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Welcome
by Paul Robinson, CEO
Remember
Christian
prisoners
As spring gives way to summer and many
of us head off on our holidays, either here
in the UK or abroad, it can be easy to forget
those of our brothers and sisters who do
not have the option of escaping their four
walls even for a day, simply because of their
stand for Christ.
In this edition of Voice we focus on the
prisoners of faith and their loved ones, who
in some cases have endured years apart;
prisoners such as Zafar Bhatti in Pakistan
and his wife Nawab, the group of prisoners
in Eritrea who have spent significant parts of
their lives behind bars; and Chinese church
leaders who are paying the price for preaching
the gospel (see pages 6-15 and the Word on
page 22).
However, it would be easy to focus on the
deprivations they have all suffered and
continue to endure – and we must pray for
them and support them where we can – but
that is by no means the whole story, as you
will read in these pages.
While the authorities lock up our brothers
and sisters in an effort to stop the spread of
the gospel and crush the church, we hear that
the opposite is happening: other prisoners
are coming to faith as they see the witness
of faithful followers of Christ and the church
‘outside’ is emboldened to persevere and not
be cowed as it sees its members being willing
to suffer even lengthy prison terms.
So let us learn from and be inspired by them
but, as we enjoy the freedom of our holidays,
let’s also not forget their confinement; as
we perhaps take comfort from good food
and drink let us remember their lack of
nourishment and their poor health; as we
enjoy the warmth of the sunshine let us
remember those in cells who may not have
seen daylight for days yet suffer an intense
heat they cannot escape; and as we celebrate
with loved ones let us pray for those who have
not seen their wives or husbands or children
for many years. They are our family.
ON THE ROAD
One of the ways we share the message
of persecution with the UK church is by
attending Christian festivals and other
events. If you’re at one of these exhibitions or
conferences this summer please do come and
say hello at our stand. We’d love to see you in
person. See page 21 for the events we will be
attending.
DRAMATIC SUCCESS
When we teamed up with the Artless Theatre
Company to produce If Prison Walls Could
Speak back in 2021 we never dreamed how
successful it was going to become. Three years
on, more and more dates are planned for this
powerful drama (see page 20). If you haven’t
had a chance to watch it, I would encourage
you to set aside an evening to go along, and
even to take non-Christian friends with you.
Who knows how God might speak to you –
and them.
Cover photo: Dr Berhane Asmelash © Release International 2024.