iraq, where over 1000 Christian families have been able to return to the Nineveh plain after Islamic State was driven out. religious believers; the expansion of Islamic extremism in sub-Saharan Africa; and the continued shrinkage of Christianity in its place of birth, the Middle East. 40,000 or more Christians were directly affected by the Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria from October.
Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said: “People often suggest that the world has become a less tolerant place - especially for those who don’t ‘fit in’: who aren’t the ‘right’ race or creed. And you can see that trend in these latest figures too: yet again this year the number of Christians facing persecution has gone up as the trend continues upwards.
“Persecution can come in many forms: from discrimination at work, to forced marriage, to imprisonment and execution. It can come from governments and militant terrorist groups. However, it can also come from a family member killing you for converting and bringing dishonour on the family in Malaysia or reporting you to the authorities for owning a Bible in North Korea.
“Hundreds of millions of Christians are affected by this intolerance and they simply don’t feel safe practising their faith.
Persecution can come in many forms: from discrimination at work, to forced marriage, to imprisonment and execution. It can come from governments and militant terrorist groups. However, it can also come from a family member killing you for converting and bringing dishonour on the family in Malaysia or reporting you to the authorities for owning a Bible in North Korea
“If we want the world to be a more tolerant, inclusive place, we simply can’t ignore the plight of these men, women and children. Whether we have a faith or not, this is about a fundamental human right being restricted. Ultimately, erosion of rights like these affects all of us.”
The full report is available on the Open Doors UK website, www.opendoorsuk.org
MODERATOR’S CALLTO ‘STAND TOGETHER’ AGAINST HATE
People need to “stand together” more than ever to tackle increasing division in society, the Moderatorof the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has said.
The Rt Rev Colin Sinclair made the remarks on January 20 at a Council of Christians and Jews reception at the House of Lords to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The day, marked on January 27, remembers the six million Jews murdered during the Second World War and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution, and in genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camps in Nazi occupied Poland and the 25 th anniversary of the Bosnian genocide.
Mr Sinclair, an honorary president of the Council of Christians and Jews, said: “Today there is increasing division in communities across the UK and the world.
“Now more than everwe need to stand togetherwith others in our communities in order to stop division and the spread of identity based hostility in our society.
“Everyone can take some action, by using our voices, presence, platform or influence.
“We need to challenge a hostile culture, speak out against persecution and stand together against rising division and hate.”
GAELIC MINISTRY CALL
An appeal has been made for Gaelic speakers to consider whether they are being called to preach in the language. The call comes as new resources are being developed to support Gaelic worship in the Church of Scotland, which is under pressure because of a shortage of Gaelicspeaking ministers.
Duncan Sneddon, the Church’s Gaelic Development Officer, said: “We want to do what we can to support Gaelic services in the Kirk, and there are some really encouraging developments happening in different places, including in some places wanting to hold Gaelic services again after not having them for some time. Meeting that desire for growth, and maintaining Gaelic provision in areas where it’s already in place, means we need to train more people who are able to preach, and who have the confidence to do so.
“That doesn’t just mean ministers-it can be elders, readers, OLMs, or others.
We know that some people lack confidence in their fluency in Gaelic, while others might have perfectly fluent Gaelic but maybe aren’t quite so confident in the register of the language used in church. We want to be able to support them and develop their capacity and confidence to preach and lead worship. Ifyou think that God might be calling you, or someone you know, to preach the Gospel in Gaelic, but need a bit of extra support then please get in touch, because we’re trying to develop resources and support for exactly that.”
Duncan can be contacted on sneddon. duncana)gmail.com
TRIBUTES TO GRAHAM MAULE
Tributes have been paid to the musician, worship leader and artist Graham Maule, who died on December 29, aged 61, after a short illness.
Graham was a founding member of the Wild Goose Resource Group of the Iona Community, and best known for his prolific lifelong collaboration with John Bell, whom he met at a meeting for youth workers in Glasgow in the late 1970s. Together they wrote hundreds of hymns (ofwhich 23 are in the Church ofScotland Hymnary, CH4) and were known forwhat one tribute called ‘unconventional and groundbreaking worship’.
Giving the tribute at the funeral in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow, the Rev Dr Neil Dougall described him as ‘argumentative’, ‘strong-minded’, ‘thrawn’, ‘single-minded to an unimaginable degree’, ‘unique’ and ‘deeply lovely’.
Offerings in his memory will be divided between Wild Goose and Campaign Against Arms Trade. Ifyou would like to make a contribution, cheques should be made payable to The Iona Community and sent to WGRG,The Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow G5 9JP
Tributes have been paid to the musician, worship leader and artist Graham Maule, who died on December 29, aged 61, after a short illness. Graham was a founding member of the Wild Goose Resource Group of the Iona Community, and best known for his prolific lifelong collaboration with John Bell, whom he met at a meeting for youth workers in Glasgow in the late 1970s. Together they wrote hundreds of hymns (ofwhich 23 are in the Church ofScotland Hymnary, CH4) and were known forwhat one tribute called ‘unconventional and groundbreaking worship’. Giving the tribute at the funeral in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow, the Rev Dr Neil Dougall described him as ‘argumentative’, ‘strong-minded’, ‘thrawn’, ‘single-minded to an unimaginable degree’, ‘unique’ and ‘deeply lovely’. Offerings in his memory will be divided between Wild Goose and Campaign Against Arms Trade. Ifyou would like to make a contribution, cheques should be made payable to The Iona Community and sent to WGRG,The Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow G5 9JP
COUNTING THE COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Extreme weather, driven by climate change, hit every populated continent in 2019, killing, injuring and displacing millions and causing billions of dollars of economic damage, according to a new report by Christian Aid.
‘Counting the Cost 2019: a Year of Climate Breakdown’ identifies 15 of the most destructive droughts, floods, fires, typhoons and cyclones of 2019, each of which caused damage of over $1 billion. Seven of the events cost more than $10 billion each.
All of these disasters are linked with human-caused climate change, either because scientific studies have shown that climate change made the particular event more likely or stronger (for example, cyclones or flooding) or because the event was the result of shifts in weather patterns - like higher temperatures and reduced rainfall that made fires more likely or warmer water temperatures that supercharged tropical storms - that are themselves consequences of climate change. links and establishing a relationship, it becomes far easier to view your MP as a person, who may have differing opinions to your own, but in the vast majority of cases desires to make their part of the world a better place. How this can be done is likely to be a conversation worth having. “After the General Election in December, SCPO sent a letter of congratulations to each of the 59 Scottish MPs, affirming that churches are committed to the wellbeing of the people that live within our communities. We should be involved in the decisions that affect their everyday lives - and this is not an opportunity that only comes around every four years. “Churches across Scotland have
The most financially costly disasters identified by the report were wildfires in California, which caused $25 billion in damage, followed by Typhoon Hagibis in Japan ($15bn) and floods in the American mid-west ($12.5bn) and China ($12bn). The events with the greatest loss of life were floods in Northern India which killed 1,900 and Cyclone Idai which killed 1,300.
Report co-author, Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s Global Climate Lead, said: “2020 is going to be a huge year for how the world responds to the growing climate crisis. We have the biggest summit since the Paris agreement was signed five years ago, taking place in Glasgow, where countries must commit to further cut their emissions in line with the 1.5C temperature limit, and boost funding for poor countries suffering from the kind of impacts seen in this report.
“Last year emissions continued to rise, so it’s essential that nations prepare these new and enhanced pledges for action to the Paris agreement as soon as possible. That will ensure the world responds urgently to the warnings of scientists, as well as the demands from school children around the globe who are horrified at the kind of world they are being forced to inherit.”
MEET YOUR MP
The Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office (SCPO) is encouraging churches to organise events enabling communities to connect with their political representatives.
The SCPO is starting another wave of its Meet Your MP project following the 2019 General Election.
The project was begun in response to research showing that only about 15% of us take the time to meet with the person who represents us in Westminster. Churches and church groups are encouraged to invite their MP to an event they are holding, or to create a space for conversation where ideas can be exchanged.
Extreme weather, driven by climate change, hit every populated continent in 2019, killing, injuring and displacing millions and causing billions of dollars of economic damage, according to a new report by Christian Aid. ‘Counting the Cost 2019: a Year of Climate Breakdown’ identifies 15 of the most destructive droughts, floods, fires, typhoons and cyclones of 2019, each of which caused damage of over $1 billion. Seven of the events cost more than $10 billion each. All of these disasters are linked with human-caused climate change, either because scientific studies have shown that climate change made the particular event more likely or stronger (for example, Irene Mackinnon, SCPO’s acting Parliamentary Officer, said: “By making these links and establishing a relationship, it becomes far easier to view your MP as a person, who may have differing opinions to your own, but in the vast majority of cases desires to make their part of the world a better place. How this can be done is likely to be a conversation worth having.
“After the General Election in December, SCPO sent a letter of congratulations to each of the 59 Scottish MPs, affirming that churches are committed to the wellbeing of the people that live within our communities. We should be involved in the decisions that affect their everyday lives - and this is not an opportunity that only comes around every four years.
“Churches across Scotland have already got involved and both they and MPs have expressed the positive experiences they have had as part of getting to know each other.”
CHRISTMAS BRUNCH
Bellshill West Parish Church in North Lanarkshire welcomed over 50 people to a brunch following the Christmas Day service.
The brunch was open to anyone wishing to have a bit of Christmas food and company. It was the first time the church had tried such a venture and they were delighted to welcome people from the local community, including some Syrian families who have recently moved to the town. The church provided transport for a number of people who couldn’t make it otherwise. Members of Bellshill Community Council also came along to help.
BIG BIRTHDAY FOR PAST GUILD PRESIDENT
On December 21 Dorothy Dalgliesh, who was President of the then Church of Scotland Woman’s Guild from 1990-93, celebrated her 90th birthday. A celebration was held at St Andrew’s Parish Church, Annan, in Dumfries and Galloway. The photo shows Dorothy with Sandra Cramb and Lesley Langlands.
CHEQUE FOR CANCER SUPPORT
Members of Crail Parish Church Guild presented Louise from Maggie’s Centre Fife with a cheque for £800 before their Christmas Lunch. The money was raised at the Guild’s Christmas Coffee Morning. Maggie’s Centre, based at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, supports people living with cancer and their families.
ST ANDREW’S DAY EVENTS
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day, people from Meadowside St Paul’s and St Andrew’s Churches in Dundee came together for two events.
In the morning a service celebrating Andrew was held in St Andrew’s, featuring a display telling his story from the bible (pictured).
In the late afternoon activities for children were laid on in the garden of Meadowside St Paul’s, including a torchlight treasure hunt for chocolate fish and finishing with the lighting of sparklers and a candle as a taster for Advent.
Among the antecedents of Meadowside St Paul’s is St Andrew’s Free Church, so this provides a common thread between the two congregations, who were linked a couple of years ago and are currently in the process of looking for a new minister. The St Andrew’s Day celebrations were planned by the Nominating Committee. Among the young participants at the Advent Adventure in the afternoon were members of St Andrew’s Girls’ Brigade and Meadowside St Paul’s Cubs.
MEETING PLACE
In the late summer of 2018, after a great deal of prayerful consideration, the Minister and Kirk Session of Coupar Angus Abbey Church decided to create a meeting place within the church where various groups could meet. The aim was to create a space that could be used not only by church groups but which would also be made available to other groups and charities within the local community.
After many months of planning, work finally began in July 2019 and the Abbey Gateway was officially opened on Sunday December 1 by senior elder Bill Pattullo and youngest member Esme Rodger. The name Abbey Gateway was chosen because of the link to the last remaining ruined remnants of the original Abbey and also because in Biblical times, the gateway was not only the way in to different towns and cities, but often a place where people would meet and congregate. The logo and stencilling, designed by Catriona Henderson, was also intended to reflect this idea.
Money for the project came from fundraising within the congregation, individual donations and help from the Church of Scotland and other organisations.
LONG SERVICE
Four elders with a total of 170 years’ service received long service certificates at Larbert West Parish Church. Joseph Taylor (60 years’ service), Arthur Priestly (50), Mae Marsden (30) and Linda Marshall (30) are pictured with the Rev Julie Rennick.
and Life and Work staff are available for talks to Guilds and other church groups. Please contact us through 0131 225 5722 or magazine@lifeandwork.org
This article appears in the March 2020 Issue of Life and Work
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