fiscal year 2024 Annual report
NEW life…
Multiplied
“God filled the void of love from my own family with His great love. Jesus Christ gave me a new life, and not only that, but also a new spirit, mind, and heart.”
— BARAK, IRAN
Acts 5:12-20
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
A note from josh
In Acts 5, we read about some of the very first persecuted Christians. They were imprisoned for their faith. But during the night, an angel appeared. “Go, stand in the temple courts ... and tell the people all about this new life!” the angel said, setting them free.
In the Islamic World, people are experiencing this new life in Jesus. Like the apostles, they are sharing Him with others, often at great cost to themselves. Yet they stand bold and firm in their faith, clinging to Christ.
Our team recently ministered to Yazan, whose family assaulted him when he came to faith. When we offered to help him escape, he told us, “I will not leave the house. I want my family to come to Christ. Even if I lose my life for it. Please continue to pray for me.” Yazan is risking his life so that his persecutors — his own family — can experience this new life.
Help The Persecuted exists because of a hard truth: All over the Islamic World, converts to Christianity are losing everything — their children, their parents, their spouses, their livelihoods, their homes, their physical safety...
- When lives are threatened, we rescue them.
- When hearts and spirits are broken, we restore them.
- When livelihoods are lost, we rebuild them.
Joshua youssef
Imagine facing torture and death for just five words:
"i believe in
Jesus Christ."
This is the harsh reality for more than 360 million Christians today. In the next 24 hours, eight will be martyred because of their faith.
When a Muslim finds this new life in Jesus, they sometimes lose everything for His sake.
Yet they tell us again and again: Jesus is worth it all.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Persecuted believers are not meant to carry these burdens alone.
As the global church, we all have a role in helping these brave believers in the toughest moments of their lives. Your prayers and gifts are an integral part of it all — making this work possible ... rebuilding thousands of lives in the name of Christ.
Where we are working
We are blessed by our team of on-the-ground Field Ministers in 15 countries, dedicated to walking with brave believers through every step of their journey ... from harrowing rescues ... to emergency food ... to hands-on discipleship.
A Muslim hears the gospel and makes a profession of faith.
Their family, friends, or coworkers discover their faith and persecute them, trying to force them to revert to Islam.
Our on-the-ground Field Ministers learn about the situation through underground church networks, contacts with local pastors, and social media.
RESCUE: Stopping the immediate negative effects of a persecution event, helping someone escape dangerous, emergency situations through things like emergency travel funds, sheltering them in our safe houses, and providing medical care, food, and clothing.
RESTORE: Helping people return to a stable condition in the short term. Believers find physical and emotional healing from the wounds of persecution through the Lord, as we provide counseling and discipleship. They are strengthened as they deal with the aftermath of persecution. Much of our work falls into this category, providing tailored packages of support to individuals, as we come alongside them to return them to a stable condition.
REBUILD: Working with believers to help them reconstruct their lives for the long term after a persecution event. Believers begin to thrive as disciples of Christ as they are empowered and equipped to start independent businesses and regain their livelihoods ... and tell others about this new life!
rescue:
emergency
RESPONSE SAVES
8 LIVES
“Do you believe in Issa?”
Fahima knew that something was off when she got this text, which referenced Jesus using the Arabic name Issa, from her father’s phone number.
Her fears were soon confirmed. Her mother, Sadiqa, received a horrible image of her husband, Ahmed, hanged and was told he had killed himself. But Sadiqa knew it wasn’t true. Ahmed had been kidnapped and held at gunpoint before by their Islamic tribe in Iraq, and he hadn’t come home the night before when he was expected. She reported the murder to the police, who turned the family in to their tribal leader.
When Fahima learned that her father had died, she immediately started texting our Field Minister Nabeel, who had helped the family before. Through her, we learned that the tribal leader handed the family over to an Iranian militia who planned to murder the mother and send the children to their Muslim relatives.
Miraculously, the family escaped ... and hid in a shrine. Nabeel started working around the clock to find a way for the family to get out of the city before their names were placed at checkpoints.
They stayed there for several days ... sick, traumatized, and without food, until finally, the oldest son left to get bread and then went missing. Then they knew they had no choice but to try and escape. And, by the grace of God, they made it out of their town!
Nabeel intercepted the family and rushed them to a safe house. Because of your support, they now have time to rest, food to eat, and medical care. Nabeel hired a trained trauma counselor to help the family begin to mend their hearts after such devastating loss.
When the time comes, we plan to help Sadiqa start her own business in a safe place so that she can support her children and build a life of independence and dignity.
Her husband, Ahmed, tasted this new life while he was with us in this world. Together, we are honoring him by taking care of his family. We are building the hope of his wife and children ... even as his hope and faith have been made sight in the presence of the Lord!
Thank you for making lifesaving, emergency rescues like theirs possible through your prayers and giving.
This new life, in new countries…
Libya
These words were Aseel’s response as our Field Minister Salam asked her if she understood the risks of joining our on-the- ground team in Libya.
Over the years, we have wanted to minister in Libya ... but the country proved to be nearly impenetrable. It has never been open to the gospel. Only foreigners are allowed to worship Christ, and oftentimes, they are arrested. Aseel, our first Field Minister in the country, said she knows about 13 Libyan Christians ... most of whom are in prison. She isn’t aware of any home churches.
“Almost everyone I know who survived persecution in Libya fled the country,” she said.
However, Aseel bravely reaches out to persecuted believers she knows in Libya and ministers to them in secret. One of these is Salih, a teacher originally from Nigeria. For years, Salih served in multiple
churches in Libya, and, on many occasions, she witnessed the militia kidnapping pastors and church members.
One night, Salih’s neighbor complained to the Libyan militia that she was praying and singing too loudly in her apartment. The police barged into her home with guns and detained her. They sent her to prison, where she was forced to remove all her clothes and was beaten by jailers. She didn’t receive enough water or food. Suddenly, Salih felt completely alone ... she wondered if she would ever make it out alive.
A parent of one of her students bailed her out, but the guards kept her money and her phone. Salih was free, but she had no resources and no place to live.
Aseel learned about Salih through trusted partners and immediately met with her in a secret location. She listened to Salih’s story and encouraged her in the Lord. Now, we are providing Salih with several months of living expenses so that she can rent a new apartment ... and continue to pray and worship the God who has given her this new life!
— Afini
Yemen
But this year, we hired our first, full-time Field Ministers in Yemen: Ashraf and Nour. They are bravely meeting believers, risking everything to rescue, restore, and rebuild their lives. This includes Samir.
Samir learned about Jesus when he stumbled upon Christians explaining the Bible online. Jesus touched his heart, and he soon connected with other Christians.
But then his family discovered his faith. His father threatened to kill him, and his brother stole his motorcycle. Samir fled his home and started sleeping in the shop where he worked. On top of everything, he needed eye surgery ... and it left him blind in one eye and with constant migraines.
Samir’s Christian friends connected him with Ashraf and Nour, who rushed to meet Samir and minister to him. They listened to his story with compassion ... and discovered his experience working in phone shops, where he had built many connections with wholesalers.
Samir created a business plan to open his own phone shop, and we were glad to provide seed funding through our Enduring Livelihood Ministry to help him rent a place, purchase a computer, and get some furniture. After losing so much for the sake of Christ, Samir is on a path to dignity and independence ... rejoicing in this new life he has found in Christ!
rescue:
Our lebanon
Crisis Response
Seeds of hope
Yasser, a Kurdish Syrian, grew up in a Muslim family, and he moved to Lebanon to work in agriculture. One day, someone invited him to church. Yasser remembered bitterly how ISIS had treated Kurds, and he was curious if Christianity really was a religion of love.
At church, he felt at peace, and he invited his wife. Soon, he started comparing Christianity with Islam, and one day, he and his wife gave their hearts to Christ. They got baptized and started receiving discipleship from our Field Minister Amin.
Yasser is now an ordained minister ... and we hired him to be our Seeds of Hope farm manager!
This farm, which now has 31 commercial-grade greenhouses and hydroponics capabilities, has provided people with food, employment, and training. We host local community dinners utilizing the vegetables grown and provide opportunities for many Muslim and Druze people to hear about...this new life!
— Jawad, Seeds of Hope farm
A NEW LIFE OF SECURITY AND SAFETY:
OUR WAR REFUGE CENTER IN LEBANON
“Thank God we have a ceiling above us, and we have room and a place to eat.”
When the Israel-Hamas conflict began, our Field Ministers knew that the persecuted believers in southern Lebanon would need a place to go as they fled the warzone. We quickly converted a church building into our War Refuge Center stocked with beds, food, clothing, and heaters.
Arash’s Family Welcomed
Among the first to arrive were Arash and
his family, who shared the words above. His family — he is married with one son — came to saving faith in Jesus in Iran, where they faced life-threatening persecution from their Muslim relatives.
They fled to Lebanon. From their new home, they could see the Israeli border. When the fighting began, they left everything and drove north, sleeping in their car.
Hassan Finds This New Life ... in our War Refuge Center
After facing many disappointments, including two divorces and a motorcycle accident that left him permanently disabled, Hassan turned to alcohol to soothe his pain.
But, the next day, the man returned and led him to our War Refuge Center.
Experiencing this act of mercy and care ultimately led Hassan to give his life to the Lord. He quit drinking, and his entire life changed ... because he had discovered this new life.
Because of your support, we are providing Hassan a few months of living expenses as he prepares to leave the War Refuge Center. He will either return to work or start his own business, rebuilding his life on the firm foundation of the Lord!
REScue:
EMergency
Relief kits
This is what Pastor Amir said right before baptizing Omar, a former Muslim whose journey to Christ began ... when Hadi, another local pastor we partner with, knocked on his door with a box full of food and spiritual materials — an Emergency Relief Kit.
Our Emergency Relief Kits minister to anyone in need, both persecuted Christians and other vulnerable populations. They are hand-delivered, providing an opportunity for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship in the name of the Lord.
These kits are vital for persecuted believers, who often live in poverty in the Islamic World after being disowned, abused, or fired from their jobs because of their faith.
For Muslim and Druze populations, they serve as the first touchpoint ... building a relationship that we hope leads to an invitation to step into this new life.
A month of dry food goods for a family of four, including items like rice, cooking oil, flour, tea, and sugar. As well as discipleship materials like bibles, children's bibles and christian coloring books, and discipleship books.
Rescue:
Safe Houses
“God gave us new hearts. While we sought revenge, God touched our hearts, and we were able to forgive the doctor who killed our son ... God has changed our whole lives, and His blessings continue to flow in our lives!”
Parsa and Leila grew up in Iran as Muslims, but their lives were turned upside down when their young son died of medical malpractice. They were devastated and thirsted for revenge. When they sued the hospital and lost the case, they spiraled even deeper.
One day, Parsa’s brother, Omid, visited them. Omid’s behavior seemed different.
“He didn’t fight anymore, and he always tried to be kind to others,” Parsa said. When he asked Omid about it, Omid shared the gospel with him.
Soon, Parsa, Leila, and their daughter, Sara, came to faith in the Lord!
When their family members discovered their faith ... the persecution started. The family threatened to turn them into the
Iranian Intelligence Service, a surefire prison sentence ... or worse.
Parsa and his family fled to Türkiye with nothing. As time passed, things began to look up, and they bought a new house ... and then the 2023 earthquake destroyed it.
Once again, they lost everything.
Our Field Minister Qasem learned about the family through an underground church network.
He welcomed them into one of our safe houses in Türkiye, where they stayed for six months. When Qasem learned that Sara was a talented guitarist, he found a guitar for her, and soon she was playing worship at church!
Qasem and other ministers helped the family work through deep, spiritual questions about persecution and suffering. Leila received counseling to heal from the trauma of her son’s death and the earthquake.
Recently, the family rented their own apartment in a safe place! They continue to worship the Lord together, attending a church. Thanks to your support, the things that might have felt like the end to them the death of their son, overwhelming persecution, losing their home in an earthquake — have been redeemed. They are rejoicing in this new life.
Our safe house network consists of 19 secure homes for persecuted believers on the run. They are always stocked with food, clothing, and warm beds. At our safe houses, we surround brave believers with loving care, including counseling, disci- pleship, and fellowship with other persecuted believers like themselves.
RESTORE: Enduring
faith conferences
We held 12 Enduring Faith Conferences across the Islamic World this year. These discipleship intensives minister to believers like Zahra, who said the words above! Her voice trembled, tears were in her eyes, and the entire room began to applaud in encouragement. She bravely and boldly shared her testimony of surviving abuse, discovering the love of Jesus, evangelizing throughout Iran, being arrested, and, finally, living as a refugee in Türkiye.
Our Enduring Faith Conferences are discipleship intensives for persecuted believers like Zahra. They are safe places for believers to worship, pray, and get to know each other. For some, it’s the first time they have ever met another Christian in person.
The best moments are when persecuted believers like Zahra minister to other persecuted believers, helping them rejoice in this new life.
Other ways that we work to restore believers include providing them several months of living expenses, pastoral counseling, trauma care, and funds for things like education fees for their children.
What is the greatest cost you have paid for following Jesus?
“I lost my entire family. I became their enemy.”
But, by the power of God, that was not the end of Hannah’s story. After attending an Enduring Faith Conference, she told our Field Minister, “Now I have a new family in Christ.”
Now walking in freedom
At a conference in Iraq this year, four women decided to be baptized. Right before they got into the pool, these women took off their hijabs together — an outward sign that they were no longer bound by the rules of Islam, but instead were walking in the freedom of this new life.
"I can’t wait for next year. You made our dream of belonging to a community come true."
—SARA, IRAQ
REBUILD: Enduring
Livelihood MINISTRY
“God, I know You exist, but the Quran is not showing me Your greatness. I want You to reveal Yourself to me in a decisive way!”
This was Azim’s prayer from his rooftop one night as a student in an Islamic seminary in Iraq. Then he dreamed of Jesus holding a cross. After more dreams, he searched for a church online. There, a Christian explained to him the gospel ... and Azim surrendered his life over to the Lord.
When his family found out, they beat him, so he fled his home. When he was forced to return, his father turned him in to government officials, who tortured him. His family burned his Bible and passport.
One of our Field Ministers connected us with Azim, and we realized his greatest need was a steady income so he could escape his family and lead a life of dignity. We worked with him to create a business plan, and through our Enduring Livelihood Ministry, Azim purchased a taxi — and is well on his way to rebuilding his life after losing so much for the sake of Christ.
When former Muslims declare their faith in Christ, they often face what we might call “civic death” — losing things like their ...
job
family home
inheritance
friends
social standing ...
Our Enduring Livelihood Ministry puts these brave believers on a path of dignity and independence through small business ownership ... breaking the cycle of poverty and dependence that many converts face.
Our Field Ministry team includes business professionals who work with these persecuted believers to help them identify a potential business they could operate, develop a business plan, and provide initial seed funding.
the impact of our
enduring livelihood
ministry
"You helped me start a business. You helped me gain my dignity back. How can I ever repay you? I no longer want to leave my country. I want to live and serve here."
—Abbas, Morocco
2024 Stats
88
New Enduring
Livelihood businesses
317
Persecuted
Believers Helped
298
New Enduring
Livelihood businesses
1,666
Persecuted
Believers Helped
Overall stats
REBUILD: ENDURING
Shepherds Ministry
Imagine ... being a persecuted believer, working full time in ministry to persecuted believers, having to take on more work to support your family, and still struggling to make ends meet.
This is a reality for many persecuted pastors in the Islamic World. But our Enduring Shepherds Ministry seeks to take the burden off these faithful laborers for the gospel so that they can focus entirely on ministry ... knowing that their families are taken care of. This brand-new initiative covers an entire year’s worth of living expenses so that pastors can focus on telling others about this new life!
Pastors like Farhan. Born into a rural, Muslim family, Farhan supported his family by working as a shepherd. Due to catastrophic flooding, Farhan had to move their animals to a safe place and take shelter in a tent. In the aftermath of the flood, some nonprofit workers gave him an aid package, which included a New Testament.
Farhan opened the book and read John 3:16. Stunned that there might be a loving God, he began reading the Bible for himself, and he soon realized that Jesus was the path to salvation. One day, he had a vision of Jesus while he was praying. Filled with joy and peace, Farhan gave his life to the Lord.
Then, he told his friends and family about Jesus. Enraged, they beat him and forced him to the mosque, where the imam said he should be killed
for apostasy. By the grace of God, Farhan escaped, and he and his wife sheltered in a church, but were soon asked to leave by the leaders of the church, who feared the dangers of harboring Christian converts from Islam.
They moved again, determined to follow God and lead others to Him.
But persecution continued. Farhan has been arrested, beaten, and tortured for his evangelistic work. Extremists have threatened to kill him multiple times, but he continues to spread the gospel, undeterred and undaunted, because he longs for even his persecutors to experience this new life in Christ.
Because of your faithful support, when we found out about Farhan, we were able to offer him help and hope through our Enduring Shepherds Ministry!
Farhan says, “I experienced a significant change in my life with this support! Managing my family matters became much easier ... and my evangelism ministry grew, by the power of God! I am so happy. Before this help, both my family life and ministry were struggling. But the support changed everything!”
So far, eight pastors in countries like Türkiye, Pakistan, Jordan, and Iran have been ministered to through the Enduring Shepherds Ministry ... helping the persecuted church multiply
and flourish.
UNyielding
perseverance INTO
afghanistan
I sense a huge vacuum for the gospel. I don’t believe public evangelism without being very, very careful is wise. But I am sure evangelism is possible.”
—Rustam, Field Minister in Central Asia
Three years after rescuing 750 Afghans as the Taliban regime took over, we are still finding ways to get back in ... to encourage believers, provide aid, and save lives!
As Pakistan pushes Afghan refugees out, the danger for Afghans in their home country is so severe that we recently helped a couple flee from Afghanistan to Iran — a country that is itself known for its brutal treatment of professing Christians, but nevertheless is far safer than Afghanistan.
If an Afghan is found to be a practicing Christian, they might be executed by the Taliban. All people are forced to go to the mosque for their five daily prayers. When Rustam met with a Christian in Afghanistan recently, he asked how he dealt with this reality. “I go,” the man said, “but when I pray, I pray to Jesus."
While many ministries have withdrawn from the country because of the extreme danger of the Taliban and Islamic fundamentalism, our Field Minister Rustam is pushing forward, compelled and emboldened by the love of God to see the hope of the gospel sweep throughout Afghanistan.
He is finding leads into the country so that we can rescue, restore, and rebuild the lives of more persecuted Christians in the region who find themselves in greater need than ever before. He has had nerve-wracking encounters with the Taliban, but he continues to press on in the name of the Lord.
Please pray for Rustam and our work in Afghanistan!
ron HUGHES
I heard Joshua Youssef preach on the persecuted church and the horrific plight of persecuted Christians, which is significantly underreported. He described the very tangible actions that Help The Persecuted was leading in parts of the world often hostile to the gospel and Christianity, and I knew that I had found my life’s primary missional calling.
What do you wish everyone knew about Help The Persecuted?
First, the abundance of supernatural grace that God gives those who are willing to lose everything simply for saying “yes” to the call of Christ. I have personally met Christian victims of ISIS in the Middle East who literally witnessed multiple family members gunned down in cold blood simply for admitting that they were Christians ... others who watched their children dipped in hot tar ... some who had their homes burned to the ground ... and individuals who were hung upside down and beaten for months at a time. Yet, amazingly, and defying all human instinct and reason, they thank God for ISIS — because their persecution drew them closer to Jesus and made Christ even more powerful in their lives. This transcends normal human behavior. To be with these saints, it is clear that they have been blessed and transformed and strengthened in a supernatural way. There is no other human explanation.
What are you most excited about when you think about investing in the future of the persecuted church?
Historically, the church has thrived under persecution. The greater the persecution, it seems that God dispenses a greater abundance of supernatural grace to sustain those under pressure and to draw others to Christ. We are watering flowers that God has planted in a hot and rocky desert ... where human logic says nothing should grow, yet beautiful gardens spring forth that can spread across the region. While the world can be hostile to the gospel and even try to kill those who embrace it, the gospel changes lives and can overcome the world ... especially in the face of adversity and persecution.
Mary Margaret Phillips
It was the heartbreak of what these people were going through. I wondered, “What do they do when their families try to kill them?” It was just hard to believe that families could be so cruel to their own children.
How has your partnership with Help The Persecuted affected your relationship with the Lord?
What I’ve done for several years is, before I go to bed at night, I pray for the persecuted, and that’s my nighttime prayer. I pray for those who are persecuted and for God to help those who are helping the persecuted ... for their safety and that kind of thing.
I think it’s that there is going to be all these people in heaven, and we’ll get to know them when we get up there, and there won’t be any tears or any sadness! Gosh, won’t that be a glorious day?
What would you say to someone considering partnering with Help The Persecuted? You’re helping these brothers and sisters who are suffering. We have no idea what these people are going through. We’re so sheltered over here. It’s just such a joy to know that you’re making life a little easier for them. And there are so many hundreds more who need help!
Have You Ever Struggled to Pray for the Persecuted Church?
God has called us to pray for our brave brothers and sisters in Christ who risk everything for the sake of the gospel, but it can sometimes be hard to know how to pray.
Prisoners of Hope is a 10-minute, weekly prayer podcast. Different members of our team sit down each week to share some of the most compelling testimonies and invite you to join us in prayer for this new life to spread across the Muslim world ... so that the persecuted church can flourish!
Board of Directors
United States
Allan Guinan
Australia
Graeme Blaiklock, Company Secretary
Allan Guinan, Director
Peter King, AO, FAICD, Treasurer
Dr. Beng Yeoh, Director
Joshua Youssef, President
united kingdom
Allan Guinan, Trustee
Donovan Palmer, Trustee
Joshua Youssef, Trustee
“Thank you for being a support to all the people who are tired, needy, and being persecuted because of their faith in Christ.”
—YASMIN, EGYPT
