Sharing the Gospel in Four Countries on Open Doors World Watch List

The annual World Watch List from Open Doors USA highlights Christian persecution around the world and encourages prayer and support for the believers living in the 50 countries where persecution is most prevalent.

The Tide® broadcasts Gospel programming in four of the nations on this list: India (No. 11), Nigeria (No. 14), Nepal (No. 25) and Bhutan (No. 33). Director Don Shenk said the ministry has been honored—for more than seven decades—to share the love, hope and peace of Christ with new and potential believers who are at risk every day for following Jesus.

“The rankings on the 2018 World Watch List do not bode well for our partners on the ground in those countries,” Shenk said. “It is very disturbing to see India continue its trend of climbing higher on the list, and to see Nepal ranked at 25 this year after not even being on the list of 50 last year. And although not on the list, there are some indications that the situation in Albania is moving away from total religious freedom. Our radio partners there have been forced to reduce the amount of Christian content airing on local stations. Ministry leaders have been told they may only broadcast Christian content in coverage areas where an evangelical church exists. We pray fervently for the pastors, broadcasters and Christians in these areas where persecution for their beliefs is often an everyday occurrence.”

In India, which falls under the “extreme persecution” category, most of the persecution for Christians comes from a variety of Hindu radical groups and organizations, according to Open Doors. These radicals are intent on cleansing the nation of both Islam and Christianity and employ violence to this end. Usually, converts to Christianity experience the worst persecution and are constantly under pressure to return to Hinduism. The Tide has been broadcasting in India since 1978.

Listeners in these persecuted countries are able to listen to The Tide Gospel programs through the generosity of donors who give just $40 toward radios and media players through which the programs can be heard. For more information, click here. With almost a quarter of the world’s population living within the current range of The Tide radio programming, and nearly 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, the opportunities are tremendous.