By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press. Reprinted with permission. YELEWATA, Benue (BP)—June 17, 2025. The 500 Christians already had fled terrorism at home and found temporary shelter in storefronts transformed into living quarters in downtown Yelewata. But as they slept overnight June 13, men identified as militant Fulani attacked from multiple sides. Shouting “Allahu Akhbar (God is great),” militants commenced an …

By Alexia Kollar, 21Wilberforce Summer Associate What helped shape my passion for justice and human dignity Growing up, I often traveled to Brazil as a child, but a hiatus kept us away for several years. I returned in 2017 for my 18th birthday and saw my country through new eyes. I remember encountering young children alone on a mid-week school …

Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Almost daily, news surfaces of Islamic extremists or Fulani militants killing Christians in northern or central Nigeria, with law enforcement either lacking or inadequate to intervene. Even so, the U.S. Department of State largely failed to pay attention to the religious dimension of violence in Nigeria in recent years. “The U.S. government has not acknowledged the horrific …

Pastor Brad Lacey hosts The Great Message radio program, which airs on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia—one of only five 50,000-watt clear channel stations in the country. The broadcast reaches listeners across 38 states and into Canada. Recently, Pastor Lacey sat down with Wissam al-Saliby, President of 21Wilberforce, for a compelling conversation about global religious freedom. Key segments of …

Nigeria continues to face serious challenges in safeguarding religious freedom, especially in the face of rising violent extremism. Nigeria is ranked seventh on the 2025 World Watch List as one of the worst places for Christians to live. Radical ideologies, weak institutions, and deep-rooted social divisions have created an atmosphere where individuals—particularly religious minorities—are at constant risk. Extremist groups often manipulate …

By Trent Martin, 21W Advocacy and Training Coordinator 21 Wilberforce team members recently attended the graduation ceremony of Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary near the Thai-Burma border. It was an impactful event, witnessing 48 young leaders from the Karen community graduate from the theological and political studies programs. Their launch into their communities comes at a turbulent time marked by civil …

With widespread persecution impacting Christians and other faiths worldwide, there is an urgent need for prayer and advocacy. We are called to be the lights of the world and to love our neighbors—regardless of their religious beliefs — who face daily suffering and persecution. Leading international religious freedom experts, including 21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby, discuss why Christians are called to …

March 4, 2025 Ashley South, who has been involved in events in Myanmar as an observer and participant in events for nearly thirty years, recently wrote a country overview in the Global Day of Prayer for Burma guide. Here are excerpts: “Four years after the February 2021 coup, Burma is in deep crisis. The illegal and illegitimate State Administrative Council …

February, 21, 2025 Informing and mobilizing Christians and the Church in America to support religious freedom underpins our mission and our work.  21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby recently spoke in Temple, Texas at Meadow Oaks Baptist Church Sunday morning service.  He shared his testimony and our work partnering with the local persecuted church in communities around the world. Meadow Oaks Baptist …

January 10, 2025 Securing religious freedom in South Asia poses a challenge. Religious minorities are specifically targeted for their beliefs, which greatly compromises their religious freedom. The discrimination against religious minorities within each of these countries fosters a culture of impunity toward human rights violations. While there are a lot of differences among countries in this subregion, generally speaking, Christians …

21Wilberforce President, Wissam al-Saliby was quoted in this article written by Ken Camp for Baptiststandard.com about the future of Christians in Syria. December 18, 2024 Many human rights advocates greeted the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with relief and optimism, but some groups focused on international religious freedom view Syria’s future with more questions than answers. The overthrow of …

December 4, 2024 Together we thrive: Join us in equipping local communities who actively experience persecution to advance and protect their religious freedom. Over the last decade, countless individuals and communities have been impacted by the inhumanity of religious persecution. To continue our mission and expand our reach, we are seeking financial support. Our goal for 2025 is to work …

November 20, 2024 Pakistan’s brickmaking industry employs over 3 million men, women, and children…often indentured laborers… who produce 82 billion bricks by hand per year. This back-breaking work is dangerous and the child and bonded labor work in an unhealthy environment. The air is toxic and most families live in 9″ x 12″ huts with poor water and no sanitation …

October 29, 2024 21Wilberforce is pleased to announce the appointment of J.T. Lent Jr. and Dr. Rev. Bruce Webb to the organization’s Board of Directors during the organization’s fall board meeting held in Dallas. The new board members began their three-year terms with 21Wilberforce effective October 24, 2024 and can serve a maximum of three terms. “We’re excited to expand …

October 28, 2024 By Talar Haidostian, 21Wilberforce Operations and Program Coordinator “Jesus calls us into the context of suffering,” said BWA General Secretary and CEO Elijah Brown during the “Praying for ALL the Persecuted” conference hosted by Dallas Baptist University’s Institute for Global Engagement on October 24-25, 2024. Dr. Brown spoke at the opening worship service during which he inspired …

October 28, 2024 By Trent Martin, 21Wilberforce Advocacy and Training Coordinator As 5,400 people raised their voices together on the opening night of worship, I was swept up in the truly global picture of the body of Christ. It was the start of the 4th Lausanne Congress in Incheon, Korea, a continuation of a movement started in 1974 with an …

Dallas Baptist University’s Institute for Global Engagement will host a power-packed conference, “Praying for all the Persecuted,” in late October focused on inspiring the church to pray and advocate for anyone facing persecution for their faith. Knox Thames, an international human rights lawyer, advocate, and author who has dedicated his career to promoting human rights, defending religious minorities, and combatting …

September 4, 2024 21Wilberforce board member, Knox Thames, is the author of ENDING PERSECUTION: Charting the Path to Global Religious Freedom published by the University of Notre Dame Press. “A pandemic is sweeping the world, but not just COVID; a pandemic of persecution is impacting every faith community globally,” said Thames. “ENDING PERSECUTION exposes the reality of religious repression while …

August 16, 2024 By Chris Eyte, Reprinted from ChristianDaily.com Wissam al-Saliby never dreamed of leaving his beloved country of Lebanon, but the call from God to help the persecuted church was strong. With a background in law, the newly appointed (May) president of Virginia-based Christian human rights group 21Wilberforce had served as director and advocacy officer of the U.N. Office …

July 20, 2024 “Religious freedom is a defining value of Baptists and advancing it globally is a central missional commitment of the BWA,” BWA General Secretary and CEO Elijah Brown said recently. “At a time when 30% of all BWA Baptists face the reality of war, persecution, and extreme hunger, the need is as great as ever.” [21Wilberforce has been …

July 9, 2024 Fruitfulness, faithfulness and vision characterize the persecuted church in many parts of the globe, an advocate for international religious freedom told a Houston-area Baptist church. Wissam al-Saliby, president of the 21Wilberforce human rights organization, spoke at The Woodlands First Baptist Church the Sunday before Independence Day. Al-saliby sought to dispel some misconceptions about persecuted believers globally. “More often than …

July 2, 2024 “Christians are the new scapegoat in India’s political battles,” said Smita Narula, author of the report and researcher for the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. “Without immediate and decisive action by the government, communal tensions will continue to be exploited for political and economic ends.” While this quote is relevant today, sadly it was written in …

June 12, 2024 Baptist leaders from across the globe will soon gather on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria to worship, pray, learn, build relationships, and collaborate through shared ministry. Programming includes plenaries, Bible studies, regional ministry updates, and small group reflections developed by 14 BWA Commissions. 21Wilberforce President, Wissam al-Saliby and Executive Director, John Gongwer, will attend the gathering and participate …

May 8, 2024 By Achamba Lisham (name changed) In the summer of 2023, 21Wilberforce’s Ambassador for the Asia Pacific region updated the 21Wilberforce team about the growing crisis in the northern Indian State of Manipur and the resulting widespread devastation and trauma faced by the local Christian population. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that the ongoing …

April 18, 2024 Wissam al-Saliby has been appointed President of the 21Wilberforce Global Freedom Center. Al-Saliby is an internationally recognized expert in international religious freedom and human rights who brings more than fifteen years of experience in advocating for religious freedom at the United Nations, training and capacity building for human rights in the Middle East and around the world, …

April 18, 2024 By Trent Martin, 21Wilberforce Advocacy & Training Coordinator 21Wilberforce partners with a seminary on the Thai-Burma (also known as Myanmar) border that is working to help address a crisis that displaced people fleeing a new military offensive by the Karen National Union. This recent occurrence forced the Myanmar military junta to surrender the strategic border town of …

April 18, 2024 Rev. Hkalam Samson was among 3,300 prisoners released from Myitkyina Prison in a junta amnesty on Wednesday, April 17th. In a cruel turn of events, the former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention and chairman of the Kachin National Consultative Assembly was rearrested just 24 hours later. Military intelligence personnel and men in uniform returned to the …

April 17, 2024 By Paul and Rebecca Mele Gadzama Ten years ago, the terrorist group Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from Chibok Secondary School. Fifty-seven of the girls escaped while they were being ferried into the Sambisa forest. Two of the girls later escaped and were found by a vigilante group before being handed over to the military. Not too …

March 28, 2024 Following a landslide election win by the pro-democracy NLD party on 1 February 2021, the Burmese military seized control of Burma. In Myanmar, what started as civil disobedience quickly became a civil war. The Rohingya and many of Burma’s largely Christian ethnic groups have endured decades of abuse, persecution and ethnic violence. The Biden administration has formally …

March 12, 2024 Eyes were opened to the plight of millions of Christian brothers and sisters across the world during a recent Dallas Baptist University convocation led by 21Wilberforce Founder and President Emeritus Randel Everett. He spoke to over 1000 students and faculty of DBU about the need to stand with the persecuted Church Everett talked about Mariam Ibraheem, a …

February 27, 2024 In a recent article for Christianpost.com titled “Remembering the persecuted during Lent”,  Knox Thames, writes that Lent is a time of reflection about the ultimate sacrifice Christ made on the cross. The piece also encourages us to remember and to pray for modern day martyrs who are hurting for their faith. To support Christians in that effort, …

February 5, 2024 The International Religious Freedom Act, a transformative piece of legislation, was written, debated, re-written and nearly left for dead before Congress voted unanimously for its passage in the fall of 1998. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has published The 25th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective. This publication, co-authored by …

February 5, 2024 “Religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time” was the motto for the fourth annual International Religious Freedom Summit 2024 held January 29-30 in Washington, DC.  This two day event drew religious freedom advocates — faith groups, civil society, and governments — to listen and learn and to build bridges and new alliances to defend those who …

January 21, 2024 21Wilberforce will join with the Chin Association of Maryland (CAM), the U.S. Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Baptist Churches USA, Boat People SOS, International Campaign for the Rohingya, and the Burma Advocacy Group to co-sponsor a Congressional Briefing hosted by Congressman Chris Smith, “Rising Persecution of …

January 21, 2024 Dr. Dawari George leads 21Wilberforce’s Global Freedom Network in Nigeria. Here is his report from the ground on the Christmas Eve killings and other recent attacks in Plateau, Nigeria. As Christians, the world over were rejoicing in the euphoria of ushering in the celebration of the day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christian communities in Bokkos …

December 12, 2023 Ken Camp/Managing Editor     Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Representatives from multiple human rights and religious liberty organizations joined the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in urging Congress to take action regarding ongoing persecution in Nigeria. Randel Everett Randel Everett, founding president of 21Wilberforce and a former executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and Brent Leatherwood, president …

November 15, 2023 I am an Afghan citizen who served with the international forces. My family and I are among the millions affected by the recent Afghan crisis in general and among those who lost everything, are displaced, and have become refugees. I was raised to believe in an Islamic philosophy of salvation through good deeds. So, I did my …

October 30, 2023 21W Board member, Knox Thames, one of the foremost experts on FoRB and a former USCIRF and U.S. State Department policymaker, inspired and challenged our global Timothy Fellows during their recent monthly virtual meeting. Knox, who is a visiting expert at the US Insitute of Peace and a professor at Pepperdine University, is the author of the …

October 24, 2023 The beautiful Great Hall on the campus of Dallas Baptist University was the setting for 21Wilberforce’s annual Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award dinner the first week in October. This award embodies the work of former Congressman Frank Wolf who worked tirelessly for decades to promote international religious freedom. After retiring from Congress in 2015, Congressman Wolf …

September 26, 2023 The Global Freedom Network (Africa) held a promotion in early September during the Arise Congress organized by the Nigerian Baptist Convention held at the Baptist International Convention Center. This Congress was a first joint Congress of the Nigerian Baptist Convention Youths, Baptist Student Fellowship, Royal Ambassadors, Lydia Auxilliary, Girls’ Auxilliary, Teenagers and Baptist Corpers’ Fellowship. The meeting …

September 23, 2023 REGISTER HERE  21Wilberforce invites you to attend the 2023 Frank Wolf Award Dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas.  Click on the Register Here button above to purchase individual tickets or a table sponsorship (8 tickets). Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. will be presented the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious …

August 28, 2023 By Trent Martin, 21Wilberforce Coordinator for Advocacy & Training 21Wilberforce is partnering with researchers from the University of Stirling to launch a project that is exploring how civil society organizations can effectively advocate for real changes in the religious freedom policies of countries around the world using the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.   The Universal …

August 28, 2023 The violent attacks against minority groups in Manipur, a state nestled in the northeastern part of India along the Burmese border, continue to unfold.   Early this year, peaceful protests against the removal of protections for the rights of ethnic minorities in the state escalated into a vicious backlash of violence from mobs composed of members of the …

Randel Everett recently announced to the 21Wilberforce staff and Board that he will retire as President of 21Wilberforce at the end of this year. Here are his reflections on stepping away from the organization he and his wife, Sheila, founded nine years ago. Working with 21 Wilberforce in defense of those experiencing religious persecution has been a great honor.  Religious …

August 9, 2023 By Ken Camp/Reprinted with permission from Baptiststandard.com Randel Everett—who recently told the board of 21Wilberforce he plans to retire at the end of the year as the organization’s president—recalled the reaction nine years ago when he stepped down as pastor of First Baptist Church in Midland. The congregation was “pretty shocked” when he resigned as pastor to …

REGISTER HERE  21Wilberforce invites you to attend the 2023 Frank Wolf Award Dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, Texas.  Click on the Register Here button above to purchase individual tickets or a table sponsorship (8 tickets). Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. will be presented the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award. This …

July 30, 2023 The Religious Freedom Commission of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is chaired by 21Wilberforce Ambassador for Latin America, André Simão. The Commission hosted three meetings during the BWA’s annual gathering held last month in Norway. The first meeting focused on the work for freedom of religion or belief that is being done by Baptists leaders in the …

21Wilberforce is pleased to announce that Pastor Bob Roberts, Jr. is the recipient of the 2023 Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award.  We will honor this renowned bridge builder who has dedicated his life to promoting and advancing religious freedom, peacemaking and civic engagement at a dinner on Thursday, October 5th in the Great Hall at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, …

June 15, 2023 Coptic Solidarity hosted its 11th annual conference The Indigenous Copts: Past Denied and Future Unknown in Washington, DC June 15-16. Legislators, academics, advocates and policy experts convened to share their views and recommendations to provide greater protection and equality for the Copts of Egypt. Policy Day, hosted in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, included a panel focused on …

May 18, 2023 Randel Everett, founder and president of 21Wilberforce, shared stories of courage and engagement by people of faith who came together and assisted persecuted communities during two luncheons recently in Waco and Temple, Texas. The Western Church is largely unaware of the plight of our brothers and sisters around the world suffering for their faith. Individuals have been …

April 26, 2023 Associates are an integral part of the 21Wilberforce team. Our internships include assisting with research, writing, advocacy, and programming support. Associates are also likely to attend congressional hearings, think-tank briefings or other events as the eyes and ears of 21Wilberforce. The Winter 2023 Associates, Dim Sian Ngai, Sanjana Sharma and Josh Young, completed their internships the last week …

April 24, 2023 Two years ago, 21Wilberforce entered into a strategic partnership with the Baptist World Alliance and one of the key goals was to develop a mobilization and support program to equip faith communities to engage in protecting religious freedom and defending the persecuted. Central to this program are regional representative 21Wilberforce Ambassadors that work with churches, organizations and individuals to …

April 10, 2023 Ken Camp / Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com The Easter promise of new life holds special meaning for members of a persecuted Chinese church who arrived in Texas on Good Friday, in preparation for resettlement with the help of Tyler-area churches. Members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church—nicknamed the “Mayflower Church” for their commitment to seeking religious freedom—arrived Friday …

Ken Camp / Managing Editor April 3, 2023 Reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Authorities in Thailand fined but did not immediately deport members of a persecuted Chinese church, but the Christians continue to be detained three days after their deportation hearing of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church—nicknamed the “Mayflower Church” for their commitment to religious freedom—were arrested March 30 and faced deportation …