Elbager grew up in a strict Muslim family. But his life changed for the better after a high school friend shared Jesus with him. Over time, Elbager began to see Christ as someone who represented love rather than hate; he desperately wanted this powerful force of love in his own life. One day, he knelt down, prayed and accepted Jesus into his heart.
Later in high school, when it came time to choose his classes, Elbager decided to take Christian education courses, contrary to the Muslims in his class. However, he kept his newfound faith secret from family and friends, declaring that he was solely taking the Christian classes out of curiosity.
As a secret believer, Elbager felt that his Christian faith was constricted. After several years, he gained the courage to publicly declare his faith. He was immediately met with severe hatred, which is a common experience for persecuted Sudanese Christians. In fact, one of his former friends even threatened to behead him if he ever saw him again.
But Elbager was prepared for this intense opposition. He says, “If someone from a Muslim background decides to put their faith in Jesus, the consequences from family and community members are severe. Most of the time, they know that they are risking their lives in doing so.”
Elbager’s family completely cut ties with him and disowned him. “They considered me to be an evil person who converted to another religion by leaving Islam, the religion of our family,” he shares. His father told him, “You are no longer one of us because of your new way of living. Come back to Islam.” Elbager refused to forsake Christ and didn’t hear from his father again for nearly two years.
A group of radical Muslims called Elbager to a meeting. They demanded details about his devotion to Christ. “They asked me to explain the reasons which made me leave Islam for Christianity.” Elbager’s responses shocked and infuriated the Muslims in attendance, especially one of his relatives. That relative would go on to text Elbager, “I will shoot you if I meet you [again], because you have left Islam.”
After he received the warning, Elbager went to a local church and requested that a group of believers pray for his safety and protection from radicals. However, Elbager did not recant his faith in Jesus. On the contrary, he’s never been more outspoken about his beliefs; he has led three others to Christ and is now pastoring an underground house church in Darfur.
Though Elbager has been rejected by his family, he and other persecuted Sudanese Christians can take comfort in Romans 12:5, which says, “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” He is our brother in Christ—a relationship which will last through eternity. Let’s come together and pray for our persecuted brother, Elbager.
Father God, we are proud of our brother. We’re encouraged by the way he’s boldly stood by You in the face of threats against his life. What courage he has!
We ask you to bless Elbager’s ministry. Give him the strength and right words at the right time to continue bringing others to you in Darfur and other regions of Sudan. Continue to strengthen his resolve in the face of daily persecution. And we come before You, asking that You lead his Muslim family members to You. We ask You to work in the hearts of those closest to Elbager, that they will experience You and open their eyes to Your love and compassion. Lord, we can’t wait to see how You continue to work in Elbager’s life. Amen.
*Representative image of a persecuted Sudanese Christian
About the authors
Tim Dustin and Kafeel Amani work for Global Christian Relief as content writers. They passionately share the stories of the persecuted church with the West and others all around the world. They invite you to learn more about Christian persecution on our website and read the latest stories of persecution at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
