Students from all across Union University’s campus gathered together on Thursday, Sept. 6, to learn about and pray for the persecuted church around the world at Underground, an event hosted by University Ministries.
Atalie McGillivray, a sophomore nursing major, said that University Ministries hosted this event as a way to bring the Union community together and to raise awareness about the secret church in some of the most greatly persecuted countries in the world.
“We wanted to provide a way for people to hear about the places where our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted for their faith,” McGillivray said. “[It was] a time for people on our campus to come together to pray for the believers, churches and unbelievers in these places.”
As students entered the room, they were able to sense the somber atmosphere that the GO Leadership Team had created for this time. There were 13 tables set up around the room with a single lamp placed on or beside each table. Each table was covered with a black table cloth and draped with the flag of the country being discussed at that table.
Groups of students had time to visit a few tables and hear about the church in the country represented. At each stop, groups were given time to pray for the country and the church that they had just learned about.
“The table about Laos especially hit me,” said Sydney Zemke, a freshman biology major. “I never thought about people being ashamed of their faith and being rejected by their families because of what they believe.”
Zemke was only one of many students who walked away from this event with a humility that came from remembering the blessings she has as a believer in the United States today.
After this time of learning and prayer, students gathered in the center of the room to begin to worship. By worshipping acoustically and singing songs that are sung in every language, students gained a glimpse into the atmosphere of secret churches around the globe.
“I think that people really took this event very seriously,” McGillivray said. “It was so amazing to see everyone united in prayer for God’s global church and worshipping together in praise of our awesome God.”
The unique environment at Union University was evident during this event. In the midst of busy schedules and many assignments, students set aside time to join with fellow believers to commit themselves to the powerful act of prayer for persecuted churches throughout the world.
“We hope that this opened people’s eyes to ways that they can become involved in God’s global purpose, whether it be praying, supporting missionaries or going on a GO trip themselves,” said McGillivray.
