Indonesia has officially changed a decades-old state policy of referring to Christian holidays by their Islamic names, such as Isa Messiah for Jesus Christ. President Joko Widodo signed a Presidential Decree to mark this shift to accommodate the Christian population in the country, which has the world’s largest Muslim population.
In this church planting testimony, what began as a three-person gathering has developed into a stable and flexible model: open homes for consistent meetings, and a focus on nurturing discipleship. Faith has become part of daily life, not confined to a church building. There is much to learn from this example of faithful service in the north west of China.
Mahatma Gandhi is often known as India's father of the nation and a promoter of non-violence protest movements, but India has long since shifted from Gandhi's ideals. His popular influence on some Christians deserves to be critically assessed too. This retrospective considers Ghandi afresh.
In many of India's states, Christians continue to struggle under increasing restrictions and persecution. While many thousands of Jesus' followers readily show up for celebratory events, very few are bold enough to stand with the suffering and against injustice. This is an indictment against the Church and the leader of the Evangelical Fellowship of India says we can do much better.
IC-814, the longest hijacking in aviation history, has a little-known miraculous Christmas story. Fredrick James, a follower of Jesus, was on the flight. When a church in New Delhi heard of the hijack they went to prayer. An intercessor friend of James also held vigil. This is the dramatic "behind the scenes" story of how God answered.
Last Sunday, I attended a worship service at a church, noticing a one-third reduction in the attendance. Additionally, the number of worship sessions decreased from three to two. Choirs and fellowships are also suspended until the end of February.
Citing lax government response to Islamic extremist attacks on a Christian community last August, an advocacy group on Wednesday (Feb. 7) filed another plea for justice with the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The first global database to track cases of anti-religion violence became available to the general public in January, providing rights advocates, ministries and others a plethora of information to defend religious freedom and belief.
The Church of Pakistan has announced its commitment to take action on climate change in line with the Lambeth Declaration, reiterating that the climate emergency was not just a physical crisis, but also a spiritual one.
![[Book review] Telling the truth in China - a book review of Sparks](/media/cache/thumbnail/0/03/340sp_240w_170h_1x_1y.jpg)
Anyone familiar with Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Ian Johnson’s previous writing on China has likely already picked up a copy of his most recent book, Sparks. Johnson’s ability to combine his intimate familiarity with life in China today with heartfelt interviews from people throughout Chinese society makes his writing insightful and often deeply moving. His latest book is no exception, and should be read by all who care about the people of China.
A Vietnamese Montagnard Christian has been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison on charges of “secession and incitement” for conducting prayer meetings at his home, advocates say. The sentencing comes amid ongoing tensions between religious practices and state policies in the communist nation, particularly affecting the Montagnard minority and their Christian faith.
On a hillside overlooking modern Nazareth, visitors step away from traffic and apartment blocks and into a re-created agricultural landscape shaped by stone terraces, vineyards and olive trees — a setting designed to reflect daily life in Galilee two millennia ago.
