On the evening of 9 December 2018, over 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church were arrested in coordinated raids on their homes. The pastor, Wang Yi, remains in detention and is facing up to 15 years in prison. Several others, including his wife,
Officials in central Henan province recently informed some church leaders of their intent to seize the church’s building and turn it into a hotel. Although the church is a member of the officially recognised Three-Self Patriotic Movement, officials banned the church from meeting last year.
Two terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso have left 29 Christians dead and countless others fearing for their lives. The twin attacks, which took place on 9 and 10 June, specifically targeted Christians and came on the heels of a series of attacks targeting churches in
On 9 July 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (president since 1993) signed a “declaration of peace and friendship” and declared the “state of war” officially over. President Afwerki had long used the ‘Ethiopian threat’ as a pretext to justify
When the popular Hindu swami (religious leader), Lakshmanananda Saraswati, was killed in August 2008, Maoist rebels claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite this claim, Hindu militants turned their anger towards the Christians of Odisha state (then known as Orissa). Riots exploded, particularly in the Kandhamal
The Islamic State’s three-year occupation of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and its surrounding villages ended nearly two years ago. Yet the city and its diminished number of Christian residents remain vulnerable. Last month the Iraqi government announced it would arm residents of 50 villages around
Mindanao in the Philippines can be dangerous for believers, especially for those who minister in remote areas. Late last year, Voice of the Martyrs Australia, with the help of our supporters, funded a project to provide ten motorcycles for pastors, leaders and evangelists who travel
Throughout March and April, Voice of the Martyrs Australia, with the help of our supporters, funded over 1100 eye screenings and 167 lifechanging vision operations in Pakistan. These were coordinated by Dr Reginald Zahiruddin. Prior to the operations, eye screenings were advertised throughout churches and
As more than 600 million citizens cast their ballots in the Indian general election, Christians and members of other religious minorities had added concerns about the outcome. Those concerns were realised after the results came in, for the Hindu-nationalist BJP party captured 303 of the
A Christian pastor, his wife and their university-aged daughter living in Pakistan were recently attacked by a mob of 34 men at their home. Thankfully, the family was rescued by a police officer who was passing by the house during the attack. Although they escaped
An evangelist visiting family members in Bauchi Sate was severely beaten recently and left for dead by Muslim villagers. Adamu was raised as a Muslim but placed his faith in Christ after hearing the Gospel on the radio. Since then, he has been sharing the
Christians in Mindanao, in the Philippines, face varying degrees of persecution from rebel groups, radical Muslims and a communist government. Last year Voice of the Martyrs Australia, with the help of our supporters, set up a project to aid four teaching staff at the Anchor
The Malaysian government has expressed that it will set up a special task force to investigate the cases of missing Pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis activist Amri Che Mat, a move that is welcomed by the Koh family. On 23 May, Home Minister Tan Sri
More than a month after Pastor Dhurba Kumar Pariyar was attacked by Maoist rebels, he remains in pain and faces mental trauma. Despite that, he has found strength in the Scriptures, as well as the testimonies of others who have suffered for their faith. Pastor
Iranian Intelligence agents, along with EIKO (Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order) officials directly under the control of the Supreme Leader, raided an Assyrian Presbyterian Church in the north-western city of Tabriz on 9 May. The agents changed the locks, tore down the cross, and ordered
Al-Shabab militants came for Christian schoolteachers Philip Okumu and Daniel Wekesa in the middle of the night. They surrounded the men’s house in their small Kenyan village near the Somali border and then tossed a grenade through a window. As flames spread through the concrete-block
As we commemorate 50 years at Voice of the Martyrs, we are encouraged by the commitment of those who have brought us thus far. There are too many to mention; supporters, volunteers, staff and leaders have toiled faithfully year in and year out to create
In 1962 Aida Skripnikova was just a young woman when she was first imprisoned in communist Russia for her Christian faith. In the first Australian edition of Jesus to the Communist World written in November 1969, a call to pray for Aida was published. At
“Merv, you really must read this book.” That is how a change in my life began when my friend and co-worker, Reg Werry, handed me a copy of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ. It was March 1968 and Reg had just read the
Fifty years of working with Pastor Wurmbrand and Voice of the Martyrs gives rise to many memories. I well recall sitting in a small house in China in the early 1990s. I had come to visit and bring aid to the wife of a Christian
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