How Hosea Clothing is raising money for the persecuted church

Hosea Clothing is part of the Oneineight.collective – a group of artists, designers and other creatives using their gifts and skills to raise money for persecuted Christians. Chris from Hosea Clothing spoke to us about the heart behind the brand, and why they’re donating 10 per cent of their profits to Open Doors

Could you tell us about Hosea Clothing?

In a world where Christians are becoming increasingly scrutinised for following Christ, we wanted to create clothing that empowered the believer in their faith through fashion. The world possesses many mainstream views that are not often aligned with that of the scriptures, so we think it is of utmost importance to stand firm in your beliefs and we believe one way is to be bold in your faith through fashion!

In addition to this, we believe that our clothing can act as a point of contact for the believer to speak about their faith to others. Brands are everywhere nowadays. From the stoves we use, to the shoes we wear on our feet and the brands we rep, we showcase what we believe and who we are. Brands are great conversation starters. We'd hope that our customers would run into questions like this..."I love your hoodie. Where'd you get it from?" Then our customers can start talking about us and, most importantly, their faith! Hopefully, Hosea Clothing can help people to share the gospel to their families, friends and co-workers. 

How did you first hear about the persecuted church?

Firstly, from Scripture. There are plenty of warnings in the New Testament that Christians will be persecuted. And then I first found out about the persecuted church in the modern day after reading an Open Doors blog post on the topic. I was so taken aback by the findings that I looked into the topic myself, and wrote my own blog post for Hosea.

How are Hosea Clothing supporting persecuted Christians?

Hosea Clothing is pledging to give 10 per cent of the profit made on each product to Open Doors. We are also planning to raise awareness of the persecuted church through our various marketing channels.

We have had a tithing ministry since our creation in 2017, and we wanted to support an organisation with values that are closely aligned to our own. With Open Doors doing such great work assisting the persecuted church, we couldn't think of a more notable cause to support.  

How has the persecuted church inspired you?

From the testimonies I’ve heard from the persecuted church, I was inspired by their sheer love for Christ no matter the level of persecution. These Christians are often in countries dominated by other religions, and I was unaware that Christianity even existed in these regions. Despite the high levels of persecution that they face, including death, Christians in these countries prioritise their relationship with God above their own comfort and wellbeing. Where it may be easier to conform and deny Christ, these believers are the living embodiment of Paul's teachings, putting Christ before everything else and saying: ‘to live in Christ and to die is gain’ (Philippians 1:21).

Why do you think it’s important for us in the UK and Ireland to connect with persecuted Christians?

I’ve experienced scrutiny as a Christian in the West, but this is often verbal more than anything else. Questions like: "Do you really believe in that?" However, as Christians in the UK and Ireland, we're not restricted from going to church, nor are we physically abused for practising our faith. I think we often take these privileges for granted. 

Unlike our persecuted counterparts, we have the freedom to express our faith in any place we go. Despite this, we often forgo the opportunity in place of more attractive alternatives. For example, we may use tiredness, work or social gatherings as a reason to miss our communion with God. We are given countless opportunities to freely connect with God on a daily basis but we may choose not to take them. In stark contrast, persecuted Christians may only possess limited chances to meet with God but are likely to take every opportunity to do exactly that. We are all part of the same body in Christ, and I’ve felt challenged that we should use our resources to help our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.