The National Association of Evangelicals, meeting in Atlanta on March 5, 2015, expresses our collective grief and profound concern for the suffering of Christians around the world. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted, uprooted from their ancestral homes, and even martyred because of their faith.

We call on evangelical Christians to engage in sustained prayer for those whose lives are threatened and especially for the family members of the martyrs who have been brutally killed. We ask evangelicals to give generously toward the needs of refugees and for the rebuilding of shattered communities.

We pray that our leaders will have wisdom and courage in fashioning an effective response. We implore our government to work with other governments to restore justice and rule of law, and to uphold the fundamental human rights of all people, especially persecuted religious minorities. We pray for the peaceful resolution of differences between religious, ethnic and political communities leading to the reconciliation and restoration of broken relationships.

At a time when terror and violence are wreaking havoc in so many parts of our world, we remember that Jesus also endured persecution and violence on our behalf. Through his suffering, death and resurrection he opened the way to life for all humankind. May the faithful witness of the martyrs “of whom the world is not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38) draw many to put their faith in Christ, our only hope.