Updates from the field
Stand with the Persecuted Church in Sudan and the Sahel
Christians face unrelenting persecution
June 05, 2025 | by Charmaine Hedding
In Sudan and across the Sahel, extremists are attacking Christians for one reason: their faith in Jesus.
They are torching churches, displacing families, and hunting down believers. Civil war has torn apart Sudan’s Christian communities. We’ve witnessed it firsthand — leading evacuations through gunfire, slipping past militias and checkpoints to rescue believers marked for death.
Courage in the Face of Chaos
Sudan once showed signs of growing religious freedom, but a military coup and brutal civil war reversed that progress. Now, it faces one of the world’s largest crises of displacement and hunger. Nearly nine million people have been forced from their homes.
Despite the violence and attacks, the Church continues to grow. Africa now hosts nearly 700 million Christians — a breathtaking movement of faith. But with growth comes resistance. Armed groups have declared war on the Gospel, trying to extinguish the flame of faith across the continent.
Shai Fund Responds with Urgency
Thanks to your support, we can act decisively. Shai Fund is able to act immediately in these volatile regions. Here's what we do:
- Evacuate Christians from immediate danger
- Provide shelter and trauma care for displaced families
- Secure legal aid for resettlement and asylum
- Strengthen underground churches and support frontline pastors
- Advocate at the highest levels for religious freedom
These aren’t abstract programs—they save real lives. One Sudanese family we helped now lives safely and worships freely. That’s the power of decisive action backed by compassion.
The Crisis Demands Immediate Action
Extremist groups are tightening control across the Sahel of Africa, enforcing violent ideologies and erasing entire Christian communities. Far from Sudan, more than 1 million Christians have fled their homes in Burkina Faso alone. This isn’t a regional issue. The persecution of believers in Africa is a humanitarian crisis that requires urgent global attention.
You Can Make a Life-Saving Difference
Here’s how you can help:
- Pray for courage, healing, and protection for persecuted believers
- Share these stories to shine a light where others might turn away
- Give to fund urgent evacuations and long-term recovery
More Than Witnesses—Defenders of Hope
We cannot stay silent. We must act. Your gift is a direct intervention—pulling a family from danger, opening the door to safety, and helping the Church endure.
Stand with Africa’s persecuted believers. Become the hands that rescue, the voices that speak truth, and the hearts that never forget.
