Open Doors calls on churches to get involved in commemorating Persecution Sunday on June 15

By Open Doors Southern Africa

The ministry organisation Open Doors Southern Africa has launched a special campaign to commemorate Persecution Sunday on June 15. This campaign aims to get churches and other Christian organisations involved in raising awareness about the plight of persecuted Christians.

The first Sunday after Pentecost is known worldwide as Persecution Sunday. This day highlights the terrible persecution that Christians in many countries often endure for their faith – with believers often facing imprisonment, discrimination, rejection, torture and even death.

Many people don’t realise that the persecution of Christians started centuries ago and is still a reality today. The persecution of Christians started shortly after Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven, when a group of His followers in the early Church gathered in Jerusalem after Pentecost to pray together. After they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they started to spread the Good News of Christ and the persecution of the early Church gained momentum.

The Bible marks the beginning of the persecution of Christians shortly after the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the arrest of Peter and John. Therefore it was symbolically stated that this was the “beginning” of the persecuted Church.

A voice for persecuted believers

Open Doors is a voice for persecuted believers in more than 70 countries all over the world. More than 380 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination because of their faith – an increase of 15 million since last year. This number represents one out of seven Christians worldwide.

This year, the theme of Persecution Sunday will be “The persecuted Church in Africa”. Millions of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are facing violent persecution for their faith, which leads to a staggering displacement crisis. Currently, 16,2 million Christians in this region are displaced and staying under dire circumstances in displacement camps, leading to Africa having the largest displacement crisis in the world.

The event also forms part of the Open Doors Arise Africa campaign, which is a multi-year response to the persistent violence waged upon Christians in the region. Working with Christian leaders throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the campaign intends to enable the African Church to stand in faith where persecution is most extreme.

Alarming levels of violence in sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, attacks against Christians have reached alarming levels and the Church needs support more than ever. A total of 90% of all religiously-motivated killings occur in Africa and three of the four terrorist groups responsible for the most deaths around the world are found on this continent.

The African Church is the largest and youngest in the world, but an unprecedented onslaught exists against it. The Global Terrorism Index 2024 confirms this, showing that the violence in sub-Saharan Africa has increased by more than 2 000% in the last 15 years. This region is now the epicentre of terrorism, with more deaths in 2023 than South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa combined.

According to Open Doors’ most recent research, a conservative estimate is that 92% of the 4 476 deaths of Christians because of their faith occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 15 countries where Christians have faced the most violent persecution for their faith (between October 2023 and September 2024), 11 are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Persecution statistics

During the World Watch List 2025 research period (October 1 2023 to September 30 2024) in sub-Saharan Africa, because of faith:

• 1 815 Christians were sexually violated or subjected to forced marriages.
• 3 623 Christians were kidnapped (3 300 in Nigeria alone).
• 4 602 Christians were killed, reaching 92% of the global total (9 out of 10 in Nigeria alone).
• 12 880 Christian homes or properties were attacked.
• 17 498 Christians were physically or psychologically abused.
• 112 700 people became displaced in the region.

Lynette Leibach, executive director of Open Doors Southern Africa, says: “Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are paying a high price for their faith. This year’s Persecution Sunday activities are an opportunity to learn about the situation and act on their behalf. Our goal is not only to have many communities in Southern Africa participate on the day, but also to build their connection with the persecuted Church for the future.”

Ways to get involved

Individuals, churches and other organisations can get involved and create awareness in their congregations in the following ways:

• Be a speaker at your church on Persecution Sunday: Anyone can be a voice for persecuted Christians who are unable to speak for themselves by being a volunteer speaker at their own church on June 15. Helping to organise a Persecution Sunday event at your church is the ideal opportunity to help spread the message of the persecuted Church.
• Invite one of Open Doors’ volunteer speakers to your Sunday service: On Sunday morning, June 15, Open Doors’ volunteers will be doing personal presentations at churches all over the country. They will share testimonies about the sacrifices that persecuted Christians make for their faith and how Jesus Christ is faithful and glorified through it.

People who register to organise a Persecution Sunday event will get access to all the relevant materials, such as a PowerPoint presentation on the theme, videos, prayer cards and children’s material.

Open Doors aims to get the event on the agendas of as many churches and other Christian organisations in South Africa and its neighbouring countries as possible, with an appeal to churches to get involved in commemorating Persecution Sunday during their worship services on June 15 and spreading the message of persecution all over sub-Saharan Africa.

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