The Rev. Franklin Graham hosted a delegation of senior Vietnamese officials and church leaders in North Carolina last week for discussions on religious freedom in the Southeast Asian nation.
The delegation included Nguyen Dinh Khang, Vietnam’s minister of ethnic and religious affairs and a member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee.
“In the years to come, the government of Vietnam, at all levels of administration, is committed to promote religious freedom,” Khang said, according to a Thursday statement released by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
“In coming alongside citizens, we are trying to ensure that religious freedom is protected by our laws and to enhance the effectiveness of grassroots level policy implementation.”
Khang said the Vietnamese government had established communication channels intended to allow religious minorities facing restrictions to voice their concerns, offer recommendations and communicate their needs to authorities.
The delegation toured BGEA’s headquarters in Charlotte on Tuesday before visiting Samaritan’s Purse in North Wilkesboro the following day. The Christian humanitarian organization, also headed by Graham, has operated in Vietnam for more than 30 years, delivering disaster relief and other assistance to hundreds of thousands of people.
Graham expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s efforts to improve religious freedom, acknowledging the challenges churches faced in the decades following the Vietnam War.
“I know relations with churches were difficult in the early days, but Vietnam has made great strides in improving religious freedom in recent years and I’m thankful we can discuss the continued importance of that today,” Graham said.
The evangelist, who has previously held outreach events in several Vietnamese cities, is expected to return to Hanoi in March 2027 for the Season of Love Festival.
Despite the government’s assurances, however, Vietnam continues to face criticism over its treatment of religious communities, particularly Christians belonging to unregistered churches and ethnic minority groups.
Earlier this year, Vietnamese authorities sentenced a pastor to seven and a half years in prison over “unregistered” religious activities. Officials also reported taking action against 119 Christians accused of promoting separatism.
Vietnam placed fourth worldwide for the number of Christians arrested because of their faith in the 2026 Global Christian Relief Red List, trailing only China, Russia and Iran.
International religious freedom advocates have also expressed concern about tighter government oversight of religious organizations. In a December 2024 report, Open Doors highlighted Decree No. 95 and Directive 24, warning that the measures could further restrict religious activities.
The organization also pointed to the establishment of a neighborhood-level security force in late 2023 as a possible indication of expanded surveillance. It warned that Protestant communities outside traditional denominations and Christians from ethnic minority backgrounds could face increased scrutiny and limitations on practicing their faith, both publicly and privately.
