In June, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the arrest of four African believers after police raided a worship gathering in a home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (click here for more details). Mekbeb Telahun and Masai Wendewesen from Ethiopia and Fekre Gebremedhin and Dawit Uqbay from Eritrea were held in the Jeddah Terhil (Deportation) Center until their deportation in mid-July. According to an August 25 report from Compass Direct, the four were inundated with questions about Christianity from their fellow prisoners. "They would wake us up from our bed at night to ask us questions," Wendewesen told Compass. "We didn’t think about the pain, we just preached the gospel."
African Believers Deported
- Country Information
Population
35,939,806 (2023 est.)Ethnicity (%)
Arab (90), Afro-Asian (10)Religion (%)
Islam (official: 100)Leader
King and Prime Minister Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (2015)Government type
Absolute monarchyLegal system
Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law; note - several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committeesSource: CIA World Factbook
- Pray for Saudi Arabia
Please uphold the Christians of Saudi Arabia, who must secretly serve God in a country where intolerance and violence pose threats to their freedom of worship and personal belief in our Lord Jesus. May He personally take up their cause, working out His very best plans for their lives and future ( Jeremiah 29:11). Pray that He will touch the hearts of the country's authorities – and many others in Saudi Arabia and its surrounding nations – through the Internet and VOMC's evangelistic radio broadcast so that they may experience His wonderful plan of salvation as well.
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Saudi Arabia News
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Christian Escapes the Country
Over the past several months, Christians around the world have been following reports about a Saudi Arabian Christian referred to as "A" or "Adam." For more information, see our previously published reports, which are available at our country report.
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Believer's Family Escapes into Exile
Pray that Christians will experience the Lord's peace and strength. A Christian believer in Saudi Arabia, who was identified in previous Persecution & Prayer Alert reports as "A" or "Adam," has been sentenced with a large fine for allegedly attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity, as well as assisting his sister to flee the country. The accused believer was given 30 days to pay the fine unless an appeal was granted.
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Believer Faces Hefty Fine for Assisting Others
Pray that Saudi believers will know they are never alone. A court in Saudi Arabia has recently imposed a hefty fine of 300,000 SAR (which converted equates to approximately $97,000 CAD) on a Christian man who can only be identified as "A" or "Adam" for security reasons. He has been given 30 days to pay the fine unless an appeal is granted within that time.
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Christian Man's Wife Seized by Opposing Family
Pray that "A's" wife and others like her will experience the compassion of our Heavenly Father. A Saudi believer identified only as "A" has been facing legal challenges after openly speaking about his conversion to Christianity, as well as assisting his Christian sister to flee the country (read more). While frivolous charges of theft against him were dropped in April (see report here), he continues to endure further court challenges and added personal concerns. His next court hearing is scheduled for May 30th.
