
Muslims kidnap 12-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan
Three Muslims in Pakistan abducted a 12-year-old Christian girl at gunpoint from her home and have threatened to sell her into sexual slavery, her parents said.
Three Muslims in Pakistan abducted a 12-year-old Christian girl at gunpoint from her home and have threatened to sell her into sexual slavery, her parents said.
Evangelism can become little more than a sales formula, with such evangelists nicknamed "The Jesus Guys" in Asia. This style can inoculate people against Jesus. Mr Huang testifies that a more effective method is to build long-term relationships while sharing biblical values, principles, and truths in a natural setting such as while conducting business.
Traditional churches in China tend to serve a context where poverty and need are typical and the desire for communal support and directive leadership is welcome. China's large upwardly mobile and independent population doesn't need what these traditional churches are offering. A different gospel approach and new forms of church must emerge to meet different needs in rapidly changing urban contexts.
For decades the global missions community has talked about deeper collaboration with local ministry leaders as partners. But self-perception can misread reality. The post-COVID political shifts in China are a reality check, according to a long-term expatriate living through changes that are shattering the illusion that he knew better than the locals about how to advance the gospel in a foreign context. It is a new era for missions, demanding a new depth of humility.
The rise of Artificial General Intelligence is now unstoppable. It is not an overstatement to say that it is transforming life on earth as humans know it. No sphere of human interaction is immune, least of all the religious sector. Now, more than ever, we need to be spiritually discerning about AI/AGI use in our faith walk. Let us take care not put our trust in something that has neither heart nor soul.
On Sep. 5, 2024, China officially announced adjustments to its international adoption policy. Moving forward, except for foreign nationals adopting children who are direct relatives within three generations or stepchildren, the country will no longer send children abroad for adoption. According to statistics, since the Adoption Law legalized international adoptions in 1992, over 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by foreign families.
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) announced the results of its 2024 White Paper on Religious Freedom in North Korea and a public awareness survey on North Korean human rights at the Franciscan Education Center in Seoul’s Jeong-dong on Jan. 23. Rev. Stephen Kim of the Jericho Mission, who has devoted over 30 years to improving awareness of North Korean human rights and rescuing defectors, also shared insights into the current state and direction of missions to North Korea.
Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has introduced a cash card program for religious minorities, marking a historic step toward addressing marginalization in Pakistan’s most populous province. The “Minority Card” will provide 10,500 Pakistani Rupees (approximately $37.65 USD) per family every quarter to Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, and other minorities living in Punjab.
Liebenzeller Mission International marked 50 years of spreading the gospel in Bangladesh with festive events honoring its longstanding partnership with the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS), a network of 350 churches, 150 pastors, and 20,000 members across 10 districts.
The Christian Council of Korea (CCK), a former national member body of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), has issued a statement on Jan. 17 raising concerns about the planned WEA General Assembly (GA) in Seoul, Korea this October. It challenges Sarang Church, which is due to host the global event at its facilities, to be transparent about the financial support it provides to the WEA.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on his first day back in office to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for at least four months, a move that has raised concerns among refugee advocates. The suspension, announced Jan. 20, led to an immediate halt in the resettlement of 1,660 Afghan refugees, including unaccompanied children hoping to reunite with families in the U.S., according to media reports.