Across cultures and generations, believers are stepping into Christ’s call to be peacemakers. This newsletter highlights young leaders training for reconciliation, communities seeking unity amid conflict, seasoned advocates shaped by moral courage, and practical resources for praying faithfully for the world. Together, these stories point us toward lives marked by purpose, prayer, and peacebuilding.
Called to Heal: Young Leaders Stepping into Peacemaking
Twenty-three young leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered with a shared calling: to take part in Christ’s work of healing deep divisions within their communities. They arrived carrying the weight of complex histories, social pressures, and unresolved conflict—but also a readiness to learn, to listen, and to lead differently. Together, they stepped into a week-long workshop organized by 21Wilberforce designed not simply to teach skills, but to nurture hope and courage for the long journey of peacemaking ahead. Read more here.
Peace and Unity Festival Brings Hope to the Karen People
In late November, Kawthoolei Hope Theological Seminary (KHTS) of the Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Convention hosted its inaugural Peace and Unity Festival in Mae Sot, Thailand. For three days, Karen students, pastors, civil society advocates, and international partners gathered to pray, learn, and envision a more peaceful and unified future for the Karen people. 21Wilberforce was honored to participate, sharing encouragement, advocacy experience, and a call to unity rooted in faith. Read more here.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, A Life Shaped By Faith and Moral Courage
Rev. Medley visiting Burma before the coup.
Through prior work with the Burma Advocacy Group on advocacy initiatives addressing persecution and displacement in Burma and his service for the Baptist World Alliance, 21Wilberforce has come to know the leadership and witness of Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley. His life story offers a powerful window into the faith, moral clarity, and interfaith commitment that animate this shared work. Read more here.
Informed Prayers for the World: Wissam al-Saliby’s Three Watch Lists for 2026
How to Pray for the World? This is a question I often hear from Christians who desire to pray faithfully, knowledgeably, and with well-defined appeals to our Lord and Savior. Many believers want their prayers to move beyond general requests and instead reflect a deeper awareness of the realities facing God’s people and the world He loves. Read more here.
This Couple Believes Christians Must Double Down on Peacebuilding
Dan and Sharon Buttry conducted a 10-day training in Kenya in 2013. Photo credit: Globalpeacewarriors.org
In a world marked by war, political polarization, religious violence and collective trauma, the Christian call to peacemaking can sound either impossibly idealistic or dangerously naïve. For the Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Buttry and the Rev. Sharon Buttry, however, peacebuilding has never been an abstract ideal. It has been a lived vocation—rooted in Scripture, shaped by global experience, and sustained by a deep trust in the work of the Holy Spirit. Read more here.
Finding Purpose, Stretching Skills, and Standing for Religious Freedom
Summer Associate Alexia Kollar and 21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby
The summer of 2025 did not look like a highlight reel from a coming-of-age movie. I did not backpack through Europe, rescue anyone in dramatic fashion, or stumble into a wildly successful side hustle. Instead, I spent my summer behind a laptop—reading reports, joining video calls across time zones, and grappling with questions of justice, faith, and human dignity. Yet this season proved to be far more formative than any romanticized alternative I could imagine. Read more here.
QUICK TAKES
As international concern grows over attacks on Christian communities in India, 21Wilberforce President Wissam al-Saliby offered perspective on the broader trends driving persecution and the urgent need for churches worldwide to respond. A Baptist Standard article includes his comments. Read more here.
As part of coverage on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, our president, Wissam al-Saliby, was invited to respond to the findings and place them within a wider global context for The Baptist Standard. Read more here.
We’re grateful to see Blood & Water: The Life and Martyrdom of Shahbaz Bhatti come to life. This graphic novel honors Shahbaz’s courageous faith and enduring witness against religious persecution, Thankful for 21Wilberforce board member, Knox Thames and the creative team who helped make this possible. Learn more here.
21Wilberforce is walking alongside churches and Christians in some of the world’s most challenging places, where faith is tested by persecution. By investing in leaders and local congregations—the frontline workers—we are helping to strengthen indigenous, sustainable advocacy for religious freedom. We invite you to join us in this journey of faith, fellowship, and unity with those who suffer, standing together as one body to advance hope and freedom.
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February 10, 2026