On Friday, April 23 at 6 p.m., the office of university ministries (OUM) and David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church and author, will be hosting Secret Church, an event for students to learn more about believers around the world that have to gather in secret.
After ministering to hidden churches in Asia, Platt was inspired to bring that same commitment to Christ to the states by beginning the Secret Church event.
Platt has hosted Secret Church annually since 2006. With it’s six-hour runtime, Secret Church brings to light the many persecuted churches that are forced to hold secret church services due to the laws against Christian practice in various countries.
Felipe Firmino, a senior ministry missions major, and Callie Teague, a senior public relations major, are both co-organizers for the streaming event on campus.
“We are going to be talking about churches in Asia and how they have been persecuted for their faith,” said Firmino. “It’s not just to know more about our brothers and sisters in Asia but also what steps we can take to help them.”
Because of the success and intense topics discussed, Secret Church has seen tens of thousands of participants worldwide each year. Platt aims to ask difficult questions about current affairs. He also seeks to challenge people toward an international focus with meaningful prayer.
“It won’t be a chill or relaxing event,” said Teague. “The main point of this event is to lead us into a place of prayer for those who are persecuted.”
Teague explained that this year the title of Platt’s sermon is “The Great Imbalance.”
The event will supply books to go along with Platt’s sermon, so those who participate can review the material any time after the event.
Food will be supplied by the OUM at 5:30 p.m., and admission is $5 per person.
The sign-up sheet can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaqDWRMCJWGi1bT9ZG4pF2suOF-7scFafMHqIrEetrRclGFw/viewform.
For more information on Secret Church, contact Julie Bradfield, director of mobilization in the OUM, at jbradfield@uu.edu or visit https://secretchurch.radical.net/.
