By Luke Pearce
The next four years will likely be significant for ministries that, like International Christian Concern (ICC), advocate for the global persecuted church.
Whatever feelings may exist about the incoming U.S. presidential administration, the first Trump administration strongly advocated for religious freedom. International religious freedom became a top human rights priority for the United States, so much so that other human rights offices in the U.S. Department of State were rumored to have felt neglected. Even at the dawn of 2025, we can still see the positive impact of seeds planted in 2018.
There are numerous indications that the incoming administration will take a similar approach toward international religious freedom to what it did eight years ago, and God willing. There are likely to be significant opportunities to combat persecution globally at the highest levels of power.
What we also know is that it won’t last forever.
The attitude of the government is as variable now as it ever was. The erratic moods of Biblical kings like Saul, David, and Herod are well matched by the fickleness of our modern political parties and institutions. And if there is one thing you must know about advocating for religious freedom, it is this: success is measured in years, sometimes decades. You will see many highs and lows before you ever see an end. The famed Christian parliamentarian William Wilberforce fought for 18 years to abolish the British slave trade. In modern Washington, D.C., there are Christians who have labored for the persecuted church for nearly their entire lives.
Take Daniel as a biblical example. We know him mostly as a prophet and for a certain night in a lions’ den. But in his day, he was one of the most influential statesmen in ancient Mesopotamia, serving as a senior official to five pagan kings across two empires. And across his nearly 70 years of service, his interpretations of the dreams of these kings heralded radical change in the ancient world. Daniel experienced the capriciousness of royal wrath and favor throughout his life yet survived it all because even his political enemies “could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.” (Daniel 6:4)
In government, seasons of opportunity come and go. For Christian advocates to weather these seasonal shifts of power, we, like Daniel, must be consistent in grace in every season so that even our opponents can “find no ground for complaint or any fault.” Let humility always control how we engage with those who may oppose us in politics; this is consistent with Christ’s command to love our enemies, and it is also wise to remember that, inevitably, the scales of power will shift back again as they always do. And in modern politics, memories last far beyond any one election cycle.
That said, we should not let anxieties over the future rob us of present possibilities. So, how should Christian advocates make the most of the changes in the political climate?
Perhaps the best analogy comes from another biblical advisor interpreting the dream of another ancient king. In Genesis, Joseph interpreted the dream of Egypt’s pharaoh that prophesied seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph’s advice to the king was to store away a portion of the excess grain rather than consume or sell it all so there would be enough food, even during the famine.
There are justifiable reasons to believe that advocates for the persecuted church are about to enjoy another season of Caeser’s favor. We should be diligent in seeking new opportunities to magnify the plight of the persecuted and see if previously locked doors might now open: meeting with incoming members of the next Congress, engaging with new appointees that have a heart for human rights and the global church, taking on bolder investigations against oppressive regimes, putting crucial data in the hands of decision-makers than can legally empower them to take sweeping action, and support and even propose new legislation that could become the law of the land. For all the rising trends of persecution we are seeing, one can’t help but feel encouraged by all the good that could be achieved in an anticipated season of plenty.
But we must make the most of this season, knowing it will not last forever. Opportunities unexplored will slip away, doors unopened will relock, and the government will show us its cold shoulder as its attention turns elsewhere again. By God’s grace, may we have Joseph’s wisdom to steward years of plenty to carry us far into any famine. And by God’s grace, may we have Daniel’s faithfulness to never waiver or give our opponents reason to find any complaint or fault with us as we zealously advocate for the persecuted church.
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