Most of us were shocked when we saw the video of orange-clad Coptic Christians kneeling in their last moments just before being beheaded by ISIS. We were alarmed when we heard about the Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapping 276 girls from their dorms at a school in Nigeria.
Christians today continue to be persecuted, raped, isolated, beaten and murdered. Some are calling it a global genocide against Christians, while others are referring to it as the third world war.
What can God’s people do in the face of such a daunting reality? We can pray. James 5:16 reminds us that “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
After only 10 months since its start, Operation Orange Ribbon has enlisted 14,000 Christians to pray for the persecuted church. Jesse French, who turns 78 this year, is the founder of the movement. He says, “I can hardly wait until Monday each week to see what God is going to do next.” In the February issue of The Courier, we reported that this group had 11,000 prayer warriors from 36 different churches. Now, 52 churches are involved.
The orange ribbons and wristbands were chosen because of the orange jumpsuits victims were dressed in prior to their executions. Black T-shirts with orange lettering, “End Persecution,” are now being distributed. French says, “Some youth groups are using the T-shirts, ribbons and wristbands to witness to their friends.”
French’s speaking opportunities have increased following the original article in The Courier. He recently spoke to a mission group at First Baptist Church of Columbia, where all 150 people left with orange ribbons or wristbands. He has spoken during morning and evening worship services, to mission groups, and to senior adult groups.
Todd M. Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, has noted that more than 70 million Christians in the last 2,000 years have been martyred. He estimated that 1 million were killed between 2000 and 2010, an average of 100,000 per year. The number may actually be higher because many of the victims do not have documentation, or even graves.
Pope Francis said in 2014, “There are more martyrs in the church today than there were in the first centuries.” Johnson said an accurate count can help because it “tells us this is something that is not isolated,” and knowing the number may help motivate Christians to be “prayerful and concerned.”
Operation Orange Ribbon exists to inform people of the worldwide persecution of Christians, to motivate Christians to pray, and to call on government and Christian leaders to speak out on behalf of the persecuted church. A Bible study on persecution will soon be finished and is scheduled to be published later this year.
French is a member of First Baptist Church of Simpsonville and can be contacted through the Operation Orange Facebook page, by email at scfrench2@aol.com, or by phone at 864-982-6111.