After Gia Chacón realized that God had called her to become part of the coordinated effort to combat Christian persecution, she was compelled to speak up for persecuted Christians.
Chacón then founded her nonprofit group For the Martyrs in December of 2019 and they organized the first-ever march to stand up to the persecuted Church in California, which drew hundreds of people last year.
"So many American Christians have no idea Christian persecution is rampant in other parts of the world," she told the Christian Post. "As I began researching, I realized that not only is Christian persecution growing every single year, ... but also that Christians are the most persecuted religious group. And I never realized this before."
Because they're "often overlooked by communities of faith" and ignored by the media as per Chacon, the nonprofit offers relief in the form of food, clothes, transportation, and Bibles, as well as advocacy for persecuted Christians.
Another march for the persecuted is scheduled this summer in Washington, D.C. Over 340 million Christians are currently persecuted for their faith, according to estimates.
Laying her life down to the Cause of Christ
Chacón was inspired by the strong faith of Egyptian Christians when she traveled to Egypt with her grandmother's organization as a child.
When she returned to Egypt at the age of 20, she saw the faith of those who were willing to die for Christ and decided to devote her life to supporting the persecuted Church.
Chacón has heard the experiences of refugees and the tragedies they endure as a consequence of their reluctance to surrender their faith in Jesus Christ through her journeys to South America, the Middle East, and other parts of the world.
When she reached 24, Chacón was determined to do more and prayed to God for a chance to live a "new creation life."
She gave up her dream job to dedicate herself totally to the cause of persecuted Christians, which is a growing worldwide concern.
"People my age and even younger were willing to lay down their lives for Christ and risk everything for the Gospel, and that impacted me so deeply," she said. "So actually, while in Egypt, I made the decision to give my life totally over to the service of Christ."
The second annual "March for the Martyrs"
On September 25 this year, For the Martyrs will hold its second annual March for the Martyrs in Washington, D.C.
"Here in the United States, we march for so many amazing causes," Chacón said. "We march for life. We march for our rights. We march when we stand up for injustices. But there's never been a large-scale march to stand in solidarity of the persecuted Church around the world."
She went on to say that marching in solidarity with the persecuted church would not only raise awareness, but will also draw people into the cause, enabling them to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the persecuted church.
"It is important that we as the church in America are using our platforms, our freedoms, our voices, to not only know that our brothers and sisters are suffering, but we have an obligation to speak on behalf of them and be our voice," Chacón asserted.
According to Christian Post, "For the Martyrs" was meant to be non-denominational in nature, with the goal of uniting the body of Christ around a single cause.
"When you're persecuted, they don't ask you what denomination you are. They're not going to persecute you more if you're Catholic or you're Protestant or whatever denomination you adhere to," Chacón explained. "When you're persecuted, you're dying because of your belief in Christ, because of your allegiance to the Cross."
Chacón encourages Christians who want to address the persecution crisis to pray for the strength, boldness, and protection of those who are persecuted. She also urges churches to organize prayer groups to promote awareness and start a discourse on the persecution of Christians.
