Christian Support

Worldwide Christian Support Task Force

The St. Mark’s Worldwide Christian Support Task Force raises awareness of persecuted Christians by continuing to inform the congregation about areas of the world where Christians are being threatened due to their faith. Additionally, the task force encourages St. Mark’s members to support these Christians through prayer. It also provides assistance through missions work and advocacy.

There are a number of ways you can help support the St. Mark’s Worldwide Christian Support Task Force. We hope you will consider one or both of the following:

  1. Become a member of the task force. This requires attending committee meetings during the year and helping support the planned initiatives.
  2. Join our “Christian Support Prayer Chain” and pray for persecuted Christians. We’ll contact you via email and provide information and prayers regarding particular situations that require attention.

If you are interested and would like to become part of the prayer chain or join the committee, please email christiansupport@umcstmarks.org.

Mission Statement

To support Christians who are being persecuted in any country, the task force will pursue mission accomplishment by:

  • Continually updating the congregation and the surrounding community about where and how persecution of Christians is occurring;
  • Involving and assisting members of the congregation in supporting Christians who are under pressure, by communicating encouragement to them;
  • Providing mission support to persecuted Christians who are in need as a result of practicing their faith;
  • Advocating on behalf of persecuted Christians to governments and international organizations.

The Bible teaches that God sees believers as united in Christ:

I Corinthians 12:12-13 – “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.”

I Corinthians 12:26a – “If one member suffers, all suffer together.”

Those whose practice of the Christian faith are under pressure from various governments and hostile organized social groups need the free church to stand with them – to pray for and support them.

The Pew Research Center research on government restrictions and social group hostilities documents that persecution of Christians is occurring in more countries than against those practicing other faiths. Information regularly collected by Open Doors USA, an affiliate of the Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, shows that on a worldwide basis, on average 322 Christians are killed each month for their faith, 214 Christian churches and properties are destroyed each month, and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians.

The experience of mission groups that support Christians in countries where persecution is carried out has revealed that Christians under pressure report how important to them it is to have members of the free church pray for them, voice support for them, and communicate that support to them. Such activity reveals to persecuted Christians that they are not alone and encourages them to strengthen their faith and persevere. Further, activities of the free church that provide other support, such as supplying Bibles and educational materials and other support that helps them survive persecution, demonstrates that God’s entire worldwide church is with them.