IDOP 2023 is on November 5, 2023 and the theme is: “Courage to Rise Above” Joshua 1:9 with a focus on India, Nigeria and Nicaragua. IDOP stands for International Day of Prayer: for the Persecuted Church. Every year, Christians around the world set a day aside for prayer for our sisters and brothers who are persecuted for their faith. Numerous …
Reflections on the Afghans’ Resettlement by Brazilian Baptists
21Wilberforce Ambassador for Latin America, André Simão, shared about the Afghan’s resettlement by the Brazilian Baptists in a Baptist Forum on Aid and Development during a Baptist World Alliance meeting in Norway in July 2023. This story started in the Baptist World Alliance congress held July 2021 through a prayer request at the Religious Freedom pre-conference hosted by 21Wilberforce. By …
Russia violates religious freedom at home and in Ukraine
Ken Camp/Managing Editor Reprinted with permission from Baptiststandard.com Persecution of religious minorities with Russia has escalated since the invasion of Ukraine, where Russia’s military has destroyed houses of worship and tortured religious leaders, according to two reports from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The commission released both “Religious Freedom Conditions in the Russian Federation” and “Russia’s Religious Freedom Violations …
Mayflower Church: Life Greater Than They Dared Dream
Ken Camp / Managing Editor June 19, 2023 This article is reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Pastor Pan Yongguang prayed for his flock throughout their more than three-year ordeal, when he and members of his persecuted church feared deportation back to China. Today, he echoes the Apostle Paul’s testimony to the Ephesian church that God is able to do “abundantly more …
Temporary Marriage is Never Good for Women
By Marcela Szymanski This article is reprinted with permission from Forbwomen.org. Amidst a deteriorating economy, political uncertainty and regional challenges in Lebanon, I learned more about the status of women during a recent trip there: while the Lebanese government officially recognizes 18 religious groups, each of these groups has its own laws on “family matters.”[1] Lebanese citizens and legal residents …
Lives Lost and Churches Destroyed Across Manipur State, India
In the State of Manipur India, ethnic tensions between the majority Meitei people and the minority ethnic Kuki/Zomi/Mizo people in Manipur spilled out into violence and targeting of minority religious communities. It is reported by local partners that Meitei mobs killed 50 people, injured hundreds, burnt or vandalized 130 churches, and have caused 1000s to be displaced mostly over the …
The Department of State Releases 2022 International Religious Freedom Report
I joined @IRF_Ambassador Hussain to launch the International Religious Freedom Report: a key part of our efforts to advance freedom of religion or belief, a core American value and a fundamental freedom enshrined in international law,” Secretary Blinken on Twitter. Access 2022 report here. Background The Department of State submits an annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom in compliance …
A Global Call for Prayer on May 14 – Leah Sharibu’s 20th Birthday
February 19, 2023, marked the 5th year of Leah Sharibu’s captivity with Boko Haram terrorists. May 14, 2023 is Leah’s 20th birthday. Leah’s family, friends and advocates are asking people of faith around the world to pray for her release on that day. Watch a video about Leah’s story here. Learn more about how you can get involved through the …
When Faith Spurs Violence: The Dangerous Dogma of Religious Uniformity
By Merritt Johnston/Reprinted with permission from FoRBwomen.org Watching or reading the news today is a sobering experience. Yet, even amid a steady stream of tragic events, there are still moments that stop you in your tracks – news that grips your heart, consumes your mind, unsteadies your step. Just days before Christmas, I received word that a Baptist woman in …
Religious freedom violations in Cuba spike in one year
This article written by Ken Camp is reprinted from Baptiststandard.com Documented violations of religious freedom in Cuba more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, a new report revealed. Christian Solidarity Worldwide—a human rights organization based in the United Kingdom—reported 657 documented violations of freedom of religion or belief in 2022, compared to 272 the previous year. Actual numbers of violations …