Open Doors, the persecuted church charity, has announced final plans for a major event to unite Christians in support of the plight of the 200 million Christians around the world who experience persecution because of their faith.
The event, UNITE, will draw together Christians from across the church to stand together to support, among others, the thousands of Christians in Eritrea and North Korea serving prison sentences because of their faith.
They will also embrace Meskele Dhaba, a Christian who is bringing up seven children single-handedly after her evangelist husband Michael was murdered by Muslim extremists, and Noviana Malewa, the sole survivor of an attack where three schoolgirls where beheaded by Muslim extremists.
Eddie Lyle, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said, “UNITE is both a vision of Christians across denominations, age groups and ethnic divides, joining together to pray to our one God and act as one family in the one church of Christ, in support of their persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the nations, and a movement which has the potential to unlock a groundbreaking new sense of life, love and commitment in the UK church.”
UNITE, which is being organised by Open Doors along with Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International, Jubilee Campaign and Christian organisations partners, will take place at the Bethel Convention Centre in the West Midlands on Saturday 29 September.
A forum on the persecuted church during the day will be followed by an evening prayer celebration for young people.
Christians are persecuted all over the world but the most extreme cases are to be found in central and southern Asia and northern/central Africa. Open Doors works in 45 countries serving and supporting the persecuted church.
