Where there “are No Christians”

When the Taliban came to power over Afghanistan in August 2021, they did so with pledges to recognize more freedoms than in the past. But that hasn’t happened—if an Afghan’s Christian faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence, or they can be detained and tortured into giving information about fellow believers. As far as the Taliban are concerned, there are “no Christians” in Afghanistan.

Many Christians fled the country during the Taliban takeover; those who remain either couldn’t get out, or feel called to remain. This means there are fewer chances of fellowship than before, and the church has been driven underground even more than before. Most house churches that existed before the Taliban (even if they had to be hidden) have been closed.

The surrounding society and family structure has no space for religious freedom, and the government upholds this rigid stance. This means Christians—almost all of whom are converts from Islam—must keep their faith secret, or they may simply disappear. As one Afghan Christian who remains in the country tells us, “We feel disoriented and alone.”
Pray for the protection of secret believers and that they would know they’re part of a worldwide Church that hears their story and prays for them each day.