International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church | |
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Also called | IDOP |
Liturgical color | Red |
Type | Christian |
Observances | Church services, prayer, fundraising for persecuted Christians |
Date | First Sunday of November[1] |
2023 date | November 5 |
2024 date | November 3 |
2025 date | November 2 |
2026 date | November 1 |
Frequency | annual |
Related to |
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The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (often abbreviated as IDOP) is an observance within the Christian calendar in which congregations pray for Christians who are persecuted for their faith.[1] It falls on the first Sunday of November, within the liturgical period of Allhallowtide, which is dedicated to remembering the martyrs and saints of Christianity.[3][4][5] The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is observed by many Christian denominations, with over 100,000 congregations honoring the holiday worldwide.[1] Congregations focus on "praying for individuals, families, churches, or countries where Christians are facing hard situations."[6][7] Additionally, many congregations donate funds from their collection of tithes and offerings on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church to NGOs that support human rights of persecuted Christians, such as Voice of the Martyrs, International Christian Concern, and Open Doors.[8][3]
The persecution of Christians has increased in the modern era.[9] According to a 2019 review chaired by the Church of England's Bishop of Truro, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world. [10]
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church originated in the 20th century to raise awareness of the increasing violence, torture, death, "worship restrictions, public humiliation, and social isolation" that some Christians face in atheist states, such as in North Korea, as well as in South Asia and the Middle East;[3][11] the observance was spearheaded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the Southern Baptist Convention.[1][12] It has since been observed in many Christian denominations, such as the United Methodist Church and certain Catholic parishes.[1][13][12] The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church falls on the first Sunday of November, within the liturgical period of Allhallowtide, which is dedicated to remembering the martyrs and saints of Christianity.[4][3][5]
The November observance has been promulgated by many NGOs that champion human rights for Christians, including Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, and International Christian Concern.[3] Victims of persecution, including believers and missionaries, have also advocated to spread the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.[14][15]
Over the course of the thirteen-day pilgrimage, His Grace – along with Fr. Ilya and 38 pilgrims from America, Germany, England, and Australia – witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church of Russia, which has experienced a miraculous resurrection following the fall of the Soviet regime and its official state atheism. ... Outside of Moscow, the pilgrims had a profound experience visiting the killing fields of Butovo, one of perhaps a hundred such execution sites around Moscow where thousands of dissidents – including many Orthodox Christians – were murdered during the height of the Soviet purges.
In Africa, North Korea, China, India, the Philippines, and other nations, Christians face worship restrictions, public humiliation, and social isolation. Many encounter violence; some face death. Church buildings are burned and vandalized. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is charged with raising awareness of such circumstances and lifting the most pressing instances of global persecution up in prayer. Held annually in mid-November, traditionally a month devoted to remembering the saints and martyrs of the church, the event is supported by prominent evangelical and humanitarian organizations including the World Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, and International Christian Concern.
Allhallowtide is the Western Christian season encompassing the triduum of All Saints' Eve (Halloween), All Saints' Day (All Hallows') and All Souls' Day, as well as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (observed on the first Sunday of November).
Today, Nov. 4, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Christians in America and across the world will dedicate time in their services and personally to pray for those who are suffering persecution because of their faith.
The persecution and genocide of Christians across the world is worse today "than at any time in history," and Western governments are failing to stop it, a report from a Catholic organization said. The study by Aid to the Church in Need said the treatment of Christians has worsened substantially in the past two years compared with the two years prior, and has grown more violent than any other period in modern times. "Not only are Christians more persecuted than any other faith group, but ever-increasing numbers are experiencing the very worst forms of persecution," the report said.
The authoritarian regime of Kim Jong-un is an atheist state where religion is regarded as a threat and religious adherents suffer persecution. Religious groups including Korean shamanism, Chondoism, Buddhism and Christianity operate but members are arrested, tortured, imprisoned and sometimes executed (USCIRF 2017: 16). Christians fare particularly poorly, with their religion being regarded as Western or influenced by South Korea, where Christians make up 30 per cent of the population. Christians, when convicted, tend to be sentenced to political internment camps, where they experience torture, starvation, forced abortion, sexual violence and extrajudicial killing (ACN 2017: 35). There are between 50 and 70,000 Christians in these internment camps (Open Doors 2017). As religious prisoners they receive worse treatment in what are already harsh conditions (ACN 2017: 28).
The late IRD President Diane Knippers and I joined representatives of the World Evangelical Fellowship (now Alliance), the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention, the U.S. Catholic Conference, as well as tireless advocates like Nina Shea and Michael Horowitz, to create IDOP.
Han fed and sheltered thousands of North Koreans over the years — many of whom had fled the famine-stricken country in search of food and jobs. One of them, Sang-chul, shared his story in a short documentary from The Voice of the Martyrs, as a way to encourage believers around the world to participate in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, Nov. 3.
A coalition of Iranian church leaders and pastors have come together for the first time to ask for prayers for the re-emerging Church in Iran on Sunday's International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.