WHEREAS, the Bible clearly calls the body of Christ to be mindful of the persecution and suffering of Christian brothers and sisters for their faith (Heb 13:13); and
WHEREAS, the Lord Himself warns believers that such persecution would come to His followers (Matthew 5:11, John 15:20); and
WHEREAS, the New Testament commands the church to pray for those persecuted and for their persecutors (Matt 5:44, Acts 12:5, Philemon 22, Romans 15:30-31, Heb. 13:3, Heb 10:34-36, Heb 11:35, Rev. 12:10-11, Eph 6:19-20, Col 4:2-4); and
WHEREAS, persecution of Christians around the world continues to intensify both in its geographic scope and in its violence; and
WHEREAS, recent persecutions perpetuated by ISIS/ISIL against Christians and other religious minorities have drawn a great deal of news coverage and raised awareness of the serious threat our Christian brothers and sisters around the world face for following Christ as Lord; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Kentucky Baptist Convention meeting in Bowling Green, Kentucky, November 11, 2014, call upon all Kentucky Baptists to unite in regular prayer for persecuted Christians around the globe, other religious minorities that suffer such injustice, and even those oppressors who use brutality and force to impose their will upon others and rob them of their religious liberty; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the messengers of this convention commit ourselves to bringing even greater public awareness to the plight of persecuted Christians; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we urge Kentucky Baptist leaders and pastors to educate their congregations on a biblical response to persecution with the goal of linking respective fellowships with evangelical organizations like Baptist Global Response and the International Mission Board who tangibly support the persecuted church around the world; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we admonish our churches to consider joining Christians around the world for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, on the second Sunday of November each year; and finally, be it further
RESOLVED, that along with prayer, we encourage Kentucky Baptists to contact their elected officials and urge them to support policies that protect religious liberties for all, both at home and abroad, and which, through sanctions, pressure national governments whose citizens experience pervasive persecution to put an end to religious persecution in their respective nations.