LTP News Sharing:
President Trump recently called out Nigerian leaders for failing to adequately respond to the persecution of Christians within their country.
Ambassadors with the Project 21 black leadership network are praising the president for taking this stand.
Charisma Peoples
Charisma Peoples, Project 21 Ambassador:
For decades, the blood of Nigerian Christians has watered the soil of Africa while the world looked away and political elites made excuses. Over 62,000 Christians slaughtered since 2000—mothers, fathers, children burned alive in churches, pastors beheaded, entire villages wiped out—and the so-called international community offered nothing but empty prayers and toothless resolutions.
President Trump has finally declared that enough is enough: Religious persecution will no longer be tolerated, and Islamic terrorists who murder Christians will face the full might of American military power if Nigeria refuses to act.
This isn’t about politics—this is about the Gospel itself, which commands us to remember those in chains as if chained with them. The Church in America has been too comfortable, too silent, too willing to trade righteousness for political expediency, but no more. We stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters, and we call on every Bible-believing Christian in America to demand that our government use every tool at its disposal—sanctions, military force and unwavering diplomatic pressure—to end this modern-day crucifixion of the faithful.
The martyrs’ blood cries out from the ground, and Heaven is watching how we respond.
Tino Smith
Dr. Tino Smith, Project 21 Ambassador:
From the vantage point of God’s Kingdom, the persecution of Christians is not simply a political or cultural problem; it is a spiritual battle that demands both mercy and action.
In Nigeria and beyond, when believers are threatened, intimidated or killed because of their faith, the very principles of religious freedom, dignity and the sanctity of human life are under direct assault.
We call on Christian communities worldwide and responsible governments to press for credible investigations, humanitarian aid, safe havens and firm accountability for those who target people of faith. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ advocating for the oppressed, investing in their healing and demonstrating that protecting the persecuted is not optional but a Kingdom mandate.
Michael Austin
Michael Austin, Project 21 Ambassador:
I thank President Trump for shining a light on what too many Americans haven’t seen: the systematic slaughter of Christians in Nigeria. Over 125,000 believers have been killed since 2009, thousands of churches burned and millions uprooted.
It’s shameful for any government to look the other way while its citizens are butchered for their faith. Nigerian leaders must be held accountable, and U.S. public and private aid should be paused until fundamental protections are in place.
As a Christian and an economist, I know that actual foreign policy balances justice with prudence. We cannot fund oppression and murder.
Linda Lee Tarver
Dr. Linda Lee Tarver, Project 21 Ambassador:
President Trump, an unashamed Christian leader of the United States, convened world leaders to demand a stop to Christian genocide and eradicate Christian bias. Nigeria’s Islamic leaders oversee 80% of the world’s Christian persecution. As a result, Nigeria has been designated a “country of particular concern,” or CPC for short. The CPC designation occurs when a government is engaged in or tolerates especially severe violations of religious freedom. This designation is a foreign policy tool that can lead to diplomatic pressure, targeted sanctions and other punitive measures.
President Trump also said on Truth Social that the United States “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.” He also stated he was instructing the Department of War to prepare for possible action, and that an attack would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
Radical Islamic terrorists overtaking the Nigeria government are no better than Hamas in Gaza. The genocide must be stopped. I am comforted by the Scripture, “God remembers those who suffer; he does not forget their cry, and he punishes those who wrong them” (Psalm 9:12 GNT), and I am confident in the Scripture, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15 KJV).
Horace Cooper
Horace Cooper, Project 21 Chairman:
I commend the White House for calling out the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Christians in the country — both natives and those who are missionaries — work diligently to provide support and services for the local communities while making sure they themselves are living, breathing examples of the gospel.
These atrocities must stop, and if necessary the leaders of Nigeria must be held accountable.
David Robinson
David Robinson, Project 21 Ambassador:
I appreciate President Trump drawing attention to the persecution of Nigerian Christians. This isn’t a fringe issue, it’s a serious religious liberty crisis.
Acknowledging the violence is the first step toward stronger U.S. advocacy and real pressure on governments that refuse to protect Christian communities. For me, this is about defending human rights and standing with fellow believers.
Priscilla Rahn
Priscilla Rahn, Project 21 Ambassador:
The ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world is a humanitarian and moral crisis that cannot be ignored. We must all pray. Entire communities are being displaced, churches are being destroyed and innocent people are losing their lives simply for practicing their faith.
The U.S. should make religious-freedom protection a core diplomatic priority in talks with Nigeria. The U.S. and its allies should elevate this issue and help establish mechanisms that deter further attacks.
David L. Lowery, Jr.
David Lowery, Jr., Project 21 Ambassador:
When I look at the persecution of Christians, the history of this hatred goes all the way back to Jesus Christ. Christians should have the right to practice their religion not only in Nigeria but across the world.
I applaud President Trump for designating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). But when I look at how Christians are being persecuted here in the United States, my thought is: “When will the Christians in America be considered a CPC, and when will the president take the appropriate actions to stop the people who are persecuting Christians in this country?”
Brandon Brice
Brandon Brice, Project 21 Ambassador:
The nation should be grateful for President Trump taking a public stance against the horrors of religious persecution happening in Nigeria. Today, more Christians are massacred daily in Nigeria than anywhere else on the planet, including the Middle East, simply because of their Christian faith. In fact, 4,476 Nigerians were killed worldwide just last year, and this genocide has unfortunately spread from its inception in northern Nigeria to the Nigerian borders, where there are many more Christians.
Religious freedom should always be of concern to us all. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, an “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The genocide in Nigeria should be a wake-up call to every self-identified Christian, that if it can start in Nigeria, it can potentially spread throughout the Western world. Hence, we must protect the virtue of religious tolerance and freedom of practicing one’s faith.
Terris Todd
Terris Todd, Project 21’s Director of Coalitions and Outreach:
The persecution of Christians has been a historical, global and spiritual battle for many years. I am thankful for a president who has taken on this battle to serve notice that world governments who continue this immoral and inhumane practice will be dealt with accordingly to bring it to an end.
Unfortunately, Christians in America are also beginning to see a glimpse of these political and spiritual ideologies, and must stand against it here as well. Religious freedom built us, and it’s the same freedom that will keep us.
I am reminded of Psalm 34:19, which says: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Nicole Bennett
Nicole Bennett, Project 21 Ambassador:
In Nigeria, a deliberate anti-Christian genocide rages on. In 2025 alone, thousands of believers have been butchered by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and radical Fulani jihadists—churches torched, villages erased, entire communities wiped out. This is one of the deadliest religious persecutions in history.
The Trump Administration will end it. Nigeria has been re-designated a Country of Particular Concern. The Nigerian government now faces a clear choice: stop the slaughter of Christians, or suffer crushing sanctions and consequences. The United States Department of War stands ready to act decisively if required.
To every Christian in Nigeria: The time for passive prayer alone is over. Rise up! Put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6). Arm yourselves for righteous self-defense as Christ Himself commanded (Luke 22:36). Protect the innocent, resist evil and stand firm. This is the biblical mandate that built America into the greatest defender of faith and freedom the world has ever known. The hour to fight for Christ’s Church is now.
Author: The National Center
