Indonesia Bans Islamic Defenders Front
Christians in a movement of former Muslims and other believers welcomed a decision by Indonesia’s government to ban an Islamist group that attacked churches and other targets.
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China: Owner of audio Bible company faces trial for conducting illegal business operations
The owner of a company that produces audio Bible players in China’s Guangdong province is due to appear in court on December 7 to answer charges of conducting “illegal business operations,” Morning Star News reports. Lai Jinqiang, owner of Shenzhen Cedar Electronics, faces trial after being arrested together with his six employees on July 22 last year.
Chinese Prominent Pastor Forced To Leave US House
Pastor Bob Fu, who fled China and launched the Christian rights group ChinaAid was moved to safety after Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operatives besieged his U.S. home, friends say.
House church pastor summoned to court for home-schooling in China
The pastor of a house church in China’s southern Fujian province was summoned to appear in court earlier this month because he and his wife have chosen to home-school their children, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. According to ICC, the Chinese government is not only continuing its crack-down on churches but is now also impeding parents from home-schooling their children.
Eritrea Releases 69 Christian Prisoners After Years In Jail
Eritrea released at least 69 Christian prisoners this month, including many detained in horrific circumstances for their faith “for up to 16 years without trial,” aid workers told Worthy News.
More Christian Converts Flee Iran As Crackdown Intensifies
Three Iranian Christian converts have fled Iran following the rejection of their appeals, rights activists confirmed. “Kvian Fallah-Mohammadi, Hadi Asgari, and Amin Afshar-Naderi were facing a combined 35 years in prison because of their faith,” said advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC).
Sudan Christians Face Church Torching, Opposition
Several devoted Christians in and around Sudan’s main cities are reportedly prevented from worshiping by authorities and angry mobs despite government pledges to end over three decades of hardline Islamic rule.
Growth of Christianity in Iran: number of believers approaching 1 million
A new survey on the growth of Christianity in Iran suggests there could soon be 1 million Iranian Christians living in the Islamic Republic, CBN News reports. Carried out by the non-profit Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN), the survey questioned 50,000 Iranians, 90% of whom live in the country. The survey showed that 1.5% of respondents identified as Christian.
Prosecuted Pentecostal Pastor and Wife Flee Iran
A prominent Pentecostal pastor and his wife have fled Iran after their appeal against a 15-year combined prison sentence for Christian activities failed, rights activists and family confirmed late Tuesday.
China Detains Christian For “Illegal Evangelism”
Chinese authorities have sentenced a Christian to 10 days of administrative detention for “illegal evangelism,” a well-informed advocacy group told Worthy News on Friday.
China’s Government ‘Bans Believing in God’ Amid Church Crackdown
China’s Communist leadership has ordered devoted Christians not to believe in God, well-informed activists, and local believers say. “Attacks on house churches have intensified across China. Police and government officials raid places of worship and intimidate congregations,” added Shen Xiang, who writes for Bitter Winter, a respected religious rights magazine on China.
Chinese Christians Injured While Protesting Removal of Crosses
Christians in eastern China were recovering of their injuries Thursday after trying to prevent the removal of crosses from churches by Chinese government forces.
Iran Detains, Threatens, Dozens of Christian Converts’
Iran has detained or intimidated dozens of devoted Christians in recent days as part of government efforts to halt the spread of Christianity in the Islamic nation, investigators say.
Iran Christian Convert: ‘15 Christians Detained for Faith’
An Iranian Christian rights activist who was jailed for protesting against Iran’s Islamic government says more than a dozen Christians remain behind bars in the country’s overcrowded prisons.
US Condemns China Over ‘Repression’ of Christians and other Minorities
The United States accused China’s leadership on Wednesday of increasing repression of Christians and other minorities while forcing religious groups to adopt its communist ideology. In remarks obtained by Worthy News, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that “In China, state-sponsored repression against all religions continues to intensify.”
Christian Boy Hacked To Death in India
Suspected Hindu nationalists hacked to death a Christian teenage boy in eastern India amid efforts to eradicate devoted Christians from the area, Worthy News learned Wednesday.
China Government Resumes Crack-Down on Churches
Having relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, in April the Chinese government resumed and intensified its crack-down on churches, the Christian Post reports. At least 48 Three-Self churches and meeting places were reportedly shut down in Yugan County in the province of Jiangxi from April 18 to 30. Over 10 percent of the more than 1 million residents of Yugan County are Protestants attending some 300 official Three-Self churches.
Iran Frees Four Converts From Jail
Four former Muslims who became Christians and part of Iran’s leading house church movements have been freed from an Iranian jail, Christian activists confirmed Thursday. Kathrin Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi, and another Christian, of the ‘Church of Iran,’ were reportedly freed on a reduced bail of 200 million tomans ($11,500) this week, Wednesday.
China Continues Church Crackdown, Destroys Crosses
New footage has emerged of an ongoing crackdown by China’s government against devoted Christians, including the removal of crosses and disbandment of churches.
Chinese house church begins meeting online, members arrested anyway
The online Easter meeting of an unregistered house church in China was disrupted and six of its members arrested, with the government warning the church of severer measures if it continued to meet.