On 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.
Read MoreA Christian family’s registration book is being withheld because of their faith. Vat was born and registered in a village in northern Laos, but as a young man he left for the southern part of the country to work at a coffee farm. While there, he married and also heard the gospel, and he and his family came to faith in Jesus Christ. In Jan. 2024, he returned to his home village. However, after learning that Vat and his family were Christians, the head of the village refused to renew their registration book – a document with vital records such as ID, travel and work permits, marriage and birth records, educational records, and residence permits.
Read MoreTwo sisters were imprisoned by their family for their faith and now seek safety in another country. Noor and Rana grew up in a Muslim home but did not like the way they and other women were treated. They searched the internet for information on different faiths and eventually met some Christians online. Through the Christians’ friendship and witness, the two sisters became followers of Christ. But when their family discovered their new faith, they locked the sisters inside and physically abused them for 13 months.
Read MoreYasmina, a former Muslim, faces pressure from her family after placing her faith in Christ. When Yasmina and her husband first became followers of Christ, they stopped praying in the Islamic manner. Their Muslim family pressured the young couple to recant, even taking legal measures to try to annul their marriage. After several days of severe pressure, Yasmina’s husband yielded and reverted to Islam, but Yasmina remained firm.
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