For the First Time, Russia Ranked Among Worst Violators of Religious Freedom
Russia’s ongoing crackdown on religious minorities, foreign missionaries, and evangelists has earned it a spot among the worst countries in the world for religious freedom.
Christian Persecution
Palm Sunday Bombings of Egyptian Coptic Churches Kill 44
At least 44 people were killed in bomb attacks on the symbolic cathedral seat of the Coptic Pope and another church on Palm Sunday, prompting anger and fear among Christians and troop deployments across Egypt.
Hundreds of Christians Flee Egypt’s North Sinai Amid ISIS Killing Spree
Hundreds of Christians in Egypt’s North Sinai province fled the area Friday after the Islamic State terror group killed seven Christians in just three weeks.
900 Churches in Nigeria Destroyed by Boko Haram
At least 900 Christian churches have been destroyed at the hands of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, as part of the Islamic radical group’s campaign to drive out all Christians from the north, the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria reported.
ISIS Puts Out Holiday Attack List Of U.S. Churches
The Islamic State published the names and addresses of thousands of churches in the United States and called on its adherents to attack them during the holiday season, according to a message posted late-night Wednesday in the group’s “Secrets of Jihadis” social media group.
Coptic Church Bombing: ‘Deadliest Attack’ on Egyptian Christians
A bombing at a Coptic cathedral in Egypt has killed at least 25 people and wounded 49 others during Sunday mass.
Christians Win Nepal’s First Anti-Evangelism Case
A court in Nepal has dropped a case against eight Christians, the first religious freedom dispute since the country’s new constitution was implemented last year.
Christian Persecution Rising as 75 Percent of World’s Population Lacks Religious Freedom
Persecution of Christians is getting worse as up to 75 percent of the world’s population now lives without religious freedom, European Union’s special envoy Jan Figel said, marking the International Freedom of Religion or Belief Day this week.
Christian pastors face death penalty if convicted in Sudan
Last December, two evangelical pastors from the Church of Christ in Sudan were taken from their churches and thrown into jail. Last month, the Rev. Abdulraheem Kodi and the Rev. Kuwa Shamal Abu Zumam were charged with numerous offenses, including waging war against the state, espionage and undermining Sudan’s constitutional system.
Christianity in Africa Threaten by Rise of Militant Islam
As the world focusses on potential military advances against the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, it risks overlooking another vast region where militant Islam is a growing threat to the Church – in the continent where the Church is growing fastest: Africa.
Russia Arrested Ukrainian Religious Leader While Preaching at a St. Petersburg Messianic Congregation
Russia has brought an administrative case against a religious leader under the country’s controversial new package of anti-terrorist laws.
American Bapist Minister Targeted Under New Anti-Evangelism Law in Russian
An American man is among the first group of people to be targeted under new anti-evangelism laws in Russia.
Russian Believers May Need to Disobey New Law
Christians in Russia are grappling with a new law that effectively makes it illegal for them to share their faith, preach or pray outside of officially designated sites.
Church Demolitions in Cuba Intensifying
The first half of 2016 has seen church demolitions in Cuba gather pace as the government crackdown on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) on the island continues. The authorities have also begun to confiscate 1,400 Assemblies of God (AOG) churches that were earmarked for seizure in 2015, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
Christians Wait for New Law in Egypt to Authorize New Churches
Egypt is scheduled to vote as early as next month on a law that would ease the country’s historic restrictions on church construction.
US Likely Won’t Have Largest Christian Population by 2030
The greater the persecution, the greater the revival. It’s a phrase Chinese Christians are using these days, and with good reason.
Swedish church to send Bible-dropping drones over ISIS caliphate
A Swedish church intends to use drones to drop thousands of digital Bibles into ISIS-controlled territory in Iraq, where Christians are among the terrorist organization’s main targets.
Global religious freedom conference coming to DC
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has decided to move a May 2017 summit on Christian persecution from Moscow to Washington, D.C., following Russia’s passage of a controversial law curtailing evangelism.
Christianity Grows In Myanmar Despite Persecution
Christianity in Myanmar is growing at a dramatic rate despite threats from Buddhist nationals, according to the UN Population Fund.
Christians in Russia Refuse to Stop Sharing the Gospel Despite Putin’s Ban on Evangelism
The Slavic Centre for Law and Justice, an affiliate of the American Center for Law and Justice, said a new manner of carrying out missionary work in Russia will have to be established.