Voice Podcast

How will you be celebrating Christmas this year? A conversation most of us are having now with our friends and colleagues. But what if the menu for Christmas dinner and the itinerary for seeing your family were not your only concerns?  Hear from Release International partner Rev Waseem who lives and works in Pakistan, and who helps the marginalised Christian minority in that country. Discover what...

What if fleeing was your only option? Millions of Christians across the world today face that stark reality, many specifically because of persecution. November marks the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church and this year Release International’s IDOP resources focus on the issue of displacement.  On today’s podcast, Release International workers Kenneth and James talk about some of...

How did you come to faith in Jesus, and how are you serving him today? At Release International we are privileged to work with partners from many different countries and it is always encouraging to hear their stories. One of those partners, Jamal Liddawi, has a miraculous story to share. 30 years ago God started to work dramatically in Jamal’s life, and since he committed to following Jesus, Jamal...

Have you ever been challenged by a difficult question about your faith? Have you ever wondered how persecuted Christians who suffer specifically because of their faith can sustain the same kinds of objections? On today’s podcast, Dr Andy Bannister - apologist, evangelist and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, discusses how his own interest in apologetics and evangelism developed...

Jesus warned his disciples, ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’ Throughout history persecution has taken many different forms and come from a variety of sources. At this particular moment in time, in many parts of the world the growth of radicalised Islam is one pressing threat against God’s people. On today’s podcast we talk to Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali former Bishop of Rocheste...

Whilst no system of government is perfect, we can be thankful for the political and religious freedoms we currently enjoy in the United Kingdom. And we can be thankful for elected representatives who are willing to use their voice to speak up for justice and ensure that issues like religious persecution are heard about and debated. On today’s podcast, guest host Kenneth speaks to Jim Shannon, MP f...

Mentioning the country of North Korea can provoke both intrigue and horror in our minds. So much of what goes on there is hidden from us. But we know enough to understand that it is a place of extreme repression and suffering, especially for Christians. And yet in this unlikely place there is an unquenchable thirst for the word of God and the church is growing. On today’s podcast hear from Release...

Over 20 million people in the UK regularly give their time as volunteers in various sectors and organisations. Release International benefits hugely from the contributions of our team of dedicated volunteers. Whether it’s speaking in churches, organising a prayer group, fundraising or sharing information, volunteering is one key way to stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters. Hear from Rele...

Last year on the podcast we spoke to Release International partner Hassan John about the problems of violence and unrest in West Africa. On today’s podcast we are going to take a closer look at one specific country in that region: Burkina Faso.  You may not know much about Burkina Faso, but recently the actions of violent militant groups have made it a very difficult place for Christians to live....

In his well-known words at the end of Matthew 28 Jesus tells his disciples to go and make disciples. Clearly discipleship is going to be central in the Kingdom of God. But what is it - and how are we to understand discipleship in a culture which so highly values the idea of charting your own individual course in the world? Today’s podcast features Release workers Kenneth and Stephen. Hear them dis...

What do you know about Iran? It is an Islamic Republic with strict religious laws. It is a country which is often in the news because of confrontation with the West. But it is also a place where God is working, and where His church is growing.  Today’s podcast features Release International partner Lazarus Yeghnazar from 222 Ministries. Hear him talk about the surprising growth of the church in Ir...

2020 was a year like no other and one that many of us would probably rather forget. The pandemic continues to be at the forefront of our nation’s news coverage but it is not the only story in 2021. This year Christians across the world will continue to face persecution. From Africa to South East Asia our brothers and sisters in Christ will be violently opposed because of their faith and their stor...

Earlier this year on the podcast we spoke to Release International’s associate ministry worker Petr Jasek. We talked about his experience of spending 445 days in a Sudanese prison and the impact this had on his faith. We also chatted about the launch of his book Imprisoned with Isis which tells his story. Now Release International is excited to be working with a London based theatre company to pro...

Stephen is well known as the first Christian martyr. His story is recorded in the New Testament in Acts chapters 6&7. But why exactly did Stephen die, and what does it mean to be a Christian martyr? On today’s podcast host Sarah is talking to Release workers Kenneth and James. They'll be discussing the story of Stephen in detail and thinking about how it can help us relate to our brothers...

It’s the middle of the night and you’re woken by gunfire. You grab your things and run – you don’t want to be there when they arrive at your door.  That is the experience of so many Christians in north and central Nigeria. Villages are raided, men, women and children are murdered, and thousands are made homeless. They are dying every day and the world seems to know very little about it. On today’s...

On February 13, 2017 Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted off the streets of Malaysia. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since, and his car has never been found. Raymond’s case has drawn international attention from Christians, governments and human rights organisations. At Release International we have been running a petition to the Malaysian Prime Minister and the Inspector General of the Malaysian p...

Iranian Christian Ebrahim Firouzi is currently serving an extended period of internal exile in south-east Iran. This follows his release from prison late last year where he served a 5-year sentence for ‘acting against national security.’ Although this charge was framed in political terms there is no doubt that it came as a direct result of Ebrahim’s decision to follow Jesus and share his faith wit...

In February 2017, after spending 445 days in a Sudanese prison, Christian worker Petr Jasek was eventually released and allowed to return home to the Czech Republic.  He now works for Release International’s associate ministry, Voice and the Martyrs, and since 2017 he has been travelling the world to share his story with the thousands of people who prayed for him. Petr’s new book Imprisoned with I...

Jesus told his followers to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. But how do you reach isolated semi-literate communities whose traditions make them wary and even hostile to the gospel? In Central Asia Release partners Hugh and Barbara are using radio to introduce the local people to Jesus. In many ways that rural world of storytelling and family dynamics has close parallels to...

The world is still reeling from the impact of Covid-19 and everyone is affected in some way, not least persecuted Christians. As well as the regular opposition and marginalisation they face they also now have to cope with the spread of the virus and the restrictions of lockdown – in many cases without the health care provision and economic support we are so privileged to have in this country. Rele...

Eritrea has been described as the North Korea of Africa – a comparison that immediately lets us understand just how difficult things must be for Christians who live there.  On today’s podcast host Sarah is joined by Dr Berhane, the head of Release Eritrea, a Release International project partner for the work in Eritrea. Much of the work he does is extremely sensitive and we won’t be able to discus...

Proverbs 31 verses 8-9 say this, 'Open your mouth for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.' How do you speak up and act on behalf of those who face injustice and persecution? On today’s podcast host Sarah is joined by Matthew and Thor, founders of startup business Hazaq Coffee. They have decided to use their cof...

We recently heard about the execution of Reverend Lawan Andimi, the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria.  On today's Podcast Extra host Sarah is speaks to Release partner Reverend Hasan John  about Andimi’s death and what it tells us about the wider issues at stake in Nigeria. 

Recently Iran has grabbed a lot of media attention. We’ve heard about this from a political perspective and a military perspective. But what about the church? What is it like to be an Iranian Christian?  On today’s podcast host Sarah is talking to Release Council of Reference member Sara Afshari. In her early twenties she became a Christian in Iran and spent time in prison for her faith. She later...

At the start of each year Release International publishes a Persecution Trends article in our Voice magazine. In that article we look at how and where persecution is likely to affect Christians across the world over the following twelve months.  On today’s Podcast host Sarah is joined by Release's Head of Communications Tom Hardie to discuss the article for this year and thinking about what l...