Faith
Churches Urged to Embrace Persecuted Women
Faith Facts
- Christian women in South Asia and Africa face targeted religious persecution and abandonment by their communities.
- Many churches struggle to accept survivors back, compounding trauma and isolation for victims.
- Faith leaders call for compassion, restoration, and active support for those returning from persecution.
The vulnerability of women and girls in regions hostile to Christianity was front and center at the World Evangelical Alliance’s 14th General Assembly. Panelists revealed that many survivors face rejection not only from society, but heartbreakingly from their own church communities.
Irene Kibagendi, executive director of the Pan African Christian Women Alliance, noted that Christian girls in Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are frequently kidnapped and forced to abandon their faith. Upon return, these women often find themselves unwelcome in their churches and families.
“They’re rejected by their families. Their husbands cannot accept them back. The Church cannot accept them back,” Kibagendi explained, emphasizing the urgent need for a more compassionate response.
Emma van der Deijl, CEO of Gender and Religious Freedom, reflected on the spiritual harm inflicted, stating, “It’s as if the Church thinks that the blood of Christ isn’t strong enough to cleanse these women or to keep the Church pure.” She encouraged believers to restore and receive persecuted members with love rather than allowing the enemy to divide the body of Christ.
Sarah Cunningham of Open Doors US discussed the lasting psychological effects that survivors endure, such as PTSD and ongoing fear, and highlighted the stigma that victims often carry in silence.
Despite these challenges, a number of churches are beginning to offer hospitality and grace to those who have suffered for their faith, placing blame on perpetrators and supporting victims on their path to healing and reintegration.
The Rev. Martha Das and others pointed to ongoing cultural obstacles that hinder support in minority-Christian regions, where churches often desire tidiness over messy realities of trauma and pain.
Kibagendi insists Christians have a responsibility to welcome back and restore those hurt by persecution, leaving judgment aside and modeling Christ’s sacrificial love. Support and care groups within churches can provide hope and renew the dignity of women and girls impacted by violence.
At the assembly, over 850 Evangelicals considered how the global Church can more faithfully live out the Gospel, including through the adoption of the Seoul Declaration—a roadmap for theological integrity and unity in addressing pressing global issues.