Court upholds death sentence for white supremacist who murdered nine at South Carolina black church

The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the conviction and death sentence of Dylann Roof, a young, self-confessed white supremacist who murdered nine members of a South Carolina black congregation in 2015, Voice of America (VOA) reports. The unanimous three-judge panel rejected arguments that Roof should have been ruled incompetent to stand trial for the killings at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Afghan Christians calling for prayer and advocacy

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.

Somaliland Frees Jailed Christians After Prayers

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.

Evangelist Graham Urges Prayers For Thousands Escaping Afghanistan

American evangelist Franklin Graham has urged believers to pray for the “thousands of people desperately trying to escape from Afghanistan,” including Afghan Christians and up to 15,000 Americans as well as their allies. Graham, son of the late legendary preacher Billy Graham, appealed “after the country’s fall to the Taliban” group, which he called Islamic extremists.

Iran’s Internet Restrictions Threaten Underground Church

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.

Urgent request for prayer for Haiti; specific requests include prayer for strength of the Haitian church

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.

Afghanistan: Persecution of Christians set to intensify under Taliban rule

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.”

Messianic Believers Attacked In Israel

Jews and others believing in Jesus as the Messiah reportedly face attacks in southern Israel by followers of a strict Orthodox sect. Details of the incident in Arad emerged Thursday, with rights investigators blaming the Gur Hasidim group.

China persecution: Believers detained for attending Christian conference in Malaysia

As part of its ongoing and systematic suppression of Christianity in China, the ruling Chinese Communist Party last month arrested five Christians from Shanxi Province last because they had attended a Christian conference in Malaysia last year, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. According to ICC, Beijing is “paranoid” about Chinese Christians being in contact with believers overseas.

Nigeria killing fields for Christians: Fulani Islamic militants attack funeral of youth they murdered day before

As rights groups continue to warn of a genocide against Christians in Nigeria, on July 28 Fulani Islamic Militants in Plateau State attacked the funeral of Celina Ishaku’s son, a youth whom they had murdered the day before and whose father they killed two years ago, International Chrisitan Concern reports. Fulani militants have killed most of the 3,460 Christians who have already been slaughtered in 2021.

Worthy Christian News