Open Doors

{{About|the Christian foundation|Italian film|Open Doors (film)|the Nosa album|Open Doors (album)|architectural open house|Doors Open Days|other articles|Open Door (disambiguation){{!}}Open Door}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Open Doors

| logo = Open Doors logo.svg

| logo_size =

| type = Christian charitable organisation

| founded_date = 1955

| founder = Brother Andrew

| location =

| origins =

| key_people = Brother Andrew

| area_served = 70 countries

| status = Stichting

| focus = Supporting persecuted Christians worldwide

| method =

| affiliations =

| revenue = $116.3 million (2015; including affiliates)

| endowment =

| num_volunteers =

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| homepage = {{URL|www.opendoors.org}}

| dissolved =

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}}

Open Doors is a non-denominational mission supporting persecuted Christians around the world. They work with local partners to distribute Bibles and Christian literature, give discipleship training{{cite book|last=Green|first=George W.|title=Special use vehicles: an illustrated history of unconventional cars and trucks worldwide|publisher=McFarland|year=2003|pages=151|isbn=0-7864-1245-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCZcwlhyaJsC&dq=open+doors+brother+andrew&pg=PA151|access-date=2009-04-06}} and provide practical support, such as emergency relief aid. Open Doors' stated aims are to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilising prayer, support and action among Christians from around the world. It is based in Ermelo, the Netherlands. Open Doors is also a member of the Forum of Bible Agencies International.

History

Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutchman more widely known as Brother Andrew, when he decided to smuggle Bibles to persecuted Christians in Communist Poland.{{cite book|last = Hertzke |first=Allen D.|title=Freeing God's children|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2004|isbn=0-7425-0804-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEBROQZMCo0C&pg=PA401 |access-date=2009-04-06}} He continued this work in smuggling Bibles to many of the Soviet-controlled countries and in 1957 was given a blue Volkswagen Beetle which he used to make deliveries within the Communist bloc.{{cite book|last=Desmond|first=Kevin|title=The Least Likely: If God Can Use Them, He Can Use You!|publisher=Kregel Publications | year =2005|page =113|isbn=0-8254-6061-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a_BavuACGbkC&pg=PA113 |access-date=2009-04-07}} With this new car he was able to carry more literature. Thereafter, the work of Open Doors continued to expand as it extended its network throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The name "Open Doors" referencing that of a welcoming group due to the doors being open at all times. He was responsible for smuggling millions of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.

On 18 June 1981, Open Doors delivered one million contraband Chinese Bibles in one night to a beach near the city of Shantou in southern China on a mission they named Project Pearl. Project Pearl was carried out by an international crew of 20, led by Brother David. A semi-submersible, {{convert|137|ft|m|adj=on}} barge, named Gabriella, was loaded with 232 waterproof, poly-wrapped, one-ton packages containing a million Chinese Bibles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/open.doors.project.pearl.25th.anniversary.of.delivering.1.million.bibles.to.china/6713.htm|title=Open Doors: Project Pearl - 25th Anniversary of Delivering 1 Million Bibles to China|website=Christian Today|date=24 June 2006 |language=en|type=Press release|access-date=2018-01-20}} A {{convert|97|ft|m|adj=on}} tugboat named Michael was used to tow Gabriella to the beach, weaving through a maze of anchored Chinese navy ships. The crew arrived at the beach at 9 pm. 10,000 Chinese Christians had gathered to bring the Bibles to shore and then deliver them all over China.{{Cite news|url=https://radiofreechina.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/brother-david-gods-smuggler-to-china-had-died-at-70-today/|title=Brother David "God's smuggler to China" had died at 70 today|last=Hattaway|first=Paul|date=May 8, 2007|work=Radio Free China|access-date=April 20, 2018|agency=Assist News Service|language=en-US}} Time magazine described Project Pearl as "A remarkable mission… the largest operation of its kind in the history of China."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924980,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015124217/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924980,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 15, 2010|title= Risky Rendezvous at Swatow| last1 =Hoyle| first1 = Russ| first2= Bing W | last2 = Wong |date=1981-10-19|magazine=TIME|access-date = 2009-04-07}}

In 1988, Open Doors used Glasnost{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-06-me-6951-story.html|title=Local News in Brief: Santa Ana Group to Legally Ship Million Bibles to Russia|date=1988-08-06|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2009-04-07|page=2|issn=0458-3035}} as an opportunity to openly provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church, at a cost of $2.5 million.{{cite news|title=OC charity to ship first load of Bibles to Soviets by Dec. 25|last=Brodeur|first=Nicole|work=Orange County Register|date=1988-10-15|page=b.08|issn=0886-4934|id={{ProQuest|272237755}}}} (Registration required) Open Doors partnered with the United Bible Societies to complete the task in just over one year.{{cite news|title=County-based ministry has sent 1 million Bibles to Christians in USSR|last=Owen|first=Mary|work=Orange County Register|date=1989-12-30|issn=0886-4934|page=E.05|id={{ProQuest|272433825}}}} (Registration required)

In 2005, 428,856 people from over 70 countries signed Open Doors' global Right to Believe petition, saying Yes to religious liberty and No to the UN's Defamation of Religions Resolution.{{cite book|last=Marking|first=J. G.|title=A Voice Is Calling: Living the Life You Know Exists|publisher=A Voice Is Calling|year=2005|pages=117|isbn=1-933204-07-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lx-Rj0TzLLwC&dq=open+doors+brother+andrew&pg=PA117|access-date=2009-04-06}} The petition was presented to the UN in New York in December 2010.{{Cite news|url=https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/open-doors-global-petition-presented-at-un/|title=Open Doors' Global Petition Presented at United Nations - Open Doors USA|date=December 9, 2010|work=Open Doors USA|access-date=April 20, 2018|language=en-US}}

In 2015, Open Doors (including its affiliates) delivered 3 million Bibles and literature, and delivered relief and aid to 239,164 people.{{cite web|url=https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/annual_2016_final.pdf|title=Open Doors USA 2015 annual report|publisher=Open Doors USA |access-date=March 27, 2018}} In 2018, the USA organization spent $19,291,134 on programs to the persecuted church with $4.7 M spent on fundraising and $2.8 on administration.Open Doors USA 2018 annual report.

[https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2018_Annual-Report.pdf Open Doors USA website] Retrieved 1 December 2019.

In 2022, it would have programs in 70 countries.{{cite web|url=https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/how-we-help/|title=HOW WE SUPPORT|publisher=opendoors.org |access-date=November 5, 2022}}{{Cite web|last=Darling|first=Daniel|date=March 29, 2021|title=Hide It Under a Bushel? Maybe.|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/march-web-only/daniel-darling-characters-easter-nicodemus-joseph-arimathea.html|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=Christianity Today|language=en}}

On September 27, 2022, Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors, died at age 94 at his home in Harderwijk, Netherlands.{{Cite web |title=Brother Andrew · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide |url=https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/home-brother-andrew/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=www.opendoors.org |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2022-09-29 |title=Brother Andrew, missionary who fearlessly crossed borders to smuggle Christian literature into Communist lands – obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/09/29/brother-andrew-missionary-who-fearlessly-crossed-borders-smuggle/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |issn=0307-1235}}

Programs

Open Doors and its affiliates conduct programs in many countries:George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1688

Delivering Bibles and other Christian literature
Providing pastoral and discipleship training
Conducting seminars on Christian living, family life. "Standing Strong Through the Storm" is the seminar they use to teach churches on how to survive under persecution.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/ChurchAndMinistry/PersecutionWatch/ans_PersecutionSeminar.aspx|title=Preparing for Persecution in Indonesia|last=Dykstra|first=Jerry|publisher=Christian Broadcasting Network|access-date=2009-04-07}}
Running Bible-based literacy courses
Supplying equipment and vocational training to help widows, families of prisoners of conscience, the displaced, and the unemployed to earn a living{{Cite news|url=http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/20171013/ottawa-county-patriots-to-host-event-about-christian-persecution|title=Ottawa County Patriots to host event about Christian persecution|last=Sentinel staff|date=Oct 13, 2017|work=Holland Sentinel|access-date=2018-05-09|language=en}}
Providing legal aid and spiritual and emotional comfort to prisoners and their families
Financing and supplying equipment to pastors, churches, and Bible colleges
Supplying printing presses, radios, cassette players, photocopiers, and A/V and transport equipment
Sponsoring Bible colleges, reconciliation ministries and restoration centres for Christian refugees, widows and orphans
Acting as a "watchdog group" and reporting on the killing of Christians in various countries{{Cite web |title=Nigeria's Christian death toll gets tepid response from West {{!}} Terry Mattingly |url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/nigerias-christian-death-toll-gets-090052537.html |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=www.yahoo.com |date=30 June 2022 |language=en-US}}

=''World Watch List''=

The organization publishes an annual World Watch List which ranks countries by the severity of persecution faced by active Christians. The WWL is based on research and comparison of field researchers, external experts, academics,{{who|date=September 2016}} and publicly available research documents but is subjective. In 2012, the methodology of the WWL was comprehensively revised in order to provide greater credibility, transparency, objectivity and scientific quality.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} In 2013, further refinement of the methodology took place.{{Cite web|url=https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/about-wwl-ranking/|title=World Watch List Ranking Methodology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115030537/https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/about-wwl-ranking/|archive-date=2017-11-15|url-status=dead}} Countries are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100 depending on the persecution of church life, national life, community life, family life, private life and violence against Christians. Countries are categorized under "Extreme Persecution", "Very High Persecution" or "High Persecution". In 2021, all top 50 countries were in both the "Extreme Persecution" and "Very High Persecution" categories for the first time since the World Watch List was originally published.{{Cite web|title=World Watch List 2021: Trends · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide|url=https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/persecution-trends/|access-date=2021-10-27|website=www.opendoors.org}} In 2022, Afghanistan overtook North Korea to become the country with the highest level of persecution. North Korea returned to the top of the list in 2023, with the highest levels of persecution ever seen.{{Cite web |title=World Watch List: Trends · Serving Persecuted Christian's Worldwide |url=https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/persecution-trends/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=www.opendoors.org |language=en-US}} The report found Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa at the epicenter of violence against Christians.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=17 January 2023 |title=The 50 Countries Where It's Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023 |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/january/christian-persecution-2023-countries-open-doors-watch-list.html |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=News & Reporting |language=en}}

The 2024 list{{Cite web |title=World Watch List 2024 |url=https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=www.opendoors.org |language=en-US}} revealed that the number of Christians suffering persecution and discrimination for their faith has risen to 365 million.{{Cite web |last=eliot.kern |date=2024-01-17 |title=World Watch List 2024 reveals rise in Christian persecution - Eternity News |url=https://www.eternitynews.com.au/the-church-in-action/world-watch-list-2024-reveals-rise-in-christian-persecution/,%20https://www.eternitynews.com.au/the-church-in-action/world-watch-list-2024-reveals-rise-in-christian-persecution/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |language=en-AU}}

Extreme levels of persecution