Bricks and bondage: the hidden reality of Christian slavery in Pakistan

We pulled into the parking lot of a banquet hall, just outside of Lahore, Pakistan. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun hid behind a gray haze of clouds and smog. The Muslim call to prayer rang out from a nearby minaret. A street vendor with skewers of meat rolled his cart by the front gate as cars, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks zoomed by on the busy street outside. I was about to walk into the building where 50 Christian families waited inside, totaling about 250 men, women, and children.

These families all have one thing in common: Christian slavery.

The great banquet hall

It’s fitting that we should meet in a banquet hall, one of the few places large enough for us to come together. Walking into the wedding hall was surreal. There are beautiful colors of purple, gold, and magenta curtains that cover the walls, elegant lights streaming from the ceiling, and round tables with ornate fabric and high-backed chairs. And around each table, for rows and rows, there are families. It’s hard to explain the the contrast of this elaborate wedding hall and the smiling families, all of them in bonded slavery, who sit patiently at the tables. These Christian families represent the lowest income earners in Pakistan. But even for those living within that reality, joy is still present. It wasn’t like walking into a funeral. There were cheers, laughter, kids running around. The hall was full of energy and life.

It reminded me of the parable of the banquet in Luke 14. In it, Jesus tells the story of a man who holds a great dinner banquet and invites all his friends, but they all refuse with petty excuses. So, the man, now frustrated with the shame of rejection, has his servants invite anyone they can find, those living in poverty, the needy, the blind—just to fill the seats. This is a powerful picture of how the Kingdom works. God’s love extends to those who are forgotten, on the margins—those who seemingly have nothing to offer. In this, God shows that those often discarded by the world still have incredible value in the Kingdom.

Society would look at these families and see low caste faces, rejected and needy, but God sees them, like he sees you and me, as sons and daughters.

The truth about Christian slavery in Pakistan

Today, there are 20,000 brick kilns across Pakistan. An estimated 3.5-4 million people working in the kilns as bonded slaves—many of them are Christians.

As the minority, Christians in Pakistan comprise less than 2% of the population. And many believers in this small bracket are steeped in poverty and hold the most undesirable jobs: sewer cleaners, street sweepers, house cleaners, and, of course, brick makers.

Bonded slavery is technically illegal in Pakistan, but the government chooses to ignore it or accept it as a societal norm. Here’s how it works: Brick kiln owners, preying on desperation, extend loans to those in dire need—a perceived lifeline for medical emergencies, wedding expenses, or simply putting food on the table. With no other options, many, including Christians, unaware of the trap, accept these offers. However, the relief is short-lived, as the loans become shackles that bind families to the kilns. Interest rates devour their daily wages, leaving them with a meager payout that condemns them to decades of servitude.

Only an extraordinary act of grace can shatter this vicious cycle. Until then, Christians across the nation find themselves in the unyielding grip of the brick kilns, their lives no longer their own.

Discovering their stories

It took most of the day, but we met with each family to encourage them—letting them know they had not been forgotten by the Body of Christ despite their entrapment in Christian slavery. We discovered the cause of their loans. Stories of medical emergencies, at-risk births, and the desperate need for food during the rainy season echoed through the hall. One common request was shared over and over: “We don’t want our children to spend their lives in the kilns.” Yousuf M., a father of three, said, “Please pray that we would be free from bondage.”

The average debt for each family ranged between $600 and $1,200 US. It’s a seemingly insurmountable sum for these families trapped in the cycle of poverty and servitude. And most of the families had been working in the kilns for at least a decade or more.

Yet, amidst their hardships, their resilience, perseverance, and faith still shined. No one was angry or bitter or entitled. We spent hours with them, shaking hands with over 200 people, taking selfies with teens, playing games of tag with the children, praying together, and serving them food.

Freedom from Christian slavery: A vision for the future

As we met together in the banquet hall, the anticipation in the air was palpable. What if we could help them all find freedom? What if we could release them from bonded slavery in the kilns and provide them with small businesses to support themselves? What if their children could receive an education and never have to make another brick again?

These believers, just like you and me, are trying to provide for their families and follow Jesus. Their challenges may be different, but their faith is the same. The impact of 250 believers, young and old, being released from Christian slavery in Pakistan would be immeasurable. It would bring hope for the future, strengthen their voice and independence within Pakistan, and transform the lives of future generations.

After our time ended, we trickled out of the banquet hall and back to the street. Families jumped on the back of donkey carts or hopped in tuk-tuks. Others loaded in small vans to share rides back to the kilns, with friendly goodbye waves from children.

Today, they have no voice, no freedom, and little hope. But tomorrow could be different. Tomorrow could mean freedom.

Join us and help free these 50 families living in Christian slavery in Pakistan today—and give them hope for tomorrow.