The Chairman’s Report for August

In this issue of the newsletter
New: Help for former Muslim families who have accepted Jesus
Update: Programs to help Bethlehem’s Christians expand as war continues
Update: Diaper program in Holy Land reaches those in extreme need
New: An award in time of sorrow in Nigeria / Orphanage construction update

*Part of this newsletter addressing the aid to former Muslim individuals cannot be posted on the internet, as to protect the individuals we serve*

The Bethlehem Project

With some sacrifice in other areas the adult diaper and food program in the Bethlehem area has been increased.

A photo of one of the facilities we use in the Bethlehem area shows bags of food prepared for delivery to out of work Christian families.

Food is not just handed out! There are well off Christian families and some receive support from relatives living in Europe and the United States.

We are reaching the ill, the elderly and the destitute. Before adding a family to the our supply list we check with church pastors.

Local churches in the Bethlehem area have for the most part run out of money. A tithe of zero income is zero and over 85% of Christians in the Bethlehm area are unemployed because of the ongoing war.

There is virtually no tourism and most hotels and resturants are closed. Many Christians worked in those jobs. Thousands had jobs inside Israel proper. No one is allowed to enter Israel proper from Bethlehem except Jewish settlers. Our food program provides for those in critical need and with no outside support.

Holy Land Diaper Program

Mariam’s (image cannot be shown for safety) smile is infectious. She’s a child of God, full of innocent joy, but she’s also in a wheelchair and completely alone in the world.

At just 11 years old, she has no family and lives in a Christian shelter for handicapped and abandoned children in the Holy Land. Because she’s autistic and unable to speak, the shelter has become her whole world.

Mariam loves playing with sensory toys and splashing in water, finding simple happiness in the midst of her many challenges.

Mariam’s needs are constant, and she is just one of many Christians in the Holy Land who rely on our diaper program. We’re seeing an increased need for basic supplies like diapers for children and the elderly, many of whom have serious health issues due to a lack of proper medical care.

The need is great, and many are too embarrassed to ask for help. But we know they are there. We deliver aid directly to those in need, whether they’re in shelters, churches, or their own homes.

Your support helps us provide these essential items and, more importantly, shows these precious brothers and sisters that they are not forgotten. Please keep Mariam in your prayers and consider a gift today to help us continue this vital work

H4PC Receives “Piller of Support” Award in Nigeria

Heart for the Persecuted Church has been honored with the “Piller of Support Award” from Mangu Skills Connect, a free school for underprivileged children and adults in Plateau State, Nigeria.

For the last three years Mangu has been a focal point for attacks on Christian farmers by Fulani Herdsmen.

The award recognizes the Religious Freedom Coalition’s “steadfast partnership” and “generous support” through Heart for the Persecuted Church.

During the ceremony, the Mangu Skills Connect founder expressed profound gratitude, stating that in less than a year, the Heart for the Persecuted Church has provided approximately 40% of the financial support needed to run the free school.

The monthly support, originally intended for just 13 children, has miraculously sustained over 100 children and all the school’s adult beneficiaries. During the ceremony the school representitives said that the consistent and focused support has allowed the school to continue providing education and hope in a community where resources are scarce.

The school’s founder noted that the “miraculous” impact of this consistent support challenges others to find specific needs and give generously, showing how a targeted act of good can create a lasting legacy and profoundly transform lives.

Our director in Nigeria, Joshua received the award on July 12, 2025, at the school’s graduation ceremony. Joshua also leads our orphanage.

Heart for the Persecuted Church has been assisting hundreds of Christian internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mangu, and some of this support has been directed toward the school.

The recognition is appreciated, but the work continues as the attacks against Christians intensify. The Nigerian government does virtually nothing and the army seems to allow the attacks.

The Sunni Muslim Fulani Herdsmen have not stopped the attacks south of Jos in and around Mangu.

Bokkos Market: The attacks against Christians in Plateau State are almost daily. In this newsletter I can only highlight those that are the most egregious. Bokkos is just 30 Kilometers from the site of the award ceremony in Mangu. Just a few days after that ceremony/graduation, Fulani Herdsmen attacked a bus returning to a village from the Bokkos Market. Fourteen Christians were killed including women, children and babies.

I have photos, but they are too gruesome to publish.

Orphanage Construction of the second floor is almost complete: The area will accommodate the computer lab, science lab and library.

All stairs and safety rails have been completed, and all painting is finished. Work is progressing on the electricity and finishings for the second floor.

Once finished the school will be an absolute gem of the Christian community in Jos. The school worship band has developed a reputation that attracts people from the homes in the surrounding area to attend our Sunday services.

We currently have 154 children at our orphanage. All of them attend midweek and Sunday services in the chapel. In addition, many of the teachers return on Sunday with their own children.

Our orphanage has become more than an orphanage; it has become an educational and spiritual center.

The children living on campus have lost either their father or both parents. They have learned that their earthly father may be gone, but their heavenly father is with them, protects them and guides them.

The farm: For several years the children have planted and harvested crops from a small amount of land we have rented.

The crop was lost in 2021 when our original orphanage in Miango was overrun by Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen and destroyed.

The Fulani also ran their cattle through the farm. There was no harvest that year as we scrambled to find a new location for over 100 children.

This is the third year since the destruction of the original orphanage that the older children have cleared and planted a rented plot of several hectares.

Please pray for the victims of Islamic terror in Nigeria. Please pray for families and victims and continue to pray for Christians in the Middle East as well.

William J. Murray, RFC President