Within the last five years, Mozambique was added to Open Door’s “World Watch List,” a definitive ranking of the top 50 countries with extreme Christian persecution. Much of the violence has been attributed to the ISIS-affiliated Islamist group al-Sunnah wa Jama’ah (ASJ), also known as ISIS-Mozambique (IS-M), which emerged in 2017. According to an article posted on persecution.org, ASJ is thought to be responsible for more than 3,100 deaths and the displacement of more than 800,000 people.
A UN official reported, “People have witnessed their loved ones being killed, beheaded, and raped, and their houses and other infrastructure burned to the ground. Men and boys have also been forcibly enrolled in armed groups. Livelihoods have been lost, and education stalled while access to necessities such as food and healthcare has been hampered. Many people have been re-traumatized after being forced to move multiple times to save their lives.”
We are grateful for the ministry in Mozambique which launched in 2021. Millions of lives have been directly impacted by the powerful radio broadcasts, with many coming to Christ through the efforts of our ‘boots on the ground’ who minister there. For Christians experiencing serious persecution, the inspirational, Bible-based radio broadcasts offer invaluable support and encouragement.
On paper the majority of Mozambique is Christian, but the truth of the religious climate is more complicated than that. Christians are facing extreme oppression, with hundreds of thousands of people being displaced and persecuted for their faith in Christ. In addition to sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard it before, we hope that our broadcasts encourage and empower current believers to stay strong in the faith.
Many listeners often write to thank us for the radio broadcasts. One listener commented, “Thank you for reminding us to gather with others to worship God. It helped me a lot because from now on I will look for a congregation to join with others.”
Another wrote, “Thank you so much! It’s true we must choose who we can worship. Because we have many things that we worship other than God, now this is my opportunity to choose the best God.”
We invite you to pray for and financially support the work in Mozambique and other areas around the world where God is using The Tide ministry to reach the lost and encourage fellow believers to carry on in their faith. To find additional ways you can make a difference through the ministry, visit our get involved page.