The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has encouraged member congregations to participate in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, to be observed this year on Sunday, November 9th.

The newswire of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently carried a story giving details and some background concerning persecution currently being directed against Presbyterian and Reformed Christians in Iraq. Excerpts of this material are provided here, to help to remind us of the plight of our fellow believers, and to stimulate us to greater effort in prayer, on their behalf.

"Pray for the Christian community in Iraq and particularly the northern city of Mosul, where more than two dozen Christians have been murdered in recent days by militant Sunnis.

Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, is the site of the ancient biblical city of Nineveh and home to one of Iraq's five Presbyterian-Reformed congregations.

Hundreds of Christians have fled Mosul since the spate of killings began.

The Mosul church is the oldest in Iraq, having been established in 1840. ... It was out of the Mosul church that God sent missionaries to Baghdad, Basra and elsewhere to plant new congregations. Iraqi Reformed and Presbyterian people call Mosul the 'mother church.'

When Saddam Hussein seized power in 1979, the Mosul church fell on hard times and nearly closed. Only pastoral home visits by the minister of the Kirkuk church preserved the Christian community in Mosul.

With the loosening of restrictions on church activity in 1990, the Mosul congregation began to rebuild itself ... Pastoral duties were provided by the Rev. Haitham Jazrawi of the Kirkuk church and the congregation elected three elders "who carried out the majority of the ministry of our congregation," one elder said.

In 2001-2002, two successive Egyptian pastors served the Mosul church, which grew to about 75 families and conducted extensive outreach to villages around Mosul.

Internationals -- including the Egyptian pastor -- fled Iraq and by the end of 2004 the ministry of the Mosul Presbyterian-Reformed church was back in the hands of the three elders.

The situation has steadily deteriorated since then. ... Death threats -- face-to-face and by telephone -- became a steady occurrence and in 2006 one of the three Mosul Presbyterian elders was kidnapped and killed.

"That was a big shock to the church," the elder said. "Many of our faithful began to withdraw and not come to church anymore. The church was closed for several months."

Only 27 families remain in the Mosul church. "Ministry in Mosul is now extremely difficult. Every Sunday morning, I have to call the custodian, who lives near the church, to ask if it is safe in the neighborhood to come to church. If the custodian says it is not safe, I call all 27 families to tell them we will be meeting in different private homes," the elder said.

On Oct. 12, Kirkuk's pastor Haitham Jazrawi sent the following e-mail:

"Dear brothers and sisters in Christ the Lord,

This e-mail is a prayer request for Iraq, the people in general and especially the city of Mosul (known also as Nineveh) and the Christians there.

During the last 4-5 days, around 25 Christians (some say 40) were killed in the streets in different parts of the city for religious and political causes. In the past people used to be kidnapped, threatened, and a ransom was paid to be freed. Now they're being killed without prior notice and the government hasn't done anything so far. Even the media didn't cover it until the third day.

Many Christians fled to the nearby villages and cities where they're living under severe conditions (families are actually sleeping in their cars). Fear and worries fill the place.

We're praying for the terrorists who think that they're doing so for God to wake up and know who's the real God. We're praying for the believers and the nominal ones to get closer to Jesus, for the many families who lost a loved one, their houses and money that they'll never forget that no matter what we lose, we'll still have the places Jesus is preparing for us in heaven.

And finally, we're praying for Christians who live in the safer area that they remember and do as Jesus asked: "For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).

We're starting to fast for three days for Iraq and its people like the days people of Nineveh fasted at the time of Jonah. For that our suffering will turn the eyes towards our Saviour. Let's lift our hands together asking for peace from the King of peace in Jesus' name.

"I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14).

Grace and peace to all of you."

Iraq is only one of three dozen countries on the list of nations in which Christians are at the present time living and witnessing amid serious persecution. Let us not abandon them by failing to pray.

In Christ, remembering His suffering for us, and remembering those who suffer for Him,

Your Pastor,
James T. Hurd