Christians in eastern Turkiye are often isolated with limited opportunities to fellowship openly with other followers of Christ. But a small Protestant church in eastern Turkiye, in an area close to the Syrian border populated mainly by Kurds and some Syrians and Iranians, has developed a good relationship with a long-standing Orthodox church. Its leaders are willing to allow the young church to repurpose one of their dilapidated buildings, but doing so will require the approval of local officials.
Read MoreOn November 25, 2022, Drithi was worshipping with about 25 other believers when the service was interrupted by a group demanding that the congregation members return to Hinduism. Many of the believers were beaten, including Drithi and her father. Because of this event, 14 of the families returned to Hinduism, leaving Drithi and her father as the only believers.
Read MoreOn July 10, militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram snuck into the home of a 75-year-old Christian and killed him in his sleep. This brother is described as a businessman and an active, faithful member of his local church. His family believes that the militants entered the home around 1:00 a.m. and slit his throat.
Read MoreOn Aug. 16, a mob of 5,000 Muslim extremists rampaged through Jaranwala, a city in the Faisalabad district, reacting to allegations that two young Christian men had desecrated a copy of the Quran and insulted the prophet Muhammad. Rioters attacked Christian neighborhoods and churches throughout the city. The mob burned or severely damaged 25 churches and 89 homes; hundreds of Christians fled either because their homes and belongings were destroyed or in fear of further attacks. The mob dispersed hours later only after the government dispatched police and soldiers into the area.
Read MoreA young woman killed in September 2022 while in the custody of the Iranian religious police led to a spontaneous uprising. “Iranian women wanted their dignity back,” a front-line worker said. In Iran, girls as young as nine can be given in marriage, and a woman’s testimony in court is worth only half a man’s. Front-line workers report that the young woman’s death has caused many Iranians to continue to grow disillusioned with their repressive Islamic government and search for truth elsewhere.
Read MoreKalifa and his family were all Muslims living in a Muslim village. But then, Kalifa placed his trust in Christ during an evangelistic outreach earlier this year, becoming the first Christian in his village. When others in Kalifa’s Muslim community learned about his newfound faith in Christ, they began to persecute him and his family with verbal insults and physical attacks.
Read MoreNearly 60 Iranian Christians were swept up in a sudden wave of arrests across the country in mid-July, crippling ministry work. “Most ministries have stopped their activities,” said a front-line worker. His comments follow reports of three Christians arrested in Tehran on May 9, 2023. Agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Court arrived that morning with search warrants and confiscated mobile phones, laptops, books and pamphlets.
Read MorePema Ongmo, 27, was raised in an animist family and had never heard about Christ until a friend shared the gospel and invited her to church. Her father, a village leader, found out and forbade her to read the Bible the pastor had given her. But she started reading the Bible secretly and began to follow Christ. Her mother became ill, and her father spent all the family’s resources looking for a cure. Pema told her father that the Jesus she read about in the Bible healed many people.
Read MoreMateo and Elena are church planters advancing God’s kingdom in Central Mexico. Elena was diagnosed with a rare brain aneurysm that required surgery. However, in the most recent round of tests, the doctors found that the aneurysm had been healed. One even called it a miracle from God. Still, Elena and Mateo continue to face enormous pressure to stop their gospel outreach, including threatening phone calls, an unexplained fire in their house, and spiritual attacks on Elena and their two young daughters.
Read MoreDuring an Islamist gathering denouncing Christianity and encouraging anti-Christian activity, Juhel stood up and shared his testimony about his faith in Christ. Some in the crowd listened with interest because of his reasonable and gentle approach, while others expressed opposition and anger. Some in the group invited Juhel to speak again in the mosque, planning to attack him there. When he turned them down, they planned an ambush instead.
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