Christian

Trump ‘Orders’ U.S. States To Reopen Churches

Tensions were rising Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that states allow churches and other houses of worship to reopen from stay-at-home restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Saying America needed more prayer, Trump threatened to override governors’ orders though he faced constitutional limits to enforce these policies.

Iran’s Ayatollah Khameini calls for “Final Solution” in eliminating Israel

In calling for the “elimination of Israel” on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini used the words ‘final solution,’ CBN news reports. The phrase Hitler applied to describe his plans for a Jewish genocide was adopted in a poster published to Khamenei’s website on the occasion of Quds Day, Iran’s annual anti-Israel event.

Iran Frees Four Converts From Jail

Four former Muslims who became Christians and part of Iran’s leading house church movements have been freed from an Iranian jail, Christian activists confirmed Thursday. Kathrin Sajadpour, Moslem Rahimi, and another Christian, of the ‘Church of Iran,’ were reportedly freed on a reduced bail of 200 million tomans ($11,500) this week, Wednesday.

Civil Liberties Groups says Around 620 Christians Killed by Islamic Militants in Nigeria Since Beginning of 2020

According to the records of a Nigerian civil liberties organization, Islamic militants have killed at least 620 Christians in the country since the beginning of 2020, CBN News reports. The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (ISCLRL) published the number murders in a report which said militant Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram have stepped up violence against Christians in the old Middle Belt and Northeast regions of Nigeria.

Evangelist and Apologist Ravi Zacharias Dies At 74

India-born evangelist Ravi Zacharias, who built a global mission group for the intellectual defense of his faith in Jesus Christ, has died of cancer in the United States, his family confirmed. The founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) was 74 when he passed away Tuesday at his Atlanta home.

Court Overturns Worship Ban In France

An administrative court in France has overturned a government ban on meetings in churches and other places of worship. The case underscored broader tensions in coronavirus-hit Europe over religious freedom amid an ongoing pandemic.

Evangelical Leaders Ask Congress to Grant Religious Organizations Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits

Evangelical leaders have asked Congress to grant religious organizations immunity from potential negligence suits arising from decisions to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Post reports. Evangelicals joined some 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary last week, in which they suggested immunity granted could be similar to that given health-care workers.

Typhoon Devastates Lockdown Wary Philippines

A Christian woman was among many fearfully hiding Friday as parts of the Philippines were devastated by winds and rain from Typhoon Vongfong. “It is always scary,” Virgie Overdevest told Worthy News. “We already had a minor earthquake here.”

U.S. Churches Defy Coronavirus Bans On Indoor Worship

Churches across the United States are planning to defy bans on indoor worship and will open for in-person services this Sunday, May 17, Worthy News learned. The move is part of the “Peaceably Gather Sunday” initiative in which congregations seek a balance between safety against the coronavirus and worshipping without restrictions.

North Carolina Churches Sue Governor Over Ban On Indoor Worship

Christian leaders have sued the governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina for banning extensive indoor church services to limit the new coronavirus outbreak. Their lawsuit asked a court to throw out Governor Roy Cooper’s restrictions on person-to-person services in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Church in North Korea Exists but Deeply Underground

There are Christians in North Korea but congregations are typically made up of two or three people from the same family, Fox News reports. The North Korean church exists, but it has had to go deeply underground: under the Kim Jong Un regime, believers – and their families – may face the death penalty or detention if their faith is discovered.

US Mission Pilot Dies In Indonesia Crash

An American mission pilot flying much-needed coronavirus test kits to a remote village in Indonesia has died in a plane crash, her Christian aviation organization confirmed.

EU’s Top Court Condemns Hungary’s Treatment Of Asylum Seekers Including Christians (Worthy News Investigation)

Hope was rising Thursday for an Iranian Christian father and his young son held in detention on the Hungarian-Serbian border for 17 months, after the European Union’s top court condemned Hungary’s treatment of asylum seekers. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Budapest was obliged to reconsider their applications. The court stressed that Hungarian authorities circumvented EU law by holding migrants seeking refuge in unlawful prison-like conditions.

Dozens Of Christian Villagers Killed In Nigeria

Dozens of villagers have been killed in the latest attack on Christian communities in northwestern Nigeria by suspected Fulani Muslim militants, rights investigators, told Worthy News late Wednesday. Among victims were reportedly five people who died when armed men of Fulani origin attacked Makyali village in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state. One person was injured in Wednesday’s attack, added advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in a statement.

GOD TV Confirms Israel Wants to Shut Down Shelanu Messianic Channel

GOD TV has confirmed Israeli authorities want to shut down its new Hebrew-language Gospel channel, the Christian Post reports. The Shelanu (“Ours” in Hebrew) channel recently began broadcasting Christian content on Israel’s popular HOT cable network.

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