The charity Open Doors seeks to bring the Gospel and complete Bibles to worshipping communities in those parts of the world where it can be dangerous to be a Christian or to belong to a living church. It issues monthly reports on changes in the lives of such people, including encouraging reports on how the Gospel is being spread or how Christian prisoners have been released. It also produces a regular prayer diary for use by its supporters, putting all readers in touch with victims of recent persecution. Open Doors is able to take full advantage even of small donations so as to bring vital forms of aid. In Iraq for example, food, water, shelter, sanitation, basic medicines have been provided to Christian communities at comparatively small cost. Increasingly, however, greater funds are needed as new problems emerge on a much bigger scale than before. The needs of women, for example, are much greater since so many countries under aggressive Moslem control have been plunged into violent sectarian conflict. Open Doors is therefore involved in a widespread female literacy campaign in Pakistan, in trauma care and the search for better access to school and work in Syria and Iraq. It keeps us up-to-date on the evolution of a grim league table of countries hostile to Christian faith, where North Korea remains the worst case, although Sudan and even India are now among the worst 15 countries. Open Doors launched a worldwide petition last autumn as part of a “Hope for the Middle East” campaign to fight for better dignity and equality of rights for all minorities in that zone of conflict, a campaign supported by major British political figures.
In the course of the last 12 months St. Andrews refreshment fund has been able to send a total of £275 each to Open Doors and APF in support of their work.
St Andrew's Maghull 