In a series of raids on July 17, 2025, Nicaraguan national police took Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas and seven other Christians into custody without warning or warrants. The families of those detained have been unable to locate their loved ones. One family member reported that they were being charged with treason and “undermining national integrity.” Vargas had been forced into exile in 2018 after he and his congregation brought food and medicine and offered prayer to students protesting the authoritarian Marxist regime of President Daniel Ortega.
Read MoreA Christian man now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being tortured for his faith. Jonas left Islam and came to faith in Christ many years ago. When someone discovered his conversion and reported it to authorities, Jonas was immediately arrested, imprisoned and tortured repeatedly. When he was released, Jonas fled from the region as soon as he was able to and now lives in Europe.
Read MorePastor Chang Shun of Maizhong Reformed Church was detained on June 29, 2025, on suspicion of “organizing illegal gatherings.” His wife, Li Yunyan, reported that he has faced ongoing persecution by the authorities since 2021, including detentions and fines. She said local authorities forcibly entered their home to arrest her husband in June and also detained several of their house guests for questioning before expelling them from the city. Since her husband’s arrest, Li Yunyan has been harassed and followed, and her two young children fear for their father.
Read MoreRadical Muslims in the West Bank have threatened to kill a Christian convert from Islam and his family, including his four children. After receiving the death threats, the man and his family fled from Bethlehem to hide in a larger city. They request prayer that Israeli authorities will allow them to stay. Another West Bank convert to Christianity was confronted by his parents and his village imam with an ultimatum: Return to Islam within a month or be imprisoned by local Palestinian officials.
Read MoreFront-line workers report there is a need for more workers in the harvest fields of Tunisa, especially for more women. “We need to have more sisters who are willing to work with women here,” he said. Tunisia is home to many people who have fled violence and insecurity in neighboring Libya.
Read MoreA former Muslim has been arrested and drugged against his will yet continues to share Christ with others. This man, who serves in the military in a Middle Eastern country, became a follower of Christ in 2024. Not long after his conversion, his own parents reported him to authorities, who arrested him. He spent a month in jail, and then the courts ordered that he be committed to a psychiatric hospital, where he is forced to take drugs that cloud his thinking.
Read MoreA Laotian couple has been rejected by their family after placing their faith in Christ. Yeaun and his wife, Vanhdee, became followers of Jesus Christ when their three-year-old daughter was healed after a Christian coworker recommended taking her to a church for prayer. They were afraid to follow his advice, but as they listened to an audio Bible the man had given them, they became convinced they should follow Christ. After they placed their trust in Christ, they attended a nearby church and listened to the Bible every day.
Read MoreForced deportations are placing Afghan Christians in danger. More than 1.4 million Afghans have been deported from Iran back to Afghanistan since the start of 2025, with as many as half a million sent back since the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran. “Some of those being forced back are Christians,” said a front-line worker. “They are Christians who already fled persecution in their home villages and fear what could happen to them when they return.” Many Christians will attempt to hide in Afghanistan’s larger cities, but without family support networks to help them, they urgently need assistance.
Read MoreForced deportations are placing Afghan Christians in danger. More than 1.4 million Afghans have been deported from Iran back to Afghanistan since the start of 2025, with as many as half a million sent back since the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran. “Some of those being forced back are Christians,” said a front-line worker. “They are Christians who already fled persecution in their home villages and fear what could happen to them when they return.” Many Christians will attempt to hide in Afghanistan’s larger cities, but without family support networks to help them, they urgently need assistance.
Read MoreOn July 30, 2025, Pastor Pu Jinshun, Elder Zhu Zhengwu and several co-workers from the Lingshan Church in Chuxiong, Yunnan, were arrested by local police and taken to a detention center. The specific charges have not been made public. In recent years, the church has been unable to use its purchased office building as a meeting place due to governmental pressure.
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