“We live between three fires”, says the pastor of Gaza’s only Protestant church

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Pastor Foley

Gaza Christians praying: That is the image that the pastor of Gaza’s only Protestant Church would want the world to see in answer to the question he receives frequently these days, “What are Gaza Christians doing during the present conflict in Gaza?”

Gaza Baptist Church front entrance (file photo)

“Our situation at this stage is basically like Romans 8:26-27,” says Hanna Massad, who spoke to Voice of the Martyrs CEO Pastor Eric Foley shortly after arriving in the United States from the Middle East. “It’s a time when you don’t know what to pray or how to pray, but the Holy Spirit is praying in you and through you as he takes the agony inside and lifts it before the heavenly Father. And he responds according to his will, and also according to our needs.”

Pastor Massad spoke to Pastor Foley via Zoom, the medium which has become the main form of connection for the members of his congregation, Gaza Baptist Church, which includes not only the hundred families still in Gaza but also one hundred families in the West Bank as well as 700 Iraqi Christian refugee families that Gaza Baptist has cared for in Jordan since the first Gulf War broke out in 1991.

“Last Saturday should not have happened,” Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley, referencing the October 7 Hamas attacks. “Our hearts go out to the Jewish families.”

Gaza Baptist Church Pastor Hanna Massad delivering food to families in Gaza.

Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley that he believes Christians in Gaza and Messianic Jews in Israel have a special role to play at this time. “I pray that God helps us as his followers on both sides, to shine light in the midst of darkness, to reflect his love, and to continue to carry his presence in these difficult circumstances.”

Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley that his congregation continues to believe Romans 8:28. “In spite of the pain and suffering, we believe that God is the only one who is able to turn something good out of the horrible things that are happening. As Christians, our hearts are not only for our people or for the Christian community in Gaza, but when you’re touched by the Lord, by his grace, he puts love in your heart, even as Palestinian Christians, for the Jewish people as well.”

Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley that prayer enables his congregation to carry out their mission in the midst of hostility from every side. “We live between three fires,” Pastor Massad said. “The fire of Muslim militants on one hand, Israel on the other, but also as evangelical Christians, the traditional churches”—Gaza’s Greek Orthodox and Catholic congregations—“are not always happy about who we are and what we do. And the question becomes, ‘How do you live your faith in the midst of these fires? How do you not let bitterness and hatred control your life?’”

A rare photo of Gaza Baptist Church in earlier times. Pastor Massad sits in the front row.

The church’s Sunday service held via Zoom on October 8, one day after the Hamas attacks, included not only an hour and a half of prayer for those on all sides of the conflict but also the annual time of remembrance for Rami Ayyad, one of the church leaders who worked as manager of the Christian bookstore run by the church until he was martyred in an execution-style killing by Islamic militants on October 7, 2007. “If we allow bitterness and hatred to control us, we lose effectiveness in the kingdom of God,” Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley. “What does God have for us? It is much better than anything in this world. We don’t want anything to affect this intimate relationship with God.”

Meeting by Zoom has its limits as a means of maintaining intimacy, so Pastor Massad continues to encourage the congregation to gather together whenever it can. 50 to 60 congregation members are usually able to gather together when he visits. “It is good for them to be together in a church building to encourage each other,” says Pastor Massad. “It is better than being isolated.” Now, however, some congregation members have been displaced from their homes and have had to move to the area near the Greek Orthodox church. Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley that these days meeting at the Gaza Baptist Church building is impractical. “It’s located next to a police station, so it’s not safe to meet,” he said, adding, “There is no safe place in Gaza.” He told Pastor Foley that damage to the church building has so far been minimal. “There is some broken glass, and the solar panel is broken,” he said. Damage may be worse now, he said; it has been too dangerous for church members to go check during the past several days.

With electricity among the many things in short supply in Gaza, Pastor Massad says some church members are having a harder time joining the Zoom calls. “Today we had a trauma counseling session on Zoom with a friend who is a counselor, but some members couldn’t connect because of no electricity,” Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley. “As we talk with people, mental health is a concern.”

Pastor Massad said that the church’s connection with Christians outside of Gaza helps. In addition to the hundred families who participate in the church from the West Bank, Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley that the 700 Iraqi refugee families living in Jordan are a regular encouragement. “The Lord connected us through pain and suffering,” he said.

Gaza Christian martyr Rami Ayyad, one of the leaders of the Gaza Baptist Church and also the manager of its Christian bookstore before he was killed in an execution-style death by Muslim militants on October 7, 2007.

“This is the beauty of the body of Christ, to see the family of God—how we are connected,” Pastor Massad told Pastor Foley. “This is really one of the main things that help me personally and also maybe other Christians who feel lonely or isolated sometimes, to realize that you are a part of the bigger body, the body of Christ. And this continues to inspire us, how the Lord brings wonderful brothers and sisters into our life, to inspire us and encourage us with their sympathy and their care.”

Voice of the Martyrs Korea is preparing an emergency love offering for Gaza Baptist, in honor of the sixteenth anniversary of Rami Ayyad’s martyrdom and in recognition of the church’s special difficulties and opportunities during the present conflict. Pastor Foley says that those who are interested in contributing to the love offering can make their donation at www.vomkorea.com/en/donation or give via electronic transfer to:

국민은행 (KB Bank) 463501-01-243303

예금주 (Account holder): (사)순교자의소리

Please include the phrase “Middle East” on the donation.

Posted in Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

China: Persecuted church calls for prayers for another longsuffering Chinese church

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Pastor Foley

One of China’s most persecuted churches used its weekly prayer letter to intercede for another longsuffering Chinese church facing renewed persecution.

Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, which has been enduring its own crackdown by authorities since its pastor, Wang Yi, and more than 100 church members were arrested nearly four years ago, called on God to “help [Guangzhou] Huajing Church pass this ‘examination’”.

File photo of a worship service at Early Rain Covenant Church before the December 9, 2018 arrest of Pastor Wang Yi.

The “examination”, according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr Hyun Sook Foley, is the Communist Party’s August 19 ban by the on Huajing Church. “It’s the culmination of more than 20 years of persecution,” says Representative Foley. “Ever since the Huajing Church was founded in 2000 by Pastor Cao Wen, it has faced wave after wave of persecution. Authorities closed its building in 2015, and then after the church moved, authorities closed their next building in 2019. Then the Communist Party completely banned the church on August 19. Authorities have been threatening the pastors, interrogating the members, raiding their homes, and installing CCTV cameras outside their doors.”

According to Representative Foley, it’s a situation that Early Rain Church members can empathize with.

“Early Rain Church has been experiencing the same treatment from the authorities, but neither church has given up its ministry or lost its trust in God, and neither is begging the world for help,” says Representative Foley. “They both see the persecution they are experiencing as a gift permitted by God to help the Chinese church grow stronger and continue to spread. We Christians from countries without a lot of government persecution can learn a lot of helpful biblical theology by ‘listening in’ on the prayers Early Rain Church is praying for Huajing Church.”

Representative Foley provided an excerpt from Early Rain Church’s prayer for Huajing Church, which Early Rain Church published in one of its weekly prayer newsletters last month:

“Lord, please strengthen Pastor Cao Wen and all the workers who have been called by You to serve the sheep. Please make them see that this is a trial permitted by You, Lord. The scope, method, and extent of this persecution are all determined by You. Under the control of the Holy Good, you must open a way out for the loyal people in difficult times. Pray that the Lord will grant all the brothers and sisters of Huajing Church the heavenly wisdom to be able to identify all the lies of the devil. In the atmosphere of terror created by the devil, they can stand firm in the Lord and not be disturbed by rumors or misled by lies. In the faith trust each other, tolerate each other in love, and maintain the unity of the church. Ask the Lord to help Huajing Church pass this ‘examination’, grow more mature, fight for the Lord, and win with the Lord!”

Representative Foley also shared Early Rain Church’s instructions to its ministry partners from an earlier prayer newsletter on how they can pray for Huajing Church:

“No matter how preachers are driven away, the Lord’s church will always stand firm. The church has taken root deeply in the land of China and can no longer be driven away. The church may be persecuted and the preachers may be driven away, but the head of the church is in heaven, and the church has demonstrated the power of resurrection for thousands of years. Ask the Lord to make the power of the air understand that the secret weapon in fighting the church is to give the church religious freedom. However, the devil is too stupid. Pray that the Lord will continue to use persecution to cause the church in China to grow a hundredfold and harvest a thousandfold.”

“Sometimes we Christians in so-called ‘free’ countries wrongly pray for persecuted Christians, by asking the Lord to make their situation like ours, with freedom of religion and no persecution,” says Representative Foley. “This prayer by one persecuted church for another persecuted church can teach us how to pray for all persecuted churches, and even how to pray for our own churches. Their prayer reminds us not to be afraid of persecution and to remember that the Lord, not the government, holds all power and authority. The Lord often uses persecution, not religious freedom, to strengthen and grow his church. This is why churches in persecuted countries are typically much stronger in their faith and more fruitful in their growth than churches in countries where there is no persecution.”

Individuals interested in learning about or supporting Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s work in partnership with persecuted Christians in China can visit www.vomkorea.com/en/china or give via electronic transfer to:

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303

Account Holder: (사)순교자의소리

Please note “China” on the transfer.

Posted in China | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NK religious freedom addressed for first time at Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Pastor Foley

It remains illegal to get a Bible in any form into North Korea from any neighboring country, yet more North Koreans may be reading the Bible today than at any other time in history. Those were the remarks of Pastor Eric Foley, CEO of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, at last week’s Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit (TIRF). The event was attended by more than 200 NGO leaders and government officials, including Taiwan’s Vice President Lai Ching-Te, President of the Legislative Assembly You Si-Kun, former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and members of parliament from Japan, Europe, Nigeria, and South and Southeast Asia.

Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley addresses attendees at the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit

The event was the third-ever Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit, organized by the International Religious Freedom Secretariat, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, and US NGO China Aid. It was the first time North Korean religious freedom was included in the agenda, with organizers selecting Pastor Foley to give the address. Pastor Foley was also asked to pray for persecuted believers at Taiwan’s National Prayer Breakfast, held concurrently.

Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told attendees that those in the Grand Hotel in Taipei were some of the premier global leaders for religious freedom.

According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr Hyun Sook Foley, who was also publicly welcomed at the event, Ambassador Brownback also expressed in personal remarks to Voice of the Martyrs Korea that he had recently visited Korea to promote the idea of Korea hosting its own International Religious Freedom Summit in coordination with the International Religious Freedom Secretariat. “The ambassador said that progress toward a Korean summit has so far been slow,” says Representative Foley. “He noted that the religious freedom summits exist for the purpose of bringing together the people in a country from all the different religions to jointly promote religious freedom, but that that kind of inter-faith cooperation generally takes time to develop in a country.”

Pastor Eric Foley and Dr. Hyun Sook Foley with Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback.

Pastor Eric Foley’s address at the event followed a panel discussion trans-national repression of religious freedom, the growing trend of governments to cooperate across national borders to restrict freedom of religion or belief. Pastor Foley described the restriction of the religious freedom of North Koreans by North Korea and its neighbor countries as “Exhibit A” of the trend.

“In North Korea’s 2014 response to the United Nations Human Rights Council, it claimed that missionaries serving North Koreans in Northeast China were committing ‘terrorist acts’,” said Pastor Foley in his speech. “Then two years later a team of North Korean operatives killed our Voice of the Martyrs Korea team member and Korean Chinese citizen Pastor Han Chung Ryeol in Changbai, China for his gospel and humanitarian aid ministry to North Koreans who were going back and forth across the North Korea/Chinese border. The killers were never pursued or brought to justice. Today, even the smallest efforts by Chinese churches to meet the religious or humanitarian needs of North Koreans continue to be punished more and more harshly by the Chinese government as criminal offenses.”

In his speech, Pastor Foley noted that it remains illegal to get a Bible in any form into North Korea from any neighboring country. Still, he said that Voice of the Martyrs Korea continues to work with underground North Korean Christians to get Bibles into North Korea, with requests from North Koreans for Bibles doubling each year during the pandemic.

Pastor Eric Foley leads prayer for persecuted Christians at the Taiwan National Prayer Breakfast, held concurrently with the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit

“The North Korean Human Rights Database, an independent data-gathering NGO, did a study where they found that in the year 2000, effectively 0% of people inside North Korea had ever seen a Bible with their own eyes,” said Pastor Foley in his speech. “They have continued to update that study, and at the end of 2020 they determined that around 8% of people inside of North Korea have now seen a Bible with their own eyes.”

Pastor Foley cautioned attendees that defenders of religious freedom often have too little understanding of how religion is practiced in a country. “By best estimates there are 100,000 Christians inside North Korea,” said Representative Foley in his speech. “How do they express their faith? How do they live their Christian life? Defenders of religious freedom need to understand that North Korean Christians are not simply waiting around to be persecuted. They are living faithful Christian lives daily.”

Pastor Foley noted that the most common religious activity among North Korean Christians—listening to Christian programs on the radio—has not been mentioned in most international religious freedom reports. “When North Korean underground Christians were under lockdown in North Korea, they asked us to add radio broadcasts in the daytime,” said Foley. “We have been broadcasting three times every night, but at their request we added two broadcasts every daytime.” He added that the increased attempts by the North Korean government to jam Christian broadcasts should be noted as restrictions on religious freedom.

Pastor Foley prefaced his prayer for persecuted believers at the Taiwan National Prayer Breakfast by underscoring the importance of asking persecuted believers how they want to be prayed for. “We should not pray for them to become like us,” said Pastor Foley. “We should not pray for them the way we think they should be prayed for. Instead, we should ask them how they want us to pray.” He then led the attendees in praying for the ten specific prayers requested most often by persecuted Christians with which Voice of the Martyrs Korea partners.

Individuals interested in learning more about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s North Korean ministry can visit https://vomkorea.com/en/northkorea.

Pastor Eric Foley addresses attendees at the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment