Eighty Church Members Arrested During Police Raid

Photo from Compass Direct

Eighty members, including the church's pastor, Zekarias Abraham, of the Mehrete Yesus Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the city of Asmara were arrested by security forces following a worship service in their sanctuary on April 29. Several teachers from India who were working in Eritrea and an American couple were also arrested. The Americans, however, were released on May 3 and allowed to return to their Asmara home.

Following the closure of all the evangelical and charismatic churches in the nation on May 17, 2002, the Mehrete Yesus Evangelical Presbyterian Church was one of the few Eritrean churches allowed to function since it fulfilled the registration formalities demanded by the government. In addition to his duties as a pastor of the church, Pastor Zekarias Abraham has also served as the head of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance since his predecessor, Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, was arrested in May 2004.

Pray for the release of these prisoners and the approximately 2000 other Christians presently in detention in Eritrea. Pray that they will encouraged by the examples of other men and women who have remained faithful in the face of terrible opposition (Hebrews 12:1-3). Pray that the government of Eritrea will stop its campaign against Christians and recognize the importance of religious freedom.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, click here.