Evangelical Fault Lines Revealed in South Korean Election (June 6, 2025, Christianity Today)
In South Korea, far-right politics are characterized by an anti-Communist and anti-China posture. These ideas have become entrenched within some Korean evangelical circles, leading them to label people who “criticise conservativism or conservative policies as pro-North Korean communists and antichrists…”
Sri Lankan mob disrupts Christian gathering on Tamil rights (May 26, 2025, Union of Catholic Asian News)
A mob stormed a Christian-led gathering on Tamil rights and constitutional reform in a city near the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, after accusing attendees of undermining the nation’s constitution.
Sudan’s Civil War Haunts Seminary Students (May 30, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)
Though the wars in Gaza and Ukraine garner more press attention, aid groups consider Sudan as having the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Many Sudanese people are subsistence farmers. But violence and displacement have drastically impacted agriculture, throwing half the country into food insecurity. The civil war has particularly hurt Christians.
60 Years Later, Complete Bible Translated in Contentious Indonesian Province (May 14, 2025, International Christian Concern - Persecution.org)
After 60 years of faithful work across two generations of one family in missions, the Bible has been fully translated into the Ngalik language in the Indonesian Province of Papua.
Faith instead of fear: remembering 21 Libya martyrs (March 5, 2025, Mission Network News)
The Islamic State isn’t in the news cycle as often as it used to be. In 2014 and 2015, the group formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria was topping headlines almost every day.
October 2025 Study Tour Announcement (June 5, 2025, US-China Catholic Association)
This Study Tour will include 2 days in Hong Kong and 15 days (October 10–24) in mainland China. The 2 days in Hong Kong will be added to either the beginning or the end of the mainland visit. Food and lodging will be organized as part of the Study Tour; travel to Hong Kong or Beijing (from each participant’s home country) and from Hong Kong or Beijing (returning to each participant’s home country) are the responsibility of each participant.
From Seoul to Tokyo: A Korean Pastor’s Mission to the Chinese Diaspora in Japan (June 3, 2025, ChinaSource Blog)
A Korean missionary fluent in Korean, Chinese, English, and Japanese, serving Chinese in Tokyo, Park’s story is a powerful testament to God’s work in diaspora and global missions today.
Facing a Precarious Future in Hong Kong (June 6, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)
Unlike in China, where only foreign-passport holders can attend international churches, Hong Kongers make up a majority of the worshipers at the city’s international congregations. They are drawn not only by the English-language services but also by the more casual and relational style.
From Seoul to Tokyo: A Korean Pastor’s Mission to the Chinese Diaspora in Japan (June 4, 2025, ChinaSource)
A Korean missionary fluent in Korean, Chinese, English, and Japanese, serving Chinese in Tokyo, Park’s story is a powerful testament to God’s work in diaspora and global missions today.
Chinese Christians “Looking East”: The Empirical Evidence 华人基督徒的 “东方情结” (June 2, 2025, ChinaSource)
Just recently, ChinaSource published a thoughtful reflection titled “Standing in the True Light,”1 which describes Chinese believers’ surprising draw toward the ancient liturgical traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy. Their stories resonate deeply with what I have witnessed over the past five years of researching global Chinese churches where a quiet, yet steady shift has been taking place.
AsiaBriefs, produced in partnership with ChinaSource, is a place for you to catch up on news items and analysis from around Asia that you might have missed. It is a curated list of links from published online sources. Clicking a link will take you to a website other than Asia Congress or ChinaSource. Neither Asia Congress nor ChinaSource is responsible for the content or other features on that site. Further, an article’s inclusion does not equal an endorsement. Links to China stories are from ZGBriefs, a weekly publication of ChinaSource that highlights important news and analysis from China. You can read the complete, unabbreviated version of ZGBriefs at ChinaSource, and subscribe to receive it by email every Thursday.
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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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