International (MNN) — Has the West turned a blind eye to increased persecution against Christians internationally?

We asked Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA. He says the U.S. State Department has placed less emphasis on these issues in recent years. “I was very disappointed with how the CPC report was issued this year. It’s Friday afternoon. It’s a written statement. There’s no press conference; there’s no effort to draw attention to the report or to draw attention to the countries which are persecuting religious minorities.”

“That shows how important the current State Department officials think this report is.”

The CPC list documents Countries of Particular Concern regarding the treatment of religious minorities. In the 2022 report, the State Department did not designate Nigeria or India as Countries of particular Concern. Afghanistan also did not make a list.

How to respond

But churches in the West can respond differently.

Nettleton encourages listeners to pray for persecuted Christians and to remember their sufferings. “We can tell the stories of persecuted Christians. We can talk about Christians in northern Mozambique who are losing their lives and being beheaded because they are followers of Christ.”

But that doesn’t deter local Christians in Mozambique. Nettleton says, despite the attacks, “Pastors are going out with audio Bibles and sharing them with the people around them. They share them with Christians, but also with Muslims who are also afraid of the terrorists, and who are also in danger.”

Share these stories in your church or among friends.

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA on Facebook.