Papua Churches Urge UN To Help End Attacks
The West Papua Council of Churches urges the United Nations to help end a “humanitarian tragedy” in Indonesia’s Papua region where it says Indonesia’s military kills Christian leaders.
Protestant
St. Vincent: “Only Those Vaccinated Allowed To Flee Rumbling Vulcano’
The prime minister of Saint Vincent island has warned residents fleeing a rumbling volcano that only those vaccinated against the coronavirus can be brought to safety.
Northern Ireland leaders call for calm after night of rioting
Rioters set a hijacked bus on fire and hurled gasoline bombs at police in Belfast in at least the fourth night of serious violence in a week in Northern Ireland, where Brexit has unsettled an uneasy political balance.
40 Percent of White Evangelical Protestants Say They Will Likely Not Get Vaccinated: Poll
Evangelicals across the U.S. are growing more divided over the use of COVID-19 vaccines.
China reported to brainwash Christians held in “transformation” centers
Reports emerged last week that China is working to brainwash its Christian citizens by imprisoning them in mobile “transformation facilities,” Fox News reported. The reports came through Radio Free Asia, which has published accounts of abuse told by a man given the name Li Yuese to protect his identity.
Increased Christian persecution in Ethiopia
While Christians in Ethiopia were already subject to persecution, they have seen intensified attacks against them amid the extreme violence of the current conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), International Christian Concern reports.
Vaccine skepticism runs deep among white evangelicals in US
In a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 40% of white evangelical Protestants said they likely won’t get vaccinated, compared with 25% of all Americans, 28% of white mainline Protestants and 27% of nonwhite Protestants.
German Pastor Facing Deportation From Turkey
A German pastor who faces expulsion from Turkey urged prayers Tuesday as he awaits the outcome of a trial that could effectively ban him from the country, supporters said.
‘Islamists Massacre 137 Villagers In Niger’
At least 137 people have been killed in the deadliest suspected Islamist attack to hit Niger, authorities said Monday.
Christian persecution in China: home Bible study raided, at least a dozen people detained
Authorities from the civil affairs bureau and police force in China’s Guizhou province raided a Protestant home Bible study Tuesday morning, reportedly detaining at least 12 people for questioning, Radio Free Asia reports. The Bible study was being attended by members of the Ren’ai Reformed Church, whose pastor Zhang Chulei was one of the first church leaders to sign the declaration of Christian faith initiated by jailed pastor Wang Yi.
Algeria Jails Pastor and Assistant For Evangelism
Algerian Christians have urged prayers for a pastor and his assistant who were jailed and fined for evangelizing in Algeria, an Islamic nation, Worthy News learned.
Eritrea releases Christian prisoners but is accused of attacking churches
Eritrea has released a further 21 Christian prisoners, but Eritrean forces are accused of attacking churches in neighboring Ethiopia, Christian Today reported Tuesday. Despite these accusations, rights advocates believe the Eritrean release of Christian prisoners may constitute an effort to seek favor with Ethiopia’s Protestant prime minister: Eritrea has freed a total of 171 Christian prisoners since August last year.
Former French President Sarkozy Jailed For Corruption
A Paris court has sentenced former French Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison, two of them suspended, for corruption and influence peddling.
Poll: 63% of white evangelicals believe Biden election was “not legitimate”
A post-election poll reveals that nearly two-thirds of white Evangelicals do not believe US President Joe Biden was elected legitimately, the Christian Post reports. The survey was conducted in January by the public policy research organization American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
France: Proposed law against Islamic extremism may backfire on Christians
Evangelicals in France are concerned a proposed law designed to end Muslim separatism and curtail Islamic extremism could end up infringing on Christians’ right to freedom of worship as well, Christianity Today reports.
Number of Protestants in historically Catholic Mexico now exceeds 10% of population
A new census shows that the number of Protestants in Mexico now exceeds 10 percent of the predominantly Catholic population, Christianity Today reports. Mexico has historically been dominated by the Catholic Church and ranks as one of the most strongly Catholic countries in Latin America.
German Police Raid Church Service Amid Europe Crackdown
German police stormed a church service as pressure mounts on Europe’s devoted Christians to stop gathering or accept government rules amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ethiopia Rebels “Retake” Town Despite Government Victory Claims
Rebel forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region say they have retaken a town and shot down a military plane in a setback for the national government.
‘Church Elder Homeless As China Harasses Independent Church’
Chinese security forces harass Christians of an independent church in western China because they still worship after their building was destroyed, and the pastor jailed, friends say.
China continues crackdown on churches and Christianity
The Chinese government is reportedly shutting down churches and repurposing their buildings into entertainment halls, factories, or “cultural centers,” the Christian Post reports. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) has been removing the words “Christ” and “Jesus” from a number of publications and various social media platforms.