Sudanese Pastors Face the Death Penalty for Preaching the Gospel

Yat Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reit, two Christian pastors from the breakaway Christian nation of South Sudan, are currently sitting in prison in Sudan waiting to hear what their fate will be. The Sudanese government is accusing them of spying, but their supporters say that the real reason the militant Islamist government is holding them is because they proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If convicted, the two pastors face a possible death sentence.

You can learn more about their story here:

Ruot, who is from Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, was arrested Dec. 21 after he delivered a Sunday sermon in Omdurman, a Sudanese city across the Nile from Khartoum. Reith, who, like Ruot, is from the Presbyterian Evangelical Church, was arrested Jan. 11 when he was called in by security services and taken into custody. His supporters believe his arrest was prompted by a letter he wrote to the Office of Religious Affairs in Khartoum inquiring about Ruot.

Their whereabouts were unknown for months following arrest, which is in violation of international human rights laws. But a month ago, they were taken from Khartoum’s police station to a detention center, according to Ruot’s wife. Charges were secretly filed against them in March, according to attorneys.

And now, the most recent reports claim that the pastors’ situation has taken a turn for the worst. The two men have been moved to a high-security prison and are no longer being allowed to have any visitors—including their families and their attorneys.

How outrageous is it that these men of God would be imprisoned by the extremist Islamic government in Sudan and then denied basic human rights?

Yet, how incredible that these brave men choose to proclaim their faith, even when they are ripped apart from their families and now even possibly face execution?!?

I have written before about other Christians around the world who are imprisoned for standing up for their faith, like Pastor Saeed and Miriam Ibrahim. We must stand with our brothers and sisters abroad who are being persecuted for their relationship with Christ!

Will you join me in praying for our Christian brothers who are imprisoned in Sudan as their trial resumes next week?

Read more on the Patheos Faith and Family Channel, fan me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram and follow this blog on Twitter!

Photo Credit: Maureen Didde via Flickr