A new report from International Christian Concern revealed trends threatening Christians around the world, helping believers in the West remember our brothers and sisters in other countries in prayer.
The new report, released on July 7, offers testimonies and statistics from more than 20 countries where Christians face significant persecution.
“This year’s Global Persecution Index is a sobering reminder that millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ continue to pay a high price for their faith,” International Christian Concern President Shawn Wright said in a statement.
“Behind every statistic is a real person: someone who has chosen faithfulness to Jesus over safety, comfort, or even life itself. Our hope is that this report not only informs decision-makers and stakeholders, but moves readers to act with urgency, conviction, and compassion.”
Among the major global trends spotlighted by the ministry were “Religious Nationalism,” through which a given false religion is associated with a country’s identity and Christians are persecuted as a result.
For instance, militant Hindu groups in India have targeted Christians with mob violence, while Buddhist nationalism remains a threat to believers in Myanmar.
Other nations engage in “Transnational Repression” by pursuing religious minorities and dissidents in foreign countries.
China has targeted “those associated with unregistered Christian groups overseas” — even seeking to repatriate asylum seekers across the world — and has extended such policies to Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners.
The ever-present reality of “Terrorism,” often associated with Islam, threatens Christians in nations like Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and Somalia.
Groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and al-Shabab are strengthening their networks in those countries.
“Thousands of Christians have been killed or displaced in attacks designed to eradicate the Christian presence from contested territories,” International Christian Concern noted.
Disturbingly, the ministry spotlighted “The Use of the West to Persecute.”
Silicon Valley firms have provided the technology necessary for nations like China to monitor Christians and other religious minorities.
Despite the challenges Christians around the world face for following Jesus — a reality which He tells His followers to expect — the global church continues to advance, and the work of the Great Commission continues.
“Despite mounting repression, Christianity continues to grow in unexpected places,” International Christian Concern said.
“Iranian house church movement remains one of the fastest growing in the world, driven by underground networks and digital evangelism,” the report continued.
“In China, believers meet in homes and encrypted online gatherings despite constant surveillance, proving again that faith can endure even where freedom does not.”
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