Evangelism Under Persecution

Bible reading: Acts 4:1-31

The Church is dependent on the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to expand God’s Kingdom when under threat of persecution. In modern Church history, it has been observed that persecution can fuel church growth.

Testimony: Letters from a Dungeon Cell

Dr. Tecleab Menghisteab was both a medical doctor and a pastor in Eritrea — a man who had given his life to healing bodies and shepherding souls. In 2004, the Eritrean government arrested him as part of a sweeping crackdown on evangelical and Pentecostal Christians. He was taken without warning, without charge, and without trial.

He has been imprisoned ever since — for over twenty years at the time of writing — held in conditions described as dungeon-like, with no legal representation and no family visits permitted.
Yet from inside his cell, Dr. Tecleab began to write letters. Not letters of despair. Letters of hope, testimony, and deep spiritual reflection — the kind that could only be written by someone who had genuinely encountered God in the darkness. One of those letters was so full of life that a young woman who received it began to hand-copy it and share it with other believers. That letter became a magazine. The magazine kept circulating, quietly strengthening the underground church.

The moment Dr. Tecleab entered his cell, a fellow prisoner called out: “Pastor, come over here. Everyone in this cell is unsaved. You are very much needed here.” He had been imprisoned. But the ministry continued.

His daughter Hana carries his words to the world today: “My father chose the right cup.”

“My chains have become a witness to the whole palace guard.” (Philippians 1:13)

Read more…

Let us pray

• Earnestly pray for the underground Church; for boldness to preach the Gospel, for God’s intervention to do the work of the Kingdom in hostile environments.
• Ask God to extend His hand and do the supernatural in their midst daily through healings, signs and wonders.
• Pray for strategies to disciple and train the underground Church.

Step Out

Pray by name for someone facing hardship for their faith, then encourage them.