Open Doors

Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutchman more widely known as Brother Andrew, when he decided to smuggle Bibles to persecuted Christians in Communist Poland.[2] He continued this work in smuggling Bibles to many of the Soviet-controlled countries and in 1957 was given a blue Volkswagen Beetle which he used to make deliveries within the Communist bloc.[3] With this new car he was able to carry more literature. Thereafter, the work of Open Doors continued to expand as it extended its network throughout Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The name "Open Doors" referencing that of a welcoming group due to the doors being open at all times. He was responsible for smuggling millions of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.[4]

On 18 June 1981, Open Doors delivered one million contraband Chinese Bibles in one night to a beach near the city of Shantou in southern China on a mission they named Project Pearl. Project Pearl was carried out by an international crew of 20, led by Brother David. A semi-submersible, 137-foot barge, named Gabriella, was loaded with 232 waterproof, poly-wrapped, one-ton packages containing a million Chinese Bibles.[5] A 97-foot tugboat named Michael was used to tow Gabriella to the beach, weaving through a maze of anchored Chinese navy ships. The crew arrived at the beach at 9 pm. 10,000 Chinese Christians had gathered to bring the Bibles to shore and then deliver them all over China.[6] Time magazine described Project Pearl as "A remarkable mission… the largest operation of its kind in the history of China."[7]

In 1988, Open Doors used Glasnost[8] as an opportunity to openly provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church, at a cost of $2.5 million.[9] Open Doors partnered with the United Bible Societies to complete the task in just over one year.[10]

In 2005, 428,856 people from over 70 different countries signed Open Doors' global Right to Believe petition, saying Yes to religious liberty and No to the UN's Defamation of Religions Resolution.[11] The petition was presented to the UN in New York in December 2010.[12]

In 2015, Open Doors (including its affiliates) delivered 3 million Bibles and literature, and delivered relief and aid to 239,164 people.[13] In 2018, the USA organization spent $19,291,134 on programs to the persecuted church with $4.7 M spent on fundraising and $2.8 on administration.[14]

In 2022, it would have programs in 70 countries.[15][4]

On September 27, 2022, Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors, died at age 94 at his home in Harderwijk, Netherlands.[16][17]

Open Doors and its affiliates conduct programs in many countries:[18]

• Delivering Bibles and other Christian literature[8]
• Providing pastoral and discipleship training
• Conducting seminars on Christian living, family life. "Standing Strong Through the Storm" is the seminar they use to teach churches on how to survive under persecution.[19]
• Running Bible-based literacy courses
• Supplying equipment and vocational training to help widows, families of prisoners of conscience, the displaced, and the unemployed to earn a living[20]
• Providing legal aid and spiritual and emotional comfort to prisoners and their families
• Financing and supplying equipment to pastors, churches, and Bible colleges
• Supplying printing presses, radios, cassette players, photocopiers, and A/V and transport equipment
• Sponsoring Bible colleges, reconciliation ministries and restoration centres for Christian refugees, widows and orphans
• Acting as a "watchdog group" and reporting on the killing of Christians in various countries [21]

• Anti-Christian sentiment
• International Christian Concern
• Religious intolerance
• Religious persecution

• Official website