Author: MC

Greetings!

This time of year, we see an uptick in annual reports of various kinds, many of them providing info and insights you can use to update your own messages, presentations, and more.

Looking for data on religion?

At this writing, Gordon-Conwell’s Status of Global Christianity page still shows last year’s report, but a new one should be released soon. Meanwhile, check out two interesting pieces that came out last year from the Pew Research Center. As you read, ask yourself: What are the implications?

• Many religions are heavily concentrated in a few countries
• If the U.S. had 100 people: Charting Americans’ religious affiliations

We also have new data on religious persecution.

Open Doors has released its 2026 World Watch list, an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. See story and video below.

And see also the recently released 2026 Red List, which also reports on the most dangerous places to be a Christian according to five categories of concern (Global Christian Relief).

Plus some interesting links…

For when life feels precarious, Marti came across news about an interesting new proof-of-life app developed in China. “Are You Dead?” has become the #1 paid iPhone app in China (BGR).

If you were born somewhere else, how would your life be different? Check out a great data visualization comparing income, education, life expectancy, and more (Giving What We Can, via Flowing Data). Spin the globe and scroll down the window for a one-minute, three-question quiz to test your knowledge of global inequality. I (Pat) failed big time!

On a more positive note, you might want to check out What the World Eats to discover and compare global cuisines with data-driven culinary infographics. Fun!

Hope this gives you something to chew on.

Pat and Marti

Source: Open Doors, January 2026

The World Watch List is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Explore each country profile and download the data and stories for in-depth information about following Jesus in the most dangerous places. You’ll learn more about Christian persecution and discover how to stand with your brothers and sisters in prayer and action.

Watch the video below or read about the trends, some of them encouraging. You can find many related resources on the Open Doors website.

You might also appreciate an article about the report, The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian in 2026 (Christianity Today).

Source: Asia Harvest, January 17, 2026

As we step into a new year, we’re reminded that much of the work we do to serve persecuted believers in Asia happens quietly and often goes unseen.

In fact, many urgent needs we meet never get reported due to the surrounding dangers—but every so often, we’re able to share a glimpse into what believers are facing and how timely help can make a difference. This video captures one such moment from India, where 11 new Christian believers narrowly escaped being burned alive when extremists set their homes on fire as they slept, leaving everything they owned in ashes.

Read the full story.

Meanwhile, for the first time in its history, neighboring Pakistan held state-sponsored Christmas celebrations as a display of support for the nation’s Christians. See Pakistan Makes Christmas Official (God Reports).

Source: Forum 18, January 9, 2026

In November, police raided a Baptist church’s worship meeting, blocking the doors. Those present rejected pressure to write statements. When church leaders refused to register the church, police took administrative cases to court, but a judge dismissed them in December.

In September, police visited [another] Baptist church. A woman who complained that the church was teaching children later admitted she wrote the complaint “under pressure and dictation from the police.” Police interrogated a pastor’s child in school in the parents’ absence. Police in both cases refused to comment.

Read more. Note that the country’s religious laws allow only state-registered religious communities to hold worship services, which must be held at state-approved locations. As a rule, Council of Churches Baptist churches do not seek state permission to exercise their freedom of religion. The Muslim community faces even tighter restrictions: only mosques subject to a state-controlled board are permitted to exist.

Sources: Various

“If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ve likely seen the unrest unfolding in Iran. What’s happening there has real implications for the Church,” writes Global Christian Relief.

Read 5 Ways to Pray for the Church in Iran Right Now (and pray).

“May the people of Iran hear of Jesus. May they know Christ’s nearness. May they experience His powerful deliverance,” says Prayercast.

Watch and share their video, Pray for Iran.

“We are living in a time of unprecedented Muslim conversion to Jesus,” Ted Esler points out and encourages us to look for ways God is at work in Iran and beyond.

Read The Veil Is Tearing.

Source: United Bible Societies, December 20, 2025

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Angola’s independence and the 60th anniversary of the Bible Society of Angola (BSA), the BSA formally presented a special Commemorative Bible for the National Independence Jubilee.

The Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, held on November 8, 2025, at the 11 de Novembro Stadium, brought together the entire Angolan Church in a unified act of worship and thanksgiving. The service theme, “Angola, 50 Years of National Independence, Rejoice in Christ!” (Leviticus 25:10-18), set a tone of joy and spiritual reflection for the celebration.

More than 40,000 worshipers attended the service, including leaders from various religious, political, and civil society organizations.

Before the presentation, a Catholic bishop highlighted the spiritual significance of the moment, stating: “We produced this Bible so that in the coming years the country will be governed according to the Word of God.”

Following the presidential presentation, all dignitaries, both governmental and ecclesiastical, received their own copies of the commemorative edition. For this historic event, the Bible Society printed 12,000 Portuguese Bibles in Brazil.

Read the full story.

Also from UBS, read about Family Bible 100 Steps, a movement launched in Europe to help families build habits of Scripture engagement, now with tools in 22 languages. They hope to distribute one million of the family Bibles by sometime in 2026.

1. USA: Student Missions Conference Draws Thousands of Students to Phoenix
2. Nigeria: Former Fulani Terrorist Now Leading House Church
3. South Sudan: Hijacker Surrenders After Pilot Tells Him God Loves Him
4. Philippines: Bringing Restoration in All Parts of Life
5. Nicaragua: Bibles Banned at Border Crossings

Read or share the email edition.

Source: Marti Wade

Urbana, InterVarsity’s triennial student missions conference, has come and gone, and we’re hearing good things. In fact, only good things. Were you there? Or have you engaged with young adults who were part of this conference?

Ted Esler of Missio Nexus observes, “It was not exactly a return to the ‘good old days’ (which are long gone) but a GenZ-focused event that was surprisingly rich in content and approach.” Read more.

InterVarsity also created a five-minute video recap. Worth watching.

It’s not over yet. The last day’s call to action invited students to identify their next steps and offered resources and connections. I pray that each attendee gets the encouragement or coaching they need to take those next steps—maybe from someone in your church or ministry.

Source: Back to Jerusalem, January 4, 2026

Nigeria is one of the most dangerous areas in the world to be a Christian. An average of 32 Christians are killed in Nigeria every day. That is one every 45 minutes.

However, something amazing is happening! Islamic fighters are leaving their weapons and coming to Christ in large numbers.

Africa’s most deadly Muslim terrorists, who have been killing thousands of Christians every year, are being baptized and leading house churches in Nigeria. The Muslims who [convert] to Christianity are showing an open act of defiance, and this can lead to death. Muslims in Nigeria who become Christians are literally signing their death warrant, but that is not stopping them.

In a rare video posted on X, a former Muslim fighter is leading a house church of local believers and running a Sunday School.  He is not alone. In the last six months, more and more videos of former Islamic terrorists can be seen boldly sharing the gospel message with believers in house churches.

See the full story with video clips. Have you heard anything more about this from other sources? Let us know.

For a bit more nuance, a recent prayer email has this to say about Nigeria (Justin Long):

“Pray for the spread of the gospel in northern Nigeria, and for the protection of believers. The violence in the area is a combustible mixture of ethnic tensions, militias, warlordism, banditry, and Islamic fundamentalism. Christians are sometimes targeted for being Christians, but also sometimes because they are the “other tribe” or in a desired village or because they have not paid what amounts to bribes for protection. Pray for the church to endure, to be a bold and loving witness, and for many persecutors to become followers of the King of Peace.”

Want to pray with others for the Muslim world? 30 Days of Prayer starts February 18.

Source: The Christian Post, December 11, 2025

The pilot of a Samaritan’s Purse plane that was recently hijacked told the attempted hijacker that God loves him, according to the Evangelical nonprofit’s CEO, the Rev. Franklin Graham.

Graham talked with the pilot after the incident, who described what it was like when the individual who snuck on board tried to take over the airplane. Graham said the pilot made an effort to “try to convince him not to do this, but the guy said, ‘I’m going to kill you and I’m going to count to three and I’m going to kill you.’”

“So, the pilot realized this isn’t going to turn out well,” said Graham. “So, [the pilot said] I’m just going to tell him that God loves him. The guy surrendered, and so we are just grateful.”

“We work in dangerous parts of the world; that’s part of it.”

Traveling to Maiwut, South Sudan [on December 2], the plane was en route to deliver medicine to a mobile medical unit operated by Samaritan’s Purse when it was hijacked.

“We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome,” Samaritan’s Purse said in a statement.

Read the full story.

Also from Africa, read about a Ugandan pastor brutally attacked and accused of misleading the community’s children by encouraging them to attend church (Morning Star News) and the Rwandan president’s defense of the closure of thousands of churches (Arab News).

Meanwhile, in Asia, an influential Chinese church reports arrests as the crackdown on Christians intensifies (BBC).