Open Doors USA – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How Did Open Doors begin?
A: The ministry of Open Doors began in 1955 when God called a young Dutchman – Brother Andrew -- to act on the basis of Revelation 3:2: ‘Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die.’ He went to Poland and discovered a Church under threat behind the Iron Curtain, and desperately longing for the Word of God. So Brother Andrew became ‘God’s Smuggler,’ taking suitcase after suitcase of Bibles to the persecuted Christians, facing great danger, but determined to bring encouragement and hope. Currently more than 100 million Christians face persecution around the world. Open Doors is active in over 45 restrictive countries, such as North Korea, Iran, Iraq, China and Colombia. Open Doors also has development offices in 20 countries. Open Doors is considered the oldest on-going ministry to persecuted believers.
Q: Who is Brother Andrew?
A: Brother Andrew is the founder of Open Doors and an ordained minister by a very large Protestant/Evangelical denomination, but he does not pastor a church. The name “Brother” is not a title, nor is he a monk - he was first called Brother Andrew by persecuted Christians. When they asked him his name, he would say, "I am a brother of all those who love and follow Jesus Christ." His autobiography, God's Smuggler , is an international bestseller and details his early experiences of dangerous border crossings, KGB pursuits and his courageous journey toward living radically for Jesus Christ. In 1997, Brother Andrew was the recipient of the World Evangelical Fellowship's Religious Liberty Award, recognizing his lifetime of service to the persecuted church and passion for spreading the Gospel. Currently in his 80s, Brother Andrew lives in the Netherlands and still travels extensively to the Middle East, ministering to persecuted Christians. He also has written several books with Al Janssen, including Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ (Revell 2007).
Q: How does Open Doors help persecuted Christians?
A : Open Doors responds to the expressed need of persecuted Christians through: (1) Bible and literature distribution (2) leadership training and assistance (3) Christian community development (4) prayer and presence (5) advocacy in the West to support persecuted Christians.
Q: What makes Open Doors a unique ministry?
A : When suffering hits Christians, Open Doors often is the first to help. Since 1955 Open Doors and its partners have risked their lives to reach out to persecuted believers. Open Doors does not send out missionaries but work to strengthen Christians by standing with them so they can be God’s light of hope in their own community.
Q: Where does Open Doors get its field information from?
A: Because Open Doors works with indigenous Christians, and as a result of our longstanding underground network, the sources of our information are almost always directly from the field, based on eyewitness accounts from our contacts. We have developed personal relationships with the churches we serve, and have often worked with the pastors of these congregations for years. This is partly why we are so careful to protect the identity of persecuted Christians and why we often cannot disclose the nature or location of the assistance we are providing in full detail. In addition, we refer to news reports published in the countries where the events have taken place, and news services including Compass Direct News Service , which reports on Christian persecution exclusively.
Q: What is the Open Doors World Watch List?
A: The World Watch List annually ranks 50 countries according to the intensity of persecution Christians face for actively pursuing their faith. The list is compiled based on the answers to 50 questions covering various aspects of religious freedom from Open Doors’ indigenous contacts, field workers and persecuted believers. North Korea has been No. 1 as the worst persecutor of Christians for eight years in a row.