Christians Forced to Meet in a River to Avoid Capture

A gate is closed on a bridge over the Yalu River, on the Chinese side of the border with North Korea between the towns of Ji'an and Linjiang, China.
A gate is closed on a bridge over the Yalu River, on the Chinese side of the border with North Korea between the towns of Ji'an and Linjiang, China. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj)

Living in one of the most severely persecuted nations on earth, the Christians of North Korea have to be incredibly resourceful when it comes to practicing their faith. The authorities that govern the Communist nation have become notorious for arresting, imprisoning, torturing and even executing those who claim to follow Jesus. As such, the estimated 300,000 North Korean Christians have largely been forced underground, with believers meeting at a whole host of secretive locations.

Such is the severity of persecution faced by many of these brave Jesus followers, that some have even been forced to meet in the middle of rivers so they can hold a simple Bible study without fear of arrest. "If they are caught reading the Bible, they could immediately be sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp—or worse," noted World Help's Rachel Godwin in a powerful column written at Fox News.

"They've heard the stories of what happens to people who are heard speaking the name of Jesus. Many of them have family members and friends who are living in the camps now ... or have been buried there."

Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.


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