Burned Bibles and broken homes (February 6, 2024, Radio Free Asia)
Village leaders and residents barged into a private home in southern Laos to stop several families gathered there from holding a Christian worship service on Sunday
How God is moving among the Yazidi (March 11, 2024, Mission Network News)
Numerous Yazidis have encountered the Gospel since being driven from their homeland by the Islamic State in 2014. Today, the Yazidis’ “openness [to the Gospel] can be debated, but one thing that has been very clear is that God is doing some amazing things,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories.
Tunisian Jews scale back annual pilgrimage to ancient synagogue because of security concerns (April 22, 2024, The Associated Press)
The decision comes more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war, which has reverberated throughout the Middle East and North Africa, inciting mass street protests from Morocco to Iraq. In Tunisia, most of the protests have been peaceful but in October, demonstrators desecrated a synagogue in Al-Hammah on the mainland.
Forced marriage of Christian women becoming 'concerningly common' worldwide: Open Doors (March 7, 2024, The Christian Post)
The 2024 Gender Report, compiled by Open Doors’ global research team, draws attention to the marginalization of Christian women who live in countries ranked as the 50 most dangerous for Christian persecution.
Plight of Central Asian diaspora drives IMB alumnus to press on (March 21, 2024, International Mission Board)
Before former International Mission Board worker Allison moved back to the United States, she’d already developed a deep love for and passion to reach the Central Asian diaspora. Working with Central Asian refugees and asylum seekers in Europe opened her eyes to the felt needs of the people, as well as their spiritual condition. Her friend Aziza’s story often comes to mind.
Make Nepal Hindu Again: Christians Concerned by Rising Religious Nationalism (April 12, 2024, Christianity Today) (Subscription Required)
In an “alarming” development, Indian Hindutva ideology and politics have begun to spread throughout the country, as local experts and journalists report. This proliferation has resulted in a recent spate of attacks and restrictions on Christians reported within the country of 30 million.
Filling the Need to Care for Workers: Training Member Care Providers for Chinese Missionaries (April 24, 2024, ChinaSource Blog)
We believe that member care is an integral part of missions sending and we want to see Chinese senders better equipped in this area… The sent and the senders will fulfill the Great Commission together.
Jingjiao—Not Nestorian (April 23, 2024, ChinaSource Blog)
In AD 635 Christian missionaries whose worship language was Syriac traveled thousands of miles down the Silk Road to plant a church in China. The imperial officials examined their teaching and issued a decree (preserved in the stele) allowing the church to be established.
A New Round of Restrictions Further Constrains Religious Practice in Xinjiang (April 19, 2024, China File)
Authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region rang in 2024 by announcing an update to the region’s strictures on religious practice. Changes include new rules to ensure that sites of religious worship, like mosques, look adequately “Chinese,” and to mandate the cultivation of “patriotic” religious leaders.
China’s City, Wenzhou, Has More Christians Than Any Other – How it Happened Will Surprise You! (March 25, 2024, Back to Jerusalem)
With the continuing growth of Christianity in China, it seems that it will soon be home to the world’s largest Christian population, but of all the major cities in China, one stands out for having more believers than any other – Wenzhou. The incredible testimony how the metropolitan city of Wenzhou became synonymous with Christianity in China is due to God using a man with only one leg!
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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