I remember when I first heard about Secret Church. I remember making a joke that it did not seem very secret if I just heard about it. Then, I learned what it was. And, then, more importantly, I saw how it changed lives.
This week, I reached out to my friend David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., and the founder of Radical, and asked him to share his heart and his passion for Secret Church. He shared more than I expected—and I really wanted you to hear about it. So I’m publishing it here.
RELATED: David Platt Announces Secret Church 2024 Will Focus on Persecuted Church in North Korea
I’m particularly moved by Radical’s continual connection to the persecuted church. The first country named on almost every list of nations that persecute is North Korea. I’ll be in Korea in September, and I’ve been learning more about such persecution. I’m thankful that Radical will be reminding so many of the plight of those believers.
At one time Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, was known as the Jerusalem of the East (see “The Forgotten American Missionaries of Pyongyang” in Atlas Obscura) and was filled with missionaries. Today, it is in the most repressive nation in the world.
My prayer is that many will be encouraged to join Secret Church 24 online and that the believers in North Korea—who do hear about these things—will be encouraged.
David Platt: It’s a ‘Privilege To Pray’
Here are David’s comments:
Many years ago, I first spent time teaching God’s Word and learning more about what it means to truly follow Jesus among underground Asian house churches where believers were forced to gather in secret and at the risk of their lives due to hostility from the government, their surrounding community, and even their own families.
In the days following, Secret Church was born: a unique, one-night event where we devote approximately six hours to intense study of God’s Word and passionate prayer for the persecuted church on the front lines of hard to reach places in the world.
