“Our definitions of words like ‘peace’ and even ‘negotiation’ are different,” says Silk. “We have different values in our Western values — really, our Judeo-Christian values — and Iran’s Islamic value system. There isn’t a middle ground.”

To many Western minds, “peace” means coexistence with mutual respect. But for the Iranian regime, “They are not talking about that [coexistence] when they talk about peace. They want to dominate. They want submission of everyone to Islam,” Silk says.  

A ceasefire not to be celebrated

The US-Iran ceasefire set to expire on April 22 has not been good news for many Iranians.

“When I heard the news of the ceasefire, my immediate reaction was disappointment, like a heart-sinking feeling,” says Silk. “Every Iranian I’ve spoken to since then, inside and outside the country, has had the same negative reaction to the ceasefire.”

Azadi Square, Tehran, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Erfan Ro via Unsplash)

Here is what one person told Transform Iran: 

“Despite all the hardship, the sound of explosions, damage to homes, and even personal injuries suffered, many of us believed that this war might finally bring us to a point of deliverance and freedom. For that reason, the announcement of a ceasefire was not seen as a sign of comfort, but rather as the loss of a hope that had begun to form in our hearts.”

The temporary pause in hostilities has also made room for the Iranian regime to focus on “internal threats.”

“I read a report that one of the judicial leaders had actually made a call to expedite executions, now that they are not in the midst of a war,” Silk says. 

No matter where talks between the US and Iran go, she says to remember that the Iranian regime has not changed. If anything, concerns should be heightened.

“Our struggle with Iran — the same security concerns, the same freedom concerns — are still there,” she says. “Iran has been humiliated. They would acknowledge that, though not publicly. Now it’s all going to be about regaining their honor and power. They still have money, weapons, their country, their resources. So this is going to be serious.”

Fight with prayer

All geopolitical concerns aside, Silk urges Christians to remember the spiritual battle.

Iran (Representative stock photo courtesy of Zahra Amiri via Unsplash)

“Iran has been a spiritual stronghold for the enemy for some time. He’s been using it for evil intent, and the fight is intensifying,” she says. 

“The church has been growing in number and in strength. The global church has been paying attention, and we are fighting — by fighting, I mean praying.” 

Please join in praying through the requests shared below. Take God at His word that it makes a difference, as James 5:16 says: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

As an outworking of your prayers, consider financially supporting Transform Iran‘s multifaceted work. Their team is delivering aid, expanding trauma counseling, and training evangelists to serve people across Iran. 

“We’re training evangelists because what the people really need is Jesus,” says Silk. “We want to make sure that we’re meeting that need as well as their practical needs right now.”

Header image is a stock photo courtesy of a user named mhrezaa via Unsplash.

Women in Iran wearing the traditional hijab and loose-fitting clothing required by sharia law. (Photo courtesy of mostafa meraji/Unsplash)

Israel is among those concerned about Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. It has stated that it will not allow Iran to rebuild its nuclear capacities. But Iran insists that its developments are only for civilian purposes. 

It’s complex, isn’t it? Samuel* from Redemptive Stories explains a few things about Iran’s relationships that we might miss. First comes Israel. Why does the Iranian regime want Israel off the map? 

“It’s more complicated than just all ‘Oh, they are Muslims and those are Jews and so they hate each other,'” Samuel says. “There [are] other political and even economic factors that play into this frustration, angst, and hatred that goes back and forth between them.” 

For example, Israel has a voice in the Middle East as an ally of certain Western powers.

“The sanctions that are put on Iran, at least in part, are all related to Israel’s sentiments towards Iran, and the power that they wield within the US as well as Europe,” says Samuel.

The enmity has manifested itself in many conflicts. For years, Iran has waged war with Israel through proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It has leveraged its influence in nations and groups with high numbers of Shia Muslims, such as Syria and Iraq.

Azadi Square, Tehran, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Erfan Ro via Unsplash)

“Iran — they’re 94% Shia. Therefore, they are viewed, at least because of their power and their position, as the heart of Shia Islam,” explains Samuel.

“So Hezbollah, being Shia, also leans back to look to Iran for help. And Iran is helping. That is why Israel continues to bomb in the south of Lebanon and to attack targets that are there, because Hezbollah has so far resisted any thoughts of disarming.”

Conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and Iran have brought devastation, but “God is a friend near to those that walk through pain,” Samuel says. Pray that there will be enough peace in the Middle East for Christians to bring the love of Christ to the people suffering.

“If you look at the 20 points that have been laid out for Gaza [in the ceasefire deal], they really create opportunities for human flourishing to really occur in that area,” says Samuel. “But is there enough trust to walk them out? That is a different question.” 

*Pseudonym

Header photo: Tafresh, Markazi Province, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mostafa Meraji via Unsplash)

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

David Holsten, MAF’s President and CEO, says, “From the beginning, when MAF was founded, the founders of the organization had a vision that the airplane would be able to serve a multitude of different organizations that were involved in Kingdom work. Early on, a lot of our passengers were Western missionaries who were trying to reach hard-to-reach parts of the world.”

Today, the makeup of those who fly with MAF has changed dramatically. Many passengers are local nationals — villagers, medical patients, and refugees — who depend on MAF’s flights for vital transportation.

As the passenger log has shifted, the face of missions has also changed over the years.

“We used to see larger numbers of Western missionaries who were serving in remote parts of the world,” Holsten explains. “Unfortunately, the number of missionaries that are going to some of those pioneering parts of the world has decreased.

“Now there are national missionaries who are responding to a call that God has placed on their life to reach their own people.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo offers a clear example. Holsten says, “Twenty or thirty years ago, there were thousands of missionaries that were serving in that country. Today, there could be less than 100 who come from North America or Europe or places like that. But yet, there’s a generation of Congolese who are seeking to reach their own people.”

Zacharie Francois, MAF Haiti pilot/mechanic. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

MAF’s vision for the future includes recruiting pilots and mechanics from all over the world. These faithful believers may even minister to places far from home — serving as Gospel ambassadors in difficult environments.

“It could be that an Indonesian pilot joins us to serve in Ecuador, or a pilot or mechanic from Mexico joins us, and they’re able to serve in a place like Nigeria,” Holsten says. “That’s an exciting thing to contemplate, and we’re praying for God’s leading as we move into the future.”

At the heart of MAF’s ministry is a commitment to Jesus and the Great Commission. “Following Him is also a life of impact, of purpose… something that’s bigger than ourselves and is ultimately rooted in His way of living life and kingdom principles.”

Holsten encourages fellow Christians anywhere in the world to partner with MAF — through prayer, giving, advocacy, and even serving! “It takes every individual, all of these parts of the body of Christ, to allow the work of MAF to move forward.”

To learn more or get involved, visit www.maf.org.

Header photo courtesy of Becky Fagerlie/MAF.

Erik Burklin, president of China Partner, just finished an unusual trip to China. He didn’t know what to expect when returning to the country. 

“We’re getting ready to go on this trip and I’m thinking, ‘Okay, God, what is going to be happening?'” Burklin says. “‘How are we going to be received?’ And the experience that we had, it couldn’t have been any better. It was almost like God was paving the way wherever we went.” 

Burklin said they were warmly welcomed. After a driver took them to their hotel, they met with the vice-president of the China Christian Council, their overseas department, and the local Shanghai Christian Council office.

They even interacted with a few government officials, which Burklin said was interesting due to the increased enforcement of Chinese religious laws that generally ostracize Christians. 

“[Our hosts] were smiling, they were greeting us,” Burklin said. “Of course, this is a very Chinese way of operating, you know, they’re always very gracious and hospitable, but I felt like there was some genuineness there. There was some genuine excitement, I think also on their side, to realize, ‘Oh, here’s a foreign delegation that’s coming to visit us in China again after a long lockdown.’ In many cases, by the way, we were the first foreign group to be visiting them.” 

China Partner equips local Chinese church leaders. Photo courtesy of Ruth Kramer.

Burklin explains a duality between the Chinese government wanting to make things more Chinese, including religion—a process called sinicization—and both the U.S. and China being players in the world economy. 

“They are understanding that they need us and we need them when it comes to trade and economy and so forth, and I think that’s filtering down also in the area of religion, and I think they’re starting to realize that foreigners are not all that dangerous,” Burklin says.

China Partner’s hosts on this visit were kind and inquisitive, asking about their feelings as Christians, their families, and politics. 

Burklin realized that, though there is a push for Sinicization in China, there is also curiosity to see how the rest of the world operates and how bridges can be built between the East and West. 

“I want to say this, I think all of that is just God’s working,” Burklin says. “I think the church in China understands, that they’re living within this system, it’s not a good system, but they respect the system, and they know that they are serving a higher power, which is God Almighty, El Elyon, the Most High God, that’s who they serve.”

In fact, the team met with a local pastor in charge of preparing new believers for baptism. In 2023, 400 people were baptized in that pastor’s church alone. This means that 400 people not only came to faith but participated in an extensive discipleship process so that they could be baptized. 

In the midst of Sinicization, churches—even house churches—are thriving and making a positive impact on society. 

Kingdom work is happening, Burklin says. He recalls Jesus’s reminder in times of the Roman Empire that He was of a different kingdom, God’s most high kingdom. 

This also serves as a reminder for American Christians, that the leader and state of the country is not as important as God’s Kingdom. 

“But this is not the end game,” Burklin says. The United States is not the savior of the world. Jesus Christ is. And there is a higher kingdom that is at play. And we as Christians need to be looking forward to that kingdom, not the kingdom that we live in. And that’s what’s happening in China.”

Pray for China Partner as they continue to be invited back into China to train and equip local pastors. 

Pray for wisdom for the Chinese church leadership and that God continues to bring people to Him, in China and around the world. 

Header image courtesy of Ruth Kramer. 

Lawsuits in the Western world have challenged the Bible as hate speech for decades. In 2013, a lawsuit attempted to show that Bible verses commonly understood to forbid homosexual relationships were, in fact, hate speech. The lawsuit failed, as have most attempts to legally classify Scripture in hate speech in the West. There’s an ongoing case in Finland calling for the same result. 

Each failed lawsuit closes off a path to try and make Scripture illegal. Western courts seem to be reluctant to formally label the Bible as hate speech, but each new effort reflects on its nation’s cultural context.

Floyd Brobbel of Voice of the Martyrs Canada says there’s increasing pressure on Christians to keep their faith private. “I think increasingly in this world, you will see an attack on Scripture. You will see an attack on Christians’ ability to share Scripture publicly, to share their religious viewpoints publicly.”

Some countries have brutally strict governments or traditionally obvious persecution, but Christians in Western countries may not be used to religious discrimination. And yet in every part of the world, Scripture is “very much in opposition to the agendas being pushed by many within our societies and in government officials and leaders within our society.”

What’s the solution? According to some voices, if Christians are to persist in their beliefs, they have two choices: censor Scripture to be inoffensive or keep Christianity private. “You can read what you want to read, you can preach what you want to preach, you can say what you want to say, but it has to be within the context of the four walls of the church.”

This tension is not exclusive to any one area of the world. In fact, Brobbel says Christians can take solace in the fact that the struggle between God’s ways and the world’s ways is a universal one. “We work with Christians who are used to this type of thing, who have endured this type of thing over the years,” Brobbel says. “What they would say is that they must remain faithful in preaching the Word and being faithful to God in the midst of this type of opposition and to boldly proclaim the Word where needed.”

Ultimately, it leaves Christians facing a question: “What really is the cost of being a follower of Jesus? We haven’t had to ask that too deeply of ourselves in Western countries of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I think the time is coming where we need to be asking that question.”

Pray for courage, wisdom, and patience. Pray that no matter the culture or social climate, Christians will stand strong in their faith. Pray for God’s presence in every corner of the world.

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

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Erik Burklin with China Partner says some pastors reported that services were well attended, with clear gospel invitations and baptisms celebrated. But other pastors shared they had not been allowed to gather on Christmas Day at all.

“We saw some reports of pastors who were discouraged, because the government now is no longer allowing some Western-type celebrations, including Christmas. [These churches] were not able to do a Christmas Day celebration that they had done in the past. Yet they were faithful [in] doing what they could do in the midst of those new restrictions,” says Burklin.

“I’d always heard that, you know, the sanitization push [by the Chinese government] is trying to control everything. But that this one church would actually literally say, ‘We could not celebrate Christmas Day any longer because of the restrictions,’ that was surprising.”

Don’t miss the hope that remains. Both Chinese pastors and lay people faithfully use the Christmas season to share the message of the gospel with others. They are not silent. 

Image courtesy of China Partner.

“I think Satan would love to discourage us. He is in the business of destroying our faith. That’s what we need, to rally as Christians, to come together and be reminded by Scripture that Christ is still on the throne, that He’s defeated Satan. He’s the Victor and the Church will survive all this.”

Pray for Chinese churches to persevere under increased limitations by the government.

Learn more about how you can support Chinese churches through the ministry of China Partner.

Header photo courtesy of China Partner. 

In the report, the commission also recommends the U.S. State Department continue to designate Russia as a Country of Particular Concern.

Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says, “With the war beginning, there’s a clear delineation. You’re either for the war and for Russia, for the country, or you’re against it.”

The Church in rural Russia is helping vulnerable people and embodying the reign of Christ on earth. (Photo courtesy of Сергей Горбачев from Pixabay)

In some cases, Christians in Russia have been arrested, but it has more to do with their speech against the war in Ukraine and less with their faith denomination.

However, some Christian denominations outside the Russian Orthodox Church are being specifically targeted for being perceived as “Western influence.”

Mock explains, “You have a situation where, in the midst of this war, Western forms of Christianity as they would deem it is bad for the country in general. So I don’t think we can talk about religious freedom apart from the growing forms of nationalism.

“Rather than it being actually a persecution of those who claim Christ, we have to recognize some of the actions are more a function of nationalism than a theological position or a rejection of Christ as Lord.”

Yet, Mock reminds that what happens at the national level doesn’t always tell the story of what’s happening in a local sense. In faithful, Bible-believing churches all across Russia, believers continue to share the Gospel.

Summer camp for kids. (Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association)

“All across Russia right now, they’re having absolutely amazing summer camps…. While we talk about different religious freedoms, SGA is targeting as many as 75,000 kids to come to these Russian, Belarussian, Ukrainian (and all the countries we serve) Baptist churches that are proclaiming the Gospel.”

If you want to provide biblical encouragement to families in Russia, you can support SGA’s summer camp ministry here!

Pray for Russians to know truth in Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Random Institute/Unsplash.

In the last two years, the Lebanese currency has lost more than 93 percent of its value against the dollar. Wages alone barely cover basic necessities. Rising inflation means the average family is struggling to buy food or medicine. Many have to run up unpaid bills or borrow money just to put food on the table.

Horizons International works in Lebanon with a focus on evangelism, discipleship, and training. But in this economic collapse, the ministry’s Middle East Center for World Missions launched a new initiative connecting Lebanese believers with Western companies and ministries for remote employment.

Horizons International staff delivering food. (Photo courtesy of Horizons International via Facebook)

Pierre Houssney with Horizons International says, “There are a lot of really highly educated and capable men and women of God who have a lot to offer on the world scale, but they don’t have job opportunities and the money that they’re receiving in the local currency for their current jobs is just not enough to even start paying their most basic bills because it has just lost all of its value.

“We’re working with Western companies and also ministries to provide accounting, graphic design, web development, social media management, [and] all kinds of different services. We can be providing a living wage to Middle Easterners so they can tough it out in the Middle East right now, and specifically Lebanon during this economic collapse.”

Houssney says providing these job opportunities to church members in Lebanon has a direct impact on the Great Commission in the Middle East.

“The Christian presence in these Muslim-dominated areas is one of the most strategic things for reaching the Muslims for Christ,” says Houssney.

“So not only are we providing jobs for these people to be able to put food on the table so that they can remain in the Middle East, we’re also training them for ministry. We’re helping them to equip their churches, to be supporting their churches and families, and this is all part of our strategy for reaching the region for Christ.”

The Middle East Center has partnered with over 90 Lebanese churches, “which is most of the churches in Lebanon because there’s only about 105 churches in Lebanon,” Houssney says.

The language barrier between Lebanese employees and Western companies is a consideration. But many in Lebanon speak English and have done well in markets around the world. For those who come to Horizons International’s Middle East Center and want English lessons, the ministry connects them with the Language Academy of Beirut.

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

Interested in getting involved? Houssney asks, “What business are you involved in? Do you have a small business? Do you have a ministry or your church? What are the needs administratively that could be outsourced in your business or ministry?

“If we could just start a discussion about that and you tell us what your needs are in these areas we are offering, then there’s something immediate you can do. You can provide jobs for Lebanese and Syrian believers so they can remain in the Middle East. Then it can also add tremendous value to your business.”

Click here to connect with Horizons International!

Finally, Houssney asks, “We can just be praying that the Lord will provide the right opportunities, that the right businesses will come forward, and that God would provide wisdom and ingenuity in figuring out where these Middle Eastern believers can add the most value to the ministries and businesses that they’ll be serving through the outsourcing project.”

Header photo courtesy of Michal Gadek via Unsplash.

Learning in the Arab Diaspora

The PTEE classes take place across the globe in countries like Sweden, Australia, Canada and even the United States. The PTEE former Executive Director of 28 years, Dr. Dick Hart, says classes in the diaspora are not very different from those within the Arab world.

(Photo courtesy of PTEE)

“You study your work at home, and then you meet for a weekly session face to face, and then after that, you take a quiz and carry on an hour and a half or so of discussion. At the end of the 10-week course, there is a project or a final exam or both. [For example] now, that will happen in Michigan, and that will also happen in Jordan,” Hart says.

Since the PTEE provides education by extension, individuals who emigrate from the Arab world can take their coursework with them and plug into a different seminar group in their new location. The class delivery model does not change because someone emigrated.

Choosing PTEE

But, why not study at a local seminary in their new culture? Well, the Arabic language is the heart language of the Arab world and the Arab diaspora. The PTEE’s course materials are in Arabic. Students understand coursework in their native language better than coursework in a language they are unfamiliar with or have known for less than a decade.

Studying through the PTEE also gives Arabs living in the diaspora a connection to home. More likely than not, the other PTEE students in the diaspora have also emigrated. Their classmates speak Arabic and share similar experiences. Since students are taught through a discussion approach, relating to and understanding each other through language and presuppositions helps students interact with each other and the PTEE content.

“I think that’s another thing: they have a good time in their discussions in Jordan, and they have a good time in their discussions in Sweden because they’re discussing in Arabic,” Hart shares.

The PTEE’s Impact Abroad

Hart says all the PTEE classes operated outside of the Arab world take place in local churches. Students tend to be members of the host church, though this is not always the case. The PTEE courses provide a chance for these Arab believers to sharpen their theological knowledge and then use the information to impact their local communities and to serve in their churches.

(Photo courtesy of PTEE)

“We have kind of an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes being relevant in your local society. So, students (let’s say in Michigan) [are] working with people who are engineers and the engineers have their perspective. They get to know each other professionally. Maybe they get to know each other in terms of their hobbies, but their religion always is there even if it’s unmentioned,” Hart explains.

“The PTEE students are studying…[how] to find places to connect with the Westerners that they’re talking to, that the Westerners may find to be acceptable…so the Arabs are able to make contributions based on Biblical, cultural insights that will benefit the local society.”

Plus, studying through PTEE instead of a local seminary keeps education costs affordable. Typically, the PTEE tries to make tuition rates proportional to the economic situation of the country a student resides. For this reason, the PTEE tuition rate tends to be a case by case situation in the diaspora.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

So please, intercede in prayer for your Arab brothers and sisters living in the Arab diaspora. Pray for God to lead the right people to work with the PTEE as tutors and facilitators. Pray for current and future tutors to budget their time in a way which helps them to lead classes well.

Ask God to continue giving PTEE workers and students an attitude of joy in work and relationships. Pray for students as they immerse themselves in a part-time theological study while balancing everyday life.

Find ways to get involved with the PTEE classes in the diaspora here!

Reach out directly to the PTEE through email at pteemail@ptee.org or communications@ptee.org

Recent Attack in Nigeria

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

“Open Doors has learned that 19 people, two priests, and 17 worshippers were killed at a church in Nigeria this past Tuesday. So, it’s believed to be an attack carried out by a group we’re getting to be familiar with,” Open Doors’ Sarah Cunningham explains.

“They’re a militant group of herdsmen. They’re a subset of the Fulani people and it’s really troubling because this group of militants, they’re claiming so many lives that they’re beginning to rival the level of Boko Haram, in terms of threat.”

After the attack, President Buhari only offered condolences. And while it has at least been acknowledged that attacks are happening, no steps have been taken for justice or prevention. Further muddying the waters, President Buhari is from the Fulani people group.

Call to Respond

According to Cunningham, this group has attacked over 50 villages and shares a similar brutality as Boko Haram. The attacks often happen at night. The militants surround a village, brutally murder the men, and then rape, kidnap, and kill the women and children. But that’s not all, the militants also burn the churches and homes in its path.

“So the level of response right now comes nowhere near the level of threat,” Cunningham says. “And just in the first four months of this year alone, we’ve had 497 deaths reported as a result of this violence.”

Furthermore, there’s evidence that the Fulani attacks aren’t random. They’re targeting a specific people group. And some of the Nigerian people feel the military is looking the other way while attacks take place.

“In the majority of the attacks that Open Doors has studied, and the interviews we’ve conducted on the ground to kind of verify what’s happened in these locations, we’ve seen time and time again that the majority of the victims are Christians,” Cunningham explains.

“And so there is an ongoing religious element to this and that is part of what needs to be addressed if this issue is going to be resolved.”

So please, will you be the voice of your persecuted brothers and sisters?

Be Prayerful, Be Active

Start by raising awareness. People tend to be familiar with Boko Haram. However, few are familiar with the militants from the Fulani people. Share with the people in your life about what is happening in Nigeria.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

“When you put together all of these individual attacks, the numbers are staggering. We call this the extremists that no one is talking about,” Cunningham says.

Another way to get involved is through advocacy. Ask public officials both in the United States and in other countries to ask President Buhari to act on behalf of the victims of the Fulani herdsmen militants.

Urge these politicians to pressure President Buhari to take tangible steps to restore the rule of law for all people in his country.

Letters of encouragement can be sent to Christians in Nigeria through Open Doors. And individuals can encourage advocacy groups to do more to prevent and help victims of the Fulani herdsmen militants.

Another way to help is through prayer. Pray for the Christians, and others, who’ve been attacked by the Fulani herdsmen militants. Ask God to bring healing into their lives, as well as encouragement, peace, hope, and justice.

Pray also for the protection of Christians in Nigeria and that the Nigerian government would do more for the cause of the people in their country, regardless of their religious affiliation.

And finally, pray that despite the violence, the Gospel would be brought to light in Nigeria. Pray that even the Fulani herdsmen militants would come to know Christ as their savior.

Find more ways to help our Nigerian brothers and sisters here!

*Nigeria is ranked at #14 on Open Doors’ World Watch List (WWL). The WWL is a ranking of the top 50 countries where Christian persecution is most severe.