Front-line workers in Iran report an increase in the number of Christians being arrested, partly due to regional tensions and conflicts. “Persecution against Iranian Christians is rising,” a front-line worker said. “Every Christmas and Easter, officials usually arrest some Christians, but this year the number went way up, and we’re concerned about what might occur around Easter.” The worker mentioned that in the past, Iranian officials would occasionally arrest church leaders and later release them with a strong suggestion that the Christians leave the country.
Read MoreAnisha and Ashish, who married early in 2023, went to a local church in search of healing from demonic spirits that harassed Ashish. Church members prayed for them, and Ashish was healed. The newlyweds began to read the Bible they had received at the church and soon wanted to place their trust in Jesus Christ. When Ashish’s parents found the Bible, they insisted that the young couple renounce Christ and stop going to church. Ashish agreed, but Anisha did not.
Read MoreThe State Commission of Religious Affairs (SCRA) in Kyrgyzstan has proposed new religion laws. The laws currently in effect in this Central Asian country already require registration of churches and limit how churches can form, but the proposed laws are even more stringent. The laws require registration and regular re-registration as well as intrusive reporting procedures. They also set the minimum size for an organization restrictively high and require “founding members” to provide signatures and identifying information, opening individual Christians up to surveillance and harassment.
Read MoreOn June 12, 2023, Ibrahim Saidou was traveling to buy farm supplies when he decided to visit the church where he served as an elder. Ibrahim lived in an area of Burkina Faso where Islamic terrorist groups associated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) actively work to establish purely Muslim territory ruled by Islamic law. These groups regularly attack churches and Christian leaders. On his way to the church, Ibrahim was attacked and murdered by a group of Islamic militants.
Read MorePastor Gangireddy died July 14, 2023, from burns he suffered during an attack on July 8. The church continues to face pressure from Hindu radicals, who have planted signs in front of the church with slogans like “Born a Hindu, Die a Hindu.” This attack was the third against the church, which Pastor Gangireddy planted 20 years ago. Amid much opposition, Pastor Gangireddy stayed in the village and faithfully shared the gospel until his death.
Read MoreOudong and his wife, Lae, placed their trust in Christ in May 2023, becoming the first Christians in their village. Two weeks after their conversion, the village head came to their home and told them to stop worshiping Jesus Christ because Buddhism and animism were the only religions permitted in the village. The couple, along with their four children, began to travel two hours each way to gather in worship and fellowship with believers in another city, but this did not satisfy the authorities.
Read MoreIn spring of 2023, two young men from a Christian family were convicted under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws of blaspheming the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Conviction under these laws brings a mandatory death sentence. These laws are applied disproportionately against the small Christian minority in Pakistan. While these men appeal their cases, they remain on death row. Their families struggle to pay legal fees and provide for the young men’s needs in prison.
Read MoreAisosa’s father is a traditional tribal sorcerer in Benin. When he started performing ceremonies for a certain local god, his family members began to die. Eventually, all of Aisosa’s siblings and her mother died. Then Aisosa became sick, and her father wanted her to sacrifice a chicken to his god, but Aisosa did not want to worship her father’s god any longer. A Christian woman in her village reached out to the 23-year-old and invited her to church.
Read MoreFor years, front-line workers have been broadcasting the gospel message into North Korea using shortwave radio. Their broadcasts include Bible readings, sermons by early Korean Christians, hymns and common North Korean songs that have been rewritten with Christian lyrics. Official and unofficial surveys, as well as an increase in jamming efforts by the North Korean government, continue to show that these broadcasts are effectively reaching listeners in North Korea. A North Korean defector reported that he enjoyed listening to the rewritten songs, and he mentioned one that he especially enjoyed, originally titled “Our Party Is the Best” but changed to “Our God Is the Best.”
Read MoreArmed terrorists, often connected to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), have ravaged parts of Niger, particularly in the west near its borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. Much of the country’s small Christian population has been displaced in the violence: “Many have seen their parents or family members shot and killed,” a front-line worker said. Additionally, after Niger’s president was overthrown by military officers in a July 2023 coup, the Islamic Council of Niger has been pushing to change the country from a secular democracy into an Islamic republic governed by sharia law.
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