Two Christians are struggling with health problems as they wait for their court cases to be resolved. Soon after Murad became a follower of Christ, he was active in telling others the Good News and eventually became a pastor. The Algerian government took notice of his Christian activities, arresting him and charging him with numerous violations of religious laws. If he is convicted, Murad could face several years in prison. He has appealed his case to the Algerian Supreme Court, but the stress of his legal ordeal has created some serious health complications. A member of his congregation was also arrested, and his ongoing court case has also created health problems for him.
Read MoreSeveral Syrian churches have received threatening letters from anonymous Islamist groups that urge Muslims to attack Christians in a religious war. One note said, “Muslims, do not stop destroying the homes of Christians, slaughtering their children … Rush to jihad today, not tomorrow.” Another note said, “Let us make them taste torment and turn their homes into graves.” A third included the line, “Burn the bodies of the slaves of the cross.” In response to the threats, the new Syrian government has sent armed guards to protect the churches.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, May 20, 2025, armed Islamic terrorists attacked a church outside of Fada N’Gourma in eastern Burkina Faso, killing two members. As church members were inside holding a prayer meeting, the terrorists entered the building and killed two men, allowing women and children to flee. The attackers entered the pastor’s nearby home and ransacked it, then burned four motorcycles, several motorbikes and two carts vital for local transportation. One of the murdered men was a church elder named Amadou Thiombiano, who is survived by his wife and three children. The second person killed was 18-year-old Jeremi Thiombian.
Read MoreA Christian widow has been unable to support herself and her children as Islamists regularly destroy her crops. Islamist groups regularly attack villages in central and northern parts of the country, and attacks against Christian communities are especially violent, leaving behind many widows. Victoria Luka, a mother of five, lost her husband to an attack on Sept. 17, 2018, near Jos. Their village was destroyed and their house burnt to ash.
Read MoreA house church in central Mexico experienced an unusual attack. As members met for their Sunday service in a first-floor apartment, a neighbor on the third floor, who practices an occult religion and has been vocally opposed to the church gatherings, tried to flood the church’s apartment by running water from her balcony through an empty second-floor apartment and into their meeting space. Finding a new apartment to rent is very difficult, as in this area biblical Christians face great opposition.
Read MoreOn April 25, 2025, Christians from a minority tribal group in Laos were prevented from constructing a new church building. The 85 members of the church had started building the church’s foundation when the police arrived, told them to stop and drove away the assembled workers with threats of arrest and imprisonment. The pastor and one elder were arrested and deprived of food and water for the day.
Read MoreSome 240 Christians have been displaced as Islamist militants have flooded into northern Togo from neighboring Burkina Faso. The terrorists, as they are locally called, have burned homes, clothing and Bibles and have stolen farm animals, causing many Christians to flee. The displaced believers are from near the towns of Sokode and Tchamba and are now living with other Christians.
Read MoreA pastor and his wife remain firm in their faith despite persecution and family troubles. Because the government of Bhutan holds strict policies regarding non-Buddhist religions, Pastor Tshewang lost his government job and retirement benefits when he was arrested and refused to recant his faith in Christ. Since then, with the help of the global body of Christ, Tshewang and his wife, Umzey, have built a business that provides them with opportunities to share the gospel in their community. They have continued to disciple and baptize new believers, including five recent converts.
Read MoreNandi Tangkat, a 26-year-old mother of four, was widowed after her husband was killed by Islamic militants on May 16, 2023, near Jos, Nigeria. Nandi, pregnant at the time, was away when the militants attacked, but her husband, slowed by an injury that he had previously sustained to his legs, was unable to escape. Nandi’s pastor and many other Christians were also killed in the attack. She has been trying to work at tin mining sites, but work is rarely available and pays very little, so she is learning to sew.
Read MoreOn Sunday evening, June 22, 2025, a suicide bomber entered the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in Damascus during a service, started shooting, and detonated an explosive belt. The explosion killed at least 20 and seriously injured more than 50 others. Syrian Christians say it is the most violent attack on a Syrian church in recent years, and local officials say the attacker was affiliated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS). “Since the attack, fear and anxiety have spread quickly among Christian communities, especially as threatening messages against other churches and leaders started circulating on social media,” a front-line worker said.
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