Persecution

“The government, now nationalist rather than Communist, treats the Orthodox Church as a de facto state church.” - National Review

“Shouwang Church, which famously kept meeting outdoors after losing its pastor and worship space, is the fourth major unregistered congregation to be forcibly closed in recent months.” - Christianity Today

“Latest example of immigration officials deploying Scripture to keep former Muslims out of UK comes as Church of England adds an official Farsi liturgy due to demand.” - Christianity Today

“Nearly 50 more members, including 11 kids, of a Chinese megachurch closed down by the communist government in December were arrested at two different venues last Sunday, a watchdog group has reported.” - Christian Post

“Last fall, missionary John Miller sat in the back row of an unregistered church in Sichuan province, worshipping as he had every Sunday morning for the past year and a half. Then eight police officers walked in.” - WORLD

“The number of Christians suffering high to extremely high persecution is 14 percent more in 2019, Open Doors reported, counting 245 million individuals globally.” - BPNews

“In a brutal show of force, China has violently moved against its 100 million-strong Christian population — right on the eve of Christmas.” - NCAU

Editor’s note: Over 100 members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, were arrested beginning Sunday, December 9. At the time of publication of this translation, arrests are still being made. Among those taken away were Pastor Wang Yi, senior pastor of Early Rain, and his wife, Jiang Rong, who have not been heard from since Sunday.

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Tuesday (Dec. 11) he had added Pakistan to the list of ‘countries of particular concern’ (CPCs), a category reserved under federal law for governments that have committed or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.’” - BPNews

“On the border with China, soldiers of Myanmar’s largest ethnic rebel group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), attacked the churches in the rebel’s autonomous region in Shan state, according to Christian leaders.” - BPNews