“I just got another letter from a pastor in Nanchang,” Erik Burklin of China Partner Ministries says.

“They had a special Religious Affairs Bureau group come to their seminary to educate them on these new regulations.”

(Photo courtesy China Partner)

These regulations are part of a broader effort to control religious life nationwide.

Churches are allowed to operate if they register with the government. Authorities troll and restrict online content like sermons, and the state expects all churches to act in alignment with the Communist Party.

If believers resist, they’re detained or prosecuted. Yet, at the same time, “There’s positive news in China,” Burklin says.

“Churches are continuing to grow, even though the government is very restrictive.”

Lessons from Mao’s era

Things were worse for Christians under Mao Zedong in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Christianity was first viewed as a “foreign” influence, and believers were pressured to cut all Western ties, such as connections with mission-sending organizations.

Then, during China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, all religion was deemed incompatible with communism.

Burklin’s grandparents served as missionaries during this tumultuous time. “My grandparents were kicked out of China because of Communism taking over,” he says.

“People were hiding Bibles. They were meeting secretly in homes. Those were dark days, and yet the Church survived.”

Burklin adds, “Not only did it (the Church) survive during those 30 years, it thrived. It grew.”

(Photo courtesy China Partner)

How to help

Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage house church pastors.

“Many house church leaders are under more pressure. They’re deemed illegal because they haven’t registered, and many government leaders are after them,” Burklin says.

“[Pray] that God would just sustain them during this tough time.”

Pray for fruitful outreach in February during the Chinese New Year. “Christians are using this Chinese New Year as a tool to witness to their neighbors and family members,” Burklin says.

“Pray that God would have another surge of new spiritual birth during the Chinese New Year.”

Header and story images courtesy of China Partner. 

Between 2017 and 2019, the world was shaken by leaked reports of China’s modern reeducation camps, where nearly 3 million ethnic Uyghurs were detained. Since then, global coverage has subsided — but what is happening to them now?

Following international outcry, the Chinese Communist Party appeared to close many internment camps. However, some remain in operation.

Bob Fu, a contact with Voice of the Martyrs Canada, says, “According to one report, there are over sixteen thousand still in the camps.”

Although the official label for these facilities is “vocational education and training,” the reality is far more disturbing. Detainees face forced sinicization — pressured to abandon their faith and adopt Communist ideology. Uyghur culture and language are systematically suppressed. Inmates are forced into labor and punished for minor offenses, such as owning religious books — among them, the Bible.

Persecution of Uyghur Christians

Representative photo courtesy of Cake Cat via Pexels.

Uyghur Christians are a small minority within an already oppressed group. Many came to faith through foreign missionaries. These workers not only shared the gospel but also supported the local economy, composed Uyghur worship songs, and translated several Bible books.

“They were not just doing evangelism, but they were helping the local people. [They] were taking care of the poor, the needy, the children,” says Fu.

These missionaries were deported from Xinjiang, leaving Uyghur believers exposed to double persecution.

First, from the Communist Party — for being both ethnically different and Christian. “Secondly, those Uyghur Christians also face their own people,” Fu explains, referring to Muslim Uyghurs who reject their conversion. Islam is the predominant religion among Uyghurs, and conversion is often viewed as a betrayal of ethnic identity. As a result, converts face discrimination, isolation, and even estrangement from family.

One such believer, Pastor Alimujiang Yimiti, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His crime?

“In his own home, he was sharing with the American missionary that he was being spied on by the Chinese State Security, and that he was under surveillance,” says Fu. “So this Chinese State Security Agency basically accused him of leaking a state secret — that was the only state secured secret!”

Another believer was released from prison, only to be resentenced to an additional twelve years within days. Voice of the Martyrs Canada brings to light cases like this.

“This is totally lawless and arbitrary, and is nothing but religious persecution in the most cruel way,” adds Fu.

Pray for the freedom of imprisoned Uyghur believers and comfort for those still enduring hardship in the camps.

Header — representative photo: Woman kneeling near a cross (photo courtesy of Jametlene Reskp via Unsplash)

Reports indicate members of the Religious Affairs Bureau are nervous. 

“Because they don’t know, ‘Well, what if I don’t enforce [new regulations] properly? What happens to me then?’”

Meanwhile, the church of China stands on a different foundation, one with a Cornerstone not fashioned by human hands. 

“Jesus did say, ‘I will build my church,’ and this is how we can pray for the Chinese church: we need to remember that He will build it no matter what comes against it,” Burklin says. 

He anticipates CCP leadership and the Chinese population at large eventually pushing back against an ideology doomed to fail. 

“There’s only so far you can go with Communist ideology. We know this from history,” Burklin says.

Please pray for President Xi Jinping. As he seeks further control of his people, ask the Lord to reveal Himself as the one who holds hearts of kings in His hands. 

“He controls what Xi does and what other leaders around the world do, and so we as Christians have that hope; and that’s what we need to look to,” Burklin reminds us. 

On another hopeful note, there are over 50,000 registered churches and an equal or greater number of unregistered churches operating in China every week. Amidst restrictions on children in worship services, parents are taking shepherding to heart. 

“On top of that, they’re printing Bibles now, rather than getting rid of them under the Mao regime,” Burklin says. “So that’s what the Christians are thankful for.” 

By God’s hand, Burklin points out, Xi Jinping will continue his plans as the Lord carries out His. 

Pray that Chinese believers will stay strong in the Scriptures and their faith. Pray for the Chinese church leaders navigating new waters. Pray also for members of the Religious Affairs Bureau, who will need to work closely with church leaders to enforce new regulations.

“As a result of enforcement of that, they will get to know more pastors,” Burklin says, “and God can use this to reach those individuals as well.” 

Please pray also for China Partner as they prayerfully consider new ministry directions both within and outside of China. 

(Photos courtesy of China Partner)

Despite ongoing government efforts to “Sinicize” Christianity, the Chinese Church continues to hold fast to its identity. However, this resilience requires intentional effort. One crucial way to sustain and strengthen the Church is by equipping local leaders through training centers. These centers serve as hubs where ministers can teach, preach, and disciple — ensuring that sound Biblical teaching continues to spread. One such center is currently being built in the northern hills of China.

However, establishing a Christian training center in this region is no small task. Local believers must navigate three major challenges. Kurt Rovenstine from Bibles for China explains: “They do face a lot of obstacles in trying to share the Gospel in a place that, number one, is communist, number two, is very Muslim and very traditional, and number three is resource challenged.”

These three challenges — communism, Islam, and poverty — create a difficult environment for ministry. Each presents unique obstacles and misunderstandings about God, making the need for solid Biblical training all the more urgent.

Woman sitting behind the desk (Photo courtesy of Unsplash)

Despite these difficulties, local workers are pressing forward. They are constructing the center as part of a registered church in northern China, with a clear mission: to equip and empower local leaders for effective ministry. This is where Bibles for China plays a crucial role, supplying much-needed materials to support their training. So far, the ministry has helped fund the education of lay ministers who will return to rural areas to guide believers in their home churches.

“We really love the opportunity that the Lord has opened to us to support them in providing some study Bibles and things like that, to the students that come to this Training Center,” says Kurt.

However, the challenges extend beyond equipping adults. A key struggle for trained believers is raising their children with Biblical knowledge. State restrictions prohibit bringing children to church, holding Sunday school, or organizing structured faith programs.

“You can’t bring them in,” Kurt explains. “You can’t have Sunday school, you can’t have intentional programs. So it has to be informal and just part of relationships.” That’s why Christians are encouraged to nurture their faith within their families, passing down Biblical stories through parents, grandparents, and uncles. This way, children grow up grounded in the Word and ready to join the Church with spiritual maturity.

Pray for the smooth construction of the training center and for wisdom in preparing the training programs. Visit Bibles for China’s website to learn more about the training centers and how you can support their mission!

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

In a recent conversation with Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Paul Paduhiloa with Voice of the Martyrs Australia explained what the Vietnamese Church endures. 

“If we zoom out, there are three kinds of church in Vietnam: the registered Church, the semi-registered church, and the other underground church. I do believe that Christianity is flourishing and the underground church, they’re expanding. Many people are coming now to the Lord Jesus Christ because of the faithful witness of our brothers and sisters.” 

That faithful witness endures opposition in urban and rural contexts — in the different “kinds” of churches Paduhiloa named.

In cities like Saigon, “they allow church to exist given that they register for the state and given that they abide with what the state would want them to do,” he says. 

“But in the provinces and the villages, it is different. Officials would tell them that ‘We are the law, whatever we we say you follow.’” 

Recently a pastor was beaten to death after refusing to stop church worship gatherings. Paduhiloa has many stories like this. Yet he says believers are holding firmly to Christ in spite of violence, loss and suffering. 

“Just to be fair as well, some of them are really fearful. Of course, it’s hard to lose a land, it’s hard to lose a loved one because of that,” he says. 

“But, they believe that Jesus is more than anything in this world, and that’s why they’re willing to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

There’s a lot more to the situation in Vietnam. Listen to the full conversation with VOM Radio coming later this month. For now, pray persecutors will be drawn to Christ. 

“Last year, I was able to interview one of the thugs that was trying to destroy believers. He said, ‘I’m a result of the love of [these] Christians. I was persecuting them.’ But right now he’s able to stand for the Lord, and now he’s taking the beating. He was doing the beatings before. Now he’s taking the beatings because, he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that was the result of the love of the brethren there.”

Header photo of a Vietnamese family is a representative stock photo courtesy of Lê Tân via Unsplash.

The nation of just 3.4 million people is sandwiched between Russia and China. It was a Communist nation for over six decades leading up to the 1990s when it transitioned to a democracy. 

More than 8,000 local government seats were up for voting in the October elections. The results? The Mongolian People’s Party, an ex-Communist party, keeps its majority.

“Out of 21 provinces in Mongolia, they won in 14 provinces, and out of nine districts in the city, they won in eight districts,” Chinzo* with A3 Mongolia says.

“We had opposition parties, like [the] Democratic Party, and [the HUN] Party. Even after the parliamentary elections, we had some reforms, some changes, but even after that now the ruling party (the Mongolian People’s Party) has great weight in decision-making and directing the trajectory of our countries.”

People in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Stock photo courtesy of Belgutei via Unsplash)

Christians make up less than 2 percent of Mongolia’s majority Buddhist population. But Chinzo says they do not face heavy persecution — yet. 

“It’s all indirect. There is no direct pressure or persecution,” he says. “But the change is in the society — we’re going back into Communist-type of regime again.”

He lists media and speech censorship as growing concerns. One form of pressure that Christians experience today is bureaucratic delay. 

“Many churches wait for many, many years to get official registration (with the government),” Chinzo says. 

Join in praying with Christians in Mongolia for God to move in their nation. 

“Pray for religious freedom in terms of especially churches. We need more official recognition and favor from the [state] for the churches to function freely, without fighting persecution,” says Chinzo.

Pray also for the Mongolian church, which Chinzo says has a lack of men in leadership. 

“We want Mongolian men to rise up. They need to come back to Jesus and really be strong.”

*Name withheld for security

Header photo shows a scene from Inner Mongolia. (Photo courtesy of marywenstrom from Pixabay)

It was the first presidential election in the nation since unrest in 2022 forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

After his inauguration September 23, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved parliament. He has called for a general election to be held in November of this year instead of in late 2025.

“Over the last two decades, we’ve had a trend of political parties being in power. For the first time, we’ve had new party totally coming in, so there is a new government,” says Pastor Paul*, a gospel worker with A3.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake September 2024 (Photo courtesy of Kasun kavinda gunasekara via Wikimedia Commons, CC0)

“What seems to be happening over the last few days [since Dissanayake took office] is very positive, but I think ,,,there’s a lot of fear in people.” 

There’s an anti-corruption movement with the new leaders, which is positive. But because of the PLF party’s history, no one knows if religious freedom will become a concern in the months and years ahead. (PLF is also known as Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP.)

“They represent the Communist Party, so they are non-religious,” Paul says. “The biggest challenge is no one knows what to expect, so there’s nothing to prepare for.” 

Pray for believers in Sri Lanka to listen to the Holy Spirit in the midst of uncertainty. Pray also for the upcoming election in parliament. 

“I think that’s what we need to pray for, that even through this, the Lord will establish His righteousness,” Paul says. “I’m very positive that God, even through this season, will do something that will transform our nation and bring it to a correct place.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo of Sri Lanka’s flag is a stock photo courtesy of Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay.

Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) reached out to their connected churches in Belarus to get their reaction. SGA’s Eric Mock says Belarusian pastors have a unique perspective to share.

“They reminded me very quickly that the churches there were born of the difficulties of ministering during the days of the Soviet Union, during the days of Communism when the churches were greatly persecuted. So in the middle of those persecutions, they were aware of the laws and they did what they could to honor the government to the extent that they could while they were faithful to preach and teach the Gospel.”

Essentially, they have seen these types of challenges before — and even worse. With that in mind, these pastors and Christian leaders are familiar with advancing the name of Jesus Christ amidst roadblocks.

Mock says, according to the pastors in Belarus, “The work of advancing the Gospel and advancing the Church and planting the churches remains unchanged.

SGA works with churches in Belarus, equipping them to proclaim Christ as King. (Photo courtesy of SGA)

“They respect the government, they want to be salt and light before the government, they want to honor the government. That doesn’t mean that they agree with the government, but they want to be people who are beyond reproach.”

These faithful believers’ perspective serves as an encouragement to other Christians facing opposition and challenges. And you can encourage them with your prayers.

“The greatest prayer request that we have for the Church in Belarus is that they would remain faithful.”

Learn more about SGA’s ministry in Belarus.

Header photo of students receiving training in Minsk, Belarus. (Photo courtesy of SGA)

Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China spoke about the attempt of the Chinese government to keep harmony and dictate the future direction of the country. 

“When China is difficult in their challenges and restrictions, and, you know, things that make life difficult for the Chinese, this particular issue seems to come to the surface, because it’s such a point of passion for the Christian people,” Rovenstine said. 

The Word of God is the foundational document for Christian belief and teachings. For organizations like Bibles for China, the Holy Bible guides the direction of their ministry.

Though there’s been no official declaration from the Chinese government regarding the CCP version of the Bible, people are questioning what will happen if the CCP Bible becomes the only legal version. 

“And so (Bibles for China has) had to address that, you know, we are committed to the unaltered Word of God,” Rovenstine said.  “And if it ever has changed, we won’t distribute it, we’ll find a different way to do what we do.”

However, Rovenstine said it could be a ten-year process before the CCP Bible is released publicly. 

“I think it’s a talking point for you know, a lot of ministries and maybe even for the government itself, not to say that it’s not happening,” Rovenstine said. “Who knows what goes on behind the walls of the think tanks and working groups of the Communist Party.”

Though the specifics of the CCP Bible are difficult to come by, Bibles for China is taking it very seriously. 

“If the only legal Bible in China is the CCP version, that’s totally unacceptable, and I think is an indication of the distance between the church and the communist government,” Rovenstine said. 

Rovenstine assures that the Bibles distributed by Bibles for China will always be the unaltered Word of God, and they are watching the situation closely. 

Read more about Bibles for China’s work in China here. 

According to Erik Burklin of China Partner, there is an active effort to make Christianity more “China-friendly.” However, leaders in China’s registered church see this not as an obstacle but rather an opportunity to contextualize their message within China’s culture. In the words of one pastor, “Our goal is to keep the biblical foundation but adapt to the culture, making the gospel relevant to our people.”

To Burklin, this is already an essential part of fulfilling the Great Commission. “We’re trying to figure out the best way of how we can share the good news of Jesus Christ to the culture or to the people that live in today’s culture.”

Yes, there is an active effort by officials to make religion “more Chinese.” But according to Burklin, “Chinese Christians laugh about that. They said, ‘Well, how much more Chinese do you want us to be? We are Chinese!’”

Really, it’s about ensuring that even Chinese Christians put the state first. Pastors are then faced with a complex challenge: trying to fit within the system and doing as the government asks without compromising the biblical integrity of the Gospel.

For example, many Christians around the world have heard stories of a future Chinese “version” of the Bible. Burklin got his hands on a copy of one of these Bibles. The cover was red and designed like a traditional Chinese book. Traditional artwork decorated both the cover and inside pages. And as for the content? “I had team members with me who speak Mandarin. […] they said it was identical to what they knew the true Bible to be.”

Burklin says that with these restrictions, the state is “almost saber-rattling in a way, just warning everybody, ‘Hey, you better toe the line and obey that we are really above all, including religion.’ And the Christians are saying, ‘So be it, but Jesus Christ is still the head of the church.’”

Above all, leaders within the Church in China focus on the fact that “Jesus is the person who brings salvation to the Chinese people. That is the core of our Gospel. That’s why we as pastors or as evangelists are working for the Lord; to let people know about the salvation that is possible through Jesus Christ.”

Follow China Partner’s work here at their website.

Header photo courtesy of China Partner.