Teddy James

AFA Journal staff writer

Above, Franklin Graham addresses the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association summit on persecuted church.

September 2017 – “My husband and I would have been married 25 years last June,” Susanne Geske told AFA Journal.

Susanne married Tilmann in 1992, and the couple moved from their home in Germany to Turkey, following God’s call to serve Him there. They planted a church in their home and began working on a Turkish Study Bible to be printed by Zirve Publishing House.

The highlight of Tilmann’s day was when people began to ask questions about the gospel. One fateful day in April 2007, he and two colleagues, Turkish converts from Islam, were discussing the gospel with five men who had asked to hear more about Jesus. Tragically, the inquirers were pretenders, men who hated Christ and all who served Him.

The men tied the three Christians in chairs, tortured them, and killed them. Furthermore, they filmed the heinous act and released the video online. It became known internationally as the Zirve Publishing House Massacre.

Susanne Geske shared their story with AFAJ at the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, a May event in Washington, DC. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association convened the summit, at which Christian leaders hosted 600 people from 30 countries to discuss their first hand experiences of persecution. Franklin Graham, Vice President Michael Pence, and Ravi Zacharias were among the speakers.

While the Geskes’ story is unique, it does not stand alone. Through heart-rending stories shared at the summit, two common threads were clear.

Americans don’t know
Many who have suffered abuse and torture told summit attendees that the feeling of being alone and forgotten was worse than any beatings and abuse they endured. While they knew Jesus was with them in the jail cell, they were in need of prayer and encouragement. They knew their local churches and families were praying, but they routinely believed their plight was unknown by the rest of the world.

One reason Americans do not respond to such travesties and human rights violations is that they too seldom hear these stories. It is true that many Christian ministries highlight such persecution, but their reach is typically only as far as the evangelical Christian community extends.

With persecution of Christians, the situation is a bit like the old line often repeated when the preacher’s Sunday morning sermon challenges his congregation to be present and involved in their local church, and folks say he’s “preaching to the choir.” The ones who need the challenge aren’t there.

Unfortunately, major secular media outlets rarely cover Christian persecution, so Christians and all compassionate people in the U.S. need the challenge to seek out trustworthy outlets that will report what is happening and provide ways to encourage and support the persecuted.

Organizations such as Prisoner Alert (prisoneralert.com), Voice of the Martyrs (persecution.com), and International Christian Concern (persecution.org) are three resources with extensive insights into the suffering of Christians around the world. They tell the stories of modern-day heroes of the faith and suggest opportunities to write letters that will be translated and delivered to the imprisoned or persecuted.

Americans don’t think they can help
Regarding persecution, one victim said, “Most people believe they can’t help it all, so they don’t help at all.”

The issue of persecution can be overwhelming, and the belief that it all cannot be stopped may easily lead to a belief it cannot be helped. But there are many things Christians in America can do to serve and support. First, it is imperative to pray persistently and fervently.

Another thing mentioned by multiple speakers at the summit was for citizens to call government representatives.

When a U.S. official visits another nation, the State Department, individuals, or other organizations often give the official the name(s) of individuals whose human rights are being violated by the foreign government. The official can subtly use that name to raise the issue of persecution.

For example, at some point during a trip to China, an official may simply ask, “How is Zhao Weilian? Is he well?” Weilian is a Christian given a four-year prison sentence in China for “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement.”

The simple act of speaking Weilian’s name alerts Chinese officials to the fact that the U.S. government is aware of his situation. This can bring him better treatment, or perhaps his release.

Calling your representatives ensures that they know what is happening and you expect them to do what they can, when they can, to free or help those being persecuted for the faith.

The difference it makes
The stories told during the summit were of loss, heartache, and sorrow. But each victim echoed the voice of the Apostles John and Peter after they had been beaten and released with instruction to stop preaching the name of Jesus, “The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41).

Christians in America may or may not be called to sacrifice life or family for the sake of the gospel. But the freedom granted by God in this country comes with great responsibility. Christians in the land of the free should use that freedom to encourage those suffering and to fight for religious freedom not only in the U.S., but also around the globe.   

Engage, encourage
AFA’s Engage Magazine partners with e3 Partners (e3partners.org) to deliver messages to a selected area of the world every year for the Orange Letter Campaign. In 2015, Engage supporters sent over 2,000 letters to surviving family members of 21 Coptic Christians assassinated by ISIS after ISIS released a video of the men wearing orange jumpsuits and being beheaded on a Libyan beach.

In early 2017, letters were smuggled into Syria to encourage churches in the war-torn country. The next Orange Letter Campaign will focus on Christians suffering under the Kim regime in North Korea.

Participate in this year’s OLC (November 5-11) at EngageMagazine.net.

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Geske story chronicled
It was my privilege to attend the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians and meet these heroes of the faith. I will carry their stories with me for the rest of my life.

Those who have suffered persecution felt it an honor to suffer for Jesus. They are compelled by the gospel to stand in the face of death. The body of Christ must stand with them, praying for and encouraging them in every way possible.

Safety concerns do not permit me to tell you many of the stories I heard, but some who were there have been able to make their stories public.

Married to a Martyr: The Story of a Murdered Missionary in Turkey by Jonathan Carswell and Joanna Wright chronicles Susanne Geske’s story. A woman of stalwart faith, Susanne hopes one day to return to the land of her husband’s murder and continue sharing the good news of Jesus.

The book is available at online booksellers.
— Teddy James