Underground church leaders detained or missing in crackdown By Katie O’Malley
Since October 9, nearly 30 pastors and staff from the Beijing Zion Church have been detained or forcibly disappeared by Chinese authorities. Zion was once a massive house church. But it was banned in 2018 after refusing to install government surveillance cameras in its sanctuary. The congregation has continued to meet in smaller groups in creative ways since then, despite continued challenges. This series of detainments has received the condemnation of the US State Department. “It is a new and significant crackdown that should get our attention and should refocus our thoughts and prayers towards the people in China that are facing ever-increasing challenges and outright persecution,” says a gospel worker supporting the Church in China.
Last month, the Chinese government issued new restrictions on how religious leaders can and cannot use the internet. According to a report from Bitter Winter, Zion Church’s coordinated arrests seem to stem from church leaders disregarding those regulations. “[Online platforms] became very important during COVID and have been a really important tool for especially the house churches, but the registered churches as well,” explains the gospel worker. As Chinese believers continue to pivot under government rules, they need wisdom for how to minister the gospel.
“The Christians in China are not afraid to take some risks and to do things that might get [them] in trouble, but if they don’t have to and there’s strategies otherwise, then they’d love to take advantage of that,” says the gospel worker.
Pray for younger believers to glean insight from the older generation on how to endure and adapt to persecution.
Mission Network News
Papua New Guinea: Every August since 2007, Papua New Guinea has observed a national holiday called the National Repentance Day. The purpose of the day is to encourage citizens to remember Papua New Guinea’s Christian heritage and focus on the repentance of sins for the more than 14 million people living on hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Christian leaders from numerous denominations urge, especially within the government, honesty, stronger ethics, morals, and values, and more courage to confront corruption and violence in their nation. In March, Papua New Guinea passed a constitutional amendment declaring itself a Christian nation. As it seeks to live up to the way of Christ, it also has high rates of corruption, bribery, crime, and gender-based violence. Additionally, there are frequent cases of tribal and village-based violence, which affects locals, Christians, and missionaries, particularly in rural and highland areas.
In West Papua, now an Indonesian territory, there is an intensifying Islamification of traditionally Christian areas and ongoing persecution of believers. Amid its current challenges, National Repentance Day provides Papua New Guinea with a unique opportunity for renewed spiritual focus. The hope is that the nation will move closer to Christ and, over time, better represent God’s kingdom. “Repentance is a way of life, acknowledging God as the source of our life, our country, and our very existence,” Dr. Jack Urame, head of the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Papua New Guinea, said during the recent National Repentance Day. “Yet, the way we live as a nation does not reflect that we have truly repented or changed our way of life.” Source: https://www.persecution.org/2025/09/05/papua-new-guinea-observes-national-repentance-day/
Edited by Al McNair
Afghanistan: Afghan Christians are mostly first-generation converts from Islam, leaving them at risk of particularly severe punishment if discovered. Under the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law, converts to Christianity are considered apostates deserving of the death penalty. Roughly two million Afghans who fled the Taliban in 2021 have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 alone. According to the U.N., more than 410,000 Afghan refugees were expelled from Iran during a three-week period following June 24. These deportations place refugees back under Taliban rule, exposing them to the same persecution they once fled.
In July, the U.S. made headlines when Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, exposing Afghan refugees in the U.S. to possible forced return despite ongoing dangers under Taliban rule. TPS indicates that the U.S. recognizes conditions on the ground as too dangerous for safe return. Please pray for Afghani refugees being forced back to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan, and possibly even the U.S. They are literally walking into the jaws of death. Source: https://www.persecution.org/2025/08/26/afghan-minorities-face-renewed-pressure-as-anniversary-of-u-s-withdrawal-nears/
Edited by Al McNair
Deported Afghan Christians Forced Back Into the Mouth of Death, ‘I don’t want to be killed by the Taliban,’ cries teenage girl: Christians are among more than two million Afghan citizens who have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan this year – mass deportations that could catapult them back into “the very mouth of death.” Christians have been targeted by Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban – an anti-Christian regime that reportedly has executed people for simply having Bible apps on their phones. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled to Iran, Pakistan, and other neighboring countries after the Taliban retook control in 2021. “For Christians, return to Afghanistan could mean severe persecution and even death,” said John Cerniglia, president of SAT-7 USA, a Middle East-based Christian broadcaster that hears from Afghan Christians who fear what will happen to them. One said deportation back to Afghanistan was “a return to the very mouth of death.”
“I don’t want to be deported,” said Afghan teenager Armita, her real name withheld. “I don’t want to be killed.” Armita and her father fled to Tajikistan, a nation bordering Afghanistan, after her uncle — a Christian — was killed by the Taliban. “Girls like me are being forced into marriage (with Taliban fighters),” she said. “I don’t even know how to express the terror.” Officials in Tajikistan recently ordered all Afghan citizens there to leave the country, according to reports.
Huge numbers of Afghans have already been deported from Pakistan and Iran, neighboring countries where waves of Afghans fled to escape the Taliban. According to Dr. Saeed Peyvandi, a professor of sociology, the Iranian government seized on a rising phobia of Afghans to launch mass deportation efforts. The UN Refugee Agency says the total number of Afghanis deported from Iran and Pakistan exceeds 2.1 million. More than half are children.
Christian Newswire
Niger: On September 15, a baptismal ceremony in Takoubatt, a village located within the Tillabéri region of Niger, was violently disrupted when gunmen on motorcycles suddenly stormed the gathering. According to a local source, 15 people were killed during that initial attack. The assailants then moved to the outskirts of the village, where they claimed the lives of seven more villagers. One local media outlet described the incident as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people [who were] cowardly killed without reason or justification.” The Tillabéri region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, has been plagued by persistent attacks from jihadist groups linked to the al-Qaeda and self-proclaimed Islamic State militant organizations. Despite ongoing efforts to curb the violence, the military has struggled to maintain control over the area. A recent report from Human Rights Watch highlighted the various difficulties encountered by authorities in their attempts to protect the region’s civilians. Source: http://www.persecution.net (VOM)
Edited by Al McNair
Russia: Courts in Russia have prohibited the activities of several Council of Churches Baptist congregations due to their refusal to register with the state. As a result, at least five church buildings were forcibly closed, and three more are presently under investigation. A court order issued in September 2024 applies to all the congregations of this denomination, which comprise of an estimated 2,500 churches.
In Kurganinsk, one congregation has been gathering outdoors since May, after bailiffs sealed the doors of their church building. “Last Sunday, I witnessed church members old and young praying on their knees, right on the pavement,” recounts a member of this congregation. “The [believers] have one heart and one spirit. The church defends its independence from the state.”
“Although prosecutors claim that the forced closures are necessary to maintain public order and state security, these Christian communities are reputed for their long history of peaceful worship gatherings. In fact, the churches’ opposition to state registration, which has been shaped by past persecution under the former Soviet Union, happens to be a key element of their identity. Since the collapse of the USSR, these congregations have continued to meet openly, often in private homes and prayer houses. While the current crackdown is particularly targeting the Council of Churches Baptist congregations, Christian leaders of other denominations are concerned that more unregistered churches in Russia may soon face similar opposition. (Additional reports addressing Christian persecution in this country are available here.) Severe restrictions are also being imposed on congregations in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, where courts have penalized individuals and churches for worshipping or sharing their faith without official permission. Please Pray for our persecuted bros and sisters in Russia and Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine. Source: VOM’s P & P Alert, 18/9/25 (www.persecution.net)
Edited by Al McNair
Press Release
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