ICC's 2011 Annual Report

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ICC 2011 Annual Report

Dear Friend, Jesus told his disciples to expect persecution and, in the next breath, promised to reward whoever would give His followers even a cup of cold water.

Thanks to you, our donor, we have been able to share a few cups of cold water with the persecuted in 2011. This report will detail just a portion of the help you provided for them.

Please consider the stories you read in this report as your work since we can do nothing without you. We are merely your hands and feet to bring your offered cup of cold water to your persecuted brother and sister.

You will never meet them, but know that they are astounded that their brother and sister, 1,000’s of miles away, takes note of their thirst and sacrifices to ease their discomfort.

Please know that your donations will be spent ethically, efficiently, and effectively.

I promise!

Jeff King, President International Christian Concern

“Whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.�

Matthew 10:42

International Christian Concern Since 1995, International Christian Concern has partnered with people like you to relieve the suffering of the persecuted church by serving thousands of “cups of cold water� to the persecuted in the form of Assistance, Advocacy, and Awareness.

Assistance Just a few of the ways we help the persecuted: training and supporting pastors, providing for the families of imprisoned or martyred church leaders, rebuilding devastated communities, caring for orphans, and smuggling Bibles.

Advocacy Located in Washington, D.C., we advocate for the persecuted church on Capitol Hill and the State Department, building relationships with public servants at home to pressure oppressive governments abroad.

Awareness Utilizing radio, television, testimony before government committees, press releases, newsletters and public events, we serve as a voice for the voiceless to ensure that incidents of persecution are never ignored.

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6-7

Caring for Suffering Wives and Children

8-9

Supporting Underground Pastors

10-11

Defending the Orphans

12-13

Giving Special Blessings to Orphans

14-17

Rebuilding Persecuted Communities

18-19

Sending Bibles to the Persecuted

20-21

Broadcasting the Gospel

22-23

Advocating for the Vulnerable

24-25

Raising Awareness for the Voiceless

26-27

A Ministry You Can Trust

caring for suffering wives and children When church leaders are martyred or imprisoned, their families are often left without a provider and struggle for survival. Your gifts to this fund helped us fulfill the Biblical mandate to care for the orphans and widows.

38

families received 1-time grants in Bhutan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Vietnam, the West Bank, and one hidden country.

34

families received monthly support in Vietnam, Eritrea, and China.

the honor of being a martyr’s wife In October 2007, Rami Ayad was closing his Bible shop in Gaza when several men abducted him. They allowed him to call his wife, Pauline, but little did she know that it would be the last time she would ever hear his voice. Rami’s body was found hours later, brutally tortured and bullet-ridden.

Rami’s killers left his three children – one yet to be born – without a father. Pauline was eventually able to surrender her burdens to the Lord and forgive her husband’s killers. She has now come to believe that it is a great honor to be called a martyr’s wife.

“Not everyone gets to be called a martyr’s wife. That’s a great honor.”

For a single mother in the West Bank, earning a living that provides for three children is extremely difficult.

With your help, ICC was able to complete construction on a new home and purchase furniture so that Pauline and the children could move in. The family now lives rent free and Pauline is able to spend more time with her children.

sustaining the widow and orphan in vietnam In May of 2010, dozens of Christians in central Vietnam were brutally beaten by riot police while attending the funeral of a fellow parishioner. They were later arrested, harassed, and tortured by government authorities. Communist leaders ordered the attack because farmers refused to leave their land when ordered (the Communists wanted to build a resort there).

ICC provided financial relief to the victims of the attack. For seven months, we sent funds to the families with the greatest need, including the widow and children of a man who died as a result of police beatings. ICC covered the cost of their groceries, medical treatment, and legal fees. These “cups of cold water” helped sustain these families in perhaps the most critical hour of their lives.

ICC provided seven months of support to help the family of this Christian man who was killed by police while attending a funeral in Vietnam.

“Have the Christians in America Really Heard About Me?” Birtukan and her husband were living as missionaries in southern Ethiopia when they were attacked on April 21st by Muslims enraged by their success in bringing Muslims to Christ. Birtukan was seven months pregnant at the time of the attack. She survived along with her unborn child, but her husband died. Devastated by the loss of her husband and left without any means to care for herself or her child, Birtukan was forced to move into her mother’s hut with ten other relatives.

When our representative arrived with funds to help meet her needs, Birtukan asked, “Have the Christians in America really heard about me? Yesterday, I cried out to God and said, ‘Lord, have I been forgotten? Is there anyone helping me?’ ... I was crying yesterday and here you are today with the help I needed.”

We have since purchased three cows to help Birtukan earn a sustainable income. Now, we’re building her a house so that she can raise her new baby girl (above) in a home of their own.

Caring for Suffering Wives and Children | 7

supporting underground pastors Underground pastors are on the frontlines of persecution in some of the most dangerous countries around the world.

Your gifts lend support to these pastors with salaries, transportation, and training.

85

pastors received monthly support in 2011.

25

were commissioned in 2011.

dedicated leaders on the frontlines ICC is supporting 85 underground church planters in the most persecuted areas of the world. Occasionally these church leaders are imprisoned for their faith.

One church leader arrested last year was hesistant to leave prison when he heard that ICC had funded a lawyer to defend him in court. The pastor said God was using his ministry in prison in a powerful way, bringing many inmates to Christ. However, his church overseer convinced him that God still had a great purpose for his life outside the prison walls. He was soon released and his ministry continues.

Another ICC supported pastor has shared the Gospel with hundreds of Muslims, many of whom have come to Christ.

Today, he is discipling four pastors who are in the process of planting four new churches.

“Others were tortured, not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection.�

Hebrews 11:35 training and discipleship Through ICC support, hundreds of pastors are being trained in a Middle Eastern country that we cannot name. At one ICC supported training conference, 44 emerging leaders were discipled by 16 local pastors. In 2011, we funded 10 training conferences in this country!

330 75

people came to Christ via our pastors in India and the Horn of Africa alone.

villages heard the gospel preached by our pastors in India and the Horn of Africa alone.

five missionaries bring 63 to christ in india In 2011, we sent five veteran church planting pastors into India, where Hindu radicals routinely persecute Christians.

Those five church planting pastors took the gospel into 45 tribal villages and saw 63 people come to Jesus Christ and 42 baptized in 2011.

In one village, one of our pastors brought a tribal priest to Christ. His conversion caused his entire village to become open to the gospel. At the end of the year, we decided to send 20 more church planting pastors into a state that is known for extreme violence against Christians. radical muslims coming to christ in africa ICC missionaries have been working in the Horn of Africa for over three years. Our missionaries have planted several churches and preached the gospel to thousands of Muslims.

In three years - our missionaries in this area have seen more than 800 come to Christ. One of our missionaries is actually leading a Bible study for four former members of an Islamic radical group that is well known for killing Christians in the area. Our missionary told us that the men have become disciples of Jesus Christ and “genuine children of God who have fully repented of their past sins.� supporting underground pastors | 9

defending the orphans Children are often the unseen victims of persecution. Every year, children are orphaned or left with scarcely enough provision to survive when their fathers and mothers are imprisoned or martyred for their faith. ICC operates three orphanages.

defending burmese orphans in thailand In the jungles of Thailand, a 13-year-old boy wakes up every morning before dawn to sing praises to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Tai Chi Poh’s mother died in the jungles of Burma while their family hid from the Burmese military who sought to imprison or kill them because of their Christian faith and tribal heritage.

Burmese children like Tai Chi Poh (left) face many dangers to reach safety in Thailand, where we are caring for them in our orphanage. These children are given food, shelter, education, and, most importantly, love from Christians who seek to give them a chance to live in a loving and safe home that allows them to come to know and love Jesus.

defending gracy — and others who lost their parents in orissa, india At the end of 2010, we asked our donors to help us build a home for children whose parents were murdered in the 2008 attack against Christians in Orissa, India. The deadly riots that claimed the lives of more than 100 Christians and forced more than 50,000 to flee their homes has many Christians in Orissa still reeling.

This year, thanks to your gifts, we launched an orphanage to take in at-risk children who lost one or both of their parents in this tragedy. One of the children we took in was Gracy (below) - a young girl whose father was captured and brutally beaten by a mob of Hindu radicals during the 2008 riots. Though he initially survived the attack, he succumbed to his injuries and died in a relief camp weeks later. After her father’s death, her mother left Gracy and her siblings with relatives and never returned.

Gracy and the other children in our orphanage are being cared for by two Christian families who not only take care of their basic needs, but love and nurture them and teach them about the love of Christ.

gracy’s first day in our orphanage

gracy today!

defending the orphans | 11

special blessings Every year, we give you the opportunity to bring joy to an orphan by packing a shoe box full of “special blessings.�

gifts for burmese orphans This year, hundreds of Special Blessings boxes were collected from our donors and given as gifts to Burmese orphans through our orphanage on the Burmese border in Thailand. Toys, clothing, coloring books, stuffed animals, and other gifts were given to these children, and the children loved their new prized possessions!

These children have survived against all odds, fighting for their lives against the Burmese junta who ruthlessly hunt down predominantly Christian tribal groups. Even at a young age, these children have experienced the loss of their family members to land mines, attacks from the military, and the hardships of survival in the jungles of Burma.

Though the gifts are small, they are filled with hope. The gifts show these children that somewhere outside of the war-filled world that they know, there are Christians who love them, pray for them, and are fighting for their survival. To find out how you can be involved in this year’s Special Blessings campaign, just visit persecution.org/christmas.

defending the orphans | 13

rebuilding persecuted communities Persecution can, and often does, impact entire communities. Gifts to our community rebuilding fund are dedicated to responding to mass attacks with emergency aid, building schools and wells, and providing job training and microfinance opportunities.

Feeding the displaced in ethiopia

1200 240

victims received food aid.

families received chickens to help them earn a sustainable income.

In the first week of March, Muslims attacked a Christian village - killing one and burning down 69 churches (see site of old church at left) and a Christian orphanage. Ten thousand Christians fled their homes in fear.

Gifts to our community rebuilding fund enabled us to respond to this crisis with enough emergency food aid to feed 1200 individuals for a week. We also provided families with chickens as a means of sustainable income.

Feeding the displaced in nigeria

1000 displaced Christians received food aid.

161

persecuted families received fertilizer to replant their burned fields.

In April, Muslim mobs reacting to the news of President Goodluck Jonathan’s election in Nigeria sparked attacks in almost every northern state. Hundreds of Christians were slaughtered, and close to a thousand families were displaced. Many lost their homes, and hundreds more fled in fear of continued violence.

Gifts to our community rebuilding fund enabled ICC to rush in with immediate food relief (left), providing enough rice and vegetable oil to ensure that 1000 people no longer had to worry about where their next meal would come from while they struggled to rebuild their lives.

After providing displaced Christians with immediate food assistance, we helped our brothers and sisters rebuild their lives by providing nearly 200 families with fertilizer (above) to help restore their burned crops and rebuild their lives.

“Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities.�

Isaiah 61:4 rebuilding persecuted communities | 15

rebuilding persecuted communities

“I saw Sama’an helping an injured youth to his feet [before] he dropped to the ground. I couldn’t get to him, but when he fell, I knew he was dead.

I knew there was nothing I could do.”

Egyptian widow rebuilding families in egypt Sama’an Nazmi, a Coptic Christian from the garbage slums of Manshier Nasr in Egypt, jumped off the couch and sprinted out the door upon hearing gunfire and screams in the streets outside. His friends had been protesting the burning of a church by Muslims days earlier. Sama’an knew the crackle of gunfire meant that the protests had taken a dangerous turn.

“I saw Sama’an helping an injured youth to his feet,” Sama’an’s wife, who had followed her husband out the door, told ICC. “And then Sama’an dropped to the ground. I couldn’t get to him, but when he fell, I knew he was dead. I knew there was nothing I could do.”

Nine young Christian men were killed by the Egyptian military that day in March. Not only were numerous children left fatherless and wives left without their husbands, but they were also deprived of their lone provider.

ICC purchased equipment that will allow each family to build a business to provide them with a sustainable income to meet their needs.

restoring sight to the blind The civil war in South Sudan claimed two million lives and destroyed hospitals and much of the region's infrastructure. As a result, southerners in remote villages did not have access to medical treatment and were forced to live with easily curable diseases like blindness.

Though the civil war ended in 2005 and the southern Sudanese finally proclaimed their independence from the Muslim north, many Christians are still living in blindness, unable to afford or access treatment.

For several years now, ICC has funded eye surgery camps in remote areas of southern Sudan that have cured the eyesight of thousands of patients. At a camp held in June, Elia Moga was able to see for the first time in years. Elia is a pastor, but he was unable to read his Bible or preach since becoming blind. He is also a farmer by trade, but was unable to tend his crops. His son told ICC that he could not even go to the latrine by himself.

When Elia's sight was restored, he and his son were overjoyed. Elia was beaming and said aloud, "Thank you, ICC!� while standing for the picture at left.

“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind.�

Luke 4:18 sight for the blind

rebuilding persecuted communities | 17

sending bibles to the persecuted The Bible brings life wherever it goes.

When governments shut down access to the Bible, we get to work.

100,000

Bibles sent into China.

10,000

Bibles sent into North Korea.

sending 100,000 bibles into china For many years, reports of the explosive growth of Christianity in China have been reaching the West.

This unprecedented explosion of new believers has left the house churches of China with a desperate need for Bibles.

China

China restricts the publishing and distribution of Bibles to officialy sanctioned channels. If a pastor asks for more than a handful of Bibles, he draws the attention of the authorities. Thanks to the overwhelming support of our donors, ICC will ship more than 100,000 Bibles into the hands of Chinese believers in 2011. giving 9,000 bibles to afghan refugees

Afghan Refugees

It is extremely hard to distribute Bibles in Afghanistan, so we distributed 9,000 Bibles to Afghan refugees this year who would never have had a chance to own a Bible in their home country. The Bibles are paired with the gospel and an opportunity for discipleship. Many will come to Christ from this effort, and the gospel will spread into Afghanistan via these new believers. printing press in the middle east

north korea

When smuggling Bibles becomes too dangerous for believers in the most hostile countries, we look for alternative means to get Scripture into the hands of believers. Recently, ICC provided the funding to set up an underground printing press in one of the most dangerous countries in the Middle East.

launching 10,000 bibles into north korea North Korea is one of the most closed nations in the world, and its persecution of Christians is horrifying.

The underground church in North Korea struggles to share the life-giving Gospel of Christ, as acts of evangelism are often punished by imprisonment in the nation’s prison camps where torture and death are commonplace. Your donations are helping ICC spread the Gospel and support the underground church by distributing Bibles throughout North Korea.

This year, thanks to your gifts, we initiated the shipment of 10,000 Bibles into North Korea!

Sent over the world’s most militarized border, these Bibles are packed into waterproof packages and sent into North Korea by hydrogen balloons carrying 1,000 Bibles each. The containers have timers that are set to explode at different intervals. When they do, Bibles come raining down over wide swathes of North Korea, to be found by its citizens who likely have never even heard of Christianity. Even Bibles confiscated by the military and police are not lost since the Bibles are contraband and therefore have a high worth. Police and military personnel are not known for receiving high pay, so even confiscated Bibles can bring life to police officers and military personnel.

bibles to the persecuted | 19

broadcasting the gospel Satellite TV, internet, and radio allow us to broadcast the gospel and training into the most dangerous parts of the world.

radio and internet broadcasts in the horn of africa The Muslim areas of the Horn of Africa are becoming increasingly fanatical and many Christians have been hunted down and slaughtered. That’s why we’re sponsoring the broadcast of the gospel in the Somali language through radio and the internet.

Over the past nine months, more than 6,100 unique visitors from at least 73 countries and more than 930 cities visited our partners websites, that make the Bible and trainings available online.

One former Muslim who visits the website told ICC, “I look back at the heavy burden of what I left behind, and I am very happy with the new life I have now inside. Before, I was always worried, but now I always feel joy. The Gospel has become my constant companion thanks to you at the website.

Truly, without it, it would have been impossible for me to find the Gospel.”

100+

people downloaded the Bible in the Somali language.

133

people reached out to our ministry partners for the first time.

67

people completed Bible training correspondence courses.

Satellite Television and Radio Broadcasts in the Middle East Muslims often suffer greatly and are even killed if they are caught with Bibles or thought to be converting to Christianity. That’s why we support gospel broadcasts and training via satellite TV, radio, and the internet that allows them to investigate Christianity safely and in privacy.

Everyday, Muslim listeners to ICC supported Christian broadcasting write and call representatives to learn about Jesus. Mohammad, a self-described Muslim extremist in Morocco, who found Christ by listening to Christian radio, told us, “In the evening, plunged deep in solitude, I listened to Christian radio. I was curious to see how Christians lived their faith. I liked the messages about love, and the teachings touched me profoundly. The Lord entered into my life. I became a new person. My hatred towards others changed into love. I pray that this will happen to others as it happened to me.”

One Afghan church leader told an ICC partner, “Do you have any idea of the kind of impact you are having for the sake of the Gospel? I have traveled throughout Afghanistan, and everywhere I go, when I talk about Jesus, the person tells me about your radio programs. I wish they had the means to be able to call and share their hearts with you. You would be amazed to see how God is using your radio work.”

lives touched through our broadcasts through september of 2011

177,208

responses were sent to people inquiring about the gospel due to our broadcast.

66,000

conversations with those inquiring about the gospel took place in chat rooms.

29,684

people heard the gospel from our representatives on the phone.

453

Muslims invited us into their homes to talk about Jesus.

1,650

people publicly declared their salvation in Jesus Christ.

broadcasting the gospel | 21

icc staff member (left) meets with said musa

advocating for the vulnerable

said musa released from prison in afghanistan Said Musa was arrested in May of 2010 in Kabul for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity. ICC was the first to alert the State Department that they had a major crisis brewing. Three days after our meeting, they met Said in prison for the first time. Throughout his imprisonment, ICC worked steadily behind the scenes with Senators, Congressional Representatives, the State Department, and the press to get Said released. Meanwhile, Said was appearing in court being told that he would be executed for apostasy unless he came back to Islam.

Said Musa with his family

One of ICC’s early successes was the transfer of Said to a safer prison after we received a smuggled letter from him detailing his physical and sexual abuse. Said’s case reached the U.S. Secretary of State and the Afghan President. Four months later, after ICC met with lawmakers and interviewed with media like The Wall St. Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Fox News, Said was released and given asylum in a European country where he is now in hiding. shoaib assadullah released from prison

icc Staff advocates for afghan prisoner with rep. trent franks

Shoaib Assadullah was arrested in Mazar-i-Sharif in October 2010. ICC brought a prominent Christian expatriate worker from Afghanistan to Capitol Hill to advocate for Shoaib. Letters to the Afghan government were signed by congressmen expressing their deep concern. Within a month, Shoaib was also released.

a phone call saves three prisoners in ethiopia On October 15th, three Christians were arrested in Ethiopia for preaching the gospel to Muslims. When we heard about their arrests, one of our staff members called and reminded the Muslim authorities that their detentions were illegal.

ethiopian prisoners released after icc phone call to authorities

The government officials panicked and released the prisoners shortly thereafter. After the police received our call, they asked the Christians, “How do you have people in the US who asked us to release you?” advocating for the vulnerable | 23

raising awareness for the voiceless ICC is continually increasing its influence to gain greater awareness for the persecuted church.

We have had interviews with or stories covered in leading media outlets, including all those represented by their logos below:

150

radio and print interviews were conducted by ICC staff in 2011.

50

press releases were released by ICC in 2011.

burned remains of mekane yesus church in ethiopia after muslim attack

icc pressure leads to the arrest and imprisonment of 500 persecutors This year, ICC broke several stories of major attacks in Ethiopia that probably would not have become news otherwise. We kept the Ethiopian embassy informed of these attacks and asked for police protection for Christians in Muslim areas of Ethiopia. In March, 69 churches, a Christian orphanage, a Bible school, a church office, and several Christian homes were burned to the ground by Muslim attackers.

In response to this attack, ICC met with Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the U.S., requesting that appropriate action be taken against the assailants. ICC issued a press release about the attack and began to raise awareness by conducting interviews with major national and international media outlets like Fox News and Voice of America. Our growing influence in the media helped the word spread quickly, and we soon learned that the pressure we created with the media caused government officials to arrest and sentence over 500 attackers to prison for their involvement in the attacks! icc president publishes first book This November, ICC’s president published his first book, “Islam Uncensored.” Jeff interviewed fourteen leaders and experts on Islam who span the political and religious spectrum to get to the bottom of one of today’s most controversial and timely subjects ... what is the nature of Islam? Jeff interviewed a radical Islamist, two Muslim reformers, Jews, Christians, atheists, the son of one of the founders of Hamas, and even an ex-CIA Director to see if there were any common threads of agreement about Islam. What they say in common about Islam is simply extraordinary and will quite likely shake your worldview.

Available on Amazon.

To learn more, visit islamuncensoredbook.com.

raising awareness for the voiceless | 25

a ministry you can trust

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our distinctives • Special Forces: people often describe us as the Special Forces of the Christian world.

We work in the toughest places, doing highly dangerous work, and we get there fast (we’re nimble).

• Holistic Ministry to the persecuted (Advocacy/Awareness/Assistance) in response to the multi-faceted problem of persecution.

• Efficiency: we have low overhead and fundraising expenses. In 2010, our General/ Administrative/Fundraising expenses were only 5.2% of our income.

• Reactive and Proactive: we are reactive (we bandage and heal), but we are also proactive (we build the Church) in the toughest places in the world.

• Advocacy: our Washington, D.C. location gives us instant access to the levers of power that can be used to help victimized Christians.

• Segmented Giving: most organizations collect funds for a cause, but it goes into one big bucket. Large organizations typically collect far in excess of the need for the cases presented. Those extra funds can be used for whatever the organization wishes. ICC has nine different funds you can give to, assuring that your gift will only go to your designated cause.

5.2%

General, Admininstrative, and Fundraising

94.8% Program

highly efficient ICC is a ministry that is laser-focused on the persecuted 1 church.

We are highly efficient and effective. We spend 2 your money on Advocacy, Awareness and Assistance for the persecuted. Not on fundraising and advertising.

an open book ICC is a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). That means that we adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and ethics in our financial dealings. To make sure we adhere to these high standards, we are audited by ECFA’s independent auditors.

four-star rating from charity navigator ICC holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the internet’s premier charity evaluation organization.

a ministry you can trust | 27

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