A Week of Endurance
A Roundup of Global News from Trusted Sources
Here are a few news items the larger media overlooked. If they won’t share, we have to do it the old-fashioned way and be our own news. House to house. Word of mouth among the saints. Oral tradition. Very early church.
As always, one Body, one family. When one part suffers, we all suffer. When one part endures, we all endure. Let’s lift up our Nigerian, Australian, and Indonesian brothers and sisters who continue to stand. Here are three stories from each of those lands.
And remember … the Church cannot be chained. Read on. - kae
The Fires Still Burn: Our Nigerian Family Endures - via ICC
International Christian Concern is reporting that since January, over 300 Christians in Nigeria have been killed, dozens abducted, and thousands displaced in sweeping waves of violence. Homes, churches, and farms have been torched, leaving families without shelter or food.
On Palm Sunday alone, attackers killed 56 believers, including 15 children, and burned 103 homes in Zike village, Plateau State. In just a few days, militants struck 15 more villages, leaving 5,000 people homeless. Across states like Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Ebonyi, the stories repeat: clergy abducted, churches razed, and livelihoods stolen.
This isn’t random. It’s a deliberate campaign; a sustained effort to erase Christian witness from these regions. And yet our family endures. They continue to stand, even as Nigerian authorities fail to protect them.
Organizations like International Christian Concern (ICC) are on the ground, documenting these attacks and offering aid. You can read their latest reports and updates, including this one, at persecution.org.
But more than that, we—as one Body—are called to stand with them. When one part suffers, we all suffer. When one part endures, we all endure.
Let’s not look away. Let’s lift them up in prayer, speak boldly, and support those who are holding the line.
Indonesia: Worship Sealed, But the Church Endures - via Morningstar News
In Indonesia, just before Easter Sunday, local officials sealed shut a Christian worship site in West Java. The congregation, GKE Kota Wisata church, had been worshiping peacefully for over three years in a rented space when authorities abruptly blocked access—claiming permit issues.
The timing? No accident. Easter preparations were underway when the locks and chains came out. Local officials in Bogor Regency cited incomplete paperwork as their reason, but the church insists they’ve complied at every turn. Now, 400 believers find themselves without a worship space during the holiest season of the year.
Despite growing hostility, the faithful in Indonesia continue to gather, to pray, and to stand firm.
Credit to Morning Star News for sharing this story. You can read their full report at morningstarnews.org.
What Just Happened in Australia?
New South Wales (NSW), one of Australia’s largest states, passed a law that criminalizes certain kinds of prayer and pastoral care. Specifically, the Conversion Practices Ban Act makes it illegal to pray with or over someone ‘with the intent to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity.’
This includes situations where the person requests the prayer. Intent is what matters here—if the prayer’s goal is to change someone’s identity, that act could now be punishable by fines or imprisonment (up to 5 years if it causes serious harm).
This isn’t the first law of its kind. Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) already have similar bans, and the trend is expanding across Australia.
Why does this matter to Christians globally?
It raises important questions about religious freedom:
Can pastoral care and biblical counseling be criminalized if they challenge cultural norms around sexuality and gender?It challenges us to reflect on how we express truth and love together:
How can we walk alongside others faithfully, without fear of legal repercussions, yet remain obedient to the commands of Christ?It points to a broader global trend:
Laws like this are becoming more common across Western nations. While they aim to protect vulnerable individuals from harm, they also risk restricting the conscience and speech of believers who hold to a biblical view of human identity.
How do we respond to this kind of news?
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by news like this, especially when we realize that living with risk and restrictions is a reality for 75% of the world’s Christians. The first thing we want to do is go to prayer, prayer is often reported as the greatest need.
Pray for the church in all three areas—for courage, wisdom, and faithfulness under pressure.
Pray for lawmakers and leaders, that justice, compassion, and freedom of conscience would be upheld.
As you pray, remember—God has always strengthened His people through seasons of opposition. The church has endured before, and will endure again.
Now I’ll ask a question that’s often asked of me. How else can we encourage these saints in Australia, Indonesia, and Nigeria? Feel free to share your thoughts with the community. - kae
Thanks for the Intel on the global Church. I read reports from Open Doors, VOM and ICC, but it is nice to have one place to read and discuss. Holding the line!