Open Doors

Open Doors is a non-denominational Christian mission and advocacy organization focused on supporting Christians who face persecution, discrimination, displacement, imprisonment, or violence because of their faith. The organization works through local partners and affiliated national entities rather than operating solely as a conventional consumer-facing brand. Its activities include distributing Bibles and other Christian literature, providing pastoral and discipleship training, supporting churches and Bible colleges, offering emergency relief and legal or emotional assistance, and helping vulnerable families develop livelihoods through equipment and vocational training. The organization began in 1955 when Dutchman Andrew van der Bijl, later widely known as Brother Andrew, travelled to Communist Poland to deliver Bibles to Christians who had limited access to religious materials. The work expanded across Eastern Europe and the Soviet-controlled countries during the Cold War. In 1957, van der Bijl received a Volkswagen Beetle that enabled him to transport larger quantities of literature across communist borders. Open Doors subsequently developed a broader international network for clandestine Bible distribution, church strengthening, and reporting on the conditions faced by persecuted Christian communities. One of the organization's best-known operations was Project Pearl, conducted on 18 June 1981. An international team led by Brother David transported approximately one million Chinese Bibles to a beach near Shantou using a semi-submersible barge and a tugboat. Chinese Christians gathered the materials and distributed them through networks inside the country. The operation became a defining example of Open Doors' Cold War-era literature work and was described by contemporary media as an exceptionally large Bible-delivery mission. Open Doors later used the political opening associated with glasnost to support a more public distribution effort in the Soviet Union. In 1988, it worked with the United Bible Societies to provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church. The project reportedly cost $2.5 million and was completed in a little over a year, illustrating the organization's transition from primarily clandestine work toward partnerships with established churches and humanitarian networks. In addition to direct aid and church support, Open Doors conducts research and public advocacy. Its annual World Watch List ranks countries according to the severity of pressure and violence experienced by Christians. The methodology considers conditions affecting private, family, community, church, and national life, together with violence. Open Doors describes the list as based on field research, external expertise, academic work, and publicly available evidence, while acknowledging that country rankings involve analytical judgment. Methodological revisions in 2012 and 2013 were intended to improve transparency, consistency, and research quality. The organization has also promoted religious liberty through campaigns such as the Right to Believe petition, which gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures internationally and was presented at the United Nations in New York in December 2010. By 2015, Open Doors and its affiliates reported delivering millions of Bibles and other publications and providing relief or aid to hundreds of thousands of people. Its programs include the Standing Strong Through the Storm seminar, literacy initiatives, assistance for prisoners of conscience and their families, support for displaced people and refugees, and resources for widows, orphans, pastors, and churches. Open Doors remains active internationally. Its founder, Brother Andrew, died at his home in Harderwijk, Netherlands, on 27 September 2022, aged 94. The organization continues to combine religious-literature distribution, practical assistance, persecution research, advocacy, and support for local Christian communities.

Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutch Christian later known internationally as Brother Andrew. His initial mission was to bring Bibles to Christians in Communist Poland, where access to religious literature was restricted. The effort soon expanded across Eastern Europe and other Soviet-controlled territories. A Volkswagen Beetle given to him in 1957 increased the amount of literature he could transport and became associated with the organization's early cross-border distribution work. During the Cold War, Open Doors developed networks for delivering Bibles and Christian materials, encouraging Christian communities, and helping churches operate under political and religious pressure. The organization became known for combining discreet logistics with pastoral and practical support. Its work was not limited to literature: it also supported church leaders, training, equipment, and communities affected by imprisonment, displacement, poverty, or discrimination. The most prominent early operation was Project Pearl on 18 June 1981. An international crew led by Brother David used a semi-submersible barge, towed by a tugboat, to bring approximately one million waterproof-packaged Chinese Bibles to a beach near Shantou. Around 10,000 Chinese Christians reportedly helped move the materials inland for distribution. The operation demonstrated the scale of Open Doors' clandestine logistics and became a central episode in accounts of the organization's history. As political conditions changed in the Soviet Union, Open Doors also pursued more public forms of cooperation. In 1988, during the glasnost period, it partnered with the United Bible Societies to provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church. This project was completed in slightly more than a year and reflected a broader move toward cooperation with national churches and international Bible agencies. Open Doors expanded its program model to include pastoral and discipleship training, Bible-based literacy courses, seminars on family and Christian life, legal assistance, and emotional and spiritual support for prisoners and their families. It also supplied equipment such as printing presses, radios, audio and visual equipment, photocopiers, and transport resources. Livelihood initiatives supported widows, families of prisoners of conscience, displaced people, and unemployed Christians through vocational training and income-generating equipment. The organization additionally sponsored Bible colleges, reconciliation initiatives, and restoration centers for refugees, widows, and orphans. Research and advocacy became increasingly important parts of the organization's identity. Open Doors publishes the annual World Watch List, which assesses the pressure and violence experienced by Christians in different countries. Its framework examines church, national, community, family, and private life, together with violence, and groups countries into categories including extreme, very high, and high persecution. The methodology underwent substantial revision in 2012, followed by further refinement in 2013, with the stated aim of strengthening credibility, transparency, and comparability. Open Doors has also used public campaigns to address religious liberty. Its Right to Believe petition gathered 428,856 signatures from more than 70 countries and opposed efforts at the United Nations associated with the defamation of religions debate. The petition was presented at the United Nations in New York in December 2010. By 2015, Open Doors and its affiliates reported distributing three million Bibles and other publications and providing relief or aid to 239,164 people. A published account of the U.S. organization's 2018 spending stated that approximately 72 percent of its budget went to programs serving the persecuted church, with the remainder allocated to fundraising and administration. These figures relate to the U.S. organization rather than necessarily representing the finances of the entire international network. Open Doors was reported as active in about 70 countries by 2022. Brother Andrew died in Harderwijk, Netherlands, on 27 September 2022, aged 94. The organization continues to operate as an international Christian mission, research, and advocacy network supporting local partners and Christians affected by persecution.

• 2022

  Founder Brother Andrew dies

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew van der Bijl dies in Harderwijk, Netherlands, at the age of 94.

• 2010

  Right to Believe petition reaches the United Nations

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  Open Doors presents an international religious-liberty petition at the United Nations in New York.

• 1988

  Russian Bible distribution during glasnost

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  Open Doors and the United Bible Societies provide one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church.

• 1981

  Project Pearl delivers Chinese Bibles

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  Open Doors coordinates the delivery of approximately one million Chinese Bibles to a beach near Shantou for distribution by local Christians.

• 1957

  A Volkswagen Beetle expands delivery capacity

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  A donated Volkswagen Beetle enables Brother Andrew to transport more Christian literature during missions behind the Iron Curtain.

• 1955

  Open Doors is founded

  [1]Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew van der Bijl begins delivering Bibles to Christians in Communist Poland, establishing the work that becomes Open Doors.

A global Christian mission and advocacy organization that combines practical support for persecuted Christians with Bible distribution, church development, research, and public religious-liberty advocacy.

• Research report

  World Watch List

  An annual ranking and analytical report assessing the severity of persecution and discrimination experienced by Christians in different countries. Its framework considers pressure on private, family, community, church, and national life, as well as violence. Open Doors uses field researchers, external experts, academic material, and public research, with methodological revisions introduced in 2012 and 2013.

• Religious literature · 1955

  Bible and Christian-literature distribution

  Open Doors supplies Bibles and other Christian materials to communities where religious literature is restricted, unavailable, or difficult to obtain. Distribution may be conducted through local churches and partners and is accompanied in some settings by discipleship, literacy, or pastoral programs.

• Training program

  Standing Strong Through the Storm

  A seminar program designed to help churches and Christians understand and respond to persecution. The training addresses Christian life, family life, resilience, and ways of sustaining church communities under pressure.

• Humanitarian and church support

  Practical support and emergency relief

  A broad program area covering emergency aid, legal assistance, spiritual and emotional care, livelihood equipment, vocational training, and support for pastors, churches, refugees, widows, orphans, displaced people, and families of prisoners of conscience.

• 2005Right to Believe

  International

  Open Doors organized a global petition campaign supporting religious liberty and opposing the United Nations resolution debate concerning the defamation of religions.

  Outcome. The petition reportedly received 428,856 signatures from more than 70 countries and was presented to the United Nations in New York in December 2010.

  Source

• 2012

  Revise the World Watch List methodologyStrategy

  Background

  Open Doors sought to strengthen the credibility and analytical quality of its annual country rankings on Christian persecution.

  Action taken

  The organization comprehensively revised the methodology used to assess persecution and later refined it further in 2013.

  Aftermath

  The World Watch List continued as a central research and advocacy product, using a framework covering multiple dimensions of religious pressure and violence.

  Source

• 1988

  Move toward open cooperation in the Soviet UnionStrategy

  Background

  The political opening associated with glasnost created an opportunity to conduct Bible distribution more openly than during the earlier Cold War period.

  Action taken

  Open Doors partnered with the United Bible Societies to deliver one million Russian Bibles to the Russian Orthodox Church.

  Aftermath

  The project was completed in slightly more than a year and illustrated the organization's expanded use of institutional church partnerships.

  Reported project cost. $2.5 million (1988 project)

  Source

1. 1Open Doorsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Open Doors official websiteopendoors.org