News / Thoughts

Over 70 MPs attend launch!

Last week in Parliament, at least 74 MPs attended the launch of our latest report, Freedom of Religion and the Persecution of Christians, highlighting the scale and severity of persecution faced by Christians around the world. Jim Shannon MP and Stephen Pound MP both commented on the large number of MPs present, while Angie Bray MP called the event ‘brilliant’ and ‘inspiring’.

MPs shocked

MPs heard from Dr. Ron Boyd-MacMillan (Director of Strategic Trends and Research for Open Doors International) and FCO Minister for Human Rights Baroness Anelay, as well as Nigerian Pastor Rev Daniel Awayi, who described life in the shadow of Boko Haram. Many left shocked by the fact that the persecution of Christians has become more intense in more countries around the world; this global crisis is finally starting to get the level of attention it needs.

Thank you

We are absolutely delighted by the response we had to the report launch, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our supporters! Since we launched our campaign in November, over 6,000 of you sent an invitation to your MP, urging them to attend, and we know many of you have been praying for the event as well – thank you!

What’s next?

We’d love to build on yesterday’s success and ensure that the persecution of Christians continues to get the attention it deserves – so we need to ask for your help once again. Here are a few things you can do now to help us keep the momentum going.

• Find out if your MP was at the meeting and send them a thank you note
• Below is a list of MPs who were present. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if your MP said they would come and they aren’t on this list, it’s very possible that they did – please send them a note of thanks anyway, we may just have missed them!
• Pray that Parliament will keep the issue of religious freedom on the agenda
• We know that many of you were praying for the meeting, asking God to open the hearts and minds of politicians present, and your prayers were certainly answered – to give just two examples, Wayne David MP described the event as ‘powerful’, while Nigel Dodds MP said it was ‘moving’.

Please pray…

• Praise God for answering so many prayers – that many MPs attended the report launch, and that there was real engagement with the issues being presented
• That those who attended the report launch will continue to consider the issue of freedom of religion and belief around the world, and will do what they can to defend this basic human right
• That those MPs who were unable to attend the report launch will still read our report and be moved by the issues raised.

MPs who attended