Yesterday Was St Valentine's Day.

So St. Valentine’s crime was to help persecuted Christians. As this is still a crime in some countries, Valentine’s Day seems like a good time to mention Open Doors’ World Watch List. Every year this highlights the 50 countries where it’s hardest to live as a Christian. No surprise that North Korea is again in number one place! But a disturbing trend is that the persecution of Christians is growing – particularly in Africa and the Middle East.

Thanks to the help of people like you, last year Open Doors was able to highlight the reality of persecution to Parliament and the Foreign Office alike. This year, which has already seen two pastors shot in Kenya, a greater clampdown on Christians in Eritrea and Sudan, another convert given a hefty fine in Algeria and ongoing violence in Mali and Nigeria, we want to build on that.