A federation of Indian American Christian groups says it documented at least 761 incidents of violence against Christians, including lynching and armed assaults last year. It is recommended that the U.S. and European governments impose sanctions on officials who promote violence and exclusion of religious minorities.
An Indonesian Christian YouTuber has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for posting a video that purportedly offended people across the Muslim-majority country.
Five Chinese Christians from a house church in Shanxi Province, who were sentenced to prison for “illegally crossing the national border” after attending a Christian conference in Malaysia where Pastors Tim Keller and D.A. Carson were speakers, have been released, according to a report.
Myanmar’s military has destroyed at least 47 churches and more than a dozen affiliated buildings in its attacks in the predominantly Christian states of Chin and Kayah since it staged a coup last February, human rights groups have said.
As more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, evangelist Franklin Graham is urging Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree on a ceasefire during the 10 days of Easter observances.
International Christian relief groups Samaritans’ Purse and World Help are standing alongside the Ukrainian Church to provide aid to victims as Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine enters into the third day Saturday with Russian troops storming toward Ukraine’s capital.
The Taliban controlled-government of Afghanistan is holding at least nine foreign nationals in custody, including one United States citizen, according to various reports.
Tsunami waves crashed across the shore of the Pacific nation of Tonga after the eruption of a huge undersea volcano Saturday, causing “significant” damage in the capital city of Nuku’alofa and bringing the entire U.S. West coast under a tsunami advisory.
A security agency in Nigeria has ordered a prominent Catholic bishop to appear for questioning over his remarks that the country’s government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, has failed to check kidnappings and persecution of Christians, according to media reports.
Islamic extremists are gaining ground in Africa’s Sahel region and Afghanistan, which are set to become hotspots for Christian persecution in 2022, religious freedom charity Release International warns in a report, which says India and North Korea are also “countries of growing concern.”
A magistrate’s court in central England has thrown out a case against a female Christian pastor whom police had fined $21,000 for holding a church gathering for the homeless in a car park during the CVID-19 lockdown.
The United Methodist Church (UMC) will convene its 2028 General Conference at two locations simultaneously for the first time in the denomination’s history, bringing together delegates in the United States and Africa for its highest legislative assembly. The UMC Commission on the General Conference announced Tuesday that Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Harare, Zimbabwe, will jointly host the gathering.
Christian persecution has worsened in more than half of 18 countries surveyed by a Catholic watchdog, raising concerns about the future of Christian communities in the Middle East. The Middle East has emerged as an area of particular concern, where prolonged instability threatens Christianity’s presence in its historic birthplace.
Multisite churches are expanding rapidly across the United States, attracting nearly one in 10 Protestant churchgoers, but their growth is increasingly outpacing the development of qualified leaders, according to a new national study. The report identified more than 1,800 multisite churches operating over 6,000 campuses nationwide, highlighting the growing influence of congregations that maintain multiple worship locations under a unified organizational structure.
New York Times bestselling author and BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey has drawn mixed reactions from Christians after questioning whether believers should embrace Halloween festivities and consume horror-themed entertainment. During the Oct. 19 episode of her “Relatable” podcast, Stuckey addressed the different ways Christians approach Halloween, acknowledging that the subject involves personal convictions and differing interpretations of Christian freedom.
A federal appeals court has handed a legal victory to churches, synagogues and other religious organizations challenging the Trump administration’s decision to permit immigration enforcement operations at places of worship. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed a lower court’s decision rejecting the religious groups’ request for a preliminary injunction.