Christian Persecution in Christian Colombia?

Would you be surprised to know that a country where more than 90% of the people claim to be Christian is also one of the top 50 countries where it is the most dangerous to follow Jesus? Open Doors, an organization that tracks persecution of the church puts out a yearly list of the 50 most dangerous countries to follow Jesus – in 2019’s “Watch List,” the country of Columbia, in South America, comes in at #47. How can a country that is almost entirely “Christian” still be a dangerous place to be a follower of Jesus?

One of the main reasons that Christians in Columbia are targeted is because they choose to genuinely follow Jesus. Even though a historic peace agreement between the government and anti-government rebels was signed after more than 50 years of fighting, there are troubling signs that the peace deal is not working as well as hoped, and in September of this year the president of Columbia launched a new crackdown against the opposition groups.

So, what does a government conflict have to do with Christians? These anti-government groups often rely on brutal guerilla warfare to survive, and plenty of illegal activity to fund themselves, such a drug production and trafficking. When someone from one of these groups, or someone who lives where they have control begins to truly follow Jesus, they won’t take part in any drug deals anymore, and will encourage others not to do it. Those who have participated in the violence will denounce it, and will try to defend the weak and the powerless. In areas where everyone has to pay protection money, some pastors will refuse to do so on behalf of their churches, and will encourage young men not to join these groups. As you may imagine, decisions like these “ruin” the business. The situation is serious: at least four pastors in Columbia have been assassinated this year already. A recent study by the mayor’s office in the capital city of Bogotá show that over a 3-year period almost 13% of all pastors in the capital city have received death threats.

Another challenging issue unrelated to the drug cartels is that even with the majority of the people at least claiming to be “Christian,” a significant minority of people are indigenous, following ancestral beliefs, including witchcraft. When people from these groups come to faith in Jesus, they face significant persecution from their communities, which can include harassment, threats and violence.

Pray for believers in Columbia, both for those making bold stands against the guerilla groups and drug cartels and also for those who are persecuted by their own indigenous communities. Pray for peace in the country, and an end to the injustices that exist there!