How the Persecuted Church is Celebrating Christmas in Nigeria

Every year at Christmas time, Christians remember not only the birth of Christ, but the persecution He experienced at the hands of King Herod.

In Matthew 2:13, an angel appears to Joseph, telling him to “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escaped, fulfilling prophecies found in the books of Hosea and Jeremiah. Tragically, many young boys in Bethlehem died by the order of the king. The Lord kept Jesus safe until Herod’s death, when He sent an angel to Joseph once again, telling him to return to Israel.

Two thousand years later, persecution still follows believers in Jesus – just as He told us it would in John 15:20: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

Christian Persecution in Nigeria

This is all too true for many Christians in Nigeria, which is one of the most dangerous places in the world to follow Jesus. Violence is on the rise. Nigeria is ranked #1 on the Global Christian Relief (GCR) 2025 Red List for both killings and abductions and assaults. Thousands of believers are killed in Nigeria each year and more are displaced from their homes.

The terrorist organization known as Boko Haram is one of the biggest threats to Christians in Nigeria. We shared the stories of Suzanne and Tabitha, two Nigerian Christian women who endured persecution from Boko Haram. Tabitha boldly escaped capture from the terrorists, while Suzanna was shot in the head – blinded, but miraculously, alive.

Learn more about how you can stand with persecuted Christians in Nigeria.

Boko Haram is known for imprisoning, torturing, and executing Christians. These terrorists bomb and attack churches, abduct women and young girls, and target anyone they believe to be participating in “unIslamic” activity. Because of them, more than 50,000 Christians are dead and millions are now displaced.

Your Impact on Children in IDP Camps

Earlier this year, GCR reported on a visit to an Internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp in Nigeria – a place for Christians fleeing violence and persecution:

The stories I heard carried weight I couldn't set down. Women who had been abducted. Children who watched their villages burn. Families separated in the chaos of escape. Northern Nigeria can be one of the hardest places to follow Jesus. Institutional discrimination compounds the danger, and attacks on churches and Christian communities have become tragically common. 

But in those same camps: laughter in schoolyards, youth serving as clinic assistants, widows running small businesses to feed their families. The Church keeps showing up.

As Jesus said in John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Even in places that could feel hopeless, hope still lives.

Thanks to you, children and families in IDP camps celebrated the hope and joy that accompany our remembrance of the birth of our Savior.

Your support provided Christmas presents for 3,000 children across 11 IDP camps. Not only that, but families celebrated together with cultural dances, singing contests, and times for sharing personal testimonies.

Thank you for sharing the joy of the season with your persecuted Christian family in Nigeria. As we remember the persecution of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, we also remember Mary’s words in Luke 1:50: “His [God’s] mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.”