On Feb. 13, 2025, Islamists abducted a Christian mother of five as she worked in her family’s cropland in Bocaranga, in the northwestern region of the Central African Republic. “That day I didn’t go to the garden. I stayed at home,” said her husband, Emil. “While she was in the garden, she was caught by them and kidnapped.” The kidnappers have called Emil and demanded an exorbitant ransom for her return. “I don’t have any solution, so I cry out to the Lord for help in this situation.
Read MoreYeanFin is persevering in faith despite total rejection from her family and community. In 2015, YeanFin became a Christian and led her four children to Christ. Already a widow at that time, she was dependent on her extended family as she raised her children alone. Her relatives and the officials of her Laotian village were at first curious about her decision but then threatened her to return to the worship of their ancestral spirits. They said they would not help her if she persisted in following what they saw as a foreign religion: “You should choose us, not choose God!”
Read MoreFront-line workers in Pakistan report that the level of brutality against Christians in the country has been increasing in recent months. “In my 65 years, I have never seen these kinds of things in Pakistan,” said one worker. On March 24, 2025, a Muslim in the Punjab province attacked a Christian coworker with a paper cutter, slashing his throat. The Christian barely survived and is currently unable to speak. On March 27, 2025, a Christian couple was stopped in the Faisalabad district and robbed at gunpoint by two masked men.
Read MoreOn Saturday, March 8, eight young Christians were baptized. The ceremony took place in a village in the southwestern part of the country where Muslim terrorists from neighboring Mali sometimes attack and kill followers of Christ. “These baptisms are different than most I have attended as they are quite solemn,” said a front-line worker. “Once these individuals are baptized, they are targeted and are likely to be beaten or even killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.”
Read MoreFront-line workers and students in a discipleship training program for North Korean defectors are continually adapting their ministry to encourage the participation of more students in different regions of South Korea. At the beginning of 2025, 42 North Koreans enrolled in a new regionally based program. Pray that, during recruitment trips, the Lord will send new North Korean defectors who have a heart for gospel ministry to be trained in discipleship techniques that have been effective.
Read MoreIranian pastors Nasser Navard Gol-Tapath, age 63, and Joseph Shahbazian, age 61, were rearrested in their homes on Feb. 6, 2025, and taken to Evin Prison. No reason for their arrests was given. Pastor Nasser immediately began a hunger strike in protest but suffered a debilitating stroke on March 17. While he reportedly has received some medical treatment, he remains behind bars. Pastor Nasser had previously served nearly 5 years in the same prison on a 10-year sentence on charges of “action against national security” for leading house churches.
Read MoreFenny’s life was forever changed after a May 2018 church bombing in Surabaya, Indonesia, but she continues to heal spiritually and physically. She shared how, through the recovery process, the Lord gave her purpose and helped her understand her worth in God’s eyes. She has undergone years of medical treatment and is making much progress.
Read MoreEven though Ibrahim came to faith in Christ more than 50 years ago, he has lost none of his zeal for ministry. He has been a passionate evangelist, sharing the gospel among ethnic Somalis and planting more than 20 churches. His ministry work has come at great cost, however, as most Somalis believe that to be Somali is to be Muslim. Therefore, those who faithfully serve Christ or convert from Islam in Somali communities face severe persecution. Still, Ibrahim has been a bold witness for Christ among Somalis despite risks.
Read MoreThe Algerian Christian community has struggled in multiple ways since the government forced numerous churches across the country to close in 2017. While some Algerian followers of Christ have faced governmental pressures, others, especially those who have left Islam to follow Christ, are dealing with opposition from their own families. Malak is an Algerian Christian who is currently facing both pressures.
Read MoreSeveral pastors in the north of Togo have been persecuted by Islamists, who sometimes cross over from neighboring countries to attack Christians. In April 2024, Islamists attacked a village where Pastor Gbendja Félidja was serving, killing five people. He fled at that time, but he returned during the summer. On Feb. 7, 2025, armed militants came to his house and shot and stabbed him to death. He left behind seven married adult children. In the same region of Togo, Pastor Patrice Kokouvi continues to minister despite ongoing threats for sharing the gospel with Muslims.
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