Indonesia: Church allowed to reopen after local Muslims shut it down

In a remarkable piece of good news for persecuted Indonesian Christians, a church in Bandar Lampung has been allowed to reopen after local Muslim village authorities and residents interrupted a worship service and forced it to close down last month, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. The Kemah Daud Christian Church had been in the middle of a Sunday service on February 19 when the disruption and subsequent closure occurred.

India: Pastor and his wife arrested/imprisoned under Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion laws

A pastor and his wife in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have been criminally charged and imprisoned under harsh local anti-conversion laws for allegedly luring Hindus into becoming Christians, Scroll reports. Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

India Police Stop Church Burning

Police in central India have detained three suspected Hindu militants to end the burning of several church buildings in the region, Christians said Thursday.

Afghan Christian families seeking refuge in hostile Pakistan

The International Christian Concern (ICC) aid organization has found 60 Christian families that escaped Afghanistan to seek refuge in next-door Pakistan, even though Pakistan has a notoriously bad record on its treatment of Christians. Indeed, ICC found at least three of these families have returned to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after suffering the dreadful conditions for refugees in Pakistan.

Nepal Releases Jailed Pastor On Bail

A pastor who served a one-year jail sentence in Nepal on charges linked to evangelizing has been released on bail, Worthy News established Monday.

Hindus Attack Catholic Church In India; Several Injured

A tense calm has returned to the Narayanpur district of India’s landlocked state of Chhattisgarh where more than 1,000 villagers, including suspected Hindu extremists, attacked a Catholic church injuring several people, Worthy News learned.

Pakistan: National Assembly votes to make controversial blasphemy laws even harsher

Bypassing public debate on the matter, Pakistan’s National Assembly on January 17 voted to make the country’s highly controversial blasphemy laws even harsher than they already are, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Pakistan ranks seven on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Indonesia: Christians prohibited from holding Christmas services

Authorities in Indonesia prohibited a building-less congregation from holding their 2022 Christmas services in a local shop as Christians continue to face uphill struggles in obtaining permits for church buildings, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Worthy Christian News