2021: 12,060 evacuated
2022: 1,060 medical and food, 4,753 relief-aid
2023: 353 food, shelter and safe passage
Need: Since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, Christians in Afghanistan, especially converts from Islam, have faced extreme persecution. The underground church network has been targeted, with Christians living in constant fear of exposure, violence, and death. Women who convert face severe risks, including house arrest, sexual abuse, and even honor killings. Men face ostracization, harassment, kidnapping, and death if discovered. In this hostile environment, the Afghan underground church is at great risk, requiring urgent support and strategic leadership training to survive and grow.
Solution: This project focuses on equipping the underground church in Afghanistan through a 12-week Christian Leadership Training Program. The program aims to build a strong foundation for house church leaders, ensuring they are well-equipped to lead their congregations effectively. The sessions will be recorded to create a lasting resource for future leaders. Additionally, the project provides spiritual and practical protection for Christian families, offering aid and assistance during persecution.
2024 Project Plan:
Shai Fund is equipping the Afghan Christian community through a 12-week Leadership Development Program which will train 40-50 Afghan Christian leaders, including those in the diaspora, via weekly video sessions on ministry and church planting. These sessions, recorded and supported by additional resources, aim to build a sustainable foundation for future leaders.
Additionally, the project includes a weekly podcast to introduce Biblical stories and address questions from Muslims, along with translation efforts to provide spiritual growth materials in local languages.
Support also extends to housing, legal assistance, and essential aid for Christians still in Afghanistan. Future plans involve expanding the program, producing culturally relevant media, and developing leadership within the Afghan church network.
Alongside these efforts, Shai Fund continues to assist vulnerable Afghan refugees, particularly women who have been abused and persecuted for their religious belief. We are seeking to relocate them to safe countries, where they can begin to rebuild their lives, and worship freely away from threats of terror, forced marriage, and death. These efforts are done in coordination with governments, and we ensure each person has support and community to assist their assimilation to a new context and culture.
The Afghan Church Network started in 2011 with 8 believers and grew to nearly 500 by 2014, eventually expanding to over 2,000 believers across the country by 2020. The Taliban's takeover in 2021 led to severe persecution, forcing many believers into hiding. Since then, the network has focused on providing safe houses, food, and medical aid to those at risk, while continuing to develop leadership and spiritual resources.
2021 Response
Responding to the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Shai Fund swiftly initiated efforts to evacuate high-risk individuals, including Christians, women’s rights activists, and U.S. government affiliates. Facing extreme dangers like gunfire, suicide bombings, and Taliban house-to-house searches, Shai Fund, in collaboration with the Nazarene Fund, successfully rescued over 9,000 individuals from near-certain death.
Shai Fund continues to support the persecuted and exiled by providing safe houses, evacuation assistance, and resettlement options, ensuring their survival and safety amidst ongoing threats.
Your investment will help sustain and expand the Afghan underground church by funding leadership training, media production, and direct aid to those facing persecution. This support is vital for the growth and resilience of the Afghan Christian community under Taliban rule.