Christians to Welcome Qatar's First Christian Church (May 5, 2025, Christian Post)
Next month, the St. Mary's Catholic Church will be among the first of a series of churches to open its doors in the Qatar capital of Doha. Anglican, Greek Orthodox, and Coptic churches are expected to soon follow.
Hindu nationalism threatens India’s secular foundations (May 8, 2025, East Asia Forum)
Since 2014, BJP governance has eroded India's secular foundations through legislation targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The Waqf (Amendment) Act, the Citizenship Amendment Act and growing violence against Muslims and Christians signal a fundamental shift toward Hindu nationalism. This transformation threatens India's constitutional values and global standing as a pluralistic democracy.
Lebanon at the hinge point of change as political standoff continues (April 29, 2025, Mission Network News)
Amazing changes have taken place in Lebanon in recent months, yet the battle for a free country isn’t over yet. The political climate has impacted ministry, sometimes for the worse and sometimes with new doors.
A dream of Jesus in Brunei leads to 30 years of women’s ministry (April 11, 2025, Open Doors UK)
Sara faithfully ministers to the women in her church, helping them to build strong relationships with their spouses. And it’s all because of a dream she had when she was 12…
A Digital Explanation of Tariffs’ Impact on East Asia (May 2, 2025, Council on Foreign Relations)
President Donald Trump’s proposed “reciprocal” tariff plan places some of the highest tariff levels on East Asian countries—many of which depend on U.S. markets to grow their economies.
Qatar real estate market attracts global investors as Doha emerges as wealth hub, report Knight Frank (May 5, 2025, Arabian Business)
Doha is establishing itself as a hub for global wealth as Qatar’s economy, opportunities across sectors and government planning attract international real estate investors. The residential sector shows continued strength in prime locations, with total residential sales reaching $3.2bn last year.
Farming In The Desert: A Small Green Revolution In The Sahara (May 11, 2025, World Crunch)
In a land battered by sandstorms and scorched by summer heat that can climb to fifty degrees Celsius. But how many of them have truly thrived? And what does it mean to practice agriculture in the middle of a desert?
Philippines: Asia's fast-rising manufacturing hotspot (May 3, 2025, MSN - Gulf News)
When people think of the workforce here, they often think of healthcare or the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. Those are absolutely true. But not the whole story.
Brunei must refine and regionalise its economic approaches (March 19, 2025, East Asia Forum)
The nation is recognising the need for diversification, with new opportunities for economic diversification arising such as advancements in the tech industry, shifting global supply chains and the global shift towards renewable energy. But constraints related to its labour market, bureaucracy and cultural expectations pose significant challenges.
Internet life in Turkmenistan detected! (April 21, 2025, EurAsia Net)
Turkmenistan is known to have one of the most tightly controlled Internet environments in the world. But even in such an inhospitable atmosphere, there appears to be enough web energy to give life to a few TikTok influencers in the country.
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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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