Praying for the Persecuted

Unjustly Imprisoned

For the last year, Baptist pastor Samson Hkalam has languished in a prison cell in Myanmar.  A well-respected advocate for religious freedom and human rights, Pastor Samson was illegally detained in December 2022 and convicted in April on false charges of terrorism, defaming the state, and unlawful association. He was sentenced to six years in prison. 

Pastor Samson, former president of the Kachin Baptist Convention, has worked tirelessly to bring peace and aid to his community as they have endured decades of civil conflict. Following the military overthrow of the Myanmar government in February 2021, Samson led relief efforts after a military airstrike rained down on a music festival in Kachin State. He also met with the United States President in Washington, DC, to bring international attention to the oppression of minorities in Myanmar, including Christians.  

His family has shared how he is being held in a small prison cell, isolated from everyone else as the guards seek to make him feel utterly alone. Thankfully, he is not alone! As his global family, will you stand with him today by writing a prayer to show Pastor Samson and his family they are not alone during this time of persecution?

Share a Prayer with Pastor Samson

Use the form below to share a prayer or word of encouragement and solidarity with this faithful man of God.

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Advocating for the Persecuted

When the military junta tried to silence Pastor Samson, the Baptist World Alliance responded. 

In partnership with 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center, the BWA:  

  • Sponsored a prayer and awareness weekend with participants from around the world   
  • Mobilized over 10,000 people in the United States to contact their elected representatives resulting in the United States Congress passing legislation directly addressing human rights abuses in Myanmar  
  • Submitted Pastor Samson’s case to the International Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Alliance, resulting in the chair making a public statement for his release and the United Kingdom’s FoRB Envoy raising Pastor Samson’s case on the floor of the United Kingdom Parliament   
  • Presented a video report on Myanmar to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland  
  • Offered humanitarian aid to those affected by ongoing violence in Myanmar  

    Your faithful support makes this important work possible.  Thanks to a matching gift from our generous Global Impact Church partner, Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church in Malaysia, your gift will have even greater impact. Your gift today will be matched up to $10,000 USD – multiplying our work across the globe.   

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    A Prayer from the President

    In response to the political and societal turmoil in Myanmar, BWA President Tomás Mackey offers a prayer of peace in the videos below.