In this issue, we look at the many ways Christian leaders are responding to persecution, conflict, and insecurity with courage, compassion, and a commitment to peace. From Nigeria to South Asia, these stories offer a closer look at those working amid difficult circumstances, the challenges they face, and the practical ways 21Wilberforce is standing alongside them. We also invite you to join us in honoring Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley with the 2026 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award.
PRESIDENT’S BLOG
When Solutions are Uncertain: Rejecting Defeatism and Embracing Our Calling
Plateau State, Nigeria. Photo Credit: Reuters
The debate over state policing in Nigeria raises a broader question for Christians facing persecution and insecurity around the world. What do we do when no solution appears perfect, and every path forward carries risk? Read more here.
21WILBERFORCE: TURNING MISSION INTO IMPACT
Advancing Peace Through Women Christian Leaders
Throughout South Asia, women have long served as quiet but indispensable peacemakers. They have comforted families displaced by violence, mediated disputes within their communities, advocated for justice, and helped rebuild trust where conflict has left deep wounds. While their contributions are significant, they are too often overlooked, under-resourced, or excluded from formal peacebuilding efforts. Read more here.
Humanitarian Training Moves Into Action in Nigeria
Recently, with funding support from Freedom House, 21Wilberforce partnered with Baptist World Aid to strengthen the humanitarian capacity of six Nigerian Christian nonprofit organizations serving communities affected by violence and displacement. The Freedom House grant further allowed 21Wilberforce to partner with one of the participating organizations, the Nigerian Evangelical Fellowship (NEF), to launch the first phase of an emergency humanitarian intervention in Nigeria. Read more here.
South Asia Leaders Explore New Approach to Community Peacemaking
Christian in India. Credit: IMB.org
In parts of South Asia, communities face persistent conflict rooted in disputes over land, resources, and ethnic or tribal identity. These challenges often exist alongside significant needs for economic and community development. 21Wilberforce was recently invited to facilitate a peacemaking workshop for 27 church and community leaders in South Asia. Read more here.
Beyond Religious Persecution: Nigeria’s Christians and the Crisis of Governance
Nigerian Police constables. Photo credit: blueprint.ng
The mass abduction of over 160 worshipers from three churches in the village of Kurmin Wali on Sunday, Jan. 18, was shocking. It came on the heels of heightened international attention on Nigeria following a U.S. strike against Islamic State targets in Sokoto State a few weeks earlier. Read more here.
FIELD STORIES
“One Family Under God”: Rev. John Joseph Hayab’s Pursuit of Peace and Religious Freedom
A Baptist pastor, peacebuilder, and advocate for religious freedom, Rev. John Joseph Hayab has spent more than two decades helping communities across northern Nigeria choose dialogue over division. Growing up between a traditional village and a military barracks in northern Nigeria, Hayab learned early on how unresolved conflicts can fracture sacred relationships—and how people from different backgrounds can live together in harmony. Read more here.
Thirty Lives Lost Overnight: The Naridon Community Tragedy
Thirty Lives Lost in Naridon Tragedy. Photo credit: Gideon & Funmi Para-Mallam Peach Foundation
NARIDON COMMUNITY, Kaduna State, Nigeria — Long before sunrise on July 27, 2026, the quiet farming community of Naridon in Chawai Chiefdom became the scene of unimaginable loss. Families who had gone to bed expecting another ordinary night instead awoke to gunfire, flames, and the desperate cries of neighbors fleeing for their lives. Read more here.
QUICK TAKES
New on Our Website: Explore our Nigeria Research Reports page, featuring original field research produced by Nigerian researchers and Christian leaders in partnership with 21Wilberforce.
21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby was recently quoted by Baptist Standard on concerns about religious freedom in India. Read the article: Security conference in India raises concerns
At the invitation of the Myanmar Baptist Convention, 21Wilberforce staff recently visited Yangon to meet with leaders from more than a dozen regional Baptist conventions. During the gathering, staff shared greetings from 21Wilberforce and highlighted lessons from our peacemaking work in other contexts, while spending most of the session listening to the church leaders firsthand accounts of the challenges and opportunities facing their communities.