Middle East Christians Face Uncertain Future as Global Persecution Threatens Over 400 Million

Middle East Christians Face Uncertain Future as Global Persecution Threatens Over 400 Million

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.
  • Afghan Christian TV Network Launches to Reach Believers Amid Religious Persecution
    Mozhda TV, believed to be Afghanistan’s first dedicated Christian television channel, officially launched its satellite broadcasts Saturday, seeking to bring the Gospel to Afghan audiences despite the Taliban’s restrictions on religious freedom. The launch brought together Afghan Christians, church representatives and international mission partners who celebrated what organizers described as the culmination of decades of prayer and cooperation among Christian ministries.
  • Franklin Graham Urges Manchester Crowd to Repent, Warns From Story of Sodom
    Franklin Graham called on thousands in Manchester, England, to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, using the biblical account of Lot and the destruction of Sodom as the central theme of his message. “Are you ready to stand before God? Are you ready to give an account to Him?” Graham asked the crowd at Manchester’s Co-op Live.

“What Is the Essence of the Church?” U.S. History Traced From Faith Community to Nation, Korea From Bible Study to Church

A public forum titled “Seeking the Essence of the Church” was held on the 25th at Queens Central United Methodist ...
  • Early Rain Pastor Ding Shuqi Warns CCP Is “Trying to Crush” Christianity in China
    Ding Shuqi, a pastor from the persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, urged the world earlier this week to remember the suffering of Chinese Christians, whose freedoms he said are being crushed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Ding told the audience gathered Wednesday at the Museum of the Bible for a three-hour briefing titled "CCP Oppression in America and China."
  • Franklin Graham to Preach in Manchester as Nearly 600 Churches Mobilize
    Nearly 600 churches across the United Kingdom are preparing for a large-scale evangelistic gathering in Manchester next month, where Franklin Graham is expected to preach to thousands at the Co-op Live arena. The “God Loves You Tour” will arrive in Manchester on Oct. 3, with participating churches encouraging members to invite friends, relatives and neighbors to attend, according to organizers with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
  • Freed Missionary Pilot Meets Trump, Credits Prayer and Scripture After Niger Abduction
    Freed missionary pilot Kevin Rideout and his wife, Krista, expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and Christians who prayed for his release as the family visited the White House on Friday, roughly 10 months after Rideout was abducted in Niger. Trump highlighted Rideout’s case in a statement issued Saturday, one day after meeting with the missionary, his family and senior administration officials.
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  • SBC Baptisms Rise as Adults Make Up More Than Half of Total Last Year

    Adults represented more than half of the 263,000-plus baptisms recorded in Southern Baptist Convention churches in 2025, according to a new Lifeway Research analysis. A report released Thursday found that adults ages 30 and older accounted for 33% of SBC baptisms last year, followed by youth at 25%, children at 22% and young adults at 20%. The figures mark a shift from earlier decades, when children — defined as those age 11 and younger — made up a larger share of baptisms.

  • Thousands Expected for ‘March for Jesus’ in Buenos Aires on National Holiday

    Christians from churches across Argentina will march through central Buenos Aires on Monday, Aug. 17, joining a public day of prayer, worship and proclamation called "March for Jesus." The march begins at 1 p.m. at Avenida de Mayo and Perú Street and sets off at 2 p.m. toward Plaza de los Dos Congresos, where the main event will take place.

  • American Missionary Pilot Kevin Rideout Freed After Nine Months in Niger

    President Donald Trump and SIM International have announced that American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout has been freed after being abducted in Niger last October. “Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” President Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday morning after initial reports of Rideout’s release emerged, citing unnamed officials.

  • Arise Asia 2026 Closes in Manila as Hundreds of Young Leaders Commit to Long-Term Cross-Cultural Mission

    Some 341 young leaders stepped forward at the Arise Asia 2026 Congress to commit their lives to long-term cross-cultural mission, answering what organizers described as one of the most significant altar calls in the movement's history. The moment came on the evening of July 30, the fourth day of a five-day gathering that drew 4,278 participants (out of 4,808 who registered) from 64 countries to Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF) Central in Manila.

  • Detained Chinese Pastor Says Prosecutor Cited His Children to Pressure Confession

    A Chinese house church pastor being held amid a broader crackdown on his congregation says authorities attempted to use concern for his young children to compel him to confess. Pastor Liu Zhenbin described the alleged pressure in a letter written from detention, according to ChinaAid, a U.S.-based organization that documents religious persecution in China.

  • Georgia Church Sees 120 Students Accept Jesus Christ at ‘Night of Champions’ Event

    A church in southeast Georgia reported that 120 students made decisions for Christ during a special outreach event designed to connect young athletes and coaches with the message of the Gospel. First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst recently hosted its first-ever “Night of Champions” in partnership with the ministry Strength of a Champion. The gathering attracted roughly 500 students and coaches representing four counties across the region.

  • Ministries Mobilize Thousands for Europe-Wide Street Evangelism Campaign to Reach 1 Million

    Christian ministries and churches across Europe are working together in a monthlong evangelism initiative known as “The Million Month,” seeking to share the Gospel in person with one million people throughout July. The outreach is underway in major cities and regional communities across the continent, including Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Reykjavik and Cluj. Volunteers are working in teams of two or three, meeting people on the streets each day to begin Gospel conversations.

  • Freed Chinese Pastor Ezra Jin: “I Won’t Rest Until They See Freedom”

    Days after reuniting with his family for the first time in eight years, Chinese house church pastor Ezra Jin Mingri pledged to keep advocating for eight fellow church members who remain imprisoned under harsh conditions in China. Jin, 56, was released last week after spending 266 days in a Chinese prison. Authorities detained him last October alongside 28 other leaders and members of Beijing Zion Church.
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