Open Doors UK: Arise Africa Campaign
This year’s Christmas Gift collection will will see us supporting the work of Open Doors UK through their Arise Africa Campaign.
Every day, millions of Christians risk their lives to follow Jesus. In more than 70 countries, Open Doors supports them by supplying Bibles, providing emergency relief and helping persecuted believers stand strong for the long-term. In the UK and Ireland, Open Doors helps the church to pray, give and speak out for those who share our faith but not our freedom.
The problem
Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa [SSA] is at an all-time high. This escalation has been triggered by the presence of jihadist groups active in an increasing number of countries. Open Doors estimates that, of the roughly 34.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa who are displaced by violence and conflict, at least 16.2 million of those people are Christians. And many of them are driven from their homes and off their land because of their faith in Jesus.
Hear the story of Pastor Barnabas who lives in one of the IDP camps in Nigeria:
2025 Focus
Open Doors’ 2025 focus is on displacement. Displacement is a deliberate strategy of jihadists. Christian communities are being driven out of their homes and the regions are being taken over by Islamic extremists to eliminate the Christian presence. Additionally, once people have fled, their lives in Internally Displaced People [IDP] camps are often lived in squalor and in ongoing danger from Islamic extremists. Nine out of the top 10 most neglected displacement crises are in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s a problem that few people are paying attention to.
The Vision
The four-year vision is for the global community to acknowledge and act against extreme violence. By 2027, their goals are:
To reach and support 4 million Christians across sub-Saharan Africa who have been affected by severe persecution.
To join the African church to raise a million prayers and petitions to strengthen African Christians and bring the world’s attention to the violence suffered by followers of Jesus in sub-Saharan Africa. The petition will be presented to the African Union, EU, UN and other governments.
What the petition covers:
We call upon the global community to ensure that Christians and other vulnerable individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa are treated with dignity and respect by:
Protection: Providing robust protection from violent militant attacks.
Justice: Ensuring justice through fair prosecutions of the attackers.
Restoration: Bring healing and restoration to all affected communities.
What impact will your gift have?
The goal to support 4 million Christians requires a major scaling up of Open Doors field work, which will come at the following cost:
Every £19 could give emergency shelter to a displaced believer, helping them stand strong in their faith.
Every £31 could give vital support to a displaced believer, providing food, clothing and shelter so they can keep going.
Every £63 could give a month of education to a displaced child.
Why should we give?
This is a crisis that seems to be almost completely ignored by the West; Open Doors are hoping the campaign will fundamentally change that.
How to give
If you would like to contribute towards this whole church Christmas gift, you can do so via JustGiving*. We have therefore put together a specific St Mungo’s Christmas Gift page on the JustGiving website, to collect together our gifts for Open Doors.
Thank you so much for your donation!
*NB
JustGiving charge a small fee [1.9%] which is less than the administrative costs of receiving gifts individually, allocating them to the correct appeal and claiming gift aid. Gifts can also be made anonymously using JustGiving.