November 1 Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church: Southern Baptists Join a Global Observance for an Estimated 388 Million Believers Under Extreme Persecution
November 1 marks the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This year the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and International Mission Board (IMB) are joining Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors US, Iran Alive Ministries and others in calling churches to pray for persecuted Christians worldwide; the organizations estimate that about 388 million believers live under extreme persecution.
ERLC President Evan Lenow said the observance reminds American churches of believers around the world who pay a price for their faith. IMB President Paul Chitwood said the board supported about 3,500 missionaries in fiscal 2025-26, and that more than 2 million people heard the Gospel through its work in that period.
Voice of the Martyrs Vice President Todd Nettleton said this year's spotlight story is 'Bassam,' a convert on the Arabian Peninsula. Hormoz Shariat of Iran Alive Ministries said 14 Christians connected with his ministry are currently jailed in Iran, three of them on death row.
Open Doors' 2026 focus includes the church in Syria following a deadly church bombing. The organizations have prepared materials for churches taking part in this year's observance.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 华盛顿拉斐特广场圣约翰圣公会教堂（资料图）。CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / St. John's Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square in Washington (file photo). CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
