These articles were first published in our December edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
Thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing their homes in southern Lebanon are finding shelter and safety thanks to churches and Christian organisations opening their doors.
True Vine Baptist Church in Zahlé has provided refuge to 150 people and at least 30 families fleeing south Lebanon, both in the church building and in the homes of members. The church also has a school that serves 600 refugee children, although classes are currently suspended for security reasons.
Muslim vigilante groups in Pakistan are using social media to bring blasphemy charges against Christians. The groups, in collaboration with federal authorities, use fake social media profiles to catch victims engaging with posts that could be considered ‘blasphemous’.
One of these groups was reportedly successful in securing convictions resulting in life sentences or the death penalty for 27 individuals over the past three years. This year there have been three times as many blasphemy cases in Pakistan than there were in 2023.
At least 14 people were killed and another 34 injured after lightning struck a church in northern Uganda earlier this month. The incident occurred while churchgoers were gathered to pray.
While the victims have not been identified, it is suspected that they were mostly refugees from South Sudan after the civil war that broke out in the country in 2011. According to Premier Christian News, these kinds of tragedies are common in Uganda where structures like schools rarely have lightning conductors.
University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been asked to stop praying with his team by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). According to the Christian Post, the group says Sanders’ behaviour goes against his players’ First Amendment rights.
In a letter addressed to the University of Colorado, FFRF asked for assurance, in writing, of any steps the university takes to stop Sanders leading Christian activities. The letter also requested that the coach be reminded that his job is to coach football, not ‘promote Christianity’.
Emily Pollok
Six Christians have been killed in an attack on a village in Benue State, Nigeria by Fulani herdsmen. Locals described how herdsmen shot at Christians living in the predominantly Christian farming village of Ayilomo, in Logo County.
The attack comes hot on the heels of another attack which saw 15 Christians killed in another village in the same county just days earlier. The constant nature of the attacks in the region has led to widespread displacement of Christians in the area.
Open Doors have expressed concern over the passing of new reform laws in Mexico which elevate indigenous customs and traditions to the status of public law. They say the changes, which would potentially see local customs enforced without external oversight, could see Christians in indigenous regions persecuted.
Many see the reforms as a victory for indigenous rights, but Open Doors warn the laws could ‘exacerbate religious persecution, particularly against Christians who refuse to participate in traditional religious religions and festivals.’
The Bible App by YouVersion has been downloaded more than 727 million times around the world, with India, Africa and Latin America being large contributors, according to YouVersion’s annual review.
The Bible provider’s latest data revealed that over 80% of downloads of the Bible app have been outside the USA, with several countries enjoying over 200% increases in usage, including Kenya, Cameroon and Uganda, while Latin America saw a 107% increase in app installs.
Extremists believed to be Boko Haram recently released a video which showed militants beheading and hacking to death four people in Borno State, Nigeria. One of the executors revealed in the video that one of the people to be executed was his sister.
It is not clear if the people were Christians, but Open Doors have warned that Christians are especially vulnerable to attacks like this. The latest incident comes as Nigerian authorities are resettling people who fled Borno State back into the region under a widely criticised displacement programme.
Parents in Lahore, Pakistan have regained custody of their 16-year-old Christian daughter after she was forcibly kidnapped and married/converted by a Muslim man. She had been kidnapped in September, but a court has now ruled that she should be returned to her parents after her mother filed for recovery of custody.
The girl was abducted by the man and two others from her home in her village in the Faisalabad District, Punjab Province. Police escorted the girl and her family from the court to ensure they were not attacked by relatives.
A Christian in Indonesia has been arrested and charged with blasphemy after comments he made about Islam on social media. His comments preceded an angry response from hundreds of Muslims, who besieged his home.
Rudi Simamora had been arrested and jailed for blasphemy before, according to reports, and was arrested again by the authorities after alleging that messages by Muhammad were not divine and that Allah is racist.
A Christian convert from Islam in Somalia has been attacked for a third time after Muslim relatives suspected he was leading Christian prayer and worship meetings. Mohammad Abdul was leading worship at his home in the Lower Juba Region but was questioned by relatives who were waiting for him outside afterwards.
When he refused to join his relatives for Islamic worship, Abdul was physically attacked and suffered a fracture, injured hands and cuts to his face, according to Morning Star News.
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the remains of an early Christian church which dates back over 1,600 years, along with human remains, at the site of the ancient city of Trimithis, near the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert.
As was reported by Newsweek, only parts of the fourth-century church remain due to erosion over time, but the ground floor, foundations and adjoining rooms are among the areas still intact. Experts believe it to be ‘one of the oldest purpose-built churches to be excavated in Europe.’
Luke Randall