World in Brief

Forty-two people have been killed in Christian communities in Taraba state, north-east Nigeria in a devastating attack by Fulani herdsmen. Attackers invaded homes and murdered residents, leaving destruction and burning houses in their wake, while hundreds of others fled the scene.

Morning Star News reports that the governor for the Karim Lamido Local Government Area has pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice and provide safety to the community, which has been left in ruins. Witnesses said that the “tragic” attacks have “brought untold pain and disruption” to their lives.

American evangelist Franklin Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin during the European Congress on Evangelism. Graham revealed to over 1,000 Christian leaders from 55 European countries and territories in attendance at the Congress that he had been able to pray with Zelenskyy for a path to peace to be found.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) said that after sharing details about their meeting, Graham called for those in attendance at the event’s second day to stand and pray for peace. He said that only God can solve the “very difficult” complications between the warring parties.

The world’s largest Bible page is currently on display in Mainz Cathedral. Measuring 35 square metres and displaying the first page of John’s gospel, it has been printed by the International Gutenberg Society to celebrate the 625th birthday of Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing press.

Evangelical Focus reports that the page, which will remain in place until late August, was printed with a 5 x 7.2 metre wooden printing block. Markus Kohz, who initiated the campaign, revealed that the page was printed on “the largest industrial paper rolls available on the market”.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has voted against recognising same-sex marriages. Although the denomination permits priests to officiate gay weddings without facing sanctions, it voted against the proposals put forward by the Bishops’ Conference by a narrow majority of 15 votes, according to Premier Christian News.

While evangelicals will likely view this as positive news for the nation’s largest religious denomination, Archbishop of Turku and Finland Tapio Luoma expressed hope that the topic will return to the assembly and be approved in the future.

A legal dispute is taking place between a church and local council in New Jersey over whether a ten-acre plot of land should be used for sporting facilities or as a church homeless shelter. The church had applied to build the shelter, only for the council to condemn it, reports Premier Christian News.

The church’s lawyer said that the council has likely acted “in retaliation” to the church’s application and that their expressed need of land for leisure facilities goes against their own strategy for the area.

A Cuban pastor has been refused entry into the country to be with his daughter, who is being treated for advanced breast cancer. Alain Toledano Valiente, who left for the United States in 2022 to avoid receiving a lengthy prison sentence because of his leadership of the Protestant charismatic Apostolic Movement, has criticised the nation’s government for “playing politics”.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that two of Valiente’s daughters were not allowed to relocate to the US with their family due to their age, and have remained in Cuba. He revealed in a video message that he just wants to be with his unwell daughter.

A Christian worker has been beaten to death by Muslims in Pakistan after he allegedly stole a phone, according to the victim’s brother. The assailants, including a police officer, left him bloodied and bruised after beating him on a local street after searching his home, even though they found nothing, Morning Star News reports.

Before he died, the worker told his family that he had denied stealing the phone when questioned, but was then beaten with wooden clubs and iron bars.

A church in East China has announced that Christians will have to register with their real names on their website to be allowed to listen to sermons through WeChat posts, in line with state policy requirements.

China Christian Daily reports that due to the stricter enforcement of legislation, the church has decided to host all online content on its own website, without sharing with third parties. Church leaders are concerned that older believers could become estranged due to a lack of technological literacy.

American podcast host Joe Rogan is regularly attending church, according to Christian apologist Wesley Huff. The podcaster, who interviewed Donald Trump before his election win last year, was described by Huff as a “very inquisitive individual”, and has spoken about Jesus’ earthly life on his show.

As Premier Christian News reports, Rogan recently hosted Huff on the Joe Rogan Experience, in which he said that he was “sticking with Jesus”, favouring Biblical explanations to the alternatives provided for events like the Big Bang.

A Ugandan evangelist has been stabbed to death by masked men wearing Muslim clothing soon after an open-air event in eastern Uganda. Release International reports that David Washume, 38, had preached for three days and led several people to faith before being brutally killed on his way home.

An attendee at the event said that Washume had spoken about Qu’ranic references in his sermons to emphasise the fallibility of Muhammed in comparison to Christ, which saw several Muslims come to faith, but could perhaps have provoked others.

A Christian who used to be addicted to drugs has been kicked out of his home by his Muslim parents in Somalia. Morning Star News revealed that the 20-year-old had returned there clean, much to their delight, having been evangelised by a Somali pastor.

However, the mood quickly turned sour when they found out his life’s turnaround was due to his new Christian faith and he was banished from their house.

Evangelical Christians attended a celebratory event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Working Group of Religions (GTER) and the Interreligious Affairs Council at the Catalonian parliament. The event saw evangelicals join parliamentarians, Catholics, Muslims and others to promote discussion between different religious groups.

Evangelical Focus reports that Josep Rull, president of the parliament, thanked the religious representatives in attendance for their commitment to “dialogue, collaboration and pedagogy”, and claimed that such practices curtail prejudice and preserve key societal values amidst turbulent times.

Christians in Nepal are concerned about the future of their religious freedom, following demonstrations of monarchists in Kathmandu calling for the nation to return to its status as a Hindu kingdom. Having rebranded as a secular country 17 years ago, believers are concerned that the nation is following India’s lead towards a more fundamentalist state.

Open Doors reports that the protests, attended by tens of thousands, were mostly peaceful, but Christians have increasingly been at risk of attack in the Terai region, in the south of the country.

At least 15 Christian graves have been vandalised across three cemeteries in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Relatives who discovered the damage reported broken crosses and gravestones, as well as damage which left open holes in the ground alongside debris, reports Morning Star News.

The police are believed to have apprehended those behind the damage at all three locations and reports indicate that it was not a religious attack, but that the suspect suffers from a mental disorder.

Luke Randall