A Polish-born Canadian pastor who faces a four-year prison term in Canada for leading church services despite coronavirus restrictions says the “tyranny” of formerly communist Poland has reached the West.
Afghan Christians are calling for prayer and international advocacy as they are now targets for intense, violent persecution by the new Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, International Christian Concern (ICC) reported Monday. The most recent call for prayer came through Mission Network News.
A mob of Sikhs and Hindus armed with swords and wooden rods attacked a church meeting in India’s Punjab state last month, breaking the leg of a pastor’s wife and slashing the head of a teenaged congregant, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. India ranks 10 on the Open Doors USA World Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
A group of Christians in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland have been released from detention after charges related to alleged crimes against the state religion of Islam were dismissed following prayers, Christians said Monday.
According to reports by CBN News, a rare gold coin, minted in 638 or 639 AD by Byzantine emperor Heraclius, was found along with many other artifacts in an archaeological dig site in the Ramat Ha-Sharon region, near Tel Aviv, Israel. On one side of the coin is the image of the emperor and on the other side is an image of Golgotha with the three crosses spoken of in the Bible. The coin also contains an inscription in Greek and possibly in Arabic, which is most likely the name of the owner, as it would have been a highly valuable possession. This coin furthers the understanding of the influence of Messianic faith in that day.
A new study by Probe Ministries has shown that over 60% of born-again US Christians aged 18 to 39 believe that, in addition to Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad offer paths to salvation as well, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
The leader of the underground church in Afghanistan has given a first-hand ground report, explaining that believers are in grave danger and that the Taliban have a “hit-list” of Christians they are searching for to murder, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Known as “Pastor X” for security reasons, the church leader gave his report to the Global Catalytic Ministries non-profit organization.
Pope Francis has offered condolences to victims’ families after two Catholic nuns were shot and killed along a highway in South Sudan.
Christians in Iran meeting mostly in secret house groups to avoid detection by police face new challenges as the Islamic government seeks more internet restrictions, according to sources familiar with the situation.
In addition to being continually attacked by Islamic terrorists, Christians in Nigeria are persecuted by the government as well: a pastor’s son was shot to death in Borno state last week by government officials sent to demolish a church building, Christian Today reports.
Sudanese government officials have detained a shipment of Bibles by demanding customs fees from which it is exempt, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. The officials’ actions are cause for concern in light of the new government’s pledge to allow religious freedom in Sudan following the ouster of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Haitian Christians have issued an urgent call for prayer after another deadly earthquake violently shook their already-embattled island nation at the weekend, killing nearly 2,000 people and injuring and displacing thousands more, Christianity Today reports. Saturday’s 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck as Haitians were still processing the assassination of their president Jovenel Moïse last month, an act of violence that illustrates the long-term death-grip that violence, poverty, and corruption have had on Haiti.
Islamist Taliban militants ruling Afghanistan have begun executing Christians who refuse to renounce their faith, a well-informed Christian broadcaster said Tuesday.
Rights groups, including Release International, are warning that the persecution of Christians in Afghanistan will likely intensify now the Taliban have taken power and the US and NATO have withdrawn, Christian Today (CT) reports. The Afghan church had been driven underground by Islamic apostasy laws even before the Taliban takeover, but the situation is now reported to be “dire.”
The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan and local Christian pastors facing the threat of intensified bloody persecution are standing in faith while calling on the worldwide Body of Christ for prayer. “God has a purpose and a plan,” an Afghan pastor told International Christian Concern (ICC).
As the death toll of Haiti’s devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake rose to more than 1,400, Christians were among those mourning victims.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has sent a team of chaplains to the English city of Plymouth to offer prayer and counseling to residents devastated by Thursday’s mass shooting there, Christian Today (CT) reports.
Continuing its policy of “Sinicizing” the church and country, China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP) arrested four house church school teachers in Wuhu, Anhui Province earlier this month, and charged them with conducting “illegal business operations,” International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. China now ranks 17 on the US Open Doors 2021 Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
As the death toll of western Haiti’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake rose to 1,300, churches struggled to provide hope and relief to a wounded nation.
A massive earthquake shook Haiti on Saturday, killing hundreds of people.