Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Barnabas Fund’s response. An emergency network to help Christians globally

14 April 2020

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An announcement:
LAUNCH OF THE BARNABAS CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY NETWORK (BCEN)

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The needs of the poor and persecuted church are urgent and must be met now. Coronavirus is creating a humanitarian disaster especially for persecuted Christians in many parts of the world.
 
And the reason for this disproportionate effect on the Christian community? Persecuted Christians are on the margins of society, discriminated against in daily life, and often discriminated against when general aid is distributed.  Many are desperately poor already because of discrimination. They have no savings, and with lockdown they have lost their meagre incomes.  
 
Many pastors and clergy have no means of support if their congregations cannot meet.
 
Barnabas Fund, the leading aid agency for persecuted Christians, has launched the Barnabas Coronavirus Emergency Network to urgently meet these needs. We are joined by over 85 partner organisations. These include global church denominations, representing thousands of congregations worldwide and some are theological institutions with close links to rural pastors caring for their vulnerable flock during this time. Associations such as GAFCON, EFAC, the Communion of Reformed Churches, and Pentecostal Networks, are all part of the Barnabas Coronavirus Emergency Network giving us direct access to our brothers and sisters at the grassroots. Our objectives are to monitor the effects of Covid 19 on persecuted Christians, and learn how to support those Christians better.
 
  • BCEN is obtaining reliable up-to-date information which Barnabas Fund will share with supporters to inform their prayers.
  • BCEN is guiding Barnabas Fund’s response in terms of practical support for coronavirus-affected Christians, thus ensuring that funds given are used as effectively as possible in this unprecedented and fast-changing global emergency.

 
Thus far, BCEN has already sent £425,305.73 GBP ($528.338.66 USD) to support vulnerable communities in Pakistan, China, Laos, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Armenia and Sri Lanka. We are inundated with requests for support and are committed to continue helping.
 
But we are only scratching the surface of the need. There is much to do and we need your support in the weeks ahead.
 
We invite you to visit us at /au/BCEN for news and prayer requests from the persecuted church, regularly updated. There you will also see a list of all our partner denominations and organisations. Please join us in praying for the persecuted Church during this difficult time.

Please help us to avert a humanitarian disaster for persecuted Christians.

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Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
Managing Director of Barnabas Coronavirus Emergency Network (BCEN)

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Hendrik Storm,
Barnabas Fund coordinator of BCEN

Countries represented in our Network: Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, USA, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Current list of partners (for security reasons, some partners not listed):

  • Africa Bible College (ABC), Malawi
  • Africa International University, Kenya
  • Anglican Church of Kenya
  • Anglican Church of Nigeria
  • Anglican Church of South Sudan
  • Anglican Church of Tanzania
  • Anglican Church of Uganda
  • Anglican International Development (AID), UK
  • Asia Graduate School of Theology, Nepal
  • Association for Christian Religious Practitioners, Southern Africa
  • Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa, Kenya
  • Bible College of the Evangelical Christian Baptist Union, Tajikistan 
  • Bible Media and Nehemiah Bible Institute, Africa
  • Biblica (South Africa)
  • Bishop Hannington Institute of Theology and Development, Kenya
  • Brethren Church, Pakistan
  • Carlile College, Kenya
  • Chancellor College, Malawi
  • Chorra Ministry, Ethiopia
  • Church of Ceylon, Sri Lanka
  • Church of North India
  • Church of Pakistan
  • Daystar University, Kenya
  • Dinka Congregations in Juba, South Sudan
  • Domboshava Theological College, Zimbabwe
  • Doon Bible College, India
  • Dutch Reformed Church, South Africa
  • Ecumenical Foundation of Southern Africa
  • ECWA Theological Seminary Church, Nigeria
  • Ethiopian Full Gospel Theological Seminary
  • Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology
  • Evangelical Alliance of Kenya
  • Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC)
  • Free State University, South Africa
  • GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference)
  • HEFSIBA Mozambique
  • Hugenote College, South Africa
  • Instituto Bíblico de Kaluquembe – Missão Urgente, Angola
  • Instituto Superior de Teologia Evangelica no Lubango, Angola
  • Instituto Teológico da Igreja Evangélica Reformada de Angola
  • International Leadership University, Kenya
  • Jos ECWA Theological Seminary, Nigeria
  • Josophat Mwale Theological Institution, Malawi
  • Justo Mwale University (JMU), Zambia
  • Methodist Church, Ghana
  • Methodist Church, Nigeria
  • Moffat Bible College, Kenya
  • Morija Theological Seminary, Lesotho
  • Murray Theological College, Zimbabwe
  • Nairobi Baptist Church, Kenya
  • Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary
  • Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary
  • Nile Theological College, South Sudan
  • North West University, South Africa
  • Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kenya
  • Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life, UK
  • Pan Africa Christian University, Kenya
  • Presbyterian Church, Southern Africa
  • Pretoria University, South Africa
  • PTHU Global Christianity, Netherlands
  • Redeemed Christian Bible College, Nigeria
  • Reformational Study Centre, Southern Africa
  • Reformed and Presbyterian Seminary, Nepal
  • Reformed Church University, Zimbabwe
  • Reformed Institute for Theological Training, Kenya
  • Reformed Mission League
  • Reformed Theological Seminary, Nigeria 
  • Rusitu Bible College, Zimbabwe
  • Scott Christian University, Kenya
  • Seminario Emanuel do Dôndi, Angola
  • Serampore College, India
  • Southern Africa Region of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Africa (4,000 congregations across 10 countries)
  • St Frumentius Abba Selama Kessate Berhan Theological College, Ethiopia
  • St John’s College of Theology and Development, South Sudan
  • St. Paul’s University, Kenya
  • Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Syriac Orthodox Church
  • The Church in the Province of the West Indies
  • The Church of Pentecost, Ghana
  • The Reformed Family Forum, Southern Africa 
  • Theological College of Northern Nigeria
  • Uganda Christian University
  • UMCA Theological College, Nigeria
  • Université Shalom de Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo
  • University of Livingstonia, Malawi
  • World Communion of Reformed Churches
  • Zarephath Bible Seminary, Pakistan
  • Zomba Theological College, Malawi
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