After a church in West Java province held a celebration to break ground for a new building, hundreds of Muslims came to protest the construction on July 5, 2025. They complained that church leaders did not properly communicate their plans, even though there had been public meetings with district, village and neighborhood leaders during the permitting process. Among other stipulations in the agreements for the church construction were provisions for the church to serve the public good, including road improvements and community use of the building.
Read MoreKhaled Mezher, a pastor, and at least 12 members of his family were murdered during fighting between Druze militias and Islamic extremists battling for control of the city of Suwayda. The victims include his wife, children, his elderly parents, some of his siblings and their children. More than 250 people in the community have been killed in the fighting, and the number could be much higher. Pastor Mezher had been active in distributing aid in the city, and front-line workers report that his church will continue to receive VOM Action Packs. They are also helping the surviving family members.
Read MoreA newly Christian woman is facing expulsion from her village because of her faith. ThaoSeng, 51, became a follower of Christ in 2024 through the witness of a cousin she was visiting in another city. When she returned to her hometown a few months later, she remained faithful and worshiped at a church in a nearby village. Her family and the village elders became aware of her new Christian faith and began to persecute her, threatening to kick her out of the village if she would not renounce Jesus Christ.
Read MoreMilitants with the radical Islamist group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a group of Christians in far northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Sunday, July 27, killing more than 40 people. The attack occurred in the middle of the night while a group was gathered for an all-night prayer meeting. One week earlier, militants attacked another church in the area, killing three people. “The two attacks directly targeting [these] churches raise serious questions about the safety of Christians in Ituri province and eastern DRC in general,” said a front-line worker.
Read MoreFront-line workers say that three families who left Islam and became followers of Christ have been forced from their homes. “It is common for young families to live with or near their parents or other family members as they save up funds to someday build their own place to live,” said a front-line worker. “But Christians who have been forced [out] usually can’t afford to pay rent and to save money so they can build or purchase their own home in the future.”
Read MoreTwo Christians are struggling with health problems as they wait for their court cases to be resolved. Soon after Murad became a follower of Christ, he was active in telling others the Good News and eventually became a pastor. The Algerian government took notice of his Christian activities, arresting him and charging him with numerous violations of religious laws. If he is convicted, Murad could face several years in prison. He has appealed his case to the Algerian Supreme Court, but the stress of his legal ordeal has created some serious health complications. A member of his congregation was also arrested, and his ongoing court case has also created health problems for him.
Read MoreSeveral Syrian churches have received threatening letters from anonymous Islamist groups that urge Muslims to attack Christians in a religious war. One note said, “Muslims, do not stop destroying the homes of Christians, slaughtering their children … Rush to jihad today, not tomorrow.” Another note said, “Let us make them taste torment and turn their homes into graves.” A third included the line, “Burn the bodies of the slaves of the cross.” In response to the threats, the new Syrian government has sent armed guards to protect the churches.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, May 20, 2025, armed Islamic terrorists attacked a church outside of Fada N’Gourma in eastern Burkina Faso, killing two members. As church members were inside holding a prayer meeting, the terrorists entered the building and killed two men, allowing women and children to flee. The attackers entered the pastor’s nearby home and ransacked it, then burned four motorcycles, several motorbikes and two carts vital for local transportation. One of the murdered men was a church elder named Amadou Thiombiano, who is survived by his wife and three children. The second person killed was 18-year-old Jeremi Thiombian.
Read MoreA Christian widow has been unable to support herself and her children as Islamists regularly destroy her crops. Islamist groups regularly attack villages in central and northern parts of the country, and attacks against Christian communities are especially violent, leaving behind many widows. Victoria Luka, a mother of five, lost her husband to an attack on Sept. 17, 2018, near Jos. Their village was destroyed and their house burnt to ash.
Read MoreA house church in central Mexico experienced an unusual attack. As members met for their Sunday service in a first-floor apartment, a neighbor on the third floor, who practices an occult religion and has been vocally opposed to the church gatherings, tried to flood the church’s apartment by running water from her balcony through an empty second-floor apartment and into their meeting space. Finding a new apartment to rent is very difficult, as in this area biblical Christians face great opposition.
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