US Commission: ‘Afghan Christians Face Death’
The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) says Afghanistan should be designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to the persecution of Christians and other minorities.
house church
Iran: Christian convert taken into custody for house church involvement
Iran’s intelligence authorities have taken a Christian convert into custody, accusing him of “propaganda against the [Iranian Islamic] regime through involvement in house church activities.”
Iran Christians Concerned About Jailed Convert
Iranian Christians have urged prayers for a house church leader who they say remains detained after being arrested at his home in Anzali on April 18.
China: Authorities trace and harass baptismal party
Authorities in China used technology to trace and harass members of the Shenzhen Trinity Gospel Harvest Church after they carried out Easter baptisms in the sea by Shenzhen city earlier this month, the Christian Post reports.
Iran Christian Convert Starts Prison Term
Iranian Christian convert Fariba Dalir has begun serving a two-year prison sentence for “acting against national security by establishing and leading an Evangelical Christian church,” an advocacy group confirmed.
Detained Iran Pastor Briefly Home For Easter
A detained pastor of Iran’s largest evangelical network of house churches spent Easter Sunday with his family but was due to return to prison Monday, Worthy News learned.
China: Pastor risks imprisonment to preach the Gospel
The pastor of a house church in China has said he will continue to preach the Gospel despite the risk that he could be imprisoned by the authorities for doing so, Christian Headlines (CH) reports.
China releases Christians jailed for attending Gospel event
Chinese authorities have finally released two Christians who were imprisoned for six months for traveling to attend a Gospel conference in Malaysia, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China: New law suppresses Christian activity online
China has now put into effect a new law that bars people of faith such as evangelical Christians from conducting online activities without a government-issued license, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China: Christian publishes prayer letter for church and imprisoned husband, “please pray for God’s justice”
A Christian woman in China has published a letter asking believers to pray for her husband, who has been imprisoned for leading the Panshi house church in China’s Shizuishan, and for the church itself, China Aid reports. China ranks 17 on the US Open Doors Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
China: Female pastor sentenced to 8 years for refusing to join state-run church
A female Christian pastor in China has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment because she refused to join Three-Self Church, a Chinese Communist Party state-controlled body that regulates Protestant churches, UCA News reports.
China to implement internet ban for house churches
hina’s Communist Party is imposing an oppressive new measure that will isolate Christians by prohibiting unregistered house churches from the online gatherings and teachings that have sustained them through the COVID-19 pandemic, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Iran: Believers to begin prison sentences for “spreading Christian Zionism”
Three Christians convicted of spreading “Zionist Christianity” in Iran have been ordered to begin serving their prison sentences of between two and five years at the end of this month, Christian Persecution reports.
’Iran Christian Converts Face Islamic Lessons’ Prompting Prayers
Advocates defending Christian converts in Iran appealed for prayers Wednesday as authorities forced ex-Muslims to attend Islamic classes and abandon their faith in Christ.
China: Pastor subject to government harassment since release from prison
Chinese government authorities in Zhejiang province are continuing to harass and threaten a house church pastor who was released from a prison sentence in December 2015, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. China ranks 17 on the US Open Door Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Iran To Review Jail Sentences Of Christians
Iranian Christians say they “are thankful” that Christian convert Naser Navard Goltapeh’s jail the sentence “will be reviewed” by Iran’s Supreme Court after years of prayers and campaigns, Worthy News learned Monday.
Iran continues to persecute Christians, new report shows
A new report on the persecution of Christians in Iran has called on Tehran to end the criminalization of house churches and membership, and for the international community to hold the Islamic regime to account for ongoing human rights abuses against believers, Christian Today (CT) reports.
US Christian ministries reach out to help vulnerable children in Iran
US Christian ministry Heart4Iran has joined with CBN’s Superbook to conduct an outreach to thousands of desperately vulnerable children in Iran, CBN News reports. Many of these children are from families of Afghan refugees who escaped the Taliban, and many are orphans who lost their parents to COVID-19.
Report: Iran Detained Dozens Of Christians In 2021
At least scores of Christians were arrested, and dozens endured prison in Iran last year, but many cases go unreported, faith rights groups said Wednesday.
Iran Releasing Jailed Converts, But Exiles One
Iran has released two Christian converts who served a one-year prison sentence linked to their membership of a house church, but one of them still faces two years’ internal exile, Christians told Worthy News.