No one should be persecuted for following Jesus

Right now, a young woman is reading her Bible in a room with the curtains drawn. If her neighbours hear the words, she will be reported. If the authorities come, she will be taken. She knows this. She is reading anyway.

Pray with us

Millions of Christians around the world face persecution for their faith. They are our brothers and sister in Christ, and they have asked us to remember them.

We believe the church  is one body

Christians are persecuted in more than 60 countries. Imprisoned for owning a Bible. Beaten for refusing to deny Christ. Driven from their homes for worshipping. Killed for their faith.

They are our brothers and sisters. The same Spirit that lives in us lives in them. The same Christ we worship on Sunday is worshipped in a hidden room in Iran, a burned-out building in Nigeria, a prison cell in Eritrea. We share one faith. We belong to one family.

Since 1968, Release International has connected believers in the UK with persecuted Christians in around 30 countries. We exist because of a simple conviction: when part of the body is suffering, the rest of the body responds.

Hebrews 13:3 puts it plainly: remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.

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“ When I was beaten on the bottom of my feet, my tongue cried out. Why did my tongue cry? It was not beaten. It cried because the tongue and feet are both part of the same body. ”

— Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ

Meet your brothers and sisters

Oppression

Mohan lives in a community where following Jesus means constant surveillance. His neighbours report him. His employer threatened to fire him. Local officials have visited his home to “persuade” him to return to the majority faith. He has not. Your support helps Christians like Mohan remain faithful under relentless pressure.

Forced to Flee

Christina and her family fled in the middle of the night when violence erupted in their community. They left with the clothes they were wearing. Thousands of Christian families share this experience today. Through Release International’s partners, displaced believers like Christina are finding safety, shelter, and a community that will not abandon them.

Families of Martyrs

After Pastor Mathew was killed for his faith, his wife Rose and their children were left with nothing. No income. No protection. No community willing to take them in. Widows and children often face poverty, rejection and fear Release International’s partners walk alongside families like Rose’s, providing practical support and pastoral care after a loved one is killed for Christ.

Prisoners of Faith

Dong Zhao is in prison because he worshipped Jesus. His family do not know when he will be released. Across the world, Christians sit in cells for the crime of faith. Your prayers reach them. Your giving supports their families. Your voice reminds the world they exist.

A fellowship that flows  both ways

Something remarkable happens when you connect with the persecuted church. You discover that the encouragement flows in both directions.

Believers who face imprisonment and violence for their faith regularly pray for Christians across the world. They pray for our churches. They pray for our families. They pray with a depth of conviction that comes from knowing exactly what their faith costs and choosing it anyway.

This is what it means to be one body. Not one side giving and the other receiving, but a family that prays for each other across every border. Their faithfulness strengthens ours. Our prayers and support strengthen theirs. Together, we hold each other up.

When you stand with Release International, you become part of that exchange a global fellowship of believers who refuse to let distance or danger break the bond we share in Christ.

Where is your family?

Rotate the globe and click on a country. Meet your brothers and sisters.

Countries in gold are where Release International actively supports persecuted Christians. Countries in sand are where we monitor the situation. Every marker represents real people living real faith under real pressure.

Click the countries or flag to discover their stories, hear their prayers, and see how your support brings hope in their darkest moments.

Explore the globe

“ Release International is a truly humbling and inspiring charity, seeking out supporting and protecting some of the bravest and most vulnerable men, women and children who are being persecuted for their faith. Your support means so much. Thank you ”

Bear Grylls OBE

Help their voices carry further

When people hear the stories of persecuted Christians, they share, they pray, they give. They want to do something about the injustice.
You can help those stories reach further.

Share them on social media. Invite Release International to speak at your church. Pass on a copy of Voice Magazine. Start a prayer group. Every story shared is another person who knows, another prayer offered, another part of the body standing together.

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Every gift makes a difference

When you give to Release International, you provide Bibles to underground churches, training to pastors serving under pressure, legal aid to prisoners of faith, and care to the families left behind.

Jesus said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Your gift becomes part of the answer to a prayer being whispered in a language you may not speak, in a country you may never visit, by a brother or sister whose name you now know.

On behalf of the persecuted church and the entire Release International team – thank you.

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Hear the voice of  persecuted Christians

Voice Magazine brings you the stories of believers who are standing firm for Jesus across the world. Their courage, their faith, and the God who sustains them. Stories that will stay with you long after you’ve read them.

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No one should be persecuted for following Jesus

Millions of Christians around the world face persecution for their faith. They are our brothers and sister in Christ, and they have asked us to remember them.

We believe the church  is one body

“ When I was beaten on the bottom of my feet, my tongue cried out. Why did my tongue cry? It was not beaten. It cried because the tongue and feet are both part of the same body. ”