
Fate of pastor, daughter kidnapped in Nigeria unknown
The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.

The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.
As the USA continues beyond its 250th anniversary, it is important to be reminded that the idea of freedom of religion and belief, one of its most significant values, did not develop from Enlightenment philosophy but with the theological conviction of an English Baptist who ultimately died for that conviction.
As the United Nations Refugee Convention marks its 75th anniversary on July 28, Christians are faced with an important question: when institutions become ineffective, unresponsive, or disconnected from the concerns of faith communities, should we disengage or continue to engage?
In the British Crown's "The Sovereign Grant" annual report, King Charles is revealed as "Supreme Governor of the Church of England... protecting the space for Faith (sic) within the multi-faith nation". This reveals a subtle shift in the British monarch's mandate. Not just protecting but potentially validating all faiths, which is biblically untenable.
The anti-Christian realities in India provide ample evidence that a culture can quickly turn against freedom of religion. Sadly, in India, some Christian leaders claim that if there is one place you can go to remain unaware of what is happening, it is in established churches on a Sunday morning! Thankfully the Holy Spirit is not so constrained and Christians continue to multiply in the midst of heightening persecution.

Nigeria’s government at federal and state levels continues to tolerate attacks by non-state assailants who justify violence on religious grounds, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

A Russian preacher who helps the homeless could face years in prison and has been fined by authorities in his home country for opposing the invasion of Ukraine.

Despite attempts by the Pakistani government and Islamist groups to thwart protest rallies and marches, Christians in several cities came out in large numbers to mark National Minorities Day on Aug. 11, demanding an end to religious intolerance and abuse of blasphemy laws.

Fulani herdsmen teamed up with a criminal gang to attack a village in central Nigeria on Thursday (Aug. 8), killing about 50 Christians, sources said.

A Muslim mob in Pakistan on Wednesday (Aug. 7) attacked and tried to kill a Christian mother accused of blasphemy, sources said.

Authorities in Turkmenistan have threatened a church pastor with prison and pressured his non-Christian relatives to urge him to stop practicing his faith, according to rights group Forum 18.