How One Man’s Secret Bible Mission Became a Global Lifeline
A Dutch man’s dangerous journey in 1955 – as told in God’s Smuggler – sparked seven decades of comprehensive support for the world’s most persecuted Christians
- Global ministry celebrates 70 years: In 1955, Brother Andrew began a work that this year celebrates its 70th anniversary, as the organization Open Doors.
- The hidden scale of the need: 380 million Christians face persecution worldwide—1 in 7 believers.
- What Open Doors does today: Open Doors strengthens persecuted Christians worldwide through comprehensive support programs including Bible distribution, discipleship training, pastoral development, and presence ministry in the most restricted and dangerous places.
ORANGE, Calif., July 29, 2025 — In the summer of 1955, a young Dutch missionary named Andrew van der Bijl loaded a suitcase with Bibles and drove toward the Iron Curtain. What he found behind those borders changed everything: Christians who thought the world had forgotten them.
That first journey of “God’s Smuggler” launched what would become Open Doors—and revealed a truth that still drives the ministry as it celebrates its 70th anniversary. Persecuted Christians need more than just Bibles. They need everything.
When governments or fringe groups restrict religious freedom, they don’t just ban Bibles—they block Christians from jobs, education, and community life. Open Doors’ response has grown to match. What began with Bible smuggling has evolved into a sophisticated global network addressing every aspect of persecution, providing everything from medical care and trauma healing to discipleship training, legal advocacy to economic development.
Beyond Smuggling: Meeting Every Need
Image: Vladimir Zuhovitsky
Brother Andrew, as he became known, began with Scripture. But as his ministry grew across Europe and beyond, other needs emerged that were just as critical. Isolated church leaders needed training. Families driven from their homes needed food and shelter. Children faced with discrimination needed educational support. Believers under surveillance needed safe spaces to gather.
Brother Andrew and his growing network of friends didn’t have anything like the skills and resources for this scale of a challenge. So they started praying, and sought to keep being faithful to the next thing.
This past year alone, the organization they began has achieved things that are a true “loaves and fishes” story when one thinks back to Andrew’s little suitcase full of Bibles. In 2024, Open Doors reached 9.5 million persecuted Christians in 70+ countries. The statistics tell a remarkable story of expansion: 5.7 million people received biblical training and discipleship. 2.5 million received Bibles and Christian literature. More than 535,000 received socio-economic support. Another 542,000 received advocacy support.
“Brother Andrew’s mission has undoubtedly changed the world,” said Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown. “One man, through Christ alone, made an irreversible impact wherever he went. That’s how Open Doors started—and it’s how it continues today.”
When Faith Costs Everything
The need has never been greater. Today, 380 million Christians—1 in 7 believers worldwide—face persecution for their faith. In some countries, owning a Bible can mean execution or life in a concentration camp. Yet believers still risk everything to read Bibles buried under trees, awakening in the dead of night to gather in secret.
And when people have this kind of courage, Open Doors is there to make sure they aren’t alone — with an approach mirroring the comprehensive nature of persecution itself.
The Legacy Continues
In the biblical verse that launched Brother Andrew’s mission—“Strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Revelation 3:2)—persecuted Christians found hope. In Open Doors’ comprehensive response, they find practical support that helps them not just survive, but thrive as witnesses in their communities.
As Open Doors marks its 70th anniversary, the mission that began with one man’s courage continues through thousands of supporters who understand a simple truth: when someone comes alongside you in your darkest moments, everything changes.
Today, that “someone” continues coming for 380 million persecuted Christians worldwide.
About Open Doors
Open Doors works in the world’s most oppressive regions, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to share the gospel in their communities. Since Brother Andrew started the work in 1955, the ministry has mobilized prayer, support and advocacy for Christians living in places where faith in Jesus can be costly. Now working in more than 70 countries around the world, Open Doors is committed to standing with persecuted Christians through Bible distribution, training and socio-economic aid. Learn more at opendoorsus.org.
Category: Church History, Summer 2025
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