Dutch evangelical Anne van der Bijl, better known as 'Brother Andrew," has passed away at the age of 94.
Brother Andrew was given a Bible, which he read as he was recovering from wounds he received serving in the Dutch army. He accepted Christ in 1950 and committed his life to ministry. A few years later, he felt God told him to bring the Bible to the suffering church in communist-controlled eastern European countries behind the "Iron Curtain."
Over the years, Brother Andrew smuggled Bibles into Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, East Germany, Bulgaria and the Soviet Union itself. In 1967, Brother Andrew became famous with the publication of "God's Smuggler," working with evangelical journalists, John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The book sold more than 10 million copies and was translated into 35 languages.
The ministry he founded, Open Doors, is still active today, speaking in defense of Christians in countries where they are persecuted.
Let's use his passing to inspire us to raise our voices louder in defense of persecuted Christians around the world. And let it be a reminder of how precious our religious liberty is in America and why we must defend it.