“Nguyen Thanh and her husband have dedicated their lives to advancing God’s kingdom among remote villages throughout Vietnam,” says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley. “During their ministry, they have experienced persecution, being beaten and detained for preaching the gospel to many different tribal groups.”  

While Christianity is legal in Vietnam, Representative Foley says that local authorities persecute Christians in rural areas, and Christian converts are also persecuted by family members. “Minority tribal groups, such as the Hmong, typically face the most violent and harsh forms of persecution,” says Representative Foley. “But churches continue to grow despite persecution.” 

Representative Foley says that Nguyen Thanh was originally diagnosed with cancer in 2011. “After a period of remission, her cancer returned in 2020,” says Representative Foley. “This required a complicated surgical procedure and hospitalization.”  

Representative Foley says that because of Coronavirus protocols, she was required to stay at the hospital for an extended amount of time. “During her stay, she shared the gospel with more than 100 patients, and 32 have responded in faith,” says Representative Foley. “She has also been teaching the Bible to the new believers, and many of them have returned home and are sharing the gospel in their communities. Pray for these believers to continue growing in their faith. Pray also for Nguyen and her husband, thanking God for their faithful witness to Christ and asking for their material and physical needs to be met as she continues to recover.” 

Voice of the Martyrs Korea classifies Vietnam as one of five remaining Communist nations in the world, including also China, North Korea, Laos, and Cuba. “Each of these nations, including Vietnam, maintains strict laws against religion,” says Representative Foley. “In Vietnam, new Christians are often evicted from their homes and villages, especially in the tribal areas where local authorities exercise broad discretion.” Representative Foley says that officially recognized churches are expected to report their activities and teachings to the government. “All churches face government opposition when they evangelize outside church walls or attempt to conduct community events. Non-recognized churches, which cannot be officially registered, are in violation of the law. Within rural and tribal areas, existing believers can often meet openly, but new believers are targeted for harsh persecution. Christians are often denied social services, utilities and schooling in an attempt to pressure them to reject Christianity.” 

“Christian persecution is not a thing of the past in the Communist world,” says Representative Foley.

More information on Christian persecution in Vietnam is available at https://vomkorea.com/en/country-profile/VIETNAM/.