Hundreds Attend Annual March for the Martyrs in Washington, DC to “rise up as one voice for the persecuted Church.”

On September 24th, 2022, in Washington, D.C., a large group of people  gathered to give a voice to persecuted Christians at the third Annual March for Martyrs. The annual March for the Martyrs event was attended by hundreds of Christians and believers from across the United States.

Hundreds of people from around the USA gathered on the National Mall on Saturday for the third-annual March for the Martyrs. Religious freedom representatives called on the faithful to learn from those around the world who chose to die rather than renounce their belief in Jesus Christ. (FULL VIDEO at Bottom)

This year's keynote speaker was basketball star Enes Kanter Freedom, a practicing Muslim from Turkey, and NBA veteran. 

 The event began with live worship music courtesy of John Forystek and speeches from For the Martyrs Founder Gia Chacon, Chaldean Catholic Priest Fr. Simon Esshaki and evangelists Jacob Coyne and Shane Winnings. Participants marched slightly more than a mile from the kickoff rally to the Museum of the Bible, where a night of prayer event was held.

(FULL VIDEO of Event below)

The March’s founder, Gia Chacon, who runs a nonprofit organization For the Martyrs, first began her efforts in 2017. She was be joined by Ordinariate priest Fr. Benedict Kiely, whose charity Nasarean.org tells the stories of persecuted religious minorities and offers them practical help to rebuild their lives. 

Hundreds of religious people joined in solidarity with persecuted Christians worldwide on Saturday as part of an uprising to “rise up as one voice for the persecuted Church.”

 They gathered at the rally on the National Mall where they listened to speeches, worshiped together and marched to the White House where they  prayed together before attending the “Night for the Martyrs” evening event held at the JW Marriott hotel. 

 The first March for the Martyrs took place in Long Beach, California, in September 2020. On stage Chacon  said: “We’re marching for the over 340 million Christians around the world who suffer for the name of Jesus. We’re marching for the people who lay down their lives every single day to go to church, to own a Bible. To even say that they believe in Jesus, in some countries, is illegal.” 

 Open Doors USA's reported that there was a 60% increase in the number of Christians killed for their faith. “If Christians continue to be persecuted for their faith, why does this issue have so much silence around it?” she asked. “Why does the world remain silent as Christians are targeted and executed for their faith in Christ?”  “we’re going to remember every single Christian who laid down their life for the sake of the Gospel and we’re going to bring attention to every Christian who is suffering under radical governments, under extremist groups.”  “If Christians in other countries can lay down their life for the Gospel, we should be encouraged to stand strong in our faith here in the United States,” she explained. 

 Social media personality Jacob Coyne also spoke, he is the founder of Stay Here, an organization of suicide prevention ministry. Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the “Relatable” podcast, was another speaker at the event.

Evening speakers included Sean Feucht, David Curry, Rev. Johnnie Moore, Gia Chacon, Bob Fu, Dr. Michelle Corral, Pastor David Engelhardt, Toufic Baaklini, Fr. Benedict Kiely, and Ryan Helfenbein.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/marchforthemartyrs/

and https://forthemartyrs.com/

WATCH the FULL Video of the Event Click the Link below: