Month: February 2026

Source: Forum 18, February 6, 2026

Officials have not responded to questions [about] why Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly called for the removal of the head of the Armenian Church, Catholicos Karekin, despite the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of religious organizations.

A bishop Karekin defrocked for backing Pashinyan’s calls challenged his dismissal in court. When the Church ignored his court-ordered reinstatement, the Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation into six bishops and a priest, banning them from leaving Armenia.

The government has liquidated the state and church-funded Shoghakat television channel and ended the Church-run military chaplaincy.

The Church had criticized Pashinyan’s handling of the 2020 Karabakh war with neighboring Azerbaijan and its aftermath. Catholicos Karekin called on the Prime Minister to resign and for a government of national accord to be formed.

Read the full story. It’s a long one; apparently this conflict has been going on for years.

See also Britain “monitoring the situation” with Armenian Church (Christian Today).

Source: Morning Star News, January 29, 2026

As police looked on, a Hindu nationalist mob in India subjected a pastor to dehumanizing brutality, damaging his hearing and trying to force him to worship a Hindu deity, sources said.

About 15 minutes into his January 4 worship service, about 40 people led by members of the Bajarang Dal, [the] youth wing of the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), along with cow vigilantes, barged into the house. The self-proclaimed cow vigilantes often take the law into their own hands to protect cows that Hindus consider sacred.

The mob called Pastor Naik out of the house, but when he took time to do so, “they came inside, took me by my collar and dragged me out and immediately started to beat me,” he said.

The full story says they made him walk on thorns, tied him to a Hindu temple, forced him to chant Hindu slogans, and tried to make him drink water mixed with cow dung. He said surviving the ordeal was a miracle, as he was certain he would be killed. The mob later indicated they were upset that he was converting Hindus to Christianity.

Source: Crosswalk, February 16, 2026

An unexpected “outpouring” of worship and spiritual renewal at Southeastern University has extended for days beyond its scheduled conclusion, captivating students with an “unstoppable hunger” for spiritual connection.

An annual worship event at a Christian university in Florida that was scheduled to end February 11 was still going five days later, with students singing, repenting, and testifying to God’s goodness in what the school has dubbed an “outpouring.”

Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida held its annual “SEU Conference” at Lakeland’s Victory Church—but students on the final day did not follow the itinerary. The schedule went off script at the conclusion of author and speaker Jennie Allen’s teaching on Wednesday morning.

“There was a moment in the midst of the conference when the atmosphere shifted,” SEU President Kent Ingle told AG News. “All of a sudden, the raw responses of students sparked an outpouring of spiritual and emotional healing.”

Allen wrote on her Instagram page that day: “Classes cancelled. Worship. Prayer. Baptisms. Repentance. But honestly—it’s just God is here, and we don’t want to leave!”

Read full story or its primary source, SEU Experiences outpouring (AG News) and an update on the school’s website. Sounds like it’s back to class on Monday. Let’s pray for God’s continuing work at SEU and beyond.

You might also be interested in a report from New Zealand about breakthroughs in youth ministry there (Christian Daily International).

1. Israel: First Modern Hebrew Translation of the Old Testament
2. Papua New Guinea: The Notsi Waited 39 Years for the New Testament
3. Japan: Deaflympics Provides Unique Opportunity for Global Outreach
4. Somalia: Family Has to Flee After Embracing Christ
5. Chad: The Christian Soldier Who Chose Love Over Legacy
6. USA: 200 Respond to the Gospel at a Roofer’s Convention

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Source: United Bible Society, January 29, 2026

A historic milestone has been reached in Israel with the completion of the first-ever Modern Hebrew translation of the Old Testament (the Tanakh), led by the Bible Society in Israel (BSI). This project is already reshaping how people across the country encounter the Bible. For many Israelis, the updated translation provides unprecedented clarity, allowing them to read ancient Scripture in a language that resonates with their daily lives.

The release comes at a critical time. After two years of war following the October 2023 conflict, many citizens are searching for comfort, stability, and renewed hope. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Education has introduced a nationwide program making Hebrew Scripture study a core requirement in all government schools, significantly increasing demand for accessible biblical resources.

Read the full story and discover “why Modern Hebrew matters.”

Source: Seed Company, February 4, 2026

Off the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea’s main island lies New Ireland, where the Notsi call home. They’re gardeners, farmers, and fishermen, dependent on the land and rain. Just 2,000 people speak their language, and before the 1980s, the Bible hadn’t reached them yet.

The gospel had, though, because of missionaries who came in the 1800s. Since then, islanders with English Bibles have struggled to sort out what it means to follow Jesus in light of the supernatural powers they grew up believing in.

So what does it mean now for the Notsi people to have the New Testament in their language? Don’t take my word for it. Take theirs.

Read full story with pictures or watch video, also below.

As you may remember, Papua New Guinea is now recognized as a Christian country falling a change to its constitution last year (Premier Christian News).

Source: International Mission Board, January 22, 2026

Tokyo was a whirlwind of colors, sounds and—most importantly—signs. For two weeks in November, the Deaflympics met in the capital city of Japan, where the International Mission Board had more than 50 workers and volunteers sharing the gospel during the worldwide event for Deaf athletes.

IMB teams engaged more than 1,500 people at different venues, which led to 492 gospel conversations. Missionaries reported 13 people made professions of faith in Christ, and 245 people showed interest but were not ready to follow Jesus.

The full story states that many of those who attended “had never seen the gospel in their native sign language” and includes a few short videos. 

The Deaf are often left behind by ministries serving their ethnic or geographic communities, but focused efforts make a difference. Read Four Ways Bible Study Looks Different in Deaf Communities (DOOR International via Mission Network News).

No doubt IMB teams are already on the ground in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics outreach; pray for them and others seeking to share Jesus with people from many nations at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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.