THE PERSECUTED
God's Work in Dangerous, Oppressive Places
Jesus warned that believing in Him, following Him, or even speaking of Him would come at a cost. Today, Christians in many parts of mainland Southeast Asia endure persecution for their faith. Three countries in the region rank among the most difficult places on Earth to be a Christian (Open Doors, World Watch List 2025). The reasons vary from place to place, but there are three dominant cultural, political, and religious powers that endanger God’s work and oppress Christian believers in Southeast Asia.
01
Animism
Officially, there are about 21 million animists in mainland Southeast Asia, but in reality, belief in the spirit world permeates nearly every major belief system in the region. Fear of angering the spirits is a major obstacle to the acceptance of Christianity. Those who leave animism to follow Jesus are often blamed for any negative event that happens in their family or village. And in extreme cases, converts to Christianity are banished, imprisoned, and even threatened with death to appease the spirits.
02
Buddhism
Although animism has been around longer, today Buddhism is the dominant religion in Southeast Asia, with over 175 million adherents. Officially, it is peaceable and tolerant of other belief systems, but it is deeply ingrained in both the cultural and national identities, and it is the state religion in both Cambodia and Myanmar. To forsake Buddhism for Christianity not only brings shame to one’s family but also offense to their country. In many Buddhist areas, the spread of the gospel is actively and sometimes violently resisted. For example, while many Buddhists oppose the current regime in Myanmar, Christians and other minority groups have been most heavily targeted by the military in the country’s current civil war.
03
Communism
More than 100 million people in Southeast Asia live under communist rule, with its secular, atheistic ideology. While Christianity is formally recognized by the government, it is viewed with suspicion because of its Western influence.
This frequently leads to restrictions on public evangelism and the persecution of Christians in communist countries.
How You Can Help
When secular and religious authorities vigorously persecuted the early church, the apostle Paul urged, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also” (Hebrews 13:3, NKJV).
You can remember persecuted brothers and sisters through your prayers and financial gifts to a special fund for God's Work in Dangerous, Oppressive Places.
Your gift will provide stipends, training, and ministry materials to local missionaries who are risking everything to share the gospel in some of the darkest regions in the world today. It will also supply life-saving humanitarian aid and give access to basic services like health care and education to vulnerable children and families displaced by persecution and war.
