Harsh Sharia penalties to apply to non-Muslims in Brunei (March 4, 2025, Christian Today)
A new sharia penal code that includes archaic Islamic penalties such as flogging and stoning to death – some of which will be applied to non-Muslims – is being rolled out in Brunei from this month. The laws, which will be introduced in three phases over the next two years, have been criticised both in and outside of Brunei.
Armenian Churches’ Appeal to Christians Around the World (March 13, 2025, Mirror Spectator)
The united representatives of all Armenian churches worldwide have issued an urgent appeal to Christians around the world, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan.
Christianity and the Amazing Armenians: 10 Facts (March 5, 2025, Massis Post)
Few Christian communities can claim a direct connection to biblical history like the Armenians. From Mt. Ararat—believed to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark—to the work of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew in the region, Armenia’s ties to Christianity date back to the earliest days of the faith.
I Was Sold into Slavery. Jesus Set Me Free. (March 2025, Christianity Today)
“In the Thai Muslim community where I lived, enslavement was all I knew. Then God spoke into the darkness…I am living proof that God is working in the darkness. And all the ways He has loved me are glimpses of the everlasting life I now treasure in him.”
Ramadan in Bahrain: Everything you need to know, from reduced working hours to iftars and ghabgas (March 9, 2025, Time Out Bahrain)
Ramadan in Bahrain is a very special month dedicated to fasting, charity, reflection, and spiritual growth. The city takes on a slower-than-normal pace to accommodate these priorities.
Human Tapestry (March 17, 2025, ChinaSource)
Art has the unique ability to reflect the human heart, surface difficult life questions buried beneath the busyness of everyday life, and build bridges between communities. This is especially significant in China, where increasing restrictions make it harder to attract people to churches. In such a landscape, creative arts with a kingdom perspective offer an effective, subtle, yet powerful way to introduce gospel values and foster meaningful connections.
A Journey of Faith (March 14, 2025, Chinese Church Voices)
I had never seriously questioned why I went to church or why my mother was so committed to it. Once, I asked her how she became a Christian. She said it was through my grandparents’ influence. Then I wondered: how did my grandparents, uneducated farmers from a rural village, come to believe in Jesus? Perhaps we are part of the fruit of missionaries sent by God to China long ago.
My Neighbors Aren’t Ninevites (February 14, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)
The Book of Jonah offers a clarion call for peacemaking between believers from Hong Kong and China. Chinese churches in Britain are currently experiencing explosive growth. Yet this positive perception of Chinese church growth in Britain is a fragile bubble that could pop at any time, as divisions between Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese believers persist.
In Hong Kong, One Pastor Ministers to a Gen Z Protester in Prison (January 10, 2025, Christianity Today) (Subscription required)
Amid high rates of depression and anxiety among young people, Christian leaders boost efforts to address mental health challenges.
Unpacking the Shifting Narrative of Christianity in China (March 11, 2025, ChinaSource)
This issue explores the Sinicization of Christianity, unpacking its historical roots, ideological implications, and contemporary debates. With contributions from leading scholars and experts, the journal examines how this evolving policy—driven by both state directives and grassroots religious dynamics—continues to shape the relationship between faith and politics in China.
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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