Let us pray （中文：請按這裏)

The countries represented—including Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and India—are part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s strategy to invest in infrastructure around the world, or BRICS, a bloc of emerging economies that includes China. This the first time Christians around the world have jointly spoken out for the persecuted church in China based on their countries’ relationships, said Bill Drexel, a Hudson Institute fellow and son-in-law of Jin.

The prayer, written and circulated by Jin’s family, urges China’s leaders to “recognize that religious freedom strengthens rather than threatens nations,” to immediately release Jin and the other church leaders, and to create “a future where Christians in China can worship freely, serve their communities openly, and live out their faith without fear.”

“We pray for all believers in China who face mounting pressure, restrictions, and persecutions for following You,” a portion of the prayer reads. “May they know they are not forgotten, and that Christians around the world stand with them in spirit and in prayer, and that the world is bearing witness to their treatment.” …

Zion Church continues to meet each Sunday, with sermons broadcast over Zoom and in-person gatherings of between 5 and 50 believers in homes or restaurants. Unity has been challenging to maintain, Long noted, because the church is spread out over 40 cities in China and some pastors, like him, live overseas.

Under the intense pressure of the recent arrests, he has seen conflicts among church members arise due to miscommunication, differing opinions on how to respond to the persecution, and a complicated eruption of emotions, including anger, anxiety, and fear.

“We have to digest [the crackdown] together as a team, as a faith community, and not leave any space for the Devil’s temptation,” Long said. “How we maintain unity is key to winning this spiritual battle.” … 

A front-line worker met with Narine, 20, in another country where she is safe for the time being. “She’s quite stressed and alone,” said the front-line worker. “She’s worried about both her father and her mother because her mother was also arrested and is awaiting sentencing for the same thing as her father — being involved in a home church.” 

The front-line worker requests prayer for the entire family to sense the Lord’s peace at this time, that they will all stand strong in their faith and be a light to those around them regardless of what happens.

The arrests took place in at least six cities across China. More than 10 officers broke into senior pastor Jin “Ezra” Mingri’s apartment in Beihai, Guangxi province, on Friday and searched his home all night before taking him away in handcuffs, according to the nonprofit ChinaAid. Authorities detained one pastor at the Shenzhen airport. Church members have lost contact with more than a dozen congregants in Beihai and are uncertain whether they’ve also been arrested.

Jin’s daughter, Grace, who lives in Maryland near Washington, DC, first heard about the roundup on Friday morning as she woke up to see her father’s prayer-request letter about Zion pastor Wang Lin’s arrest. Then she received a call from her mom, who also lives in the US, saying she had lost contact with her dad. They later found out he was under arrest in Beihai.

Grace always knew this could happen. In 2018, the government shut down Zion Church’s sanctuary in Beijing. Yet since the pandemic, the church has grown rapidly through its hybrid model of livestreaming services to small groups across the country. Today the church network includes nearly 10,000 people spread across 40 cities. Likely because of this growth, the Chinese government has increasingly targeted the church, breaking up services and detaining pastors and church members—although typically releasing them after several days.   

“I didn’t want to believe this was happening,” she said. She tried to downplay her father’s unavailability, thinking perhaps officials had just invited him to “drink tea” (a euphemism in China for police interrogations). “I did not want to look at what it entailed.”

Jin, an ethnic Korean from northeast China, became a Christian after the Tiananmen Square massacre left him disillusioned about the country’s Communist government. At a local church, he found hope he couldn’t find anywhere else. In 2007, he started Zion Church with fewer than 20 people. A decade later, it was one of the largest unregistered house churches in China, with about 1,500 members and more than 20 pastors. When I visited the church in Beijing in 2018 before the crackdown, the church was meeting on the third floor of an office building with a spacious modern sanctuary and its own coffee shop and Christian bookstore.

The government began threatening to close the church in August 2018 after Jin refused to install security cameras in the sanctuary. Authorities pressured about 100 church members to stop attending. In September, the government officially banned the church, sealing off the church property. Police detained Jin and other leaders for a few hours before releasing them.

This week’s roundup was different, said Sean Long, a Zion pastor pursuing a doctorate in theology at Wheaton College. In a coordinated attack, police in cities around the country carried warrants to detain the leaders and staff. They face charges of “illegal dissemination of religious information via the internet,” Long said.

Yet Long noted that Jin had long anticipated a crackdown. In 2018, even before the church was shut down, Jin sensed persecution coming and sent Long and his family abroad so an arrest of pastors would not leave the church leaderless. Jin’s wife, daughter, and two sons also moved to the US so the government could not use them as leverage.

This year Jin again sensed a storm coming. In one Zoom call with Jin, Long asked what would happen if all Zion’s leaders were arrested. Jin replied, “Hallelujah, because a new wave of revival is coming.” 

The arrests still shocked Long: “It’s a brutal violation of … the Chinese Constitution that grants every Chinese citizen freedom of religious belief.” 

A prayer letter Zion Church released Saturday listed other house churches recently facing persecution: In May, Xi’an police detained pastor Gao Quanfu of Zion’s Light Church for  allegedly “using superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of justice.” In June, authorities imprisoned 10 members of Golden Lampstand Church in Linfen on fraud charges. They sentenced pastor Yang Rongli to 15 years in prison.

With the leaders inside China detained, Long and several other pastors who reside overseas—including in South Korea and Canada—will continue to shepherd Zion Church.

On Sunday, three days after the crackdown began, Zion’s 100 church plants—gatherings that number between 5 and 50 people—will meet for worship as they do every week, Long said. Some groups meet inside living rooms, while other rent out private restaurant rooms. They’ll watch over Zoom as a Zion pastor who resides in South Korea preaches a sermon on the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), the first Christian martyr, followed by a short encouragement and benediction by Long. After that, they’ll hold in-person discussions or Bible studies. Some will share a meal together.  

“No suffering, no glory—that’s the most important spiritual DNA of the Chinese house church movement through history,” Long said. “We are willing to pay the price to bear the cost of discipleship.”

Khristopel continued to suffer and weaken physically, and his parents took him to the hospital, where he died on May 26. The autopsy showed the cause of death as a ruptured appendix, which may or may not have been the result of the beating, but the autopsy also showed internal bleeding and bruises that were consistent with blunt force trauma.

Ask the Lord to comfort Khristopel’s family and for the Holy Spirit to lead the young assailants to repent and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for our youngest brothers and sisters in Christ who, like Khristopel, also pay a high price for bearing Christ’s name.

Indian Christians Defiant Amid Death Threats and Raids

Vikram Mukka - Christianity Today August 21, 2025

Hindu nationalists hope Maharashtra will become 

the next Indian state to pass an anti-conversion law.

A mob of 200 Hindu nationalists stormed Bethel Prarthana Bhavan (Bethel Prayer Hall) in Maharashtra’s Malegaon town, with police and revenue authorities in tow, to disrupt the ongoing Sunday service on July 20. Shouted slogans decrying “Christian conversion” replaced the typical praise and worship, the church’s pastor, Simon Raut, told CT.

Worshipers stood in disbelief as the mob, made up of people who belonged to the Hindutva militant group Bajrang Dal, confronted the pastor and church elders, claiming they didn’t have the government’s permission to worship in the building. They snatched gospel tracts from the Bibles where they were tucked, then tore them, Raut said. Police and other officials watched in silence until tempers cooled, only to serve a notice to the church leaders, forcing them to stop all activities.

Since 2019, about 300 believers have gathered to worship in this hall each Sunday. After beginning as a house church in 2017, the group expanded and moved to the new location. Raut denied allegations that the church had met illegally and that they had forcibly converted Hindus.

“I own the land,” he said. “I have all the permissions. This is just an attempt to stop God’s mighty work in our land.”

Since the mob came, the congregation has continued to hold services at the prayer hall. The church leaders also hired a Christian lawyer to challenge the notice.

Two days after the attack in Malegaon, a similar script played out 65 miles away in the city of Nashik. Police summoned six believers from a tribal church, which was established in 2009, to the local police station, according to the church’s pastor. The cops warned them not to congregate in the church or at anyone’s house in the village to pray. Since then, the 200 Christians in the church have splintered into six small groups to worship secretly. CT agreed not to disclose the specific details of the church and the pastor, as they fear arrest.

Since the landslide victory of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the western Indian state of Maharashtra in November 2024, attacks against Christians have surged. So far this year, the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission documented 11 cases of violence against Christians in the region. Over the same period last year, there was only a single incident.

Christian lawyer Wilson Nathan, who is part of a team providing pro bono legal aid to persecuted Christians, told CT there has been a sharp escalation of violence in recent months. He has received distressed calls from districts all over the state. House churches in tribal districts, especially in Dhule and Nandurbar, are often the target of Hindu fanaticism. Most new converts in the state are from marginalized tribal and Dalit hamlets, where Christianity is mushrooming. 

The rising rhetoric against the Christian community comes amid the BJP’s push for an anticonversion law, which it pledged during its election campaign last year. The new law, slated to roll out this December, is set to curb religious conversions and to demolish “unauthorised” churches, particularly in tribal areas. If the law is enacted, Maharashtra will become the 14th Indian state to pass an anticonversion law, ironically called the Freedom of Religion Act. (The state of Tamil Nadu has since repealed its anticonversion law, while lawmakers in Karnataka have said they plan to repeal its law.)

Christian leaders told CT that the Hindu nationalists aim to reshape public opinion through anti-Christian speeches, attacks on worship spaces, and accusations of “forced conversions.” This would allow them to act with impunity and assault Christians at will. Many expect that the government would then pass the anticonversion law without any hurdles.

The impact is already palpable. “There is heightened fear among those who carry out any Christian activity,” said Arun Shinde, the retired pastor of Saint Andrew’s Church in Nashik. “I can no longer imagine sharing the gospel, praying for people, and distributing the New Testament in public places, as I did until last year.”

On June 21, Gopichand Padalkar, a BJP lawmaker, announced monetary rewards of 300,000 Indian rupees ($3,450 USD) for attacking a Christian priest, 500,000 rupees ($5,740 USD) for breaking a priest’s limbs, and 1,100,000 rupees ($12,640 USD) for killing a priest and his family. Despite protests, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a federal body that protects religious minorities’ interests, did not initiate an investigation into Padalkar until August 6.

On the same day, the Bombay High Court, the top court in Maharashtra, accepted a public interest litigation against Padalkar from the secretary of the Association of Concerned Christians.

The state government has also announced its decision to increase scrutiny on Dalit and tribal converts. Tribal Christians now run the risk of losing the government’s welfare benefits. Similarly, the government is stripping Scheduled Caste status from Dalits who identify as Christians.

Amid such threats, about 15,000 Christians from across Maharashtra on July 11 converged at Azad Maidan—a sports field in the state’s capital, Mumbai—holding placards, singing hymns, and praying in protest against the proposed anticonversion law, attacks on churches, and hate speeches.

Among them was pastor Digambar Prakash Singh, a soft-spoken man who has received death threats from Hindu nationalists over the phone. “They tell me I will be killed if I don’t stop evangelizing,” he said. “I tell them, ‘You are welcome to my home. We can talk.’”

Yet he continues to hold on to hope. “Rising persecution is a sign that the gospel is spreading fast and deep,” he added. “It is only a matter of time before God gives us a rich harvest. All we have to do now is to follow [the] apostle Paul to bless those persecuting us.”

When Qasim and his wife, Zaynab, became followers of Christ in 2016, their Shiite Muslim family immediately rejected them and threatened their lives. Zaynab’s brother beat her and told her to leave her “infidel” husband. Eventually, the couple and their young children fled Iraq, but Zaynab’s brother continues to harass them over the phone, saying he will kill them if he finds them.

Islamists seeking their location attacked Qasim’s father and one of his younger brothers, sending him to a hospital with broken legs and in a life-threatening coma. The constant threats have severely affected Zaynab’s mental health, and she struggles to function and care for her children.

Front-line workers request prayer for Zaynab to experience the Lord’s peace, for a safe place for the family to live, for healing and salvation for Qasim’s brother, and for wisdom for Zaynab.

According to Burkinabe church leaders from two denominations, attacks on Christians by Islamist insurgents are rapidly increasing. 

Leaders from one denomination say that from January 2024 until the beginning of 2025, 10 pastors were murdered, 220 displaced, 7 abducted, 179 churches closed, 22 churches burned or destroyed, and 177 Christians murdered. Nearly 31,000 of the denomination’s church members have been displaced. 

Another denomination reports that 797 pastors (70%) have been displaced, 7 killed, and 97 churches burned or destroyed with 946 churches closed and 115 Christians killed. Additionally, more than 100,000 of that denomination’s church members have been displaced.

“These are current numbers,” said a front-line worker. “We need to increase prayer support for our Burkinabe brothers and sisters, for their protection, for provision, and for their persecutors to come to faith in Christ.” 

Abdulmasi studied the Quran in a renowned Muslim university in northern Nigeria but came to faith in Christ through dreams he had. Since giving his life to Christ, Abdulmasi has experienced opposition in his community. People in his village refuse to eat with him; he has been beaten and poisoned; and a majority of his harvest was taken by other villagers.

Amid this persecution, Abdulmasi remains faithful to Christ. He decided not to leave his village but to stay and share the love of Christ, and he said that people have been asking him questions about his faith. 

Pray for Abdulmasi as he shares the gospel in his village, and pray that those who persecute him will repent and place their trust in Christ.

He requests prayer for his family to come to know Christ and to receive him as their Lord and savior. He also asks for prayer that he will stay firm in his faith and live in peace with others.

Iranian pastors Nasser Navard Gol-Tapath, age 63, and Joseph Shahbazian, age 61, were rearrested in their homes on Feb. 6, 2025, and taken to Evin Prison. No reason for their arrests was given.

Pastor Nasser immediately began a hunger strike in protest but suffered a debilitating stroke on March 17. While he reportedly has received some medical treatment, he remains behind bars. 

Pastor Nasser had previously served nearly 5 years in the same prison on a 10-year sentence on charges of “action against national security” for leading house churches.

Pastor Joseph Shahbazian, an Iranian Armenian, had also been sentenced to 10 years on the same charge and had served just over a year in the prison when they were both released in October 2022.

Iranian church leaders say the arrests of pastors and Christians show that the Iranian government continues to target church leaders, even those previously pardoned.

Front-line workers in Pakistan report that the level of brutality against Christians in the country has been increasing in recent months. “In my 65 years, I have never seen these kinds of things in Pakistan,” said one worker. 

On March 24, 2025, a Muslim in the Punjab province attacked a Christian coworker with a paper cutter, slashing his throat. The Christian barely survived and is currently unable to speak. 

On March 27, 2025, a Christian couple was stopped in the Faisalabad district and robbed at gunpoint by two masked men. When the men learned the couple were Christians, they tied up the husband and sexually assaulted his wife. Local police have arrested the attackers in both incidents.

Pakistani Christians request prayer for the survivors’ recovery, for justice to be done and for courage to stand firm in their faith amid intense persecution.

Kitessa was a dedicated church leader murdered by armed militants, leaving behind his wife, Melke, and five children. Because of his passionate evangelism, Kitessa was warned he would be killed if he did not stop preaching the gospel. Still, he remained committed to sharing the gospel and leading a church in his community.

On Aug. 25, 2024, Kitessa was returning home after preaching a Sunday service when armed militants opened fire on him. Kitessa’s wife, Melke, was within earshot of the gunfire and quickly tried to reach her husband by phone. When he didn’t answer, she ran toward the sound of the gunshots, finding her husband alive and lying on the roadside. He died before they were able to get medical assistance. 

Melke is now responsible for raising their five children on her own. The global body of Christ has helped provide for the family’s needs, and Melke requests prayer that her children will remain firm in their faith.

A Muslim man was disowned by his family for placing his faith in Christ after his daughter’s miraculous healing. 

Moussa, 65, was a devout Muslim until around five years ago when his daughter began experiencing severe abdominal pain. After seeking the aid of imams and local physicians without success, Moussa prayed to Christ for his daughter’s healing. 

His wife, Safia, had been a follower of Christ for more than three decades, consistently praying for her husband’s salvation. At one point, Moussa had even kicked her out of their home because of her Christian faith. 

After Moussa prayed for his daughter, she was healed. “I could not deny that God is truly and only found in Christianity,” he said. He joyfully shared the Good News with his Muslim family, who disowned him for his witness. 

Front-line workers share that though Moussa is heartbroken from his family’s rejection, he is full of the joy of the Lord. Please pray that the Lord continue to strengthen this family and touch their community. 

In India, Christians are made to feel that they don't belong. That they are second-class citizens. And, according to Reverend Arun, like they aren't even human. 

Tragically, stories like Suman's—where Hindu family members turn against their Christian relatives—are all too common. But her story is only a piece of the broader devastation being experienced by Christians across India ...

Indian believers are facing these forms of persecution right now:

• Mob Violence: Attacks are carried out on Christians, often with impunity.

• Destruction of property: Churches and Christian homes are vandalized
  or burned.

• Legal discrimination: Anti-conversion laws are misused to harass
  believers.

• Social ostracization: Those who convert are rejected by their families
  and communities.

• Economic marginalization: Christians are denied basics, like clean water,
  food and jobs.

• Forced reconversions: Converts are highly pressured to return to
  Hinduism—by force if necessary.

As fresh reports come in from the field, our brothers and sisters are asking for our prayers—and to know they're not alone ...

It's no exaggeration to say our Christian family is under attack in India and in many parts of the world. Thank you for standing with our suffering brothers and sisters who endure in the same way Paul wrote to the Galatians:

"I have been crucified with Christ and
I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me."

Please pray that the Lord supports and provides for Christians in need. 

Please also pray that Indian Christians remain steadfast in their faith and be good witnesses for their Lord Christ.

On Sunday, December 1, 2024, the Syrian city of Aleppo was suddenly attacked and captured by Islamist militias. One week later, the rebel groups succeeded in taking over the capital city, Damascus, when the Syrian government and military collapsed and its leader, Bashar al-Assad, fled. 

The jihadist groups have been fighting the Syrian government for more than a decade, and Christians are concerned that they may soon become targets. “The situation is still unclear,” said a front-line worker, who added that, so far, Christians and churches have not been specifically threatened, and some have even held services. 

During the past 10 years, many Christians have fled Syria because of fighting, economic hardships and direct attacks on Christians. Aleppo is the second largest city in the country and home to around 25,000 Christians.