Pakistan: National Assembly votes to make controversial blasphemy laws even harsher

Bypassing public debate on the matter, Pakistan’s National Assembly on January 17 voted to make the country’s highly controversial blasphemy laws even harsher than they already are, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Pakistan ranks seven on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Nigeria: Five women abducted, pastor shot and wounded in Katsina church terror attack

Five female church members were abducted, and their pastor shot and wounded during a terrorist attack on their church in Nigeria’s Katsina state on Sunday, Morning Star News reports. The attack is just one more of tens of thousands of attacks, murders and abductions, maimings, and displacements of Christians by Islamic militants since 2015.

Congo: Christian woman testifies Jesus is her Shepherd after Islamic terrorists murder her family, abduct, torture, rape her

International Christian Concern (ICC) has published the horrifying account of the most brutally violent Islamic persecution and unimaginable loss and pain endured by a Christian mother in Uganda who ultimately gives glory to Jesus as her Shepherd. ICC confirmed the organization was able to rescue the mother and child, and has helped them to start a new life in which they are healing physically and emotionally.

Indonesia: Christians prohibited from holding Christmas services

Authorities in Indonesia prohibited a building-less congregation from holding their 2022 Christmas services in a local shop as Christians continue to face uphill struggles in obtaining permits for church buildings, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

Uganda: Pastor in critical condition after poisoning by Muslim extremists

A pastor in western Uganda is still fighting for his life in hospital, weeks after he and a couple he had recently led to Christ were poisoned by local Islamic extremists, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Violent attacks by radicalized Islamists against Christians in Uganda are being increasingly reported, although Muslims are a minority group in the country, and Christianity is legal.

Post-pandemic attendance at worship services has significantly declined, report shows

A new report shows that, while religious identity among US adults has remained “mostly stable” since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Americans who regularly attend worship services has declined significantly, the Washington Times reports. The report was published by the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday.

Israeli Jews Support Christians after Church-Run Cemetery Desecrated

Dozens of Jewish Israelis paid a solidarity visit to a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem after it was desecrated, apparently by Orthodox Jews, earlier this week. The incident, which parallels an untold number of descecrations of Jewish graves in Christian countries, has many people in Israel calling for stricter punishment for hate crimes.

Iran Detains Christian Converts, Prayers Urged

Iranian Christians requested prayers Thursday for Iranian Pastor Abdolreza (Matthias) Haghnejad and his wife, Anahita (Anna) Khademi, after their detention in northern Iran.

Worthy Christian News