Persecution

“Pastoring just a short flight away in the United Arab Emirates, I’ve had the opportunity to build partnerships with these men over the last decade. One house church leader sent me a picture of the small room he was hiding in with his family.” - 9 Marks

“Christians, individually or corporately, might be suffering because they’ve said or done stupid things, placing themselves under the divinely designed cosmic order, whereby life is tougher if you’re stupid (as John Wayne allegedly said). Or they might be suffering because they’ve engaged in sinful thinking or practices that have social or legal consequences.” - Olinger

“As Russia silences political dissidents, religious minorities—including evangelicals—find ways to grow during a chill” - WORLD

“Latest report on Christian persecution finds 3 in 4 martyrs are in Nigeria, ranked among 10 worst persecutors for first time. Sudan finally exits top 10 and India remains, while Mozambique and DRC added to Open Doors watch list.” - CToday

“Tens of thousands of house church pastors and evangelists across China have gone into hiding as the Communist Party prepares for what seems like a ‘final assault’ on Christianity in an attempt to eradicate it from the country” - CPost

“The latest report on government restrictions and social hostilities in 198 nations follows the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.” - C.Today

“A transitional government in Sudan is taking steps toward ‘achieving equality’ and ending discrimination, leading to cautious optimism …. Apostasy (abandoning Islam through speech or behavior, including conversion to Christianity) and morality laws have been eliminated, and female genital mutilation is now banned.” - CLeaders

“The national-security law in Hong Kong now prohibits secession, sedition, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Those terms are so broadly defined that they can be used arbitrarily to prohibit any form of dissent. What worries religious minorities, and Catholics and other Christians in particular, are the law’s collusion and subversion and clauses.” - N.Review

“So far in 2020, the US has resettled fewer than 950 Christians from the 50 countries where it is hardest to be a Christian, according to Open Doors’s annual World Watch List. At this rate, the US will receive 90-percent fewer Christian refugees this year than five years ago.” - CToday

According to Voice of the Martyrs: “In Shandong Province, officials issued guidance forbidding online preaching, a vital way for churches to reach congregants amid both persecution and the spread of the virus” - Fox