Category: News Briefs

Source: Morning Star News, February 2, 2026

A mother of three in Somalia fled her home after her Muslim husband learned she had accepted Christ, but he later also converted and now the entire family is at risk, they said.

Fatuma Juma, a resident of Kismayo, said she experienced a deep personal encounter with Christ in November 2024. As apostasy is punishable by death in Somalia, she initially kept her faith secret.

During an underground fellowship meeting she attended with her two daughters last year on April 25, she was listening to an audio message and began to weep uncontrollably, Juma said. Her 7- and 9-year-old daughters, alarmed by their mother’s emotional state, returned home and informed their father, Ibrahim Mohammed.

Mohammed sent their 13-year-old son to bring her back.

“When I arrived, my mum was not herself,” he told Morning Star News. “She looked confused and continued shedding tears until the fellowship ended.”

When Juma did not return home immediately, Mohammed went to the site and angrily confronted her. He demanded an explanation and attempted to force her to return, but Juma, physically weak and emotionally overwrought, asked for permission to speak, witnesses said.

Juma then prayed aloud, saying, “Oh Lord Jesus, forgive my past sins. Since now I am born again, I will not disobey you from today,” they said.

Read the full story.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, Morning Star News (and other sources) report that 177 Christians were kidnapped from three churches in Nigeria on January 18. Some later escaped.

See also Report Reveals Top Global Christian Persecutors (International Christian Concern, referring to the International Institute for Religious Freedom).

Source: Global Christian Relief, January 20, 2026

The afternoon sun beats down mercilessly on the abandoned schoolroom in Chad, where Zayd sits with the quiet confidence of a man who has counted the cost and found it worthwhile.

At 35, this Christian soldier in Chad carries himself with the bearing of someone accustomed to both military discipline and divine calling. His weathered hands rest calmly on the wooden desk as he prepares to share a story that began with childhood beatings and blossomed into unshakeable faith.

“When I was a little boy, I used to go to the Quranic school, but they hit me,” he recalls, his voice steady despite the weight of memory. “I got angry, frustrated, and I was asking myself, ‘What kind of God can treat bad children like this?’”

Zayd’s journey from questioning child to committed evangelist unfolded over decades. After years of attending Sunday school without truly understanding its meaning, he made his definitive choice in 2008.

“I gave my life to Jesus Christ,” he states simply, as if the magnitude of that decision speaks for itself.

The response from his family was swift and brutal.

Read the full story.

Over 20 million people live in Chad, and more than half of them are unreached (Joshua Project).

From another part of the world, we read this: Under fear and pressure, believers in Myanmar still say, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Global Catalytic Ministries, via Mission Network News).

Source: God Reports, January 27, 2026

Something unexpected happened at a roofing convention in early January. Scores of men and women passionate about their trade gathered to forge business connections, gain industry insights, and sharpen their skills. Yet, ministry leaders tell CBN News that in the last moments of the conference, more than 200 responded to a gospel presentation and dozens were baptized.

RoofCon is known as the “#1 roof conference” in the nation and headlines speakers such as Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson, according to its website. However, founder Hunter Ballew wanted to offer the men and women attending the event in Oklahoma City, OK, more than a new set of skills to add to their tool bag.

“[Hunter] contacted me in the fall and said, ‘I’d love to meet you. I have really been impressed by the Holy Spirit that I [need] to use my roofing convention as a platform to reach people with the gospel,’” Evangelist Clayton King told CBN News.

King is the pastor and founder of Crossroads Camp in Anderson, South Carolina. For nearly 40 years, King has traveled the country presenting the gospel in a clear way to the young and the old. When Ballew invited him to speak before the group of roofers, he jumped at the invitation.

King said God put it on his heart to baptize those who responded to the gospel message directly after the conference.

“I said, what would you think about having a baptism there. And he said, ‘Man, I was thinking the same exact thing. So, they went to Tractor Supply and bought some horse troughs, filled them up with water in the convention on the convention floor.”

And God did the rest.

Read the full story.

See also When It Comes to Outreach, Where Is the Fruit? This short but thought-provoking article says there are between 350,000 and 400,000 churches in the United States and describes some of the barriers that keep them from reaching out, especially to a younger generation (Outreach Magazine).

Finally, read Youth Spiritual Awakening Encourages the Egyptian Church (Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church, via Mission Network News). You may be encouraged, too.

1. From the Editors: Trends & Tools
2. World: The 50 Most Dangerous Places to Be a Christian
3. India: New Believers Escaping Through the Flames
4. Kazakhstan: Police Pressure Churches to Register with the State
5. Iran: Ways to Pray for a Nation in Crisis
6. Angola: Celebrating 50 Years of Independence with a Commemorative Bible

Read or share the email edition, or scroll down for more.

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.