Open Doors
Founded1955
FounderBrother Andrew
TypeChristian charitable organisation
Legal statusStichting
FocusSupporting persecuted Christians worldwide
Area served
70 countries
Key people
Brother Andrew
Revenue
$116.3 million (2015; including affiliates)
Websitewww.opendoors.org

Open Doors is a non-denominational mission supporting persecuted Christians around the world. They work with local partners to distribute Bibles and Christian literature, give discipleship training[1] and provide practical support, such as emergency relief aid. Open Doors' stated aims are to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians from around the world. It is based in Ermelo, The Netherlands. Open Doors is also a member of the Forum of Bible Agencies International.

History

Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutchman more widely known as Brother Andrew, when he decided to smuggle Bibles to persecuted Christians in Communist Poland.[2] He continued this work in smuggling Bibles to many of the Soviet-controlled countries and in 1957 was given a blue Volkswagen Beetle which he used to make deliveries within the Communist bloc.[3] With this new car he was able to carry more literature. Thereafter, the work of Open Doors continued to expand as it extended its network throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The name "Open Doors" referencing that of a welcoming group due to the doors being open at all times. He was responsible for smuggling millions of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.[4]

On 18 June 1981, Open Doors delivered one million contraband Chinese Bibles in one night to a beach near the city of Shantou in southern China on a mission they named Project Pearl. Project Pearl was carried out by an international crew of 20, led by Brother David. A semi-submersible, 137-foot barge, named Gabriella, was loaded with 232 waterproof, poly-wrapped, one-ton packages containing a million Chinese Bibles.[5] A 97-foot tugboat named Michael was used to tow Gabriella to the beach, weaving through a maze of anchored Chinese navy ships. The crew arrived at the beach at 9 pm. 10,000 Chinese Christians had gathered to bring the Bibles to shore and then deliver them all over China.[6] Time magazine described Project Pearl as "A remarkable mission… the largest operation of its kind in the history of China."[7]

In 1988, Open Doors used Glasnost[8] as an opportunity to openly provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church, at a cost of $2.5 million.[9] Open Doors partnered with the United Bible Societies to complete the task in just over one year.[10]

In 2005, 428,856 people from over 70 different countries signed Open Doors' global Right to Believe petition, saying Yes to religious liberty and No to the UN's Defamation of Religions Resolution.[11] The petition was presented to the UN in New York in December 2010.[12]

In 2015, Open Doors (including its affiliates) delivered 3 million Bibles and literature, and delivered relief and aid to 239,164 people.[13] In 2018, the USA organization spent $19,291,134 on programs to the persecuted church with $4.7 M spent on fundraising and $2.8 on administration.[14]

In 2022, it would have programs in 70 countries.[15][4]

On September 27, 2022, Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors, died at age 94 at his home in Harderwijk, Netherlands.[16][17]

Programs

Open Doors and its affiliates conduct programs in many countries:[18]

  • Delivering Bibles and other Christian literature[8]
  • Providing pastoral and discipleship training
  • Conducting seminars on Christian living, family life. "Standing Strong Through the Storm" is the seminar they use to teach churches on how to survive under persecution.[19]
  • Running Bible-based literacy courses
  • Supplying equipment and vocational training to help widows, families of prisoners of conscience, the displaced, and the unemployed to earn a living[20]
  • Providing legal aid and spiritual and emotional comfort to prisoners and their families
  • Financing and supplying equipment to pastors, churches, and Bible colleges
  • Supplying printing presses, radios, cassette players, photocopiers, and A/V and transport equipment
  • Sponsoring Bible colleges, reconciliation ministries and restoration centres for Christian refugees, widows and orphans
  • Acting as a "watchdog group" and reporting on the killing of Christians in various countries [21]

World Watch List

The organization publishes an annual World Watch List which ranks countries by the severity of persecution faced by active Christians. The WWL is based on research and comparison of field researchers, external experts, academics, and publicly available research documents but is subjective. In 2012, the methodology of the WWL was comprehensively revised in order to provide greater credibility, transparency, objectivity and scientific quality. In 2013, further refinement of the methodology took place.[22] Countries are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100 depending on the persecution of church life, national life, community life, family life, private life and violence against Christians. Countries are categorized under "Extreme Persecution", "Very High Persecution" or "High Persecution". In 2021, all top 50 countries were in both the "Extreme Persecution" and "Very High Persecution" categories for the first time since the World Watch List was originally published.[23] In 2022, Afghanistan overtook North Korea to become the country with the highest level of persecution. North Korea returned to the top of the list in 2023, with the highest levels of persecution ever seen.[24] The report found Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at the epicenter of violence against Christians.[25]

The 2024 list [26] revealed that the number of Christians suffering persecution and discrimination for their faith has risen to 365 million.[27]

Extreme levels of persecution

  1.  North Korea
  2.  Somalia
  3.  Libya
  4.  Eritrea
  5.  Yemen
  6.  Nigeria
  7.  Pakistan
  8.  Sudan
  9.  Iran
  10.  Afghanistan
  11.  India
  12.  Syria
  13.  Saudi Arabia

Very high levels of persecution

  1.  Mali
  2.  Algeria
  3.  Iraq
  4.  Myanmar
  5.  Maldives
  6.  China
  7.  Burkina Faso
  8.  Laos
  9.  Cuba
  10.  Mauritania
  11.  Morocco
  12.  Uzbekistan
  13.  Bangladesh
  14.  Niger
  15.  Central African Republic
  16.  Turkmenistan
  17.  Nicaragua
  18.  Oman
  19.  Ethiopia
  20.  Tunisia
  21.  Colombia
  22.  Vietnam
  23.  Bhutan
  24.  Mexico
  25.  Egypt
  26.  Mozambique
  27.  Qatar
  28.  DRC
  29.  Indonesia
  30.  Cameroon
  31.  Brunei
  32.  Comoros
  33.  Tajikistan
  34.  Kazakhstan
  35.  Jordan
  36.  Malaysia
  37.  Turkey

See also

References

  1. ↑ Green, George W. (2003). Special use vehicles: an illustrated history of unconventional cars and trucks worldwide. McFarland. p. 151. ISBN 0-7864-1245-3. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  2. ↑ Hertzke, Allen D. (2004). Freeing God's children. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-7425-0804-8. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  3. ↑ Desmond, Kevin (2005). The Least Likely: If God Can Use Them, He Can Use You!. Kregel Publications. p. 113. ISBN 0-8254-6061-1. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  4. 1 2 Darling, Daniel (March 29, 2021). "Hide It Under a Bushel? Maybe". Christianity Today. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Open Doors: Project Pearl - 25th Anniversary of Delivering 1 Million Bibles to China". Christian Today (Press release). 24 June 2006. Retrieved 2018-01-20.
  6. ↑ Hattaway, Paul (May 8, 2007). "Brother David "God's smuggler to China" had died at 70 today". Radio Free China. Assist News Service. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Hoyle, Russ; Wong, Bing W (1981-10-19). "Risky Rendezvous at Swatow". TIME. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  8. 1 2 "Local News in Brief: Santa Ana Group to Legally Ship Million Bibles to Russia". Los Angeles Times. 1988-08-06. p. 2. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  9. ↑ Brodeur, Nicole (1988-10-15). "OC charity to ship first load of Bibles to Soviets by Dec. 25". Orange County Register. p. b.08. ISSN 0886-4934. ProQuest 272237755. (Registration required)
  10. ↑ Owen, Mary (1989-12-30). "County-based ministry has sent 1 million Bibles to Christians in USSR". Orange County Register. p. E.05. ISSN 0886-4934. ProQuest 272433825. (Registration required)
  11. ↑ Marking, J. G. (2005). A Voice Is Calling: Living the Life You Know Exists. A Voice Is Calling. p. 117. ISBN 1-933204-07-9. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  12. ↑ "Open Doors' Global Petition Presented at United Nations - Open Doors USA". Open Doors USA. December 9, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Open Doors USA 2015 annual report" (PDF). Open Doors USA. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ Open Doors USA 2018 annual report. Open Doors USA website Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "HOW WE SUPPORT". opendoors.org. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Brother Andrew · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide". www.opendoors.org. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  17. ↑ Obituaries, Telegraph (2022-09-29). "Brother Andrew, missionary who fearlessly crossed borders to smuggle Christian literature into Communist lands – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  18. ↑ George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1688
  19. ↑ Dykstra, Jerry. "Preparing for Persecution in Indonesia". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  20. ↑ Sentinel staff (Oct 13, 2017). "Ottawa County Patriots to host event about Christian persecution". Holland Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  21. ↑ "Nigeria's Christian death toll gets tepid response from West | Terry Mattingly". www.yahoo.com. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  22. ↑ "World Watch List Ranking Methodology". Archived from the original on 2017-11-15.
  23. ↑ "World Watch List 2021: Trends · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide". www.opendoors.org. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  24. ↑ "World Watch List: Trends · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide". www.opendoors.org. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  25. ↑ Editors, C. T. (17 January 2023). "The 50 Countries Where It's Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2023-01-18. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. ↑ "World Watch List 2024". www.opendoors.org. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  27. ↑ eliot.kern (2024-01-17). "World Watch List 2024 reveals rise in Christian persecution - Eternity News". Retrieved 2024-01-17.
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