At International Christian Concern (ICC), we strive to speak on behalf of our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. We are their mouthpiece to help the global church hear their stories and awaken to their courage.

Persecuted believers rarely give up hope despite overwhelming odds. Their unwavering faith amid hardship shapes our walk with Christ and challenges our comfort.

FAITH OFTEN COMES AT A COST

In the West, the freedoms we deeply treasure also make it easy to grow complacent. Yet, moments of violence — a church shooting, vandalism, or hostility against believers — remind us that Satan still prowls. In fact, more than 400 cases of hostility against U.S. churches were document in 2023 and 2024, according to the Family Research Council.

Still, our trials do not compare with the daily threats believers face in places like Somalia, Indonesia, or Pakistan. Most Western families own multiple Bibles; in North Korea, being caught with Scripture can condemn generations of a family.

Faith has always come at a cost. The early disciples paid with their lives. The Apostle Paul, though beaten, shipwrecked, and imprisoned, considered life in Christ his greatest prize (2 Corinthians 11:25-27).

The same Holy Spirit working in the underground church is alive in the West, calling us to prayer, action, and deeper devotion. With more than 300,000 churches in the United States alone, Christians across the West have an opportunity to serve the global body of Christ.

ONE CHURCH, TWO REALITIES

Yet, our realities differ sharply. In one church, believers debate worship songs; in another, they whisper prayers in basements or sing behind prison bars.

As a Chinese house church pastor once told ICC: “The Western church is a mile wide and an inch deep. The persecuted church is an inch wide and a mile deep.”

The persecuted church asks for nothing in return, but through their suffering, they offer us a gift: a deeper faith and a greater awe of the Lord. We don’t need persecution to grow — but we must learn from their witness and carry their lessons into our lives.

The following statements and illustrations are not meant to shame or fuel Western church guilt, but to shock us awake. To contrast what we often say with how our brothers and sisters elsewhere live.

May these words stir humility, gratitude, perspective, and a renewed dependence on Jesus wherever we are.

SUNDAY MORNINGS: ONE CHURCH, TWO REALITIES

The West: “Why did they pick that song this morning?”

Persecuted Church: “We will be killed if caught singing.”

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The West: “I may or may not go to church today.”

Persecuted Church: “I would give anything to have a church.”

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The West: “Psalm 23 is my favorite Scripture.”

Persecuted Church: “I can’t be caught with even a Bible verse.”

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The West: “Oh, someone is sitting in my seat.”

Persecuted Church: “Someone just torched our church!”

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The West: “The coffee is so weak today.”

Persecuted Church: “I had to hide my Bible today.”

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The West: “The pastor didn’t bring his A-game today.”

Persecuted Church: “Our pastor was beaten and arrested today.”

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The West: “I have all that I need, plus Jesus.”

Persecuted Church: “Jesus is all that I have and need.”

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The West: “I am safe, comfortable, and weak in faith.”

Persecuted Church: “I am in danger, persecuted, and strong in faith.”

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