Hamilton Strategies Non Profit Marketing and Media Services

***NEWS RELEASE***

 

 

‘Save The Persecuted Christians’ Coalition Begins Awareness Movement Today;
Churches Across America Display Banners Featuring ‘Nun’ Symbol

 

WASHINGTON—North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Pakistan have in common an appalling attribute: they are ranked as the world’s top five countries perpetrating “extreme persecution” of Christians according to the recent World Watch List from Open Doors USA. The list annually ranks the worst 50 countries when it comes to persecution.

Such persecution currently occurs so routinely that it rarely makes headlines these days. For example, according to Open Doors, 255 Christians are killed worldwide every month. 104 Christians are abducted. 180 Christian women are raped, sexually assaulted or forced into marriage. 160 Christians are detained or imprisoned without trial. And 66 churches are attacked. Every month.

In response to such outrages and with a shared determination to protect their victims, scores of individuals and organizations have come together to launch today the Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) Coalition, (www.SaveThePersecutedChristians.org). Save the Persecuted Christians’ mission is to protect Christians worldwide who are suffering discrimination, torture, rape, slavery, banishment and murder—simply because they believe in Jesus Christ.

The goal of the STPC Coalition is greatly to reduce—and to deter—the further, global persecution of Christians. Beyond calling attention to the oppression of Christians worldwide, the immediate task is to disseminate actionable information about ways in which the American people can help those being persecuted. The information includes relevant initiatives of members of the Save the Persecuted Christians Coalition and others.

The STPC initiative also starts today, February 14, Ash Wednesday, by asking faith leaders and houses of worship across America to post banners outside for two reasons: 1) build awareness and 2) encourage engagement by visiting www.SaveThePersecutedChristians.org.

The banners feature the “nun” letter, which has become an international symbol for the oppression of Christians ever since the Islamic State used this first letter of the Arabic word for “Nazarene” to designate homes of followers of Christ targeted for persecution.

STPC

A model for how this Coalition can work is the Save the Soviet Jewry campaign of the 1970s, which started out with banners and signage outside synagogues and churches across America and turned into a powerful political movement and catalyst for policy changes that ultimately helped free the USSR’s oppressed Jews.

A banner and supporting materials can be viewed and downloaded at www.SaveThePersecutedChristians.org. Other items available include additional information about the Coalition, a pastoral bulletin insert and details concerning partner resources.

Leading members of the Save the Persecuted Christians Coalition include:

Rev. David Barton, WallBuilders

Pastor Paul Blair, Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ

LTG/Rev. “Jerry” Boykin, Family Research Council

Dr. Mark Christian, Global Faith Initiative

Andrew Coleman, Voices of the Martyrs

Devon Cross, Donors’ Forum on International Affairs

Bill Dallas, United in Purpose

Dr. Tim Daughtry, Clinical Psychologist and Author

Tom Doyle, Uncharted Ministries and Author

Bob Fu, ChinaAid

Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

Pastor Mark Gonzales, Hispanic Action Network

Suzanne Grishman, Nazarene Fund

Deborah and Michael Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies

Phil Haney, former CPB Officer and Author

Rabbi Jonathan Hausman, former Students for Soviet Jewry Activist

Jake Hoffman, Rally Forge

Jason James, Resonance Films

Jerry Johnson, National Religious Broadcasters

Tracey Johnson, Credo Strategies

Rick Joyner, Oak Initiative

Kelly Kullberg, American Association of Evangelicals

Dede Laugesen, Save the Christian Middle East

Reggie Littlejohn, Women’s Rights Without Frontiers

Fr. Andre Mahanna, St. Rafka Mission of Hope and Mercy

Faith McDonnell, Institute for Religion and Democracy

Rev. Johnnie Moore, Kairos Ministries

Pastor Sam Rohrer, American Pastors Network

Zach Sicherman, Faithkeepers

Erick Stackelbeck, Christians United for Israel

Juliana Taimoorazy, Iraqi Christian Relief

Elizabeth Yore, International Child Advocate and Attorney

Gregg Young, Red State Radio Host

 

###