Persecution has escalated in Afghanistan – May 31st
Voice of the Martyrs, 25 May 2023 Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, life for Christians is difficult. Most Afghan Christians fled, but some remained. “It is very challenging for the normal Afghan and very, very hard for Christians,” a front-line worker shared. “Persecution has escalated from the government, local religious authorities, […]
Churches Closed, Pastors Under More Pressure – May 31st
Voice of the Martyrs, 25 May 2023 Christians in Algeria report suffering from a systematic campaign of government persecution. Since the end of 2017, the government has reportedly closed 30 of the 47 Protestant churches in the country. In January 2023, a 54-year-old pastor from a Muslim background was sentenced to two years in prison […]
Church Planting in the “Circle of Silence” – May 31st
Voice of the Martyrs, 25 May 2023 Aaron is one of many church planters advancing God’s kingdom in the “Circle of Silence,” an eight-state region in central Mexico of nearly 23 million people with less than 1% evangelical witness for Christ. There is a strong culture of Christo-paganism, which is a syncretistic blend of […]
Israeli Jews in Israel – May 31st
Joshua Project, 29 May 2023 Sabra Jews are those born in the land of Israel, particularly since the founding of the Jewish State in 1948. “Sabra” is derived from the Hebrew name of the prickly pear cactus. The allusion is to a tenacious, thorny desert plant with a thick hide that conceals a sweet, softer […]
Christians suffering violence in Sudan – May 31st
Barnabas Fund, 23 May 2023 (excerpts) The warring parties in Sudan have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire that began on the evening of 22 May – although reports indicated that fighting continued in some areas. Although this conflict is not specifically anti-Christian, there have been several reports of attacks on churches and church leaders in […]
In the Land of the Setting Sun – May 17th
Frontiers, 15 May 2023 The easternmost region of Morocco has a multiplicity of cultures and languages but is mostly empty of gospel proclamation. Hemmed in by the Atlas Mountains in the west and the 800 km border with Algeria, it stretches from the fertile Mediterranean to the Sahara sands. The major cities like Oujda, as […]
“Nicaragua has become a prison state.” – May 17th
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 15 May 2023 Over the past five years, President Daniel Ortega has cracked down on all critical voices as he consolidates power. Religious leaders, especially those the government views as critical of its actions, have been a particular target. One of them told CSW that even preaching about unity or justice, for […]
Agariya in India – May 17th
Joshua Project, 15 May 2023 One of the nine Munda-Santal tribes, the Agariya have worked with furnaces as iron-smelters for generations. Much of their more recent history has been greatly influenced by British colonialism. Today the Agariyas continue to work with metal. They manufacture agricultural tools such as axes, ploughshares and sickles. Only ten percent […]
The Church is a Beacon of Hope in Sudan – May 17th
International Christian Concern, 9 May 2023 Amid the escalating violence currently wracking Sudan, priests in violent hotspots have kept church doors open. They continue to minister and provide shelter despite increased dangers. “I want to stay until the last minute, I do not want to leave the people here alone,” one missionary priest told Aid […]
Ugandan College Student Slain for Sharing Christ – May 3rd
Morning Star News, 1 May 2023 (excerpts) Jeremiah Mwanga, a second-year Christian college student was killed in his room at the school in northern Uganda on April 14 for sharing about Christ with Muslims. He was 24. Mwanga was a native of Kapchorwa, eastern Uganda, where the Muslim student at the school charged with killing […]