Revival in Iran as thousands of Muslims turn to Christ
Thousands of Iranian Muslims have left Islam and have put their faith in Jesus Christ since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Iran in March, CBN News reports.
Christian Persecution
Russian Court Fines Virus-Denying Priest
A Russian court has fined an influential priest for publicly denying the existence of the new coronavirus and urging his followers to ignore government ordered lockdowns.
Impoverished Chinese Christians told to choose between their faith and state aid
The Chinese government is reported to have told poor Christian families they must give up their faith or lose state aid, CBN News reports. In a report published Monday, the Bitter Winter human rights group said: “People on social welfare [have been] ordered to worship the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), not God.” This latest action follows longstanding persecution of Christians by the communist regime in China.
Fire Damages France’s “Gothic Jewel” Cathedral in Nantes
Prosecutors in France say a fire that erupted in the Gothic cathedral of the western French city of Nantes started deliberately. Tourists and residents watched in horror Saturday as firefighters battled the blaze at the 15th-century St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in the city’s historical center.
Ongoing slaughter of Christians in Nigeria at “genocidal” level
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) human rights group has said the murder of Christians in Nigeria has reached “genocidal” levels, Christian Today reports. According to Intersociety, more than 1,200 Nigerian Christians were murdered by Muslim Fulani and Islamist militants in the first half of 2020 alone.
Chinese Christians Injured While Protesting Removal of Crosses
Christians in eastern China were recovering of their injuries Thursday after trying to prevent the removal of crosses from churches by Chinese government forces.
Maoist Rebels Murder Protestant Pastor in India
Indian church leaders have condemned the killing of a young Protestant missionary and pastor by suspected Maoist rebels in western India.
Christians Flee Turkish Bombardments In Iraq
Iraqi Christians want prayers for Christian and Kurdish families suffering from Turkish bombardments and incursions in Northern Iraq, aid workers say.
Christians Rejoice As Sudan Scraps Death Sentence For Leaving Islam
Christian converts in Sudan are rejoicing after the transitional government scrapped legislation that made leaving Islam punishable by death, Worthy News learned.
Iraqi Christian community under threat of extinction
An international humanitarian aid organization has said Christians living in the formerly ISIS-controlled Nineveh Plains of Iraq are now in danger of extinction, the Christian Post reports. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report this week in which it states that political and sectarian tensions are driving Christians out of the area.
UK Appeals Court: Christian adoption agency cannot refuse placements with same-sex couples when it works on behalf of local government authorities
A UK Appeals Court has ruled that, while it is working with government authorities, a Christian adoption and foster care agency cannot refuse to place children with same-sex couples, the Christian Post reports. The Court ruled Tuesday that the Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Service can recruit carers who identify as evangelical, provided it does not legally require them to be heterosexual.
Eritrea Detains Dozens Of Christians
Dozens of Christians have been detained in Eritrea in the latest government crackdown on devoted believers, advocacy representatives said Friday.
Turkey Expels Foreign Christians In Crackdown
Turkey is expelling foreign Christians as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to increase support from conservative Islamic leaders, rights investigators told Worthy News.
Christians arrested in Iran
At least 12 Christians are understood to have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRG) in what is believed to have been a coordinated round-up last week, the Christian Post reports. Announced by Article 18, a UK-based human rights non-profit organization, the arrests were said to have taken place in the cities of Tehran, Karaj and Malayer on June 30 and July 1.
Man Killed In India For Not Rejecting Christ
New details emerged Thursday of a young Christian man who was reportedly murdered in eastern India for refusing to abandon his faith in Christ.
Media must do more to report on murderous violence against Christians in Nigeria
The EYN Church of the Brethren, the largest Christian denomination in northeast Nigeria, has reported that over 8,370 of its members have been killed and more than 700,000 displaced by Boko Haram terrorists in the country, CSW News reports. In a statement made on July 2, EYN National President Reverend Joel Billi said that from the end of 2019 to June 2020 alone there had been fifty attacks on different communities – and that these were largely “unreported or under-reported by both the print and electronic media.”
India Christians Flee As Mob Attacks Prayer House
Christian villagers in rural northern India have reportedly fled their homes after an angry mob attacked their prayer house and threatened to kill or rape believers. Five suspects were briefly detained, but violence continued, rights activists told Worthy News.
Standoff Over Leaflets, Bibles Send Into North Korea
A standoff over information leaflets and Bibles being sent by defectors and Christian groups into North Korea has flared up again.
National Security law is a ‘threat to Christians’ in Hong Kong
The imposition of a draconian national security law in Hong Kong this week has given rise to fears over the fate of Christians.
Iran Detains, Threatens, Dozens of Christian Converts’
Iran has detained or intimidated dozens of devoted Christians in recent days as part of government efforts to halt the spread of Christianity in the Islamic nation, investigators say.