On March 26, Finland’s Supreme Court convicted former Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen (header photo) and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of a hate crime. The case stands out not only for the conviction itself, but for how it was prosecuted. Authorities used the “war crimes and crimes against humanity” section of Finland’s criminal code — a category typically reserved for far more severe offenses.

The charges stem from a pamphlet published more than 20 years ago, in which the two outlined a biblical view of family and expressed concerns about gender-related issues. Päivi Räsänen has also previously faced accusations of hate speech for citing Scripture, including the book of Romans, though she was acquitted of those charges in earlier court rulings.

Floyd Brobbel of Voice of the Martyrs Canada explains the legal basis behind the ruling: “It’s under a hate speech law that has a very loose or vague definition of hate, that these two were convicted.”

From Finland to Canada’s Bill C-9

The decision is now echoing beyond Finland, fueling renewed discussion in Canada over Bill C-9, also known as the Combatting Hate Act. For more background on the bill and its potential impact on religious groups, see our previous coverage (here and here).

(Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

Brobbel says the concern lies in how “hate” is defined and applied: “The concern remains that the loosening of the definition of hate could, in fact, in the long run, do exactly what they say the bill will not do.”

At a deeper level, the situation raises questions about how religious beliefs are interpreted in modern legal systems — whether they are assessed on evidence or increasingly through the lens of perceived offense. Some observers see parallels between the developments in Finland and what could potentially unfold in Canada.

Bill C-9 has already passed the House of Commons and is now before the Senate. If it advances, it will return to Parliament for final reading.

As lawmakers consider the bill, Brobbel is calling for prayer: “Pray that they would have the wisdom to carefully consider the implications of this bill and tighten up some of the descriptions that need to be tightened up.”

Visit Voice of the Martyrs Canada to learn more about how they serve the persecuted Church.

Header photo: Portrait of Päivi Räsänen (photo courtesy of FinnishGovernment via Wikimedia Commons)

The proposed legislation would expand Criminal Code offences connected to “hate-motivated” intimidation and interference with access to houses of worship.

Floyd Brobbel with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says there are positive elements in the proposal. “There are a lot of good things in the bill, where it’s combating hate: it’s looking at things that will willfully promote hatred,” he says.

He adds the bill could target actions such as displaying terrorist symbols, intimidating people to prevent access to religious sites, and intentionally obstructing someone from entering places of worship or other locations.

However, many religious groups share a key concern: how the bill defines hatred.

Brobbel says: “Bill C-9 is proposing a looser definition than the bar set by the courts.”

(Image by Steve Haselden from Pixabay)

Current case law protects freedom of speech, even if some find it offensive. Yet, the new wording could let subjective reactions shape how hate is defined. Brobbel also says the bill removes a key “good faith” clause that previously protected religious expression (read more here).

“With the redefining of hatred and removal of this clause, certain aspects of our faith could be determined as hatred,” Brobbel adds.

Earlier this week, Canada’s House of Commons limited debate on Bill C-9 and sent it to committee. It will later return for a final vote before Senate review and could be adopted as soon as this month.

Still, the bill could change before becoming law.

“We continue to pray that people that are forming this bill will do so wisely,” says Brobbel.

How you can pray:

1. Pray that those working on the bill will create a clearer definition that leaves less room for misuse.
2. Pray that Christians will remain alert and engaged as laws are debated and changed in the country.
3. Pray that many Canadians and foreigners living in Canada will have open hearts to the Gospel.

“We need to be prayerful in how we engage the next generation and people outside the church, and be willing and ready to face whatever opposition comes our way,” Brobbel urges.

Visit Voice of the Martyrs Canada to learn more about the work they do.

Header photo: Canadian flag (photo courtesy of Chris Robert via Unsplash).

The Leadership Center

One of the newest ministries through On Eagles Wings is a gap year program for young people looking to gain practical skills for life and deepen their faith before they go to college or work. This launchpad for students is called the Leadership Center.

(Image courtesy of Hutchcraft Ministries)

Seth Stevens the Student Life Coordinator with On Eagles Wings says that many kids lack adults in their lives who push them to be independent and learn practical skills for living off the reservation. That’s where The Leadership Center steps in.

“We teach them how to do an oil change, how to do better communication, how to handle conflict resolution, how to even express yourself in a healthy way and cope with things in a healthy way. We end hoping that they will take away ownership for their own lives, for their future, for their own faith, even their well-being physically. [We hope] that they would take ownership in all things – to not just blame other people or blame their past so much, but to take ownership. Saying ‘Hey, where I ended up is where I choose to be. And it’s all because of what has what God has done in my life.’”

The program has had just one graduating class so far, but Stevens says he has already seen these students do great things. One of the reasons he thinks the program has been such an early success is their partnership and learning from other gap year programs such as College of the Ozarks. However, he says that for many students the most impactful part of the program was that the campus felt like home.

“Here, majority of our staff are native. So when they end up in here, we have things we can relate on. So the transition from home to here, the homesickness is, you know, with our RAS to be native, it helps with that.”

Other Programs

In addition to the Leadership Center program, On Eagles Wings hosts a yearly conference called the Warrior Leadership Summit Native Youth Conference. This event brings together First Nations students from across the US and Canada, representing over 100 tribes and nations. Many students choose to follow Christ at that conference or leave with a deepened faith and desire for evangelism.

(Image courtesy of Hutchcraft Ministries)

Out of that conference, On Eagles Wings also finds students to join their Summer of Hope Reservation Outreach. Students travel to different Native communities and facilitate events that allow them to share their faith.

Through these and other programs, On Eagles Wings seeks to empower Native communities with Gospel-centered hope.

Get Involved

God is moving in Native America. Pray that He will continue to provide the skills, hope, and faith these young people need to follow Christ. Please also consider donating to help more young Native leaders here.

(Header image courtesy of Anil sharma on Pixabay)

The inciting incident

(Photo courtesy of Dan Kiefer via Unsplash)

In October, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) published a discussion paper on religious intolerance which named Christmas and Easter as examples of “systematic religious discrimination.” 

Don Hutchinson, a board member with Voice of the Martyrs Canada, says, “The discussion paper caught the attention of some people who were startled that the Canadian Human Rights Commission could be discussing the idea of potentially doing away with statutory holidays for Christmas and Easter — in the opinion of those who were startled. So that was brought to the attention of the House of Commons.”

In November, the House of Commons unanimously denounced the paper. A few days later, the CHRC’s Interim Chief Commissioner Charlotte-Anne Malischewski offered this opinion piece about the discussion paper — it merits reading for further clarity into the controversy. 

A different perspective

Canada is a diverse country, home to a large number of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and ethnic religions.
(Photo courtesy of Mihai Surdu via Unsplash)

Hutchinson thinks that people made a bigger deal about the matter than it warranted.

He explains that while Canada has a strong influence of Christianity in its history, it is not a Christian nation in its constitution. It’s reasonable that it would raise questions like this.

“We also need to be mindful that other religious communities are going to have concerns about our Christian heritage in terms of the statutory holidays, when they have dates that they consider to be prominent and important — particularly some communities where people are using their vacation time to celebrate their holy days,” Hutchinson says.

He adds that Christmas and Easter have been long-held, even largely secularized holidays in Canada. There is room for differences of religions even within that. Certain 24/7 industries (such as hospitals) have collective agreements that allow employees to exchange their days off for other preferred ones. In short, Canadians of many different backgrounds are used to these holidays and how to function with them. The House of Commons saw no need to alter the nation’s statutory holidays.

The response for next time

Hutchinson recognizes that this won’t be the last time government agencies discuss topics that stir up concern among Christians. He encourages believers to respond to these types of events with prayer first, remembering 2 Timothy 1:7 and Ephesians 6:12-18.

“We’re seeing this increasingly, I think, in the church in Canada that there are parts of the Christian church that are fearful that we’re going to lose our religious freedom — either because religious freedom is granted to another religious community or because the government is taking action that that we find contradictory to our religious beliefs,” Hutchinson says.

In a democracy, there is indeed the risk that things will change due to political behavior, but Hutchinson says “it’s not something that tends to happen instantaneously. So there’s a place for us in the church to pray, and then to engage where we have concerns.” 

He adds, “I think that the best thing for us to do is be the Church. Instead of becoming the political activists who are going to stand up for the Church, be the Church. The political activism will flow from being the Church when we’re focused on Christ first.”

Join Hutchinson in praying “that we search the Scriptures together, that we pray together — that rather than just reacting when we see something in the media or some rumor about what’s happening with government, that we pray, we confirm the details of what we’re praying about, and then, from our place of prayer, we determine what action might or might not be beneficial.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Ben White via Unsplash.

Karim Arezki is a professor of comparative religions involved in the North African Christian community. In a recent conversation with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, he described the big picture this way:

“The underground church and ministries are growing and God is opening many doors through persecution, which is part of our faith. But our leaders and people in our Christian community are tired because of the situation.”

Karim Madi, an Algerian pastor living in Europe, says, “Before 2019 when we could say there was persecution in society and from the family. But after 2019 the persecution started to come from the government.”

With only a few churches open across the country today, many believers meet online or underground.

Arezki says that when Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962, it allowed for more freedom for missionaries. This led to people coming to know Christ, and, eventually, revival.

Photo of Bejaia, Algeria courtesy of SLPix via Pixabay

“In the 1970s, more Algerians were accepting the Lord. But it wasn’t easy. From 1982 until 1999, Christianity was growing, and people of all generations — teenagers, older people, men and women — accepted the Lord. There was a revival in the Kabyle area. In every village, there were underground churches, and they were growing in the Arab areas as well,” says Arezki.

“The revival of Christianity in Algeria started in 1990, with a new generation of believers. This encouraged others in their faith in Jesus and to share, but they paid the price. Some of them went on to have a good position in society, including in the government. The persecution began when it was learned there were many Christians.”

Arezki says Christians lost their jobs and faced verbal and physical abuse when their faith in Christ became known.

“What we see in this second generation of Christians [who are] growing up in Christian homes [is] the fruit because of their faith of their parents, and how they educated their children in school and in faith.”

Pray for Algerian believers as they face pressure from the government in addition to pressure from their family and society. Pray that Muslims will be curious about the Christianity they see and will turn to Christ.

“The persecution isn’t stopping us from our faith. Yes, we have had arrests and we will never know what will happen next. Many churches are closed and few are open. But we have underground churches that continue to practice their faith under these circumstances.”

Find out more about how you can be invested in the persecuted Church at Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

(Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Himsan via Pixabay.)

It’s a big shift in the way officials treat Christians in Egypt. On a podcast with Voice of the Martyrs Canda, Fayez Youssef said that it was “unprecedented in our modern history to have this number of legalized and licensed Christian churches and church buildings and conference centers.”

Before this committee took action, Christians might have to wait as long as 20 years to get a license to build just one building. With recent efficiency boosts, however, churches can get approval for their buildings in a much shorter amount of time, meaning they can start meeting in physical buildings for community and worship.

Youssef believes that this committee is a way for the government to say, “‘We want to give you your rights. We know this is your right. You didn’t have it before, and this is time to have it.’” He also believes that this is unprecedented.

“It [has] never happened in all my life to see this number of licensed churches,” he says. “We are in a positive change now.”

Why the shift? Some might point to pressure from both local and international communities calling for more religious freedom in Egypt. Youssef, on the other hand, has a different theory: “This is coming from a very deep conviction that this is the right thing to do.”

Keep praying for Christians in Egypt, and consider supporting Voice of the Martyrs Canada and their work in Egypt and around the world. Believers in the Egyptian Church are encouraged by the presence of their God, the support of a global Church, and the promises of Scripture. While in many parts of the Bible, Egyptians are antagonists, there’s one passage that Youssef says Egyptians find encouraging: Isaiah 19:19-21.

“In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them.”

Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

 On a podcast with The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) Canada, VOM Korea’s Eric Foley explained, “Since 1989, the Church has been in numeric decline every year in South Korea.

“Christians think of South Korea and they say, ‘Wow, 10 of the 11 largest churches in the world! Sending out more missionaries than anybody!’ True, true. However…during Covid, those missionaries were called back in large numbers.”

Post-Covid in South Korea, Foley said, “We saw upwards of 15 percent of churches closing or at risk of closure still in the near future.”

A satellite image contrasts South Korea at night with North Korea. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Gospel missions to North Korea have also been slapped with red tape. In 2020, South Korea banned balloon launches of so-called “propaganda materials” into North Korea. This included Gospel tracts.

Then, in March 2021, Foley said, “Any movement of what is considered anti-North Korean material northward across the border — including via the internet — became a criminal activity. Only radio was excluded from that.

“What that means is it’s not only Russia and China blocking the influx of Bibles and Christian literature into North Korea. There is now…no legal means to bring Bibles and Christian literature into North Korea from any direction.”

So what is VOM Korea still able to do in South Korea to reach North Koreans for Christ?

“We never comment publicly on our field activities in terms of the specific details,” Foley said. “The Voice of the Martyrs continues to get Bibles into North Korea through a wide variety of means and we joyfully and willingly pay the price that we have to pay personally in each of the countries that we do that.”

A paradox of Christianity is this: Wherever believers endure hardship or pressure, the Church is pruned and refined — and the Gospel spreads.

Myeongdong shopping district, Seoul, South Korea. (Photo courtesy of Cait Ellis via Unsplash)

Pray for a profound spread of the Gospel in South Korea that ignites deeper passion for Christ. Ask the Lord to foster creativity in ministry to overcome these new challenges.

To learn more about VOM Korea, click here!

Header photo courtesy of Daniel Bernard via Unsplash.

Last year, e3 launched Made to Multiply — a five-year initiative to train one million North Americans in the United States and Canada to effectively share their faith. They would also like to see Gospel conversations trainings happen in all 50 US states.

(Infographic courtesy of e3 Partners)

E3 has already reached 24 states in 2022 with Gospel conversations training.

Abbie McConnell, Marketing Communications Director with e3, says, “We’re definitely looking for believers and local churches that want to partner with us. We want to take this training to 26 additional US states in 2023!… If you see that your state hasn’t been reached, we’d love to hear from you.”

E3 sends teams of people around the US to work with churches and ministry organizations to bring people together for Gospel conversations trainings.

Brad Prizer, e3’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, says, “A lot of this is done through church partnerships. We are not the Church. We recognize that the Great Commission was given to the Church, not to e3 Partners.

“Our role in this that God has given us is to come alongside the Church and support the Church in its training efforts and sharing the Gospel with the community surrounding their church and their Jerusalem, and their Samaria, and their Judea, their area.”

Register for upcoming trainings at madetomultiply.org.

Prizer says, “It’s our goal as a ministry to not do all these training sessions ourselves. We could never reach one million people trained if it was just e3 doing it. What we do is we train other people to train other people.

“Our goal is to not only train those who want to know how to share the Gospel more effectively, but train people to rise up and also have their own training sessions.”

If you’re nervous to share your faith or don’t know where to start, Prizer has this encouragement: “I think God equips us to be able to share our story and God’s story with others. But also, when we do the Gospel conversations training, we actually go out into the harvest and we pair up with other people who have done it before. They get to knock on doors and see how the Holy Spirit actually goes before them and gives them the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone who’s eager to receive it.”

Learn more about e3 Partners here.

Header photo courtesy of Christina @ Wocintechchat.com via Unsplash.

Jesus was “a brown-skinned man from a tribe living on land that others occupied,” Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says.

“[He] loved nature, told stories, was homeless, and died a violent death.”

Hutchcraft began On Eagles’ Wings 30 years ago to reach Native America for Christ. “I don’t think I could have anticipated the kinds of responses that happened on many reservations” through the years, he says.

Each summer, an On Eagles’ Wings outreach team visits Native communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. At each location, the group meets “hardened eyes and countenances of Native American young people; hearts hardened by a lot of pain and bad choices,” Hutchcraft says.

On Eagles’ Wings equips Native American believers to bring the hope of Christ to their communities.
(Screenshot)

These “young men and women are convinced that Jesus is ‘the white man’s God,’” he adds.

As team members tell their hope stories and describe a Savior who understands each struggle, “I watch the hard countenances turn soft. As they (team members) extend the invitation for their generation to come to Christ, I see walls come down [and] hearts open.”

Every pain carries purpose

Through intentional discipleship, On Eagles’ Wings equips Native American believers to be Christ’s ambassadors to their people. More about that here.

Unique cultural traits are ideally suited for ministry. “When they’re quiet, a Native person is ‘reading’ a heart because their spirituality is about your whole life, not a compartment in your life. When all of that comes under the Lordship of Christ, fasten your seat belt!” Hutchcraft says.

These believers perfectly understand the pain and dreams of their peers, he adds, describing broken lives redeemed by Christ.

“The thing about a broken vessel is there are more places for the light to shine through.”

Sponsor a year of discipleship here.

“The American Church has no idea [how powerful] for the Gospel the first people of our land could be if given a chance to know the real Jesus,” Hutchcraft says.

“Billy Graham pointed out [that fact] 40 years ago when he said Native Americans are the sleeping giant. ‘If ever there will be a revival or spiritual awakening among them,’ Billy said, ‘they might become the evangelists who would reach America for Christ.’ I believe that. He concluded by saying, ‘Remember these forgotten people.’ We are doing that right now.”

Header and story images courtesy of On Eagles Wings/Ron Hutchcraft Ministries.

It’s no secret that persecution has been on the rise in Nigeria over the last few years. At the halfway point of 2022, there had already been 23 attacks on churches. That number is more than half of the 31 attacks in 2021, and already higher than the 18 attacks in 2020.

And there’s no sign that the onslaught will slow. In early August, over 20 Christians were killed in the Tariba state region alone. A lawyer was shot in his home. A university student was kidnapped and may be forced into marriage. A group of nuns were captured on their way to mass.

How, in the face of such violence, can Nigeria’s Church find hope? Through the grace of God displayed through stories like Daniel’s.

Daniel’s Miracles

Daniel is a Nigerian believer who survived an attempt on his life. He was living in Maiduguri, a city with a population over 800,000. One night, a group of hooded Boko Haram terrorists charged into their apartment. 

“When they have hoods over their faces, it means that they’re your neighbors, and you likely know them,” Daniel said – as recounted by Emmanuel Ogebe of Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Daniel, his brothers, and his father all had their throats slit. Miraculously, Daniel and his brothers survived, leaving them with “necklace” scars. Daniel’s father did not.

His family’s troubles weren’t over. Several years later, Daniel’s mother was abducted by Boko Haram. For months, the only way Daniel could see his mother was via YouTube videos posted by her captors showing her surrounded by guns. After almost a year, she was released.

Needless to say, Daniel doesn’t plan on letting her out of his sight. He’s currently studying engineering in college while building a house for his mother and his four siblings. Voice of the Martyrs Canada is helping support the family as they rebuild.

Daniel’s “necklace” may be a reminder of tragedy, but it’s also a reminder of the miraculous healing and saving hand of God. He’s an example of perseverance in a community that does not welcome him. He publicly wears his hope in Christ even while his attackers wear hoods to conceal their own identities.

Pray for Daniel and believers like him who face regular danger. Ask God to protect His people. 

You can support Nigerian Christians directly through Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada.