Missions Catalyst

1. North Korea: What About Bible-Delivery Drones?
2. Pew Study Shows Buddhism in Worldwide Decline
3. Finland: New Study Explores Why Young Men Are Embracing Christianity
4. USA: Building New Pipelines to Send African American Pastors
5. Iran: Prison Conditions Worsen for Christians and Other Inmates
6. The Netherlands: Disciples Making Disciples

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

Source: Back to Jerusalem, April 13, 2026

In February of this year, BTJ hosted a Hackers Conference to focus on ways to smuggle Bibles into North Korea. One method to deliver Bibles into closed nations like North Korea is by drone. This is why BTJ has a dedicated hackers team to help develop the newest drone technology that focuses on getting Bibles into closed countries.

Oftentimes, our hackers can learn a lot from what others are doing on the ground, and this year, they were surprised to see how cheap homemade unauthorized drones could easily breach North Korean defenses.

Early this year, several civilian drones reportedly flew over North Korea. These were just simple, cheap, non-military drones, but they were able to go for considerable distances before being detected. In some cases, the drones were flown into North Korea and back out again without anyone in North Korea even knowing it.

BTJ is currently working on special drones that cannot be discussed in public, but the capability to deliver Bibles safely and largely undetected in closed countries is an amazing development in 2026.

Read the full story.

In another story from BTJ, a pastor reports that at least 100 Muslim converts have been baptized in Afghanistan so far this year.

Source: Christian Today, March 16, 2026

The number of people identifying as Buddhist worldwide fell over the past decade, with researchers pointing to an aging population and a growing trend of people abandoning the religion in adulthood.

A major new analysis by the Pew Research Center found that Buddhism was the only major world faith to record a decline between 2010 and 2020.

During that period, the number of Buddhists worldwide dropped from around 343 million to 324 million—a fall of about 5%—even as the global population expanded by roughly 12%.

Researchers say the change reflects a combination of demographic pressures and religious switching, with more people leaving Buddhism than adopting it.

While Buddhism continues to attract converts, it loses a greater proportion of those raised within the tradition than any other major faith examined in the study.

Read the full story. Looks like the study, published in 2025, reported that Muslims grew the fastest while Christians lagged behind population growth.

Source: Christian Today, April 9, 2026

A new peer-reviewed study suggests that, in one of Europe’s most secular countries, a growing number of young men are finding Christianity compelling because it offers what the researchers describe as a fuller framework for identity, meaning, stability, and belonging.

Published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, the article by theology scholars Kati Tervo-Niemelä and Pietari Hannikainen examines why young men in Finland are apparently showing more interest in the Christian faith.

Based on interviews with 30 young men, the research points to “a possible reversal” of long-established gender patterns in religiosity, with young men becoming more engaged with Christianity.

Read the full story. Sounds like an awfully small sample size, but includes some thoughtful analysis.

In more discouraging news, last year’s report about the UK’s “quiet revival” study has been retracted due to fraudulent responses within the research sample. Read a statement from the Bible Society.

Source: International Mission Board, April 1, 2026

Of the approximately 3,600 IMB missionaries on the mission field worldwide, only 30 are African American.

On each of my mission trips to Africa over the past six months, I’ve heard Africans say they love the brothers and sisters who come from America to bring the gospel. Yet the epiphany was hearing how excited they are to see people who look like them presenting the gospel. One person said, seeing black brothers and sisters traveling to the Motherland to teach makes them feel so special.

Jeremy Westbrook, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, said, “What a joy it is to partner with the IMB in helping create pipelines to help prepare and send future missionaries from our own mission field right here in the Buckeye State.”

The SCBO is committed to sending teams of Ohio African American pastors to mission fields over the next five years. The hope is that Ohio will help increase the number of African Americans who become missionaries.

Read the full story and another about IMB work in Africa that reports, From ICU to cellblock to classroom: Baptist chaplains transform Kenya’s hospitals, prisons and schools.

See also: Life as a Foreign Christian in Libya (International Christian Concern).

Source: Greater Europe Mission, April 10, 2026

Nilüfer felt “there should be more” to life. After buying a Bible and reading in the New Testament, she met Jesus—and immediately knew this was the “more” she’d been searching for.

As she was looking for a church to attend, God led her to one a GEM worker attends. This was the first time Nilüfer had ever been in a church, but she was adamant about following Jesus for the rest of her life.

Hear Nilüfer tell her story (five-minute video, also below).

You can find lots of other short stories about Europeans sharing their faith and making disciples on the GEM website.

Source: Morning Star News, March 27, 2026

Conditions in Iran for Christians imprisoned for their faith and other inmates have deteriorated dramatically since the U.S. and Israeli bombing of the Islamic regime in the past month, according to human rights groups.

Guards and some prison officials across the country have largely abandoned their posts, leaving hardliners from the paramilitary group known as the “Counter-Terrorism Special Force” (or NOPO) in charge, rights groups say.

When the U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign began, there were at least 48 Christians in prisons scattered across Iran serving sentences on charges related to their religious beliefs or activities, including at least 16 in Evin Prison.

Read the full story and a related article with prayer points from Middle East Concern.

Also related to the recent violence in the region, read Lebanon’s Refugee Crisis at Breaking Point (INcontext International). For the latest developments in Lebanon, check Relief Web, a helpful news source.

1. Editor’s Note: The Last Supper, First Hymn, and Surprising Origins of Basketball
2. Nigeria: Christians Offer Eid Greetings and Plead for Unity 
3. Morocco: The Completion of the Moroccan Arabic Bible Marks a Milestone
4. Pakistan: Muslim Man’s Custody of Christian Girl Upheld
5. China: Are Bibles Banned in China? It’s Complicated.

Greetings!

Every time I sleuth for news, I learn something that has escaped me all these decades. This time, it was the origins of basketball—invented for a mission purpose (Christian Post). Missionaries later carried their love of basketball, along with the gospel, to the nations. Did you know? Believers are still using basketball to build relational bridges today, as we reported some years ago in a story about the first national Christian basketball team of Pakistan (United Bible Societies).

I also never knew why we call this day Maundy Thursday. Here’s a hint: I just might wash my husband’s feet today. This special day reminds us of the Last Supper. By the way, the 2025 movie of that name, produced by Chris Tomlin, is now available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Chris Tomlin has been busy. You might also be interested in a documentary he was part of.  I missed last week’s premiere of The First Hymn but pre-ordered the DVD due out in May. I love hymn stories, and this one is powerful. Watch the movie trailer and see the video below for a performance of the hymn—a perfect song for this Holy Week.

He is risen indeed!
Pat