THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES TO BE A CHRISTIAN

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The 2026 World Watch List, recently released by Open Doors US, a U.S.-based persecution watchdog group, found that approximately 388 million Christians around the world face some form of intense persecution or discrimination for following Jesus Christ.

The report found that Christian persecution has reached an unprecedented scale, with more than one in seven Christians being called to suffer for their faith last year, an increase of more than 8 million compared to 2024. “We’re seeing a continuation of a multi-year trend where persecution is expanding,” Ryan Brown, the CEO of Open Doors US, told The Christian Post earlier this week.

Despite being afflicted in every way, some of the reports from the darkest regions of the world include accounts of the Lord manifesting supernaturally to Christians amid their deepest and loneliest tribulations.

North Korea: ‘Whispered prayers’

For the 24th consecutive year, North Korea bears the distinction of being “arguably the most dangerous place on earth to follow Jesus,” according to Open Doors, which slapped the impoverished pariah state with a 97 out of 100 on its persecution ranking. The country continues to be marked by what the non-profit described as “post-communist oppression” and “dictatorial paranoia.”

As it attempts to position itself as a major player on the world stage, the regime is reportedly getting more creative in asserting its totalitarian control, implementing artificial intelligence to detect “suspicious behavior patterns” that might indicate someone is among the nation’s estimated 400,000 Christian believers.

But the Holy Spirit manifests unmistakably amid the persecution, according to North Koreans who have escaped. Some have reported widespread supernatural encounters with Jesus Christ in dreams and visions.

Iraq and Afghanistan: ‘Edge of a blade’

The Taliban’s return to power after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 has been disastrous for the thousands of Christians remaining in Afghanistan, where Muslims feel obliged to maintain clan and family honor by killing or otherwise persecuting those who leave Islam.

Afghan Christians who escape to neighboring countries are often forcibly returned, only to face increased suspicion and hostility for having fled. Women are especially mistreated. The Taliban, armed with weapons and technology the U.S. left behind, reportedly conducts random searches of phones to search for Christian content and utilizes CCTV to closely monitor cities such as Kabul.

“Being a secret believer [in Afghanistan] is like walking on the edge of a blade. It’s full of caution, pain, but also hope and strength,” a Christian called Samira told Open Doors, which noted they are limited in the information they can provide about Christians in the country because the persecution is so extreme.

In Iraq, the number of Christians has dwindled from nearly 1 million to about 187,000 over the past decade of political upheaval and war, during which ISIS made particular targets of Christians. Iranian-backed Shiite militias are the main source of danger for Iraqi Christians now, according to Open Doors. Turkish and Iranian military operations have also severely damaged Christian villages in the northern Kurdistan region.

Amid the carnage and suffering, reports have circulated in recent years that many in the Muslim world are experiencing striking supernatural dreams of Jesus Christ declaring Himself to be the Lord. Mission Frontiers magazine reported that such encounters with Jesus, who is respected as a prophet in Islam, are responsible for a quarter of Muslim conversions to Christianity.

Somalia: ‘Count the cost’

Somalia ranked as the second-most dangerous country for Christians for the fourth year in a row, according to Open Doors US, whose CEO told The Christian Post earlier this week that much of the growth of extreme violence against Christians is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.

A woman walks past a section of Mogadishu Cathedral that was built by Italian authorities, in Mogadishu, Somalia

Hardline Sharia law reigns in Somalia, whose 2012 provisional constitution effectively prohibited conversion from Islam to Christianity. Amid a civil war that has dragged on for decades, the militant Sunni terrorist group al-Shabaab has filled a power vacuum in much of the country.

The group, some of whose founders trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, seeks to eradicate Christianity and openly executes suspected Christian believers. Even in regions where the corrupt Somali federal government holds sway, Islam remains the only legal religion.

Nigeria: ‘They cut them to pieces’

Nigeria, a West African country of approximately 230 million people, is the global epicenter of deadly violence against Christians, according to multiple reports. Nearly 15 million people have been displaced and forced to flee their homes because of persecution, with a high number of them being Christians, according to a report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law. The full scale of the violence is likely impossible to discern in Nigeria, where religious identity is often underreported, large regions are inaccessible and many incidents cannot be independently verified.

The plight of Nigerian Christians has drawn the attention of the world, prompting the U.S. State Department to officially update its designation for Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in November. On Christmas Day, the U.S. military worked with the Nigerian government to exert military force against Islamic State militants in the country, following public outrage from President Donald Trump.

China: ‘Dictatorial paranoia’

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which governs China’s 1.4 billion people, has been tightening its grip on churches and other Christian institutions that seek to escape its totalitarian monitoring for alignment with communist ideology.

“The Chinese government has really sought to close down a number of the unregistered churches, those that were not officially aligned with the Communist Party, and close those churches out,” Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown told CP earlier this week, adding that the CCP is also regulating online behaviour by banning Bible apps and any live videos with religious or Christian intent.

The CCP seems especially concerned with capturing the minds of the youth, banning minors under 18 from entering churches or participating in religious activities following the implementation of its revised Regulations on Religious Affairs in 2018. Open Doors noted that ministry leaders “focused on the next generation of Christians” are special targets of state hostility.

Egypt and North Africa: Prophets without honor

Despite its rich and ancient Christian history, Egypt remains a potentially dangerous place for its roughly 10 million Christians.

As in other Muslim-majority countries, persecution most often arises against Muslim converts to Christianity from those closest to them. Converts can suffer ostracism, expulsion and even physical violence from their own families and communities for alleged blasphemy, especially in rural areas.

The World Watch List report includes an interview with a man named Samir, whose 24-year-old son, Girgis, was among the 21 Christian construction workers who were famously kidnapped in Libya and beheaded by black-clad ISIS militants on a beach near Tripoli in 2015.

Now commonly referred to as the “21 Martyrs,” all of the men were Egyptian Coptic Christians except for one from Ghana, who converted upon witnessing the faith of the others as they refused to renounce Jesus Christ despite weeks of torture. Libya joins Egypt and every other North African country on the World Watch List as places of concern.

Fortunately, Biblical prophecy reveals we are living in the last days before Jesus returns to restore righteousness and initiate His Millennial reign. This is to fulfil the covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David that the nation God established for His purposes, Israel, will finally rule all the nations of the world under the leadership of its Messiah, Jesus. Go to http://www.millennialkingdom.net to get prepared to rule and reign with Jesus.

SUDAN: A CHURCH UNDER FIRE AND PEOPLE STARVING

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Darfur’s Christian communities are among the most vulnerable. For years, they have endured harassment, the burning of churches, forced conversions, and the abduction of women and girls. In towns like Nyala and Zalingei, militia fighters have raided worship services and desecrated sanctuaries—turning altars into outposts. One local pastor shared how his congregation was attacked mid-service; families scattered into the bush, carrying nothing but their faith. Yet, against all odds, hidden house churches continue to meet, their prayers whispered in the darkness.

Sudan aftermath

Satellite 

The city of El Fasher has fallen to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), once known as the Janjaweed—a name that still evokes terror, meaning “the devil rides on horseback.” Their reign of terror has returned in full force. From our underground church partners, we receive heart-rending reports: house-to-house executions, massacres, and revenge killings. Families who survived over 500 days of siege are now facing starvation. Thousands are fleeing across the desert on foot, many never reaching safety.

With over half of Sudan’s population facing severe food insecurity, famine has become a weapon of persecution. Christians, often excluded from general relief distributions, suffer doubly: starved for food and targeted for their faith.

Relief

In this dark hour, the Church in Sudan still stands. Underground pastors continue to minister, risking their lives to bring both spiritual and physical sustenance. Through trusted local networks, Voice of the Martyrs, in conjunction with Shai Fund, is providing emergency food aid to 200 Christian families—about 1,800 individuals—in Darfur’s most desperate regions. Each package of millet, sugar, salt, and oil is more than nourishment; it is a tangible message that they have not been forgotten.

Local pastors distribute the food while praying with families and offering hope. “Not only Christians, but even the community has been blessed,” said one pastor who converted from Islam. “This has created a positive picture of the church among Muslims. As a result, many are turning to Christ.”

Please pray about how you and your church family can support our brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan and Nigeria.

NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS NIGHTMARE: CHRISTMAS EVE SLAUGHTER

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Like mothers all around the world, Grace Godwin was cooking Christmas Eve dinner when life took a terrifying turn. Standing in her Nigerian kitchen, Grace’s husband ran into the room and shouted at her to take the children and run. Go to the bush, he ordered after an alarm spread that gunmen were in a nearby town. Everyone in the central Plateau knows what happens to Christians. In the time that it took her to gather her three little ones, they started to hear the unmistakable sound: rifle shots. 

With preparations for a festive night scattered everywhere, Grace and her family fled.

All across the region, villages that should have been celebrating the holiday were surrounded by armed men, tortured, and burned. The attacks lasted for hours, killing as many as 160 and wounding hundreds of others. Markus Amorudu told reporters that his family was sleeping in Mushu when the sound of shots rang out. “We were scared,” he admitted, “because we weren’t expecting an attack.” “People hid,” he explained, “but the assailants captured many of us. Some were killed, others wounded.” 

Magit Macham, who left the safety of the state capital to spend Christmas with his family, was talking to his brother outside the house when everyone heard gunshots. Within minutes, Magit was dragging his brother, who’d been hit in the leg, to the bush, where they hid for the night. “Those that could run ran,” he said. But “a good number of those that couldn’t run were caught and killed with machetes.” 

With eerie echoes of Hamas, terrorists slashed their way through as many as 20 villages, setting fire to everything in their path. The attack lasted for hours, survivors remembered. “We returned at six the next morning” — Christmas Day — “and found that houses had been burnt and people killed,” Grace lamented. “There are still people missing.” Even now, she said quietly, “There is no one in Mayanga. Women and children have all fled.”

The Fulani herdsman, along with the Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram, have been carrying out a bloody vendetta against Nigerian Christians for years. During this massacre, as in most, they took particular pleasure in targeting church leaders. “Some pastors were killed, and another pastor and his wife and five children were killed during these attacks,” Dawzino Mallau told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News by text. “These terrorists who attacked these Christian communities were in the hundreds, and they carried out the attacks as the hapless Christians were preparing for Christmas programs lined up by their pastors.”

When they couldn’t take lives, they destroyed homes — reducing “hundreds of houses” to ash. Worse, locals said it took “more than 12 hours before security agencies responded to their call for help.” Women, children, and the elderly were systematically slaughtered while the government sat on its hands, a revelation Family Research Council’s Arielle Del Turco found “deeply disturbing.”

“At best, this points to a grave and costly incompetence,” she told The Washington Stand. “At worst, it reveals that Nigerian authorities do not want to stop these attacks against vulnerable Christians and may be complicit in them. Either way, the Nigerian government must urgently institute changes to save innocent lives.”

Now, instead of celebrating Christ’s birth, Nigerians are burying their dead.

“This is unacceptable,” Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang insisted. “Enough is enough. These stupid, senseless, and unprovoked acts must stop,” he said before demanding more security measures. “… As I am talking to you, in Mangu local [district] alone, we buried 15 people. As of this morning, in Bokkos, we are counting not less than 100 corpses. I am yet to take stock of [the deaths in] Barkin Ladi. It has been a very terrifying Christmas for us here in Plateau.”

Living in fear has become a way of life for the country’s Christians, who’ve endure these waves of cold-blooded killings with shocking frequency since 2009. Now, even the simple act of going to church or gathering for Christmas can be a death sentence. 

“More innocent Christians are killed in Nigeria each year than anywhere else in the world,” Del Turco told TWS. According to Open Doors’ 2023 report, 5,014 were brutally murdered in 2022 alone. “This is a shameful distinction that the Nigerian government must immediately address,” she urged. 

With the nightmarish attacks of October 7 still fresh in everyone’s minds, this barbarism — some 3,500 miles from Israel — is another sad reminder of the persecution God’s people face in most corners of the world. But it’s also a powerful witness to Christians in the West, who’ve only experienced a taste of the hostility our brothers and sisters endure around the world. While we take our most basic freedoms for granted, believers from Afghanistan to China have no peace — not even on Christmas.

They’ve seen the deadly explosions rock their churches, they’ve cried at the funerals of loved ones gunned down during worship. They’ve lost their homes, buried their children, and looked martyrdom in the eye. And still, they are not deterred. Risking everything for Christ is a way of life. Fortunately, Jesus told us that Christians would face intense persecution in the last days before His return so are prepared to endure it for the eternal life that God has promised on the new Earth (Revelation 21 – The New Heaven and the New Earth).

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

But that doesn’t make the losses less painful. In Nigeria, where the situation for Christians is growing more treacherous by the day, we grieve for the hundreds of families whose Christmases will never be the same. 

In the meantime, Del Turco reminds the church, that we are not helpless. “We can pray for the comfort and peace for those who are mourning,” she offered, “that justice will be done in this situation, and the hearts of Nigerian leaders will be moved to stop the slaughter of Christians.” And thank God for the freedom to do so.

Topics: Nigeria, International Religious Freedom, Christian Persecution

PERSECUTION GROWS GOD’S CHURCH

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A new study has revealed that Christianity is continuing to spread across the globe despite believers facing extreme persecution for their faith.

The 2023 “Persecutors of the Year” report by the anti-persecution charity International Christian Concern (ICC) details the various groups, organisations, and locations posing a significant threat to Christians worldwide.

The advocacy group claims some 200-300 million believers currently experience persecution for their faith, including torture, imprisonment, and murder. Writing in the document’s forward, ICC President Jeff King says he’s inspired by the courage and strength of Christians who appear to be “thriving” in their faith, amid “unimaginable pain.”

China, Iran, and Nigeria are highlighted as key countries where the Church appears to be expanding despite fierce opposition.

NIGERIA: The ICC argues Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to be Christian today. Believers are kidnapped, tortured, and killed every week by Boko Haram, Fulani militants and other Muslim extremist groups while churches and Christian institutions are destroyed and burned to the ground. “Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) have killed tens of thousands of Christians and displaced millions to discard Western influence and impose strict Islamic Sharia law,” it reads. Yet, the approximately 100 million Christian population is steadily growing in the region.

IRAN: The report claims that the Islamic Republic of Iran has “one of the fastest-growing churches in the world.” While 99% of the population is Muslim and Christians there are harshly penalised for practicing their faith, ICC reports show a Christian population that has rapidly grown to around 500,000 – 800,000. Iranian Christians face persecution in the form of raids, arrests, fines, detention, torture, and death penalties for practicing their faith.

CHINA: China reportedly has between 70-100 million “underground Christians”. This is despite the communist country “aggressively suppressing free religious expression” which is seen as a threat to national security. House churches face persecution and harassment by the authorities, as they are often unregistered and not sanctioned by the government. Some are denied registration while others choose not to be state-run due to the heavy surveillance and restrictions that are applied.

In highlighting the extent of suffering Christians encounter across the world, ICC says the “resilience of the body of Christ” is also revealed.

We cannot say that Jesus did not warn us of the persecution/tribulation that Christians will face in the last days before His second coming. It will be a church refined by fire that will be raptured to heaven prior to God pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world with the Trumpet and Bowl judgments.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS ESCALATES IN NIGERIA

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Report from a Christian pastor who lives in Kaduna State Nigeria on the persecution of Christians by the Muslim Fulani people.

Eyewitnesses and verified reports made me conclude that these happenings are nothing short of a “deliberate systematic and orchestrated” killing of Southern Kaduna people who are predominantly Christians by the Fulani people who have the president of Nigeria as one of their very own.

In my previous updates, I have referred to all these horrible events as persecutions of believers, but I believe that it is not just religious persecution of my people but an intentional act to wipe out my people while the government of the day has refused to defend or even to give any support whatsoever. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is headed by President Mohammed Buhari, a Fulani Muslim, and the Governor of Kaduna State is also a Fulani Muslim

What are these crimes against my people? The murder of lives and property, burning of homes and churches, rape against women, and forcing young Christian girls into slavery and marriages to jihadists. A family of six had their house completely burnt down. A schoolmate of mine also had his house completely burnt down, and he barely escaped with his life. Several weeks ago, one of our pastors was killed. The Fulani who abducted him from his house gave him two options—to be shot by a gun or slaughtered like a chicken. After three days, he was shot, and his corpse was later retrieved and buried. These crimes against innocent people continue unabated, and there is no hope in sight.  You see why I have arrived at the conclusion that it is genocide.

My people cannot really repel these attacks which often happen between 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. They have only bows and arrows and at best hunting guns, while the enemy has sophisticated weapons such as machine guns and AK-47s.

You may be wondering what my personal feelings are about these matters. I have lots of fear about the security of my family and even my own [life]. I think about death every day. I think about taking my family and running away and hiding far away from Nigeria. …[but] where can I run to in this situation?  I have my people here.  I have believers here who look up to me, and running away is not an option at this point in time.

My prayer is that the world must as a matter of urgency come to the rescue of the people of Southern Kaduna State, who have been selected for destruction and to be wiped out of existence. In my mind, we need the international community and world leaders to investigate and bring to justice the Government of Nigeria and the Kaduna State Government, to account for these crimes against their people. I know I am a small person without the status to be heard by the international community, but I am sharing with you to help us pray to God. And if you are able to communicate this to any international media, please do so as God gives you the grace. If you are also able to reach out to your government representatives who can take our concerns to the international community, it would also be great.

Our strongest weapon continues to be your prayers. Pray for those who have lost their loved ones—widows, widowers, orphans, etc. Pray for those who have lost everything. I mean everything. I thank you for being friends and prayer partners, and I do appreciate your love, support, and friendship.

Let me tell you in the years ahead Jesus tells us that the persecution of Christians will only intensify. It seems to me that this pastor like so many others is not aware of the time we are in as we approach the last seven years of this planet being controlled by Satan and his minions. It is a time to be a bold and courageous witness for Jesus and be in step with what He is doing in these last days.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:9-12

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS ESCALATES IN NIGERIA

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“The blood is still there. It’s still spread all over the floor.”

Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at persecution watchdog Christian Solidarity International (CSI), shared these chilling words while discussing the vile attack on a Nigerian church Sunday that left at least 50 dead.

A police officer stands guard inside the St. Francis Catholic Church, a day after an attack that targeted worshipers in Owo, Nigeria, Monday, June 6, 2022. The gunmen who killed 50 people at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria opened fire on worshippers both inside and outside the building in a coordinated attack before escaping the scene

“It was Pentecost Sunday in Nigeria, so the church was full of people,” Veldkamp said. “According to one report, the gunmen snuck in disguised as worshippers. And then other gunmen arrived on motorcycles from the outside and started shooting from the outside, and then the ones who were already inside the congregation started shooting as well.”

The assailants then reportedly placed bombs on the altar and around the church before detonating them.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, though some reports ponder whether radical Islamic terror groups could be culpable. The location of the attack — in a southwest region of Nigeria — is one of the factors that adds to the “distressing and disturbing” details, as that area is typically peaceful and unaffected by the terror that has gripped portions of northern Nigeria.

“There are a lot of fears that this is going to open up a new chapter in anti-Christian terrorism in Nigeria,” Veldkamp said.

Renewed critique emerged last month after a Muslim mob reportedly fatally stoned Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a 25-year-old Christian college student of Shehu Shagari College of Education was beaten and burned to death in Sokoto Nigeria, Friday, May 13, 2022, by fellow Muslim students after she was accused of making a blasphemous social media post.