OPEN DOORS 

Open Doors works in over 60 countries, supplying Bibles, training Church Leaders, providing practical support  and emergency relief, and supporting Christians who suffer for their faith.  In the UK and Ireland Open Doors works to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians.  

The ministry of Open Doors has its origins in one man and one journey.  In 1955, a young Dutchman went to Warsaw and discovered the existence of a persecuted church.  He became known as Brother Andres and from 1955 to 1967 he travelled throughout Eastern Europe, delivering scriptures, encouraging persecuted believers and recruiting others to help him.  The publication of  'God's Smuggler' in 1967 catapulted Andrew to worldwide renown.  An entire generation caught the vision of supporting the persecuted church.  

Open Doors' purpose is to strengthen an equip the body of Christ living under or facing restriction and persecution because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and to encourage their involvement in world envangelism by:

• Providing Bibles and literature, media, leadership training, socio-economic development and through intercessory prayer; 
• Preparing the body of Christ living in threatened or unstable areas to face persecution and suffering; and 
• Educating and mobilising the body of Christ living in the free world to identify with threatened and persecuted Christians and be actively involved in assisting them.

• We are:  Part of the Body of Christ; a "People to People" People.
• 'Persecuted Church' driven.
• People of the Bible. 
• People of Prayer.
• Living and Working by Faith.
• Devoted to Jesus Christ with his Commission. 
• Motivated solely for the glory of God. 

• Hold at least one persecuted church service per year. 
• Pray regularly as a whole church.
• Engage with emergency appeals as and when Open Doors launch them.
• Share petitions that call on our political leaders to support persecuted Christians.  

• Impossible faith in North Korea. The dangers facing Christians in North Korea have not abated - and that's why it's still number one on the World Watch List. Amidst an ongoing humanitarian crisis, the Kim regime continues to strengthen the country's self-reliance and its strategic positioning on the world stage. For North Korea's secret believer, following Jesus openly remain impossible. 
• 4.849 pay ultimate cost for their faith. Open Doors research shows that the number of Christians worldwide killed for their faith increased by eight per cent to 4,849. Of these 72% were from Nigeria - that's more than the rest of the world combined. Other countries in sub-Saharan Africa that recorded at least 100 faith-related killings include Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
• Syria jumps 12 places, making it the biggest riser. Syria has jumped to sixth. It's the biggest riser in this year's list and now a place of extreme persecution for many of the country's tiny minority of believers. This is largely down to a sharp rise in the number of Christians killed and churches attacked since the fall of the Assad regime, notably the suicide bomb of Saint Ellas Church, Damascus. In June that killed 22 people.  
• Christians in Africa exposed by instability. Fourteen countries in the top 50 of the World Watch List are in sub-Saharan Africa, and four of these are in the top 10 (Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and Nigeria). A key driver is weak governance - for example, five of the 14 countries have experienced government overthrows in the past five years. This enables militancy and corruption to flourish with believers often disproportionately targeted. One in eight Christians globally live in these 14 countries. 
• Crackdown on online Church activities in China. China recorded its highest ever score on the World Watch List, largely due to the implementation in September 2025 of 'Regulations on the Online Behaviour of Religious Clergy'. It comprises of 18 rules to 'actively guide the religion's alignment with society'. There is a ban on youth outreach, fundraising and 'healing' activities. Livestreams of sermons are only permitted if the Church has been state-approved, which means preaching is heavily censored.  
• Drop in violence in Bangladesh. Among the good news from the latest list is a 20% drop in reported incidents of violence in Bangladesh. Since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasana in August 2024, a period of relative calm has emerged under the interim leadership of Muhammad Yumus, an advocate of religious freedom. However, with elections scheduled for early this year, this will be tested, with concerns that it could lead to greater persecution of religious minorities. 

	Open Doors Pray Diary January and February 2026 (2.4MB)
	Open Doors Magazine January and February 2026 (10.3MB)