Risking it all for the Sake of the Gospel

Though we are each called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), there are few of us who can serve in places hostile to the Gospel, live among a persecuted population, bear their burdens, and come alongside them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Help The Persecuted is blessed to have a  Field Ministry Team that is committed to serving like this.

These men and women are standing firm in godless wildernesses, war-torn areas and regions where it is dangerous to be a Christian. These faithful Field Ministry Team members take many great risks to serve persecuted Christians throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Who is the Field Ministry Team? Where do they work?

Help The Persecuted Field Ministry Team members are local Christians who live in areas where persecution levels are high, driven mainly by Islamic extremism. Our team members are often former Muslims whom Jesus called to Himself. Some were led to Christ by other Christians, some experienced a unique sign that they could not deny, and others chose to follow Jesus after researching their own questions and comparing the Bible to the Quran.

These brothers and sisters live in cities throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)—Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, and Turkey. They work with trusted partners and serve across the region (last year serving persecuted believers across 15 countries).

How does the Field Ministry Team operate? What responsibilities do they have? 

The work of our Field Ministry Team is quite literally a life or death matter. In many of the  countries we serve, the penalty for being a Christian is imprisonment and torture . . . or worse, death.

Since Field Ministry Team members are local citizens, they are dialed in to the happenings in their community. In their line of service, trust is a highly valued currency. That’s why team members must be wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each team member relies on discernment and wisdom that only God provides as they act and make moves to assist persecuted Christians in MENA.

From discipleship, to rent money, to Emergency Relief Kits, our team members are equipped with resources and empowered to make decisions that save lives physically and spiritually. Their work is supported by devoted Christians—like you—all over the world who give and raise awareness for persecuted believers and the ministry.

Are Field Ministry Team members at risk of persecution?

Every day, Field Ministry Team members make choices that put themselves and their families at risk. Who they trust, what they say, where they go—if not careful, any of their movements or choices could tip off authorities or anger radicals.

Throughout this region it is illegal to convert to Christianity. The fact that our team is assisting converts—65% of the people we helped last year were converts to Christianity—puts them in danger. 

Just recently, our Field Ministry Team member, Kareem, was assisting a Muslim convert In Syria. An acquaintance simply reported to authorities that Chrsitians were helping this man with his needs. 

When Kareem discovered he had been identified and was now being followed, he gathered his family and fled. The penalty for helping this one convert to Christianity was steep—he now faced imprisonment, or even death. For many weeks his young family was on the run and we did not know if they were safe. All we could do was pray.

Thankfully, God safely delivered Kareem and his family to a neighboring country where he was able to reach out to us and share his story. He was now the persecuted . . . and we made sure to help him as he re-established his life.

Team members like Kareem bear a tremendous burden. And it is by the grace of God that they boldly and joyfully serve in these hostile regions.

What is a “day in the life” like for a Field Ministry Team member?

Help The Persecuted Field Ministry Team members and their families are active in their communities and members of local churches. In some countries they are able to worship publicly at known churches, and in other countries they are members of secret house churches. 

Their daily activities vary. One day could be spent on the phone coordinating logistics to help someone, find resources, or coordinate safe passage to another country.

Another day could be spent distributing direct support, funds for living expenses or Emergency Relief Kits containing critical food supplies and discipleship materials. 

In everything they do, our team are ministers of the Gospel. They deliver help and spend time praying with recipients, encouraging them, and counseling them. They disciple new believers, helping them to study the Word, learn the core tenets of Christianity, and teach them how to communicate with others about Jesus Christ, in bold but wise ways.

The needs of each persecuted Christian that Help The Persecuted assists are different and unique. Because of that, our team members are flexible and adaptable to how God leads and to what each circumstance requires.

How can you pray for Field Ministry Team Members?

Help The Persecuted Field Ministry Team members risk their lives and sacrifice their safety—and that of their families—in order to disciple and assist persecuted Christians across MENA.

• Pray for the safety of our Field Ministry Team members, that God would shield and protect them from the enemy’s attempts to stop their work.
• Pray for open hearts and open minds of those they minister to.
• Pray that more people in the region would come to know the loving, saving grace of Jesus Christ.
• Pray for continued resources to fund the work of their hands.
• Praise God for the thousands of lives who have been impacted by the work of our Field Ministry Teams. Praise God for His work through their lives.
• Join our Prayer Network and stay updated on the prayer needs of fellow believers.

Our brothers and sisters on the Field Ministry Team are risking it all for the sake of the Gospel. Our team member in Morocco recently shared:

If you would like to support the incredible work of Help The Persecuted’s Field Ministry Team, you can do so here.