Imprisoned for Their Faith
Stories of Believers Pressured to Renounce Their Faith.
Earlier this month, four believers were arrested from the church in Zalingei. Paul* and Silas*, our global partners, were away. They had actually begun to travel to meet a visiting US team a few days later in Uganda.
Tuesday evening, Paul shared, “Our brothers have been detained in the police station. No one is quite sure what is going on. There are different stories circulating. One story is that someone reported their sound equipment stolen and since the church has some microphones, they arrested our brothers. Others are saying that local authorities do not want Christianity in this area.”
Of the four men, one is an English teacher, two are church leaders and the fourth leads a Jesus Film team.
The Jesus Film team leader was beaten by the guards. All were persuaded to renounce their faith. Paul shares, “They all stand to their faith and said, ‘We are Christian not for someone, but by someone, and we can’t deny Jesus because of anything! If you want to do anything we don’t care.’”
The pressure remained to renounce their faith in Jesus. Their accusers also called on the relatives of these men attempting to convince the family to persuade them to renounce their faith. But Paul said, “The brothers are remaining faithful!”
By Friday the situation worsened. Thursday evening into Friday morning, the men were beaten all evening. They were denied drinking water and their heads were shaved using broken glass.
Then Sunday morning we received word that the men had been released!
“Spiritually, they are very strong. They were taken to the court to record their words. They said, ‘We are followers of Jesus, and this is not something that needs to be questioned.’ Everyone was amazed in the midst of all those aggressive people,” shared Paul.
We praise God for the release of these men. A few days later, the guards returned to the church and invited the men to come to the station to pick up the confiscated items. It was a ruse to rearrest the men. They have again since been released and remain bold in their faith. The story has begun to make international news. They are all released but the case remains open. Attorneys are appealing for the case to be dismissed. They were ultimately charged with apostasy, a law that had been abolished in 2020.
“And they have never been discouraged or felt intimated,” shared Silas. “Instead they are winning more souls to Christ. On the ground and social media as well. Praise be to God and our Lord Jesus Christ!”
In an unrelated event, another follower of Jesus shares through Silas* his recent arrest for his faith in Jesus.
I (Silas) taught the book of Romans this year to our Leadership Training Program students. Today Mahmud*, who was recently arrested because of his faith, called me and told me that as he was being tortured in prison by the guards he recalled our discussion on Romans 8:18.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18, ESV
He shared this verse with a guard who was beating him. He said that our book (the Bible) assures us that whatever you do to us here cannot be compared with the glory that will be revealed to us. So the policeman who kicked him with his boots and insulted him stopped beating him and the other Christ followers who were with him in the prison. The policeman went to his colleagues and shared with them that these Christians don't care about what we are doing to them. One of his colleagues replied that he also witnessed the same things. Mahmud said he could hear their conversation and gave thanks to the Lord. That night no one came back to beat them.
I reminded Mahmud that Hebrews 4:12, says,
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12, ESV
Mahmud said, “I am understanding the power of the Word now. Can you believe that just today the policeman called me and apologized and asked me to forgive him? I told him that I forgave him from that very night. He asked me if I have that book (the Bible) that I could give him so he could read it. I told him I didn’t have one with me. It's my prayer that I will find an extra one to give to him.”
*Names altered to protect the identity of those working in areas of increased persecution.