Missionaries: ‘Ukraine War Has Orphans Crisis’
A U.S. Christian mission group warned Thursday of a significant orphans crisis due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Christian Persecution
Laos: Families driven out of their Buddhist village for conversion to Christianity
Over a dozen families and their pastor have been driven from their homes in a majority-Buddhist village in Laos because they have converted to Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Sudan: Christian pastor in hiding from Muslim extremist relatives, “I am not safe”
A Christian pastor in western Sudan has had to leave his home and go into hiding to escape arrest or abduction by his Muslim extremist relatives who accuse him of apostasy, Morning Star News reports.
Report: ‘China Seeks To Erase Churches’
China has launched an effort to “erase” all churches and last year saw an increase in the persecution of Christians in the Communist-run nation, according to a new report obtained by Worthy News.
Pakistan: Christian girl abducted into forced marriage with Muslim employer, lawyer demands police action
The chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan has pressured Pakistani police to find and rescue a 15-year-old local Christian girl who was abducted and forced into marriage with her Muslim employer: officers had ignored earlier pleas for help from the girl’s impoverished father, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Pakistan Man Lynched For Blasphemy; Christians Fearful (Worthy News In-Depth)
Pakistani police on Monday had detained dozens of suspects in the weekend lynching of a man accused of blasphemy against Islam, but a Christian rights activist warned of more violence.
Afghan Christian families seeking refuge in hostile Pakistan
The International Christian Concern (ICC) aid organization has found 60 Christian families that escaped Afghanistan to seek refuge in next-door Pakistan, even though Pakistan has a notoriously bad record on its treatment of Christians. Indeed, ICC found at least three of these families have returned to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after suffering the dreadful conditions for refugees in Pakistan.
India: Evangelical Pastor jailed under Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law
An evangelical Christian pastor in India’s Uttar Pradesh state has been in jail for three months awaiting trial on trumped-up charges of violating local anti-religious conversion legislation and other laws, Morning Star News reports.
Egypt: Muslim extremists acquitted of stripping, attacking 70-year-old Christian woman
Three radicalized Egyptian Muslim men who were caught on camera attacking and stripping naked a 70-year-old Coptic Christian grandmother in 2016 have had their former acquittals upheld by Egypt’s highest court of appeals, Coptic Solidarity (CS) reports.
Nicaragua Jails Bishop For 26 Years
The pope on Sunday condemned the long imprisonment of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, a prominent opponent of autocratic President Daniel Ortega.
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger on Genocide Watch NGO list of conflicts to monitor
The Sahel region of Africa, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, has been placed on a list prepared by the US-based Genocide Watch NGO of top 10 conflicts to watch in 2023.
Church of England considers referencing God in gender-neutral terms
The Church of England has confirmed it is examining the possibility of changing its liturgy to reference God in gender-neutral terms instead of as “Father,” “Him,” and “He,” the New York Post (NYP) reports. However, the denomination has said there are no plans to make changes to the current liturgy at present, and any future change would require “extensive legislation.”
India: 10 Christian families denied essential rations for their faith, “we did not worry, we are ready to pay any cost”
Ten Christian families in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been barred on account of their faith from receiving essential provisions the government gives to the needy, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Ethiopia: Three Christians killed in sniper attack on their church
Three Christians were reportedly killed, and four were injured in Oromia, southern Ethiopia during a sniper attack on their church by suspected regional government special forces on Saturday, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Pakistan: Muslim extremist throws acid in the face of young Christian woman
A 19-year-old Christian woman in Karachi, Pakistan, was severely burned last week when a Muslim extremist threw acid in her face because she refused to renounce her faith and enter an Islamic relationship with him, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Chinese Church Elder Facing 10 Years Jail Without Bible
Christians say the health of a Chinese church elder, jailed in China since November 2021, has improved, but he may face ten years imprisonment on ‘fraud’ charges.
China Frees Jailed Preacher To Care For Father
A Chinese Christian evangelist jailed for more than half a year on charges linked to his work has returned home to care for his father, who suffers from COVID-19, supporters told Worthy News.
Nepal Releases Jailed Pastor On Bail
A pastor who served a one-year jail sentence in Nepal on charges linked to evangelizing has been released on bail, Worthy News established Monday.
Myanmar: Christian persecution has increased “exponentially” since military coup
The Free Burma Rangers Christian aid organization is warning that the persecution of Christians in Myanmar has “grown exponentially” since the military coup of February 2021 ended the troubled country’s fragile democracy, the WNG.org news outlet reports.
Ukraine: Russian troops target Evangelical buildings in hundreds of attacks on religious sites
The Kyiv-based Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF) has reported that Russian forces have caused “immense destruction” in attacking hundreds of religious buildings in Ukraine, with a grossly disproportionate emphasis on properties belonging to Ukrainian evangelical Christians, Christianity Today (CT) reports.