Weekly Blog - 13 August 2026 - Democracy in Retreat?
Democracy is under pressure in many countries around the world. In this context we consider the role the church has to play to champion democracy and human rights in every nation.
Democracy in retreat?
Global democracy is in a state of crisis, experiencing a sustained "third wave of autocratization" that has left 74% of the world's population (6 billion people) living in autocracies. Autocracies now outnumber democracies (92 vs 87), with only 7% of the population living in completely free liberal democracies. Democratic backsliding is broad, with freedom of expression severely hit.
This is a worrying recent reversal in a trend that had been getting better and better for decades.
In this era, more than ever, the world needs the church's prophetic calling as the Voice of Conscience.
For example, in Tanzania, post-election protests that happened in October 2025 were primarily caused by a disputed general election characterised by allegations of widespread rigging, the disqualification of major opposition candidates, and the suppression of democratic rights. A government commission published a report stating that 518 people were killed during the protests. Amnesty International says that Tanzania's security forces used unlawful, lethal force to suppress the protest, which led to 518 people losing their lives. In Sudan (2023–Present): Conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in an estimated 150,000 deaths and 12 million displaced.
These are just two examples of massacres and mass killings linked to the absence of democratic accountability, where authoritarian regimes use violence to maintain power, suppress dissent, or target specific groups. Research indicates that genocide and mass killings rarely happen in established democracies.
The importance of democracy
The crucial importance of proper, transparent, human rights respecting democracy cannot be overstated. A major report from Arise, the Arise Manifesto, looks in detail at what standards for democracy, human rights and good governance countries should have. As Christians, we read in the Bible how God wants all governments, everywhere, to rule well, with justice, fairness, impartiality and integrity (Arise Manifesto, pg 79 – 85). As Jeremiah the prophet said, “Hear the word of the LORD to you, king of Judah, you who sits on David’s throne – you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place” (Jer 2: 2 – 3). In our modern world, democracy has been one of the most effective ways of making sure this Biblical principle is put into practice. Democracies have a much better track record of governing well and effectively with justice, and good standards of human rights, civil liberties and basic freedoms than autocratic states do (Arise Manifesto, pg 102 – 108).
Reform Movements
Where dramatic improvements in democracy, good governance and human rights have occurred, they have overwhelmingly been driven by mass peaceful domestic reform movements. This is another key conclusion from the Arise Manifesto report. We see this in the lessons from the Bible (Arise Manifesto, pg 86 – 88), where prophets like Isaiah challenged the rulers of their day, “stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isa 1: 16 – 17). We also see it when we look at the lessons from history (Arise Manifesto, pg 108 – 119). In recent decades peaceful reform movements have had dramatic success in Serbia, Madagascar, Georgia, Ukraine, Lebanon, Nepal, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, East Germany, Slovenia, Mali, Bolivia, the Philippines, Zambia, South Korea, Chile, Argentina, Haiti, Brazil, Uruguay, Malawi, Thailand, Bulgaria, Hungary, Nigeria, and many other countries. Of course such movements require great courage and perseverance from those involved. They are not guaranteed to succeed every time. But overwhelmingly the power of ordinary people peacefully refusing to submit is remarkable, and has continually proved the most successful way to improve democracy, human rights and good governance in nations around the world.
Christians at the heart of Reform Movements
Throughout history, Christians and churches have played a hugely important central role in such reform movements (Arise Manifesto, pg 283 – 303). They have worked well alongside journalists, academics, activists, students, trade unions and others in the movement. Supporting such bottom-up Reform Movements (and the Christians that are so often at the heart of them) is one of three key focus campaigns for Arise.
Arise views the Church as a critical, moral, and stabilising force in democracy, serving as the "conscience of the nation".
We are calling on the church to act as the conscience of every nation by serving as a moral guide and critic of the state, advocating for human rights and justice, and upholding ethical standards rather than acting as a tool of government. The churches are to embody "prophetic zeal," challenging systems that create suffering and promoting the integral liberation of society. The church should promote democracy by acting as moral watchdogs against corruption, fostering civic education, and encouraging religious leaders to mediate conflicts and promote peaceful, ethical governance.
We are in a challenging season for democracy, but the church has enormous potential to renew and restore that pressure for true democracy, freedom, good governance and human rights in every nation. Now is the time for the church to Arise and live out that mandate.
Find out more
Arise Manifesto – Find out more about the crucial role ChristianS have to play in every nation strengthening democracy and human rights in the Arise Manifesto, Arise’s big picture, researched, Biblical, holistic and practical vision for a better world.
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