Crux News | Inés San Martín | April 7, 2020
A grassroots coalition is staging join a 24-hour Good Friday prayer marathon for persecuted Christians, to be held online, with the participation of religious leaders from persecuted communities in China, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Ethiopia and other countries.
To be held via Zoom, the event is set to start at sunrise Jerusalem on Holy Friday and to end at sunrise Jerusalem on Saturday, is organized by Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC). People from all faiths and languages are welcome to join, though prayers will be in English.
“We believe that no matter what language the prayers are spoken in, it will be an impulse from the Holy Spirit to unite Christians and people of other faiths to lift our prayers and uphold those who are literally nailed to the Cross with Jesus,” said Dede Laugesen, Executive Director of STPC.
“It’s our duty, like Simon of Cyrene, to lift that cross and walk with Jesus and those who are experiencing this trial of Golgotha with him,” she said.
The online prayer day is “such a beautiful moment, and it really does oblige us to be present with Christ as he experiences his passion. It’s a way to dig in deep and to be a part of it with him,” she told Crux over the phone.
This is the second Good Friday this initiative is held, and last year “hundreds joined us globally for a passion prayer for persecuted Christians.”
“We will have leaders from persecuted communities leading hours of prayer and persecuted Christians as well to join and link up with Christians from all over the world to lift them up,” Laugesen said.
Since most prayer leaders are from persecuted communities, the full schedule isn’t being advertised. Responsibility for organizing the timetable fell on Dr. Oluwasayo Ajiboye, director of Mission Africa International. Those wishing to participate can join in throughout the day, following this link.
The prayer initiative is an ecumenical effort, and the list of leaders include Catholic priests, Anglican and Evangelical leaders in addition to persecuted Christians themselves, who will be joining throughout the day and sharing their witness.
Laugesen defined STPC as an international organization, a coalition of faith leaders and civil society from all over the world, concerned that men and women of Western nations, including the United States, don’t understand the violence Christians face on a daily basis, at an increasing rate in several countries.
“We’ve come together to promote and elevate stories of persecuted Christians and to work with elected officials to enact policies that can decrease the level of persecution and find creative means to hold the persecutors accountable for their crimes against humanity,” she said.