letter from Australia
Prayer? Unlawful. Puberty blockers? Fine
David Robertson
Date posted: 4 Jun 2025
In April the New South Wales Conversion Practices Ban Act came into effect. Its stated aim is “to ban practices directed to changing or suppressing the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals”. The reaction from the churches has been mixed.
Churches of a more “progressive” bent broadly welcome the ban. More-Biblical churches are concerned – although some leaders think that it will not make much difference. They argue that prayer is not banned. The legislation explicitly states that general religious teachings, sermons, private prayer or personal reflection are not considered conversion practices and are not illegal. For example, expressing religious beliefs or seeking spiritual guidance through prayer is permitted.
Canadian evangelicals reach out to new PM Mark Carney
Luke Randall
Date posted: 3 Jun 2025
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has outlined topics it is looking to raise with Mark Carney following his election as Canada’s Prime Minister.
Among the organisation’s priorities for the new parliamentary term are issues surrounding euthanasia and the safety of children online.
Thousands attend 'biggest gathering of evangelicals in France'
Luke Randall
Date posted: 2 Jun 2025
Thousands in France gathered for the inaugural La Place conference, described by charity France Mission as the country’s biggest gathering of evangelicals.
The event, held at a conference centre in the Bois de Vincennes, to the south-east of Paris, provided an opportunity for French evangelical churches to connect and worship together. Around 3,000 people were reported to have attended.
letter from Japan
First they came for the Moonies...?
John Newton Webb
Date posted: 1 Jun 2025
The Japanese government have voted to strip the legal status of the Unification Church (also known as the Moonies) following investigations into members being pressured into giving large sums of money.
They can still operate, but lose all the privileges of religious registration (tax-free status, etc.). Some are welcoming this as a curb on coercive activities by the cults, but some Christian leaders are concerned about future implications for religious freedom.
Iran: Christians on hunger strike
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 29 May 2025
Three Christians in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran have staged hunger strikes in recent months to protest against their detention and cruel treatment.
In the last five months, two men, Naser Navard Gol-Tapeh and Amir-Ali Minaei, and one woman, Ghazal Marzban, have been among those arrested in Iran for their Christian faith and activity. Suffering broken bones and other medical complaints, they have each protested their situation by refusing food.
‘Anti-Christian bias’ in US to be challenged
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 28 May 2025
Following President Trump’s establishment of a task force to root out “anti-Christian bias” from government, the United States Veterans Affairs (VA) Department is now calling on staff to report any such incidents.
In an email first reported on by The Guardian, VA Secretary Doug Collins told staff the department would investigate “all instances of anti-Christian bias”, particularly informal policies and procedures hostile to Christian views.
Evangelical support for Trump holds steady
Luke Randall
Date posted: 26 May 2025
Evangelical support in the United States remains steady for President Trump following the conclusion of his first 100 days in office, according to new research.
White evangelicals and Catholics remain among Trump's strongest supporters, amidst a wider mood of disapproval amongst the general population.
Myanmar: Christians acting after quake
Luke Randall
Date posted: 25 May 2025
Churches and mission partners have sprung into action to support the relief effort in Myanmar following the catastrophic earthquake which shook the nation last month. However, military control and violence still persists amid stories of gospel opportunity.
The southeast Asian country was devastated by the 7.7 magnitude quake which has killed more than 3,600, and the nation’s church community has crossed denominational divides to support the relief effort.
1,000 pastors set for European Congress
Luke Randall
Date posted: 25 May 2025
The European Congress on Evangelism, hosted in Berlin, is set to see 1,000 pastors and ministry leaders from 56 countries come together from across the continent in late May (27-30) to promote the bold proclamation of the gospel.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), which is hosting the event, described it as the biggest gathering of Christian leaders on evangelism in Europe for 25 years, since the organisation last hosted a conference in the continent in Amsterdam in 2000.
His Royal Flyness?
Gary Clayton
Date posted: 24 May 2025
The King has helped the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) mark its 80th anniversary by unveiling the organisation’s latest aircraft.
Pressing a button, His Majesty – who learned to fly with the RAF – raised the hangar doors at RAF Northolt, London, to reveal the latest addition to MAF’s fleet – a new Cessna 208 Caravan. The Christian organisation, which has a worldwide fleet of about 115 light aircraft, will now have 11 planes serving Papua New Guinea’s people.
Exclusive: Sudanese church leader tells of civil war impact
Luke Randall
Date posted: 23 May 2025
A senior Sudanese church leader says his country’s people believe they “know how to die, but don’t know how to live,” in an exclusive interview with en.
Rafat Samir, Chairman of the Sudan Evangelical Community Council, spoke about the continuing conflict and the impact it is having on Sudan’s roughly 2 million Christians. The war has entered its third year. Having displaced over 11 million citizens and decimated national infrastructure, it shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
Victims in US shooting 'were Messianic believers'
en staff
Date posted: 22 May 2025
The two victims of the antisemitic shooting in the US were Messianic believers, reports state.
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim have been named as the victims of the Wednesday night shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
Nigeria: More than 3,000 killed
Luke Randall
Date posted: 22 May 2025
Over a hundred Christians have been murdered in a series of brutal attacks by Fulani herdsmen in Plateau State, Nigeria in recent weeks, with Open Doors conservatively estimating that across northern Nigeria more than 3,100 have been slaughtered in the last year.
Alongside those murdered, thousands of Christians have been left displaced, which Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, explained is problematic during the current rainy season, as many will have no way to care for their families or provide food.
letter from Latvia
The gospel benefit of pulling together
John Woods
Date posted: 11 May 2025
Over the last month or so, the Latvian Men’s International football team has played England at Wembley. The match was a one-sided affair with Latvian parking the defensive bus and spending most of their time in their own half trying to keep England out. They did well to restrict England to three goals but the difference in depth and quality was plain to see.
The other example of Latvia punching above its weight came at this year’s Oscars ceremony. Flow (Latvian: Straume) is a 2024 animated adventure film directed by Gints Zilbalodis, written and produced by Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža, which won the best animated picture category. It also won in the same category at the Golden Globe awards in January. The film was made on a budget of less than $4million, which is tiny compared to the budgets of giants like Disney, Dreamworks and Pixar, all of whom were beaten by this lo-fi animated film from Latvia.
Netherlands: Euthanasia increases
Luke Randall
Date posted: 9 May 2025
The number of deaths by euthanasia in the Netherlands rose by 10% last year.
The country's regional euthanasia review committees found that the vast majority of the 9,958 people to have been euthanised in 2024 had advanced physical illnesses, but doctors have been urged to take great care when dealing with psychiatrically unwell patients.
China: Pastor imprisoned
Luke Randall
Date posted: 8 May 2025
A Hui Christian pastor has been imprisoned for nine months for “organising illegal gatherings” in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Ma Yan, 32, had pleaded guilty to the charge after being accused of organising the gathering of ten or less believers because other charges are punished more harshly, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.
letter from Russia
Gospel hope melts Siberian hearts
Mark Foster
Date posted: 7 May 2025
In Far East Russia, believers endeavouring to share the truth of the gospel face problems which are peculiar to the context in which they work. Harsh wintry conditions, isolated scattered communities, impassible roads and, most critical of all, strong resistance to Christian truth and a suspicion of believers, must all be overcome if the gospel is to take root and conquer hearts.
One approach has been proving encouraging and effective – the building of “Hope Centres” in communities where there is resistance to gospel witness, and no ready acceptance of evangelists from “outside”.
Pope Francis 'world's foremost false teacher' says well-known evangelical
en staff
Date posted: 6 May 2025
Well-known Canadian reformed pastor, speaker and author Tim Challies says Pope Francis was "the world's foremost false teacher".
Writing on his blog, which he has updated regularly since 2003, Challies describes the late Pontiff as someone who "communicated heretical doctrines to more people than any other human being".
