For over a quarter of a century, the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFIRLC) has been capturing incidents of persecution against Christians, advocating for religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. The Commission releases an annual report that details incidents by state and documents violence and discrimination against Christians across India.
Last month they issued 2024 findings of an unprecedented surge in violence and discrimination against Christians across India. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, said “The scale and intensity of persecution against Christians in India has reached crisis levels. On average, four to five churches and pastors face attacks daily, with incidents nearly doubling every Sunday.” Read more here.
Fleeing the Taliban, Facing Rejection: Afghan Refugees in Crisis
Afghan refugees. Credit: UN photo/Luke Powell
The U.S. evacuated more than 82,000 Afghans from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, including more than 70,000 who entered the U.S. with temporary “parole,” which allowed legal entry for a period of two years. TPS offered another avenue of protection and work authorization to nationals from Afghanistan and other countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security terminated Temporary Protection Service (TPS) for Afghan nationals coming to the U.S., citing an improvement in conditions in Afghanistan. Affected individuals have been instructed to depart the U.S. by May 20, 2025. The recent decision affects approximately 14,600 Afghans currently residing in the US under TPS. This move has alarmed many, as Afghanistan continues to experience significant risks and human rights abuses, especially against religious and ethnic minorities. Read more here.
Report from the Thai-Burma Border: Graduation, Crisis and Hope
21Wilberforce team and Spring 2025 graduates of Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary near the Thai-Burma border
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 war, a devastating earthquake, and significant cuts in humanitarian aid to Burma.
A freeze by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) halted funding for critical services, including medical clinics and fuel for water pumps. These services are vital for more than 90,000 refugees—mostly from the Karen ethnic group—living in nine camps along the border, having fled war and persecution by the Myanmar military junta.
These aid cuts are forcing many refugees to take risks, illegally leaving the camps to seek under-the-table work to support their families. Read more here.
Challenges in Protecting Religious Freedom and Building a Peaceful Society in Nigeria
Suspected Boko Haram militants kill several people in Nigeria attack (Credit: Reuters)
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 religious beliefs to justify violence, recruit followers, and stoke division. Meanwhile, government efforts to address these threats are frequently underfunded or inconsistent, sometimes eroding public trust. The lack of justice for victims of religiously motivated attacks only worsens the cycle of fear and retaliation. Read more here.
Responding to Ever-Increasing Calls for Support from Persecuted Christians
The General Secretary of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, a regional arm of the Baptist World Alliance in Africa, recently contacted me with news that 27 Baptist churches in Niger have been closed following violence by radical Islamists. He shared that church members and pastors are now displaced and asked if 21Wilberforce could provide any support.
Thousands of Christians in Myanmar have been forcibly displaced from their homes by military attacks.
Baptist leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo have urged us to act against various armed groups – Islamists in the Northeast and rebel groups in the East – that have taken over territory, attacked churches, abducted pastors, and killed Christians.
At the same time, Myanmar Christian leaders appealed to us to advocate for greater aid to reach the displaced in Myanmar and Thailand — before a 7.7 earthquake struck killing thousands and displacing even more people within the region. Read more here.
21Wilberforce is coming alongside churches and Christians around the world in countries experiencing religious persecution. We are investing in Christian leaders and churches, the frontline workers, to build up indigenous sustainable religious freedom advocacy. We invite you to be part of this journey of fellowship and unity with the persecuted and suffering.
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