Whereas religious persecution today has reached levels never before seen in world history;
Whereas whole Christian populations have been eliminated or greatly reduced in places where Christians have lived since shortly after the time of Christ, or at least for many hundreds of years;
Whereas many Christians have been murdered, injured and detained around the world;
Whereas thousands of church buildings have been seized, burned, or demolished in many countries, both by individuals and governments; and
Whereas many governments are increasingly restricting and persecuting various churches and religious groups, and seeking to hinder their freedom to preach the Word of God;
Whereas we exhort all Bible believers to avoid and warn against any political or religious movements with beliefs and actions contrary to God’s Word and the Gospel; yet strongly oppose any actions of civil governments to discriminate and deny any group operating with the confines of just laws;
Therefore, Be It Resolved that the 22nd World Congress of the International Council of Christian Churches, meeting from July 22-29, 2026, in Nakuru, Kenya, East Africa, calls on the governments of all countries not only to strenuously uphold and promote religious liberty, but also to protect those of all religions from harm, and to restrain and punish all who seek to perpetrate harm against them;
Be it Further resolved that the International Council of Christian Churches calls upon governments to only punish aberrant groups which violate just laws, or inflict harm on their adherents or others, and not to use such occurrences as a reason to make blanket restrictions or intrusions on all religious groups. The Scriptures teach that man is responsible directly to God: “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12); and
Be it Further resolved that the International Council of Christian Churches calls upon Christians everywhere to be model citizens, respecting all laws of their respective nations which are just, and do not violate their duties as Bible believers. May we be shining examples in our display of the “fruit of the Spirit”: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10).