As Christmas approaches and 2022 comes to a close, we at For The Martyrs are reflecting on all that we accomplished this year because of the generosity of supporters like you. Together, we stood firmly with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.
For The Martyrs has three areas where we focus on helping the Persecuted Church: Awareness, Advocacy and Aid. Each year, we pursue goals and projects that fit in one of these three areas. Here are the projects you helped us complete this year:
Raising Awareness & Advocating For The Persecuted In 2022
Our goal is to bring the crisis of Christian persecution to the forefront of the fight for human rights. We believe it is essential to raise awareness about this issue so we can do more together to advocate for change.
This year, we published 70 articles on our blog, bringing you prayer points and important news on religious freedom and the Persecuted Church to raise awareness. We highlighted news events such as the stabbing of Coptic Orthodox priest Arsanios Wadeed in Egypt, Cardinal Zen’s arrest and trial, Iran’s protests and the devastating Pentecost massacre in Nigeria this year in June. In response to the Pentecost shooting, we published an op-ed in the Christian Post, advocating for action on the part of the U.S. State Department in redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
We hope to release even more content in 2023! Subscribe to our email list at the bottom of this article and follow us on social media to never miss breaking news from the Persecuted Church.
March For The Martyrs 2022
March For The Martyrs is our biggest event of the year, and 2022 was no exception! On September 25, 2022, hundreds of Christians across all denominations gathered in Washington, DC to march in solidarity with our persecuted family around the world.
At the Kick-Off Rally on the National Mall, we heard from speakers such as For the Martyrs founder Gia Chacón, Pastor Lucas Miles, Christian content creators Jacob Coyne and Shane Winnings, and Chaldean Catholic priest Fr. Simon Esshaki. After the Rally, March For The Martyrs began as participants made their way through the streets of DC in solidarity with the Persecuted Church.
The March concluded at the Museum of the Bible where our evening conference, Night of Prayer for the Persecuted, was set to begin. The evening conference featured a full lineup of speakers, including Dr. David Curry from Open Doors USA, Enes Kanter Freedom an NBA player and human rights activist, and Pastor Andrew Brunson a former missionary and prisoner of conscience in Turkey.
You can read a more detailed recap of this year’s March For The Martyrs here. You can also catch the replay of our Night of Prayer for the Persecuted here.
Aiding Persecuted Christians In 2022
For The Martyrs also provides aid directly to persecuted Christians through various projects throughout the year. We kicked 2022 off with a trip to Iraq, where we provided laptops to young Iraqi students who were internally displaced. These students can now access technology, some for the first time, as part of a new Computer Skills Class.
In April, we partnered with A.G. Bible College to host a Middle East Young Leaders Bible Conference in Egypt. Christians only make up about 10% of Egypt’s population, and biblical and theological education is vital for empowering and strengthening the next generation of Christians. Students from all over Egypt attended, many of them hoping to become pastors one day.
For our final project of 2022, For The Martyrs is bringing Operation Christmas to Lebanon, where Christians have been struggling under one of the worst economic collapses in recent history. Many Lebanese families are battling just to put food on the table, let alone celebrate Christmas.
There is still time to donate to this project! Help us finish the year strong by bringing joy to Christians in Lebanon this Christmas. We will bring Christmas gifts, food, clothing, and over-the-counter medicines to suffering families.
A very special thank you to everyone who donated and prayed for persecuted Christians and for us in 2022. Your generosity and kindness continue to blow us away and truly makes a difference.
“Thank you to everyone who stood with us; we couldn’t have done any of this without you!” says Gia Chacón, For the Martyrs’ founder. “Together, we have raised our voices on behalf of the persecuted and stepped out in faith to aid them. Let us boldly push forward in the coming year.”
We are excited about all that the Lord is doing through our ministry and cannot wait to see where He will lead us in 2023.
