Iraq: Serial Attacks on Churches Continue
A car-bomb exploded outside a Chaldean church in northern Iraq yesterday, injuring two people, a Baghdad bishop said. The blast is the 10th reported attack on Iraqi churches in two weeks.
Christian Persecution
China Launches “Secret” Crackdown On House Churches, ‘Open Doors’ Says
A leading group supporting Christians "persecuted for their faith" has launched a global prayer campaign for China where, it says, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been waging "a secret" crackdown on unregistered house churches.
Christian Leader in Xinjiang Province Arrested
China Aid Association learned that a House Church leader in Kashi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was secretly detained on January 12. According to an eyewitness, Mr. A Li Mu Jiang was taken away from his home by State Security Bureau agents for an accused "national security issue." His wife was also taken from her home for interrogation in the evening of the same day.
China Expels Children From Christian Orphanage
Children and their caretakers spent another Sunday, January 13, in uncertainty after they were expelled from their Christian-run orphanage in China’s Hubei Province, as part of a crackdown on Christian activities by local authorities, an official said.
China Detains Prominent House Church Leaders In Gansu Province
At least two prominent church leaders of a main house church in China’s Gansu Province remained detained Wednesday, January 9, after Chinese security forces raided a worship service, fellow Christians said.
Turkey Releases Teenager Planning “Massacre” In Church
A Turkish teenager who vowed to kill the pastor of a Protestant church and "massacre" Christians in the Black Sea coastal city of Samsun has been released by a local court because he is "to young" Turkish media reported Tuesday, January 8.
India Hindu Militants Attack House Church
Hindu militants have attacked a house church in the Indian state of Rajasthan, seriously injuring several worshippers, the latest in reported attacks against Christians across India, local believers told BosNewsLife Tuesday, January 8.
China Releases Christian Bookstore Owner And Employees
Chinese authorities have released on bail the owner of a Christian bookstore near Beijing’s Olympic Village and fellow workers, amid international pressure, after detaining them last month on charges of "illegal printing and distribution of Christian literature," BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, January 8.
Missionaries Concerned After Church Attacks In Russia
Christian missionaries have expressed concerns about the situation of Protestant Christians in Russia after attacks on a Baptist and Pentecostal church outside Moscow, apparently by members of a group supporting President Vladimir Putin, BosNewsLife established Tuesday, January 8.
Iraq: Coordinated Blasts Rock Churches
Four Iraqi churches and three convents were damaged in coordinated bomb blasts yesterday morning, the day many Iraqi Christians celebrate either Epiphany or Christmas Eve according to some Eastern liturgical calendars. At least six people were injured, one seriously.
Honduras’ Top Evangelical Accuses Criminals Of Infiltrating Ministry
The pastor of one of Central America’s largest churches and evangelical organizations says criminal groups are infiltrating his and other Christian groups in an effort to halt their operations, BosNewsLife learned Friday, January 4.
India Muslim Militants Destroy House Church, Group Says
Suspected Muslim militants have destroyed an evangelical underground house church of Christian mission group Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) in a volatile area of India’s Kerala state, an official confirmed to BosNewsLife Friday, January 4.
India: Fact-Finding Mission Suggests Christmas Violence was Preplanned
Emerging facts indicate that India’s largest spate of anti-Christian violence, which has rendered thousands homeless in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, was preplanned.
Pakistan Christians Losing Hope As Ballot Is Postponed After Assassination
Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf announced Wednesday, January 2, that Britain will assist in an investigation into the assassination of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who Pakistani Christians described as "the only hope" to end religious persecution.
Turkey: Police Arrest Suspect Plotting to Kill Pastor
Turkish police authorities over the weekend arrested a young suspect allegedly plotting to assassinate a Christian pastor in Antalya during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Dozens Killed In Kenya Church Fire
At least dozens of people were burned to death in a Protestant church in western Kenya where they had taken shelter from tribal clashes sparked by a disputed vote that gave the president a second term, police and Red Cross sources said Tuesday, January 1.
New Year’s Day Attacks On Christians In India
There were new reports of attacks by suspected Hindu militants against Christians in India on New Year’s Day, shortly after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised to protect the country’s minority Christians in a letter to the widow of an Australian missionary killed nine years ago.
India Christians Hiding In Orissa Jungles As Violence Continues
Over one thousand Christians, including priests, nuns, women and children, have fled to the jungles of India’s Orissa State where deadly anti-Christian violence entered its seventh day, a church official told BosNewsLife Sunday, December 30.
Fourteen Churches Burned In Deadly Violence In India
Indian church leaders on Thursday, December 27, appealed to authorities to intervene after Hindu extremists attacked dozens of Christian institutions, including churches, in the religiously volatile eastern state of Orissa over Christmas, reportedly killing up to three people and injuring many others.
Hindu Militants Attack Christmas Service In India
Several people were injured when a Hindu mob attacked a Christmas worship service in India’s religiously volatile eastern state of Orissa Monday, December 24, destroying a crib as well as light and sound equipment, Christians told BosNewsLife.