As U.S. President Donald Trump flew home from Beijing after meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, we recorded this timely VOM Radio conversation with Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, to provide a current update about our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in China. Chinese Christians are facing a new criminal charge for training up children in God’s Word. Such Christians were recently charged with violating the “administrative management law.” The government alleges these Christians are training children to undermine the government; authorities see teaching the Bible as a national security violation. Bob also provides an update on 18 Zion church members arrested in recent months. The lawyers representing the accused Christians were forced to leave, shutting down their law firm and intimidating other attorneys from defending Christians. Bob will provide updates to help you pray for Pastors John Cao and Wang Yi. He will share current news, including a cancer diagnosis, and how they continue to serve the Lord despite government control and imprisonment. You’ll hear more about China’s social credit system and how it is affecting believers’ ability to travel, spend money, and gather together. China is continuing to export oppressive surveillance technology to places like Iran, Burma, and Vietnam, and we already see Chinese tactics being implemented in other countries. Bob Fu is the author of God’s Double Agent (affiliate link). He says a new edition of the book is in progress, including updates on the situation for Christians in China since Xi Jinping rose to top leadership in the country. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, and India, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
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A young pastor has been arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison for his ministry. Not long after this pastor had launched a church in Central Asia, local and secret police arrested him for simply conducting Christian ministry, actions considered by many Muslims to be offensive and even illegal in that region. “The young pastor has a wife and little children,” said a front-line worker. “Please pray that they will be encouraged and that this gospel worker’s faith and witness will be strong inside the prison.”
Read MoreMore than 30 Christians were killed by radical Islamists on Palm Sunday. On March 29, 2026, around 7:45 p.m., a group of jihadi terrorists on motorbikes rode into a crowded outdoor market in the Christian area of Jos, Nigeria. The group was yelling “Allahu Akbar!” and began shooting unarmed people. Bystanders ran for cover, but the Islamists killed some 30 people and injured even more. “The area is a 100% Christian community,” said a front-line worker.
Read MoreA man and his family have come to Christ through strategic evangelism efforts of Christians in the Maldives. To avoid drawing persecution from Muslim fundamentalist groups in this restricted nation, Christian workers must be intentional about how and with whom they share the message of the gospel, using creative approaches to discipleship. Hamko and his family are among those who have come to faith in Christ through one such effort.
Read MoreOur persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Iran are not shying away from being bold for Christ with their family and friends—even as a war is going on around them. This week, you’ll meet Sister Benesh, a bold evangelist and house church planter in Iran. In her first five years following Christ, she planted more than 30 house churches. Inside the Islamic Republic of Iran! Benesh grew up in a Muslim home, but over time, she began to question many aspects of Islamic teaching. As a teenager, she remembers hearing some women talking about the fact that Christian women—without the oppressive restrictions of Islam—were more free than Muslim women. Benesh became curious to know more about Christianity and the peace and love Jesus offers. Benesh’s father became very sick while she was in college. Her mother prayed repeatedly to Allah to heal him, but it didn’t work. Benesh’s father died. Shortly after, her mother died too. Her grief at the loss of her parents pushed Benesh even further to seek answers about Christ. First, she looked online. Then, after moving to a bigger city for employment, a coworker invited her to a church meeting. Experiencing Christian worship and fellowship for the first time, Benesh knew Jesus was calling her to put her faith and trust in Him. Despite her parents’ death, Benesh had peace from God—a peace that shocked her sister and other family members. Many were curious why she was different, which gave her open doors to share Jesus. At first, Benesh feared what her family or others would say or do if she shared Christ with them, but she quickly overcame that fear when she realized how hungry Iranians are for the truth. Sharing your faith can be dangerous in Islamic countries, but Benesh was so focused on sharing the joy she’d found in Christ that she almost forgot about the threat of the Islamic regime and Revolutionary Guards! Listen as Benesh tells how we can pray for her ministry, for the Iranian regime, and for bold witnesses for Christ in the Middle East—and as she challenges every Christian to tell others about Jesus! The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China and India, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreKhumlai, his wife and two daughters lost all their belongings in a series of attacks that began in October 2025 and culminated in the complete destruction of their home. Khumlai, who discipled 12 local Christian families in his home, had heard that the Muslim fundamentalist group Jammat-e-Islami, in coordination with some of his own Muslim family members, intended to kill him and force his daughters into Muslim marriages. He fled with his family to a nearby village before the final attack that razed their home.
Read MoreIn February 2026, agents with the Iranian regime arrested a group of Christians. Those detained include some who had previously been arrested, served long sentences and even been tortured in prison for their faith in Christ. “They are still being held and interrogated,” said a front-line worker. Because of the internet blockage within Iran, local ministers are having trouble gaining information about their cases or updates on their condition. The newly arrested Christians join around 50 other Iranian Christians already serving long sentences for Christian activities.
Read MoreA pastor in Benin requests prayer for a voodooist despite being persecuted by him. Pastor Vincent spent months planning and gaining permission to host an evangelistic meeting in his community in Benin. But on the scheduled day, the community rallied against it and demanded to speak with the outreach organizer. The Christian group was forced to leave, a tactic typical of voodooists in the area. A local voodoo priest had also opposed Vincent and Agnes, his wife, preventing them from buying land to build a house.
Read MoreBefore becoming a Christian, Pastor Putumandi’s life was, in his words, “a mess.” He pursued his family’s Hindu religion, dancing in temple ceremonies to access and appease the spirits. And he detested anything to do with Jesus. “I hated [Christians] before.” Putumandi said, “I despised Christianity.” But then he met Jesus, drawn by the compassion that he saw lacking in every other religion. For Putumandi, Jesus was the only one who could guarantee eternal life, and he wanted to know Him. After being baptized, his wife could tell that he had changed as Putumandi treated his family and others with compassion, showing the love of Christ. When his family found out Putumandi had left Hinduism, they kicked him out of their home immediately. His 16-year-old son tried to kill Putumandi. Despite being driven from his home and persecuted for his Christian faith, Putumandi says he never considered going back to Hinduism. “Salvation comes from Christianity,” Putumandi said. Putumandi will also share how it’s been a challenge to find a job to make a living because of the Christian persecution he’s faced. “I just do anything I can find,” he says, “and praise the Lord; He provides.” Pray for Putumandi’s health, for his family to come to know the Lord, and for his continued witness to unbelievers around him—especially the people in his own family. You’re invited! Be a part of The Voice of the Martyrs’ 2026 From the Field National Conference this September in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Gather with fellow believers and hear firsthand stories from persecuted Christians in restricted nations and hostile areas where VOM serves. Seating is limited, so register soon to join this inspiring event.
Read MoreA pastor and other Christians have been jailed indefinitely since early 2026. Pastor Jon has served Christ in Yemen for many years despite repeated threats on his life. In 2012, Islamist militants rushed into his church, and one held a gun to his head. He fully expected to die, but the militants did not kill him that day. (His story was previously shared in VOM’s August 2023 magazine.)
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