In comments monitored by BosNewsLife Wednesday, September 26, Dutchman Anne van der Bijl, better known as ‘Brother Andrew’, also condemned South Korea’s decision to stop missionaries from going to Afghanistan.
The government in Seoul announced the measure after 23 South Korean church volunteers were kidnapped by the militant Taliban group in Afghanistan. Two hostages died, while the others were released after weeks of negotiations.
Brother Andrew told The Associated Press (AP) news agency that "If God calls you — if the church sends you — you go…" However he cautioned that "a little more wisdom would be helpful," referring to the recent hostage situation.
PREACHING IN IRAN
Despite concerns about growing pressure on Christians in Islamic countries such as Afghanistan, Brother Andrew said he preached the love of Jesus Christ to militant groups such as the Taliban and Hamas, as well as to Muslim clerics in Iran.
He added that he was recently invited to appear on national television in Iran, and has visited Pakistan and Afghanistan, where a Taliban leader allegedly told him he’s welcome back at any time.
The 79-year-old missionary said he personally baptized "scores of Muslim radicals" converting to Christianity, and urged other Christians to do the same. "The doors are open, their hearts are open, but are we open,?" he wondered. Brother Andrew did not provide more details on the baptism services, apparently because of security concerns.
WAR ON TERROR
He said winning Muslims to Christ is the key to winning the war on terror, a theme he also explained in his latest book ‘Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ’.
He said the Muslim ‘holy’ month of Ramadan is a good time for Christians to show Muslims "the love" of Jesus and stressed that Christians should be bold in evangelism to Muslims. He also cautioned however that traditionally Christian nations shouldn’t "appease" Muslim militants.
The comments from Brother Andrew seemed to underscore his passion for spreading the Gospel. As a Christian missionary he became famous for his exploits smuggling Bibles to Communist countries during the height of the Cold War. He later founded Open Doors, an organization supporting Christians facing persecution.
His activities also earned him the nickname "God’s Smuggler." His book with the same title has so far sold an estimated 10 million copies around the world. (With BosNewsLife reporting from the Netherlands).
