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.