(Church in Chains) — Christian rights activist Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi has been badly beaten and strip searched and is being detained in the notorious Qarchak women’s prison. A former Muslim, she has chosen to be known as Mary since her conversion. Mary, 21, was arrested on Jan. 12 near Azadi Square in Tehran during protests […]
(Barnabas Fund) — The bodies of two kidnapped Christians, seminary student Nnadi Michael and Bola Ataga, wife of a local doctor, were found dumped at the same location in Kaduna State, Nigeria, on Jan. 31. Nnadi Michael (18), was abducted from a seminary residence in Kakua on Jan. 8, along with Piusm Kanwai (19), Stephen […]
(Evangelical Focus) — At least 24 people were killed, including a church pastor, by unidentified gunmen who attacked a church in northern Burkina Faso, local officials said on Monday. The attack took place on Sunday during a worship service at a Protestant church in the village of Pansi in Yagha, a province near the border […]
Kenya (Mission Network News) — Kenya is largely Christian, but many believers don’t have access to Bibles. And even if they do, not all of them can read. Approximately 22 percent of Kenyans are illiterate. That makes solar-powered audio Bibles invaluable since people can listen to God’s Word in their heart language. Kenya Hope sends […]
Hong Kong/Macau (International Christian Concern) – In the midst of fighting the Coronavirus epidemic, China has announced that it will put Xia Baolong, previously known for removing thousands of crosses from churches in Zhejiang province, in charge of the cabinet-level office that oversees Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Xia, 67, the vice chairman of the […]
(Bitter Winter) — The persecution of house churches that belong to the so-called “gray market” — the largest segment of Chinese religion — has intensified dramatically since the new Regulations on Religious Affairs came into force in February 2018. Crackdowns on them have been implemented throughout the country, and Ninghai county in Zhejiang Province’s prefecture-level […]
(International Christian Concern) – On Tuesday, Feb. 11, five Christians from India’s Uttar Pradesh state were taken into police custody after being falsely accused of engaging in forced religious conversions. According to local Christians, police eventually released all five, but only after three were kept in police custody overnight. The incident took place in Udaypatty […]
(The Christian Institute) — A 13-year-old girl has launched a legal challenge against Oxfordshire County Council over its controversial guidance for schools concerning transgender pupils. The “Trans Inclusion Toolkit for Schools 2019” was implemented by Oxfordshire County Council last year. It says boys who claim to be girls should be allowed to share female toilets, […]
LANXI, Zhejiang (ChinaAid) — On Dec. 1, 2019, hundreds of government and public security personnel were dispatched to close a house church in Lanxi and disperse the 30 Christians who were gathering. During the incident, 11 church members were seriously injured and the church assets confiscated. On the morning of the incident, Lanxi officials sent […]
HYDERABAD, India (Morning Star News) – Attacks and harassment of a house church in southern India have decimated the 40-member congregation and left the pastor injured and demoralized. Pastor Eswara Rao Appalabattula on Jan. 27 pleaded with about a dozen local residents to stop building a wall meant to block people from attending worship services at his […]