Take Kenya, for example. Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “Especially in rural areas, these pastors often have limited access to really sound education resources, books, or mentoring, so it really leaves the church vulnerable to false teaching.” 

Syncretism and the prosperity gospel are present dangers in the Kenyan Church. And it doesn’t stop at the borders.

Pastor training in Kenya (Photo courtesy of AMG International via Facebook)

“Kenya is actually exporting a lot of its church culture all over Africa, because it has some very big churches,” says Dennett. 

To be clear, not all pastors and congregations in Kenya adhere to the prosperity gospel. Indeed, just last summer, many church leaders across Africa took a public stance on that ideology as well as “word of faith” theology. Their 14-article statement can be accessed here. 

As followers of Christ who care about truth, this battle line for the pure gospel in Africa must not be ignored. AMG helps to step into the gap by offering pastoral training — not only in Kenya but all over the world as well. 

“We really believe that healthy churches require well-equipped pastors, and while we do church planting in a number of countries, our goal is not just to grow the number of churches, but to strengthen the quality of existing churches that are already there,” says Dennett.

In Kenya, AMG’s biannual conferences bring in cross-cultural teachers who help Kenyan pastors continue to grow in handling God’s Word. This year, the theme is the doctrine of God.

Pastor training (Photo courtesy of AMG International via Facebook)

After receiving teaching about God’s sovereignty and providence, one pastor had this to say: “his eyes were just completely opened to some of the false beliefs that he himself had been propagating in his church and community, and [he] was excited to focus on the truth of God’s Word, and to only be sharing truth,” says Dennett. 

Your prayers and support can help strengthen the church in Kenya. Connect with AMG here to learn more. 

“These are not just one-time events [conferences], you know. We’re really hoping to have ongoing investment in the future of these churches and pastors,” says Dennett. “Knowing that every trained pastor is going to impact all of the lives of their congregation and contribute to the discipleship of so many people, it’s so encouraging to us.”

Header photo of pastor training in Kenya courtesy of AMG International.

“After all that’s happened,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories, “and how Iran has been attacked and at least perceived by some as dishonored, the honor and shame part of the culture of this part of the world means that the fight might take a pause — but it will still go on.”

He points out that situations in the Middle East are always intertwined. Hezbollah connects to Iran, connects to Syria, connects to Iraq, etcetera. 

“It may not happen in two weeks. It may not happen in two months. But I wholeheartedly believe that there will be ongoing attacks against US interests in the region for the time to come, as retaliation for what has taken place over the past month-and-a-half,” Samuel says. 

That risk assessment is concerning not only for Western or US interests in the Middle East, but also for local Christians. 

“The evangelical Church in this part of the world, for better or for worse, is often connected to the US,” Samuel says. “Therefore, these will have implications on evangelical churches in Iraq, perhaps even in Lebanon.”

(Photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels)

He also expects an impact on the underground Church in Iran: “I’m assuming there will be significant crackdowns once the dust settles a little bit.”

Pray for protection, boldness, and strength for brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle East as they speak about the hope of the gospel.

“God always uses these chaotic moments to bring people to Himself. We’ve seen it all throughout the region, and we see it over and over again,” says Samuel. 

“I’m sure that they are also praying that in the midst of the chaos that’s happened in Iran and in Lebanon and somewhat in Iraq, that God would, by His great grace, bring some of those who have been affected to Himself. So that is [local Christians’] prayer, along with security and safety.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo courtesy of Saifee Art via Unsplash. 

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA says that Saudi Arabia in 2016 and Saudi Arabia today are like two completely different countries. Here are two factors of the change:

(Stock photo courtesy of Bahaa A. Shawqi via Pexels)

“One was the disempowering of the religious police, who were enforcing the Quranic code. They were the people who would grab a woman off the street if she was showing some of her hair, if her veil wasn’t covering her the way they thought it should,” he says. “Disempowering them changed the atmosphere in the whole country. You didn’t have so many people living in so much fear.”

Then, some traditions or laws that were based on the Quran have been changed. One example is that women no longer need a male relative to accompany them in order to travel. Women are also allowed to drive now. 

Nettleton says changes like these in Saudis cultural standards have created new spiritual openness.

“The average person in Saudi Arabia starts to question the foundation of those standards,” he explains. “‘Well, I thought this is what the Quran says. Did the Quran change, or did it not really ever say that? Well, then, what else is there that is permanent, that I could trust, that doesn’t change from year to year or from generation to generation?’”

There is also a desire within Saudi Arabia’s leaders to be more friendly with the West, Nettleton points out. 

“There are biblical sites in Saudi Arabia that they are right now building superhighways to get tourists to come and see them. They know many of those tourists are going to be Christians. They want to see, you know, where Moses split the rock or where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea,” he says. 

“So there is going to be a lot of opportunity for Westerners and Christians to be on the ground in Saudi Arabia in the years to come.”

A man in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Alashri via Unsplash)

However, Christians walk carefully. Non-Muslims can live in Saudi Arabia — indeed, the nation has a large migrant worker population, Nettleton says. But for Saudi citizens, converting from Islam is prohibited by the government and severely resisted by their families. (More on that here.)

“The idea of reaching Saudis, that’s sort of the red line for persecution. That’s the red line for what the government will or could or might tolerate,” says Nettleton.

Please pray for open doors for gospel workers already in Saudi Arabia, slowly planting seeds that may take years to grow. Pray for more ambassadors to join them.

“Pray, pray, and pray,” says Nettleton. “The other thing I would encourage people [is] go to Saudi Arabia. Be on the ground. Pray inside the country for God to move. I think it’s great when Christians go with a proactive idea that we are ambassadors for Christ … even for a week of tourism.” 

Header photo: Makkah, Saudi Arabia (Stock photo courtesy of Muhd Emy Jailani via Unsplash)

On Tuesday, Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, called for Iranians to chant together against the government at precisely 8 p.m. Thursday night and today. It’s no coincidence that on Thursday, online monitoring group NetBlocks reported that Iran fell under a nationwide internet blackout.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in January 2021
(Wikimedia Commons)

As the now 13-day movement develops, taking a look back is helpful. Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran says, “This wave of protests in late 2025, early 2026 is very different from the ones in 2009, 2017-19 and also the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement [of 2022]. The reason is because it started with a sudden economic shock, and also it spread faster and wider.”

Abnous notes three international factors that have added significance to these latest protests. 

“If you look at the backdrop of the military escalation, there’s still a shadow hanging over the region from the 2025 escalation between Israel, Iran, and the United States when they bombed the nuclear facilities,” Abnous says.

Those external threats in June led the Iranian government to tighten security internally, “because the leaders fear that weakness at home may invite aggression abroad.”

A second factor comes from U.S. President Donald Trump’s January 2nd threat of military action if the Iranian regime fired on demonstrators.

“When the United States responds very clearly in support of the protesters, that adds to the value of the movement,” says Abnous. “That is a clear message to the government [of Iran] that this time around, things are different.”

It’s unclear what line will have to be crossed for the U.S. to take any action. On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll in Iran had reached 38.

(Photo courtesy of Denis Oliveira/Heart4Iran)

A third factor Abnous points to in the international environment is the U.S. removal of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, from power. “Venezuela happened to be one of the closest allies to Iran,” he says. “Once that tie between Iran and Venezuela is caught, not only [are] the political ties and Iran’s connection to South America caught, but also the economic exchange between these two countries has [to] stop.”

As the Iranian government cracks down on dissidents, Abnous says that Christians “can easily be painted as Western agents, even when they’re not.” This is especially true for those who have come out of a Muslim background. Practically, this can mean believers face spying, raids, arrests, family pressure, and harsher charges tied to national security.

“The people most at risk are the house church leaders, new believers, and anyone active online or in touch with the Christians abroad,” says Abnous.

Please pray for godly leadership in Iran. Pray for protection and faithful courage for believers, and pray that hope in Christ will spread. 

“Many Iranians are already disillusioned with the system, and times like this can quietly open hearts, often in private conversation behind closed doors,” says Abnous.

Learn about Heart4Iran’s gospel ministry at heart4iran.com.

Header photo: On April 7, 2025, FDD and The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), host a symposium featuring a keynote address by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) followed by an exclusive fireside chat with HIH Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, and Cliff May, FDD Founder and President. (Photo By FDD – FDD Maximum Support: Operationalizing the Other Iran Policy Event, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA, says they are monitoring Russia’s crackdown and asking questions.

“What is happening to churches that are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church? Are they being accepted? Are they free to meet? Are they free to meet, not only in their church building, but to meet in people’s homes, to meet in other places?” asks Nettleton.

“I think what we’re seeing now is some of the tightening of that to say they don’t have that freedom, and it’s certainly something we want to pay attention to in the months and years to come.”

Baptist and other evangelical churches can be perceived as disloyal to Russia, unlike the Russian Orthodox Church.

“Evangelicals, including Baptists, are seen as, ‘Well, they’re linked to the West, so they’re not as loyal to our country.’ That obviously, with the war going on in Ukraine, with loyalty to the country being a focus and an emphasis, creates some of these challenging situations for evangelicals in Russia right now,” Nettleton says.

When a church registers with the state, it also registers its location. This can leave churches susceptible to the government shutting down meeting places and tightening the screws.

“We would love to see a government there that respects religious freedom, not only for members of the Russian Orthodox Church, but for all Russians to have that freedom of religion, that freedom of worship, that freedom of gathering together,” says Nettleton. “Let’s just continue to pray that God moves inside Russia.”

Please pray for Christians in Russia that they will be able to meet, encourage one another, and share the Gospel as bold witnesses for Christ.

Header Photo by Jan Reinicke on Unsplash

In the meantime, the people of Iran endure skyrocketing inflation as Iran’s economy reels from sanctions. But incredible things are happening there spiritually. The Iranian church is multiplying, and their example can offer encouragement and challenge to believers in the West, says Shah Ahmadi with Iran Alive Ministries.

For example, Iranian believers know there is a price to follow Christ. “[They learn] Jesus died on the cross. He rose after three days, He already gave His life to you. Come and follow, but you may lose everything,” Ahmadi says. “So that is one thing I would encourage to change perspective [in the West]. [The] gospel is not about you. Gospel is about Jesus Christ and following Him.” 

Ahmadi also shares a call to treasure God’s Word and pursue fellowship with other believers, both of which are so dangerous to come by in Iran.

“Inside Iran, it took one month to get [a] Bible to some person. We had to smuggle our Bible inside Iran. We had to put [it] in very unknown place, take a screenshot, send location, send three different people to put there, and then ask, ‘can someone come and pick that Bible?’ It’s just been a heavy, heavy process of having just one Bible in there,” he says.

(Photo by Inimafoto A/Pexels)

“In Iran, people, they die for going to house churches. Iranian government believes in power of the church more than we [in the West] do. That’s why they arrest them.”

The fourth encouragement he brings up is the most important one, he says. “Share with others. Share with others. Don’t hold back the good news. You can share with your friend, your family, your coworkers and in many creative ways, but share it. Sharing is not pastor’s job or evangelists’ job. Every one of us, we play [a] role [in] sharing the love of God with other people.” 

Find your place in the story

If you worship in Western churches, ask God to help you make the most of your freedoms. Pray for Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ and let their challenges spur you on after God. 

“They say, ‘Don’t pray the persecution finish. Pray we could be faithful during that persecution,” says Ahmadi.

Finally, here is his simple suggestion for church multiplication in the West.

“My strategy is this: if each member of the church in next year [will] bring one person to Christ, the church will be double[d].” Sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? Is there a way your church could begin encouraging and (if needed) training people for a year of outreach?

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy mentatdgt via Pexels.

In tensions like these, Lana Silk with Transform Iran says, “In terms of how we think about countries—particularly countries that we would consider enemies of our state—as Christians, we have a responsibility to see things from the filter of a ‘God lens.’ You know, God loves these people.”

“As Christians, we have a responsibility to see things from the filter of a ‘God lens.’” (Photo courtesy of Paul Skorupskas via Unsplash)

Part of using that lens is remembering these are spiritual battles, as Ephesians 6:12 says.

“Our enemy is never people, even the worst people,” Silk says. “Our enemy is a spiritual darkness — a real spiritual enemy, the devil — who is poisoning minds, deceiving minds, and is out to steal, kill, and destroy. He is using people for [his] evil agenda.

“For sure, no one’s condoning the behavior of the worst perpetrators,” she clarifies, “but as Christians, our duty is to pray. I mean, isn’t that the direct commandment to love those who persecute us and pray for our enemies? The more we are tempted to fear and hate people, those are the very people we should be driven to our knees to be praying for.”

Praying for gospel change in Iran is logical, not only spiritual. Silk says on a practical level, Iran is one of the most powerful players in the world today, with far-reaching impact across countries in the Middle East and beyond, such as Sudan and Russia among others.

“Iran is very strategic and careful in making alliances with countries who also have issues or grudges against Western powers,” Silk says. “If and when God really intervenes and changes the course of Iran, all of this is affected — and right down to the price of our eggs, it changes our everyday life.”

She says it’s essential the West sees the bigger picture of what God is doing in Iran.

(Graphic courtesy of Transform Iran)

“From the Western perspective, I’m concerned about [us] not knowing all the facts, and as a result, not engaging, lack of empathy, lack of prayer, lack of financial support in what is happening in countries like Iran,” Silk says.

As one step to stay engaged, Silk invites you to sign up for Transform Iran’s monthly email newsletter. 

“Then you can really pray informed, because you’ll get into the weeds with us. We’ll tell you what the different areas of [our] ministry are battling, what the specific needs are,” she says.

Learn more about Transform Iran’s work here.

Header photo of Tehran, Iran courtesy of Amir Housseini/Unsplash.

First, some context. Ministry in China requires perseverance, as Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China (BFC) implies.

“COVID obviously put everybody back a few paces,” he says. “Then policy changes, and the difficulties that everybody that works in China is facing in terms of what they can and can’t do…. At times, you begin to wonder if the work is necessary or even possible because of some of those changes.”

Bible study (Image courtesy of Bibles for China)

The BFC team has navigated many challenges and now they considering a new need they could help meet in China. For more than a decade they have focused on legally distributing God’s Word to people in China. But there’s been new feedback reaching them.

“[Before taking action] we’ll discuss it as a ministry with staff and [our] board and analyze the the data, but we’re continuing to get requests not as much for the Bibles for individuals, but [from seminaries],” says Rovenstine.

“Every seminary, every training center that we have the opportunity to visit — or at least talk to their leaders — are really concerned about their students who are graduating and going out into the field not having the resources that they need.”

It seems to be an open door to serve a vital need among future church leaders, partnering with local believers to do so. 

That’s why BFC’s trip to China this fall was so important. (This is where the Chinese Communist Party comes back in.) 

“It’s all about relationships, even when there’s difficulty and challenges. We were very honored [during] this trip to lay a [continued] foundation not just with CCC leaders, but some of the Communist Party leaders that oversee those areas. We were able to meet with [them] and have a little bit of dialog,” Rovenstine says.

“We were there with a larger group of people from the West that were there trying to learn what ministry in China looks like moving forward, and just get to know each other a little bit better.”

These continued connections between China’s Communist leaders and ministries like Bibles for China pave the way for future ministry. Praise God and join in prayer for the gospel to spread further!

“Pray that God opens doors for us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, to be able to make a difference and keep supporting those ministries that are doing work in China, because there’s still a great need, there’s still a great opportunity, in spite of the challenges,” says Rovenstine. 

Header photo courtesy of Bibles for China.

The nation of Iran is an unprecedented, exciting field for the gospel to advance. As young Iranians reject Islam, their awakening to who Jesus Christ is could change the entire Middle East. 

Let’s take a closer look at the young generation in Iran, the unique challenges of reaching them, and how you can be part of making history. 

CONTEXT: A YOUNG AND RESTLESS GEN-Z

Dr. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive says there are three subcultures within Iran. There is the Islamic Revolution generation (over 50), a middle generation (30 to 50), and the young generation (under 30).

Representative photo courtesy of Amir Hosseini via Unsplash.

Shariat calls these Milennials and Gen Z-ers “the generation of the fatherless and fearless.” They are the ones Iran Alive’s ministries especially focus on. 

“Fatherless means they have nobody over them who cares for them. Anybody older than them, they don’t care about them,” Shariat says. “They have (been) raised in a society that doesn’t care for them. There’s a unity among them. Nobody cares for them, but they care for each other.”

He calls them fearless because “they’re free from the spirit of Islam. (The) spirit of Islam is fear, control by fear. So they’re not afraid of government, they’re not afraid of Allah. They have no fear.”

Shariat continues, “They have lost everything. They have no hope for the future, so they don’t have even fear of death, many of them. They said, ‘We are dead anyway.’”

This fearless hopelessness is what Shariat says made so many young people willing to come out on the streets in protests in 2023, even when many of them were being killed or arrested. 

Although the protests were squelched and people went home, Shariat believes the people of Iran are active, especially the young generation. “Something is brewing and it will come out at the right time.” 

“But now they’re wise. They say, ‘Why should they give my life for nothing? I’m ready to give my life for something.’”

CHALLENGE: BURNED BY RELIGION

The young people in Iran may be searching for something to live for, but they are also wary. To them, clergy and religion are the problem. 

(Stock photo by mentatdgt from Pexels)

Shariat says a growing number of young people in Iran have concluded, “I don’t want God. I don’t want any religion. Religions all are bad. They all have been used by human being to oppress other people. Christianity is the same as Islam.”

“It’s our job to tell them, ‘No, it’s not. It’s different!’” Shariat says. 

Once young people realize that the God of the Bible loves mankind and is forgiving and kind and so much more, the gospel resonates deeply within them, Shariat says. “The last six months has been an explosion of salvation of young people in our ministry.”

CALL: HOW THE GLOBAL CHURCH NEEDS TO RESPOND

Your prayers can make a difference in God’s movement in Iran. 

But instead of praying first for young people in Iran, Shariat asks that you would pray for yourself.

“Pray that the Church (in the West) will see this historical opportunity, that we can change the direction of a nation for eternity and once Iran is saved, the whole Middle East and even the whole world will be impacted,” he says.

Then, pray for Iran Alive’s faithful ministry in evangelism, Bible distribution and much more. Pray that they will make the most of every possible opportunity at this critical time to transform the nation. 

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Papaioannou Kostas/Unsplash.

“Iran (is) at the verge of a historical point where they can have a positive impact in the world, or very negative, and maybe both at the same time,” says Dr. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive. 

He says Iran is not shy about its development of nuclear weapons, but at the same time, an amazing thing is happening as Iranians turn away from Islam and open to the gospel.

“The Iranian believers, (when) they come to Christ, they naturally develop a love for God, a love for people and — are you ready to hear that? — a love for nations! Can you believe it?” Shariat says.

“They say ‘We have a heart for Arabs, we have a heart for Hindus, we have a heart for the Jews. I want to go to Jerusalem and share the gospel with the Jews.’ That’s a God-given desire growing in the hearts of persecuted Iranian Christians.”

Photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels.

Pray not just for God to reveal Himself to Iranians through the ministries of Iran Alive, but also pray for the Church in the West to invest in this movement of God.

“The Church in the West has so much to offer in terms of spiritual experience, church experience, ministry experience, resources, both biblical resources and financial resources. Pray for the Church in the West to wake up and see what God is doing around the world so they can join God,” Shariat says. 

“God is making history in many nations in the world, and Iran as a nation will be the first Islamic nation that turns to Christ.” 

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Mhrezaa/Unsplash.