A man we’ll call Paul is a pastoral coach supporting work in India. He explains that India’s majority-Hindu government has a vision for India to become a Hindu Rashtra, or state. 

“For that, they have to plug every hole — that means anything which is going to be a hindrance to that vision of establishing a Hindu Rashtra,” says Paul. 

To Hindu leaders, Indians who follow a religion other than Hinduism have betrayed India’s heritage and given allegiance to foreign nations, says Paul. By extension, that means evangelical Christian ministries are not viewed favorably. 

As one strategy to combat foreign influence, India created the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act in 1976. It has put red tape on non-profit organizations that receive foreign funding. In recent years, the government has effectively canceled the FCRA licenses of more than 20,000 organizations. Many were Christian-led. Without that license, these ministries are effectively blocked from receiving foreign funding. 

But here’s where the uncomfortable problem comes in: when Christian orgs dodge the system, they put not only themselves but others at risk. 

“The problem I see is many Christian agencies were not following, or they were not being compliant, in that sense,” says Paul of the FCRA licensure.

(Photo courtesy of Mahmut Yılmaz via Pexels)

He gives a hypothetical scenario in which one FCRA license holder allows other groups or individuals to route money through their account. 

“Now, with the current realities, you’re going to be in deep trouble, because they are really monitoring every penny you spend,” he says. “[If] they even see a slightest error or discrepancy, they are canceling your FCRA account.”

Recently, an evangelical Christian NGO was exposed as part of a network that was using United States–based debit cards in India. It was not even registered under the FCRA. It is now under investigation by India’s Enforcement Directorate. 

“[The government is] going to weaponize that to further say ‘This is what we have been telling over the years, how Christian organizations, Christians in India — and there is collaboration with the Western world — are trying to convert us Hindus in India,’” says Paul. “This is what they have been [saying]. Propaganda is going on. Massive, big-scale now, all over India.”

The situation is complicated. Please pray for wisdom for Christians to respond to these circumstances. Pray that the Church, both within India and outside of it, spreads the gospel in a way that honors God. 

India is around 80% Hindu, with an estimated 1.15 billion adherents according to Joshua Project (Photo courtesy of Wevlog Vijay via Pexels)

Header photo: Believers in West Bengal, India (Photo Courtesy of Ranit Das via Pexels.)

The FCRA is the law governing any donations or charitable contributions sent into India from outside the country. Organizations must be registered with the FCRA in order to receive such funds. In the past, this registration did not need  to be renewed. However, in 2021, the rules were changed to require renewal every five years. All organizations were asked to reapply at that time.

About 45,000 organizations submitted applications to have their registration renewed back in 2021. At the last count, 3,500-4,000 organizations were still waiting for their applications to be reviewed.

“So the Indian government under this current ruling party has been seeing this is a way that perhaps they can stop the flow of funds into the country,” says John Pudaite of Bibles For The World. “They have been going through these and canceling registrations as they see fit.” He notes the changes have been used to scrutinize Christian and Muslim organizations. 

Some large organizations, including World Vision and Compassion, as well as some social service organizations well known within India, have already been denied. Bibles For The World recently received news that one of their key partners had lost its registration.

“It’s a long standing partner—probably have partnered with them for over 50 years,” says Pudaite, “and by God’s grace, they’re a very strong organization, and our contribution only makes up seven to eight percent of their annual budget. So they can continue the work of the Lord that they’re doing there without us, praise God—but at the same time, it’s a tough blow for them to be on that black list of organizations that lost their FCRA.”

Bibles For the World’s other primary partner has received their FCRA registration.

“We still have all of these Christian organizations and people who have been serving the Lord. They’ve been trying to build the body of Christ there in India, and now one of their sources of funding might have been cut off because they are not able to receive donations properly, through the proper channels, and so we need to keep lifting them up in prayer.”

Pray God will continue to provide for the needs of these organizations, that they will use this time to sharpen and refine the their mission, and that they will not be subjected to unnecessary oppression or pressure from government authorities.

Header photo courtesy of Bibles For The World.

On January 1, China will begin enforcing a revised Law of Public Order Offenses. The measure updates the Public Security Administration Punishments Law and bans organizing or inciting others to participate in superstitious, sect, secret-society, or illegal religious activities.

Kurt Rovenstine of Bibles for China says the concern centers on how the law defines religion. “That’s where there’s concern is this last ‘illegal religious activity’, because it’s ill-defined,” he says.

Chongqing, China (Pphoto courtesy of Zekai Zhu via Pexels)

Rovenstine explains that when key terms are vague, enforcement can expand beyond public order into restricting faith practice. That ambiguity could open a legal pathway to limit some Christian activities.

“That just seems like an open door for someone that doesn’t really know what’s religious, legal or illegal, maybe to take advantage of that and make life a little more difficult for some of our friends there [in China],” says Rovenstine.

Under the revised law, violators can face five to ten days in detention or a fine of up to one thousand yuan. More serious cases could bring up to fifteen days in detention and higher fines.

It may not feel like a dramatic shift overnight, but it is another step toward narrowing freedoms. The broader pattern of legal and ideological restrictions includes banning foreign missionary activity, limiting access to online ministry, controlling sacred music, and tightening laws that restrict teaching children about Christianity.

Pray for wisdom for Chinese believers as they navigate daily Christian life and Gospel sharing.

“There’s wisdom and boldness to function within a world that has new laws every month that they have to try to navigate through,” says Rovenstine.

Another prayer request is for more Chinese to have access to Scripture, so they can endure trials with the wisdom and encouragement found in God’s Word. Visit Bibles for China to join a noble calling of providing a living water for the Chinese believers!

Header photo:A close-up of a Chinese STOP sign (photo courtesy of Tao Yuan via Unsplash).

But Nehemiah* with FMI offers a sobering reality check. A similar 2013 law in Pakistan’s Sindh territory hasn’t stopped child marriages from occurring or deterred those who ignored the law. 

“Sindh police disclosed recently that from 2018 to 2024, only 30 convictions under the child marriage law were recorded out of 272 First Information Reports,” Nehemiah says. (First Information Reports are the initial legal document filed when a crime is reported to the police. They are a crucial starting point for a criminal investigation and provide a record of the alleged offense.)

Islamic leaders argue that under Sharia law, puberty — not age — is the deciding factor for marriage readiness. They’re already challenging this new law.

“The petition has been filed against the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Council of Islamic ideology as respondents,” says Nehemiah. “The petitioner, who is a law firm in Pakistan, says that [it] is in clear conflict and objectionable to Sharia; that is why it needs to be declared un-Islamic, unconstitutional and against the fundamental[s] of Islam.”

(Photo Courtesy FMI for MNN use.) Christian girl in Pakistan.

Even if the law stands, he says, powerful religious parties have the louder voice. “The people of Pakistan, they are followers of these parties, and whatever their imams say, they follow that. So this law does not really matter.” 

Here’s the more sinister layer: Each year, an estimated 1,000 girls from religious minorities in Pakistan — including Christians — are kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off. Consider the stories of Huma, Shahida, and Alina. 

In all these complexities, pray for God’s wisdom and strength for Pakistani Christians under intense pressures. 

“We have encouraged and educated our church planters — brothers and sisters who work with FMI — how to respond in a [kidnapping] situation,” Nehemiah says. They have connected with psychologists, human rights experts, and people who work for the Child Protection Bureau in Pakistan. 

Here are prayer requests from Christians in Pakistan:

“Please pray for [one man’s] congregation that they understand that it’s not okay to let the girls go into forced marriages, into forced conversions. [Pray for] the sense of protection and the sense of identity,” says Nehemiah.

“Please pray for wisdom for church planters as they address the sensitive issue of child marriage in their communities. When Muslim men come and kidnap their girls in the Christian communities, please pray for them that they handle the situation according to the Pakistani law and according to the Bible.”

One sister shared this request: “Pray [that] the church in Pakistan becomes a safe place for vulnerable girls and advocates for their well-being.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo of Christian children in Pakistan. (Photo courtesy FMI for MNN use.) 

Zıpla, Zıpla, Zıplamayan Tayyipçi!
“Jump! Jump! The ones who don’t jump are Tayyip’s supporters!”

Hundreds of thousands of protesters, many of whom are students, have gathered across Turkish cities to protest President Erdoğan’s actions. This time, Erdoğan has sparked outrage by targeting his main rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Ekrem İmamoğlu (Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Medyascope TV via Wikimedia Commons)

On March 18, Istanbul University announced that it had annulled Ekrem İmamoğlu’s degree, effectively barring him from running in the upcoming presidential election. Although the official excuse was to prevent him from running, the move is widely seen as retaliation due to İmamoğlu being nominated as the presidential candidate for the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), in the 2028 elections. The following day, Erdoğan had İmamoğlu arrested, despite a lack of evidence or a court decision. This was the breaking point, leading to nationwide protests. Over 1,100 people have been arrested so far.

Local believer Emre* shares, “The people that protest are the majority of university students protesting to protect their right to keep their degree, to have an assurance that they will be able to keep their degree after they graduate.”

What sets these protests apart is their nationwide scale. A chart mapping the protests shows demonstrations taking place in nearly every city across Türkiye.

“These recent happenings are scary because the government is using their power to shut down opposition, and that’s not a good sign for the future of politics in Türkiye,” he adds.

Protesters shout “Hak, Hukuk, Adalet!” which means “Rights, Law, Justice!” Their signs read: Adalet yok emir var (“There is no justice, there is order”), Hukuk susar halk bağırır! (“When the law is silent, the people shout!”), and Bu devirde kimse padişah değil (“In this era, no one is a sultan”) — expressing their discontent with the country’s growing oppression of freedoms and the persecution of opposition.

Emre explains, “What protesters are afraid of is future security, because what we see here is the government more and more abusing their power.”

Although Turkish law protects the right to protest, the police have frequently overstepped, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and other forceful methods. The safety of protesters is a growing concern, and prayers for peace and de-escalation are urgently needed.

“Pray that the protests succeed, that justice will be served, and a better Türkiye will come soon,” Emre says.

He also asks for prayers that the protests remain focused on their core goals and that the government does not use the presence of any separatist or terrorist elements to discredit the protesters.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Faruk Melik ÇEVİK via Unsplash.

*Full name withheld for security.

It’s a move lamented by Christians around the world. Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada says: “The thing that is so troubling about this is hat India is supposed to have some freedom of religion and conscience, but when you’ve got a radical government – the radical Hindu party the BJP – their desire is to see India become a fully Hindu country. If you’re Indian, you’re Hindu.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the start of a trend; it’s a pattern that other states have already set. “Rajasthan is following the lead of the previous 11 states that have gone this direction, and it’s just going to be causing more and more problems with fines, imprisonment, and really what it is is intimidation.”

Both suggested policies could put undue pressure on the local Church. Conversion is rarely something a person expects, and demanding 60 days notice before someone makes a life-changing decision is a nearly impossible task. Arguably, that’s the point.

Then there’s the ban on forced conversions. Local magistrates would be the ones to decide whether a conversion is “forced.” Some officials have already suggested that charitable aid could be seen as a bribe. In other words, if an organization helps someone with their practical needs, the government could label any resulting conversion as a “forced conversion.”

That’s a huge problem for groups like Voice of the Martyrs Canada, which makes practical compassion a cornerstone of their work. “When you go into these situations and you give them food, you give them clothing, and you encourage them, they’re going to see the love of God, and the desire is that we would then share the Gospel with them,” Musselman says. 

“Now, I don’t believe in proselytizing people if there’s any kind of coercion involved – that’s just not the way that Jesus ministered. But we believe in evangelism. We are compelled to share the Gospel.”

All of this puts an intimidating obstacle in the face of the Indian Church, especially young believers. “Somebody comes to know the Lord through the kindness of believers and now they’re facing persecution as a result of that,” Musselman says. “I know many pastors and leaders in India. They’re not being intimidated by this, but it’s the newer believers, those that are young in their faith, especially if they’ve come from Hindu backgrounds.”

And yet despite the anxiety and persecution, God’s presence in India continues to grow. “​​God is working. Many are coming to know the Lord,” Musselman says. “I think the big prayer here would be that the church would not pull back, that they would continue to share the message of God, the message of God’s love through his son Jesus, that they would do it with humility, but they would also do it with boldness.

“We need to be bold. We need to go forward and do what we’re to do, but we’re also to show humility and kindness, and that would be my prayer for our brothers and sisters in India.”

Learn more about the work of Voice of the Martyrs Canada here.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Extremist groups like Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen push for extremist Sharia – a fundamentalist version of Islam characterized by an unwavering demand to follow the Quran – to become the law of Nigeria. That would mean more than 200 million Nigerians would be forced to follow Sharia, even though Christians make up nearly half of the country’s population. 

In an interview with Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Mark Lipdo of Stefanos Foundation said “We the Christians have raised our voices against the demand for Sharia, and we have also called the international community to look at that.”

But even if they can’t get Sharia implemented across Nigeria, these militant groups will still leave their mark on Nigeria. According to some victims who have encountered these groups, “They come in successions. Some come in front [and] carry firearms, and they shoot sporadically, scaring people. They are followed by those who carry machetes, whoever they come across, they hunt them down. They make sure that they kill them brutally so that they scare people away from those communities.”

Nigerian believers pray for intervention (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

What’s devastating is that Christians who are now being hunted know these extremists. Many Christians have even invited them into their homes. Many of these groups started as wandering nomads who moved from place to place. In some communities, Christians provided these nomads with food or places to stay. “These people have enjoyed the hospitality of the Christians over the years,” Lipdo says. “All of a sudden, these people you have known as good people are supposed to be living with you in your favor, they’re now behaving like your masters, making demands, and attacking and killing you.”

What’s more, officials seem uninterested in intervening. “The government is not treating it as a threat to humanity,” Lipdo says. “We are expected to live with people that arise at any time and do such havoc. This is the plight of the Christians here.”

So what does a Christ-like reaction look like? According to Lipdo, the response needs to be one of love. “We continue to love even to our death, hoping that the government administration we depend on will somehow solve this problem,” Lipdo says. “We don’t have an option, but to love. As Christians, once you stop being a Christian, or stop loving somebody, you’re becoming worse than what you profess.”

Support Voice of the Martyrs Canada here.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Local application of laws

Although Indonesia’s constitution protects certain minority religions, including Christianity, Bruce Allen with FMI says, “One of our partners, [a pastor] on the island of Java, says, ‘While the laws are made to protect the equality of all people, including religious equality, the problem is that at the level of implementation it is unequal.’”

Indonesian believers worshipping (Photo courtesy of FMI)

For example, it is relatively simple to gain permission to build a mosque, but it can take years of red tape to be allowed to build a church.

“In June of last year, Catholics in the city of Pinang were finally able to open the doors of their church after a 33-year struggle,” says Allen.

Another example comes from the school system.

“Indonesia’s education system in some districts mandates the wearing of a hijab if you’re a female student, even if you’re not a Muslim. Non-compliance can mean that students can be prevented from attending class.”

The lack of consistency in laws applied is partly due to the fact that Indonesia is a nation with six thousand plus inhabited islands.

“There is so much variety, so [many] different cultures on these different islands that what happens locally is much more important than what the federal government says,” Allen explains. 

So although the Constitution may speak of equality, “locally, it doesn’t always play out that way.”

Federal and political changes ahead

In addition to local governments, which Allen says “are increasingly codifying discrimination against religious minorities,” another concern for religious freedom comes from a law passed in 2022.

At a federal level, Indonesia has a new criminal code scheduled to take effect in 2026. Among other changes, it will further criminalize blasphemy laws, which are already used against Christians. (Read the full outline in the USCIRF report of the concerns that this code raises.)

Indonesia, July 2019 (Photo courtesy of FMI)

There are political pressures facing Indonesian believers today as well.

“What is putting the Christians on edge is that this is an election year. Their presidential elections are coming up February 14. Of the three leading candidates, one is very blatantly wanting to go toward a more radical Islamic bent for the nation. The other two are a little bit more moderate.”

Pray for civility and nonviolence in the upcoming election, and for leaders to be chosen who will protect the rights of all Indonesians. Ask God to enable believers to persevere with confidence in Christ, “as victors, not victims,” says Allen.

“Pray for the Lord’s favor in these issues of getting permission for church site construction. FMI was honored to be able to assist with five such projects last year. There are more in the pipeline.”

Click here to learn more about how FMI partners with local church planters in Indonesia and around the world.

Header photo courtesy of FMI. 

North Korean defectors in South Korea often use helium balloons to carry leaflets and USB drives across the border.

“Most of the launching is done by political groups, so the information that’s [sent across the border] is highly political,” The Voice of the Martyrs Korea cofounder and CEO Eric Foley says.

“It contains perspectives [about] government and human rights, and these kinds of things.”

VOM Korea has used a similar balloon-launching approach since 2005, but the material it sends is much different. More about that here.

“Our commitment remained the same, which is to always [ensure] our balloon launches were safe, both for the areas we were launching [in] as well as for the people who would receive our Bibles in North Korea,” Foley says.

“Our group has only ever launched the Bible, and we launch the Bible in the North Korean dialect.”

With the leaflet law overturned, it’s up to local police to regulate balloon activity on the border.

“That’s a good step because we’ve always had a good relationship with the police; we’ve always followed the requirements they laid out,” Foley says.

(Photo courtesy VOM Korea via Facebook)

“They (police) were very helpful in our early days of balloon launching; they would advise us based on where they thought we could be effective.”

North Korea is the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. Foley says the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights began studying various human rights elements inside North Korea in 2000.

“By their calculation, no North Korean inside North Korea had ever seen a Bible with their own eyes,” Foley says.

Today, he continues, “More than eight percent of North Koreans have seen a Bible with their own eyes. That’s probably about 1.65 million people; we don’t know the exact population of North Korea because it’s a carefully guarded state secret by the North Korean government.”

Send the Word of God to North Korea here.

Header image courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA.

FMI is a ministry with a specific focus in Bangladesh because it is the world’s third-largest Muslim majority nation. A Gospel worker who used to work with FMI says the amendment has caused minority groups concern.

The worker says, “When you have a majority, they already have the advantage of population. They already have the advantage of over-representation in the houses of government. I think this kind of amendment can just set it over the top. It can make officials and bureaucrats feel justified in giving certain privileges and advantages (kind of under the table) to those who are a part of what’s declared as the state religion.” 

A difficult choice

Many in minority religious groups want better representation, or even to have the amendment removed from the constitution. Read more here.

But the worker says Bangladeshi Christians face a difficult choice in this regard: “That’s a much more difficult situation outside of Western countries. If you raise your voice, you may or may not be heard. You may or may not be persecuted and further oppressed. So pray for Christians that they would have wisdom. Should they protest? Or should they just try to live in the grace of God in the current situation as it is?” 

The Holy Spirit isn’t restrained by the Bangladeshi government or any other. Ask God to build His Kingdom powerfully through the churches in Bangladesh.

Header photo courtesy of jorono via Pixabay.