Save the Persecuted Christians Leaders Part of National Prayer Breakfast and Special Event Thursday
As Over 3,500 Converge in Washington, STPC Coalition Will Host a Side Event to End the Silence on the Global Persecution of Christians
WASHINGTON—Several members of leadership for Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) will attend this week's National Prayer Breakfast. Their presence is especially fitting, as this year's event will for the first time focus on persecution, peace and reconciliation worldwide.
Over 3,500 are expected to attend the Washington, D.C., event, including many world leaders. Save the Persecuted Christians will be represented by Frank Gaffney, president and CEO; Hon. Frank R. Wolf, retired member of Congress and Coalition advisor; Dede Laugesen, executive director; Bob Fu, President of China Aid; and Faith McDonnell, Director of Religious Liberty Programs, Institute on Religion & Democracy. Other coalition members may also be in attendance.
Laugesen noted the significant development that the U.S. State Department is expected to announce Wednesday the launch of the World Alliance for Religious Freedom.
WHO: Leaders and coalition members of Save the Persecuted Christians
WHAT: 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast and special side event
WHERE: Oaklawn Room at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
WHEN: 7:30 a.m. EST Thursday Feb. 6, 2020;
10:30 a.m. to noon—Save the Persecuted Christians side event (panel discussion and exhibit display)
WHY: The mission of Save the Persecuted Christians is to save lives and save souls by disseminating actionable information about the magnitude of the persecution taking place globally and by mobilizing concerned Americans for the purpose of disincentivizing further attacks on those who follow Jesus.
HOW: For media to RSVP to the side event, email Media@HamiltonStrategies.com by 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 5
At the National Prayer Breakfast gathering, Gaffney and other leaders will also circulate a new letter to President Donald Trump in an effort to engage more signatories to call for the Trump administration to "speak boldly and specifically about the global persecution of Christians. Open Doors USA reports at least 260 million Christians are heavily persecuted for their faith. Aid to the Church in Need reports the total number being persecuted is 327 million—a number roughly equal to the current U.S. population. STPC believes the problem is so big, and so grave, that specific actions must be taken to address this often ignored or minimized crisis that has been described as a global genocide by the Bishop of Truro in his 2019 U.K.-commissioned report. Over 500 organizations and individuals have already signed the letter.
STPC's special event panel discussion, featuring Gaffney, Wolf and Fu, will also include the following:
Hungarian State Secretary Tristan Azbej, Prime Minister's Office, State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and for the Hungary Helps Program
The Most Reverend Benjamin Kwashi, bishop of the Diocese of Jos, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, and the General Secretary of GAFCON, the Global Anglican Future Conference. Kwashi was previously the Archbishop of the Province of Jos, one of 14 provinces in the Anglican Church of Nigeria, a church of some 22 million. The archbishop is a well-known, passionate evangelist, preacher and writer. His life story is a new book by Andrew Boyd, "Neither Bomb Nor Bullet: Archbishop on the Front Line." He and his wife, Dr. "Mama" Gloria, the President of the Mother's Union, take care of 50-plus orphans in their home. Dr. Gloria also founded the Zambiri Outreach and Child Care Center, a primary/secondary school of approximately 400 students who receive free education, food, uniforms and medical care.
The Rt. Reverend Andudu Adam Alnail, Bishop of Kadugli and Nuba Mountains, Episcopal Church of Sudan. He and his family are currently living in the Unites States as refugees from the political violence in Sudan, where his diocese and home were attacked and fatwas were issued against him. Bishop Andudu is currently working with the Anglican Church in North America helping lead the "Every Tribe and Nation Network," and from his base in Harrisonburg, Virginia, he maintains contact with his diocese in Sudan, advocates for justice for Sudanese Christians and ministers to the diaspora of Sudanese believers throughout the U.S. He has testified before Congress. Traveling with Bishop Andudu are the Rev. Jim Tomkins, Rector, St. Stephens Anglican Church, Metairie, Louisiana, and Ernie Didot, Communications Director for GAFCON.
The STPC special event following immediately after the National Prayer Breakfast will also feature select panels from two Save the Persecuted Christians exhibits.
The first, "The People of the Cross" exhibit, features images, facts and quotes about the persecution of Christians in multiple countries. Banners in "The People of the Cross" exhibit feature countries such as China, Turkey, North Korea, Nigeria and India. A majority of the countries highlighted in the banners are high on Open Doors' 2020 World Watch List. Then, "Warfare on Women" reveals the specific terror-tactic used to demean and degrade female believers to instill fear into the heart of Christian communities. To learn more about hosting a traveling exhibit contact Save the Persecuted Christians or visit the website, where panels are available to view online.
With so much of the world's Christian population being imprisoned and/or harassed for their beliefs, the need has never been greater for the sort of grassroots campaign STPC's SaveUs Movement is working to foster. Its efforts are modeled after a miraculously successful one that helped free another population suffering from heavy persecution—Soviet Jews—by penalizing those in the Kremlin responsible for such repression. Through this movement, Save the Persecuted Christians endeavors to provide American policymakers with the popular support they need to effect real change worldwide and alleviate systemically the suffering being experienced by so many of those following Christ.
To interview a Save the Persecuted Christians representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Patrick Benner, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.