(International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 22, local authorities descended on Xingguang Church in China’s Xiamen city in Fujian province for further demolition of Christian homes in conjunction to the house church. A month after local authorities brought in more than 100 officers from four different agencies to demolish Xingguang […]
(The Christian Institute) — The General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRO) has withdrawn a threat to churches in the province after The Christian Institute intervened. The GRO had written to places of worship, threatening to ban them from performing all weddings if they did not indicate by Aug. 17 whether or not they would […]
China (International Christian Concern) – China’s ubiquitous security has always tracked citizens for a variety of purposes. Tracking Christian citizens has enabled authorities to raid house churches and arrest pastors. According to the Department of Justice, Li Xiaoyu, 34, and Dong Jiazhi, 31, two accused state-sponsored cyperspies, hacked into the personal data of dissidents, clergy, […]
India (International Christian Concern) – Six Christian families have received an ultimatum from the Latehar District Police of Jharkhand state to either renounce their Christian faith or prepare to leave the village. The police have given the Christians a single month to respond to this demand. The police issued the ultimatum after the six Christian […]
(International Christian Concern) – The first six months of 2020 proved to be another challenging time for Christians in Pakistan. Despite lofty claims made by the PTI-led government, the country’s Christian community continued to suffer discrimination, intolerance, and instances of outright persecution. International Christian Concern (ICC) documented at least 80 incidents of persecution against Pakistan’s […]
(Article18) — The family of an Iranian-Armenian house church leader who remains in detention more than three weeks after his arrest has been told they must deposit 3 billion tomans (around $150,000) for his bail. This is twice the previous highest amount demanded to secure the release of a Christian prisoner of conscience. Joseph Shahbazian, […]
WASHINGTON — The president of a persecution watch group based in Washington, D.C. recently recalled the answer he received when visiting China years ago and speaking with a number of pastors who had been previously imprisoned: “Persecution is a gift.” Jeff King of International Christian Concern explained that it is ease and wealth that degrade […]
ANDHRA PRADESH (International Christian Concern) – On July 5, an unidentified man, believed to be a Hindu nationalist, filed a false police report against a pastor in Andhra Pradesh alleging forcible conversion activities. The accusation was made against Pastor Chinna Rao, head pastor of Christ Church, where 50 to 60 people worship regularly in a […]
Russia (Mission Network News) — In 2017, Russia made the decision to downgrade domestic violence from a criminal offense to a misdemeanor for first-time offenders. This ruling sparked a backlash in Russia, and many women are still vocally trying to find justice in the country today. But Eric Mock of Slavic Gospel Association says the […]
JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Monday killed 11 Christians in an attack in Kaduna state, Nigeria, the latest of more than 50 members of Baptist, ECWA and other churches slain since June 12, sources said. More than 50 armed herdsmen invaded Gora Gan village, in the north-central state’s Zangon Kataf County, on […]