Christians in Canada have an obligation to step up, stand up and speak up for persecuted Christians. Politicians at both provincial and federal levels should be kept informed of incidents of persecution which often take place in countries with economic and diplomatic links to Canada. They should also be encouraged to take action within their respective spheres of influence.

Equally, foreign governments should be made aware that those who have been imprisoned for their faith have not been forgotten about. The reach of your letter should never be underestimated. Once our mission managed to get three Vietnamese pastors released from jail after serving only a third of their sentences because thousands of Christians the world over flooded the Vietnamese government with cards and letters.  In another case, letters of protest to a Middle Eastern government resulted in a death penalty being commuted for a Muslim convert to Christianity.  Days later he was released from prison.  These are only two of many examples that demonstrate how significant this ministry of writing letters can be!

Some points to remember

• Letters need not be long or beautifully composed. Often a few lines will suffice.
• Letters need not demonstrate an awareness of complex political matters or a profound grasp of the truths of Scripture.
• Letters need not display a sophisticated knowledge of current affairs or international law
• For your letter to make an impact, all you have to do is express your sincere concerns about suffering Christians in persecuted countries and end the letter with a plain request.

Click here to download a helpful article on writing government officials written in the May/June 2007 edition of Faith Today.

Click here for links to government websites that provide up-to-date addresses for government officials, foreign embassies, and U.N. representatives.

Your words are never wasted when it comes to writing a letter on behalf of the persecuted Church. Mail sent by concerned believers can have a profound impact on those who are suffering and even on those who are inflicting suffering upon others.

Your letters to prisoners can do five things:

1. Indicate to authorities that we are aware of a Christian’s situation, and we care!
2. Testify of the love and unity found among followers of Jesus Christ worldwide. This is especially true when letters are opened and censored. God can use your letter to work in the lives of those in authority.
3. Prove our persecuted family is not forgotten. Through isolation and loneliness, the devil can prey on imprisoned Christians’ faith. When a prisoner receives a letter, whether they can read it or not, they know someone cares.
4. Lead to better treatment of Christian prisoners.
5. Provide tremendous encouragement.

May I write in English?

Yes, you may write in English. Please print or write clearly. Your note must be legible to be translated. Many people study English, so there will likely be someone to translate your letter.

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Who can I write?

VOM’s letter-writing guide and Prisoners' List “Doing Time for God” provides up-to-date prisoner names and addresses alongside practical guidelines on how to write to prisoners. Click here to download the PDF document.

VOM’s sister mission in the United States offers www.PrisonerAlert.com, an online resource that provides prisoner names and addresses along with a translation tool that offers you the ability to write to imprisoned brothers and sisters in their own languages.

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What should I write?

• Share your name and that you know about the prisoner’s situation.
• Be respectful and encouraging.
• Tell prisoners that they are not forgotten and that you are praying for them.
• Include a Scripture verse.

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What should I NOT write?

• Do NOT criticize a government or discuss politics, as this could place Christian prisoners in danger.
• Do NOT include your mailing address. (You may state your name and country.)
• Do NOT send money or respond to requests for money. Unscrupulous individuals, claiming to be the prisoner or a family member, occasionally steal letters and solicit funds.
• Do NOT mention The Voice of the Martyrs or any other source of information.

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Anything else I need to know?

You can send notes, postcards, bookmarks and attractive Christian greeting cards. Express your Christian love and mention that you are praying. You may also include a snapshot of yourself, your family or prayer group.

Please do not send your letters to VOM for mailing. The letters are more effective when officials see persons have sent them from many different parts of Canada.

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Click here to download a PDF of our Advocacy Guide that contains sample letters, writing tips and other helpful links. Click here to contact our office if you prefer a hard copy mailed to you.

For address of prisoners, or to compose a letter of encouragement to an imprisoned Christian in his or her own language, please visit PrisonerAlert.com.

Today, many Christians are languishing in prisons around the world. They endure daily emotional and physical torture because they refuse to surrender to dictatorial governments and ideologies, choosing instead to remain loyal to Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we are to "remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you are also in the body" (Hebrews 13:3). Letter writing is an effective way to raise awareness and deliver hope to those who otherwise might feel forgotten.

You can be an advocate for persecuted Christians – a voice for the voiceless – by assuming the important ministerial role of pleading for or on behalf of another by highlighting injustice and inhumanity.