“My life before I was rescued? I like to fight.”

Those are the words of a young survivor of human trafficking who found himself growing up in an abusive environment. For most of his eleven years, he experienced ongoing pain and trauma. Conflict, harsh language, and online trafficking left their marks, and acting out was a natural form of managing the stress he lived through at home.

“Why does religion seem to play a role in violence and discord in some [conflicts] while in others a role in building peace?” 

Dr. Johnston McMaster, a professor at the Irish School of Ecumenics in Belfast, Northern Ireland, presented this question to a small group of Nazarene pastors and Nazarene Compassionate Ministry leaders from around the globe. He was sharing about the role that religion can play in areas of conflict—both for good and for bad. 

Thank you for your participation in Freedom Sunday! Hundreds of churches around the world united in shining a light on the darkness of human trafficking this past Sunday. Our prayer is that Freedom Sunday would serve as the beginning of ongoing conversations about how we can continue to be a part of God’s movement of hope and freedom for those who are enslaved through human trafficking.

We encourage you to continue to…