With modern slavery in the UK escalating, evangelical churches are being challenged to dedicate Sunday 25 September to prayer and taking action to help trafficking victims.
‘Freedom Sunday’, coordinated by the International Justice Mission (IJM), has been chosen as a day dedicated in the UK and abroad for corporate prayer for individuals trafficked into modern slavery – and to take action to end it.
The figures are startling: in the year to March 2021, 8,730 modern slavery offences were recorded by police in England and Wales – a 5% increase on the previous year. In the three months from April to June this year, 4,171 potential victims were referred to the Home Office.
Kath Johnson, IJM’s church and community mobilisation lead, said: ‘We’ve seen the devastating impact of slavery on individuals, families and communities. However, we’ve also seen the incredible change that can happen when people work together to take a stand against slavery.’
Though IJM partners with authorities and law enforcers globally, Johnson said church support is ‘vital’. She added: ‘We have church partners all over the world, including many in the UK, who are praying and giving in support of our work – as well as getting involved with advocacy and awareness-raising to spread the word about ending slavery.’
Slavery is illegal nearly everywhere in the world, yet around 40 million people are still trapped in exploitation. Methods of modern-day slavery range from victims working in factories or brothels, to the online sexual exploitation of children.
Take Joy in the Philippines, who IJM helped to save: Joy was sexually exploited at just ten years old. Her mother was a struggling single parent and Joy lived with whichever relative would take her in. One day, Joy accepted a trusted neighbour’s invitation into her home, who then asked to take intimate photos of Joy. Afraid and confused, she felt she had no choice but to agree.
Joy’s neighbour went on to record and sell the sexual abuse of the child online at the demand of child sex offenders in other countries for at least seven years. When Joy’s plight came to IJM’s attention, the organisation worked with local authorities to save her and 15 others. Johnson said Joy is now an advocate for other children experiencing online sexual exploitation.
