Iran Convert Jailed For Evangelism
Iranian Christians requested prayers Monday for a Christian convert after he turned himself in to start serving a nine-month prison term in Iran for evangelism and leaving Islam, sources told Worthy News.
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California agrees never to impose discriminatory restrictions on houses of worship; will pay over $2 million in attorney’s fees
In what the plaintiffs’ lawyers described as a “triumph for religious liberty,” California has agreed to never again impose discriminatory restrictions on houses of worship, and to pay a total of $2,150,000 in attorney’s fees in settlement of separate lawsuits filed by South Bay United Pentecostal Church and Catholic priest Trevor Burfitt, Christian Headlines reports.
India persecution: Pastor’s father murdered by Animist relatives
Seven animist relatives of Christian pastor Ramesh Bumbariya in India’s Rajasthan state have been charged with murder and attempted murder after they first killed his father with an ax and then tried to kill him too during an attack at his home on May 18, Morning Star News reports.
Pakistan persecution: Christian woman abducted, raped, beaten by Islamic attackers; “Please Pray”
A Christian woman in Pakistan was abducted on April 1 by Muslim men who drugged, beat, and raped her during the 20 days they held her captive, International Christian Concern reports. Pakistan ranks 5 on the US Open Doors watch list of 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted; Christian girls and women are frequently abducted and murdered with no action being taken against the perpetrators.
Indiana Baptist church ordains transgender pastor
The University Baptist Church in Bloomington, Indiana has ordained a transgender woman, Church Leaders reports. The ordination of Laura Bethany Buchleiter took place on May 23, a few weeks after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elected its first transgender bishop.
‘Nigeria’s Islamic Boko Haram Leader Dead’; Concerns About Christians
The leader of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, whose group killed or kidnapped thousands of Christians, has committed suicide, rival Islamist militants say.
Thousands Protest Against China University In Hungary
Political tensions are rising after thousands of Hungarians marched through Budapest against government plans to build the European Union’s first Chinese university campus here.
India Pastor’s Father Killed By Hindus; Son Continues Ministry
A young pastor in northern India wants to continue preaching and starting churches after he survived an attack in which Hindu militants killed his father.
Islamists Call For Killing Christians In Mauritania
Islamic militants have created an online hit list that encourages Muslims to assassinate Christian leaders in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Worthy News established Friday.
Supreme Court denies Colorado churches’ request for relief from COVID-19 worship restrictions
The United States Supreme Court has rejected a request for emergency relief from two churches that are challenging Colorado’s restrictions on worship in response to COVID-19.
Burmese military attacks two churches within a week, four refugees killed
The Burmese army attacked two churches in one week in Kayah State, Myanmar, killing four and wounding eight refugees who were sheltering in one of the church’s buildings, International Christian Concern reports. The attacks came amid intense fighting between the military and local resistance groups in the wake of the February 1 coup.
Texas: Federal judge throws out Planned Parenthood lawsuit effort to block “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance
Lubbock in Texas is officially a “sanctuary city for the unborn:” a federal judge has dismissed Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against Lubbock’s voter-approved ban on abortion, the Christian Post reports. The Planned Parenthood suit was thrown out Tuesday by Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, on the grounds the court “lacks jurisdiction.”
Pakistan Christian Couple On Deathrow Acquitted Of Blasphemy
A Christian husband and wife in Pakistan who faced execution for sending “blasphemous” texts were acquitted of the charges, a well-informed source tells Worthy News.
‘Somaliland Christian Couple Need Prayers As Execution Draws Near’
A detained Christian couple facing potential execution in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland for leaving Islam and spreading Christianity need prayers as their court hearing was postponed, supporters told Worthy News.
Oregon May Require Proof of Vaccination to Enter Business and Churches without a Mask
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced on May 18 that people who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 do not have to wear a mask indoors at businesses and faith institutions, but will have to show a card certifying their vaccination status, Christian Headlines reports.
Sudanese authorities demolish church building in Omdurman
Despite a promise to authorize the church after its building was burned down, on May 27 officials in Sudan demolished a building belonging to the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in the city of Omdurman, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports.
School district cites ‘pedagogical interests’ to censor ‘very Christianized’ valedictorian speech
A suburban Detroit school district is claiming the legal right to censor its students under the banner of “pedagogical interests” after stopping a valedictorian from giving a speech it deemed too religious.
Nigeria Islamic Gunmen Abduct 8 Evangelical Christians
Evangelical Christians in southwestern Nigeria are still searching for loved ones after suspected Islamic gunmen abducted eight believers, aid workers said.
Hindu Extremists Destroy Church In India
Christian villagers in India’s eastern Odisha State were recovering Tuesday after some 150 Hindu extremists attacked and destroyed their church building, advocacy groups said.
China Christian Persecution: Police beat up pastor, leave him critically injured
China’s Communist Party police beat up a Christian pastor in Guiyang, Guizhou province on May 23, leaving him critically wounded, International Christian Concern reports. China currently ranks 17 on the US Open Doors Watch List of countries that persecute Christians.