CONGO, WHERE 100+ CHRISTIANS WERE JUST SLAUGHTERED, TO BE FOCUS OF WORLDWIDE PRAYER IN NOVEMBER
Christians in an estimated 100,000 churches in 130 countries worldwide are expected to join together during the first two Sundays of November to pray for persecuted Christians. According to persecution ministry Voice of the Martyrs Korea, this year there will be a special prayer focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo where more than a hundred Christians were killed and several hundred kidnapped in an attack on September 8. The organization has made a free video and PowerPoint slides available on its website for churches and small groups to use in commemoration of the event.
Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley says that the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) has been observed annually on the first and second Sundays of November each year since being established more than 20 years ago by the World Evangelical Association. She says Congo was chosen as the focus for this year’s global prayer event long before the bloody September 8 attack on churches by the IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). She sees the focus on Congo as a sign of God’s provision for prayers for Congolese Christians at a time of great need for the church there.
“The attack came during a funeral,” says Representative Foley. “Christians there are still deeply traumatized as they remember what they saw: 26 of the Christians were shot at the funeral. Others were shot in the surrounding area. Houses and vehicles were set on fire. Sadly, even a month after the event, few Christians around the world have heard about it.”
Representative Foley says that is why her organization is providing free materials to help Korean churches, small groups, families, and individuals participate in prayer for the Congo Christians and other persecuted believers around the world. The materials can be downloaded at www.vomkorea.com/en/idop.
“Most Christians today know that Christians are persecuted in countries like North Korea, China, and Iran, but few Christians know that 360 million Christians—about 1 in 7 Christians worldwide—face persecution for their faith,” says Representative Foley, citing statistics from the World Evangelical Association’s Religious Liberty Commission.
Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s 2025 IDOP video, called “Daniel and Aline”, tells the true story of two Congolese Christians whose ministry is focused on caring for Christians who have experienced traumatic persecution at the hands of Muslim extremists.
Representative Foley says that the video portrays a situation very similar to what happened in Congo on September 8.
“For our brothers and sisters in the Congo who endure these attacks, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual distress interrupts and affects all aspects of their lives,” says Representative Foley. “In response, front-line workers trained by Voice of the Martyrs help meet the practical needs of these persecuted Christians in addition to providing Scriptural trauma care.”
Representative Foley says that even though the video depicts the real-life difficulties of Christians in the Congo, it has an uplifting tone and is appropriate even for children to watch. “Even in the midst of such terrible circumstances, Daniel, Aline and the brothers and sisters they minister to experience the comfort, provision and reminder that God has not forgotten them,” says Representative Foley.
The video, as well as a free PowerPoint presentation to guide congregational prayer, is available for free viewing at https://vomkorea.com/en/idop/. Also on the webpage are videos from the previous year’s IDOP campaigns, highlighting Christian persecution in Colombia, Nepal, and Nigeria.