The Syrian Civil War has been an epic crisis as the Assad regime attempts to retain its rule whilst ISIS rebels and others seek to wrest control as part of an attempt to establish an Islamic caliphate. About half of the Christian population has disappeared from the country either by death or diaspora. Yet, despite…
EL SALVADOR – In many ways, the San Francisco Gotera prison in El Salvador is like many others in Latin America. Nearly all of the inmates are members of rival gangs including the infamous MS-13. The prison has 1,600 inmates housed in a facility designed to hold 200. Tattoos of skulls, gang logos, and demonic…
FEBC plans record distribution of free radios to share the gospel in countries where poverty and political restrictions keep people from hearing about Jesus LA MIRADA, CA – Christian broadcaster FEBC (Far East Broadcasting Company) has launched a year-long initiative to distribute a record number of its free “missionary radios” to unreached people groups, most…
JACKSONVILLE, FL – The mission of Go To Nations (GTN) is “To serve as a “mission sending organization” which helps the body of Christ to conduct mission ministry by providing the practical and technical assistance necessary to be effective in the global harvest.” Equipping missionaries, local churches, and international ministries to reach the world with…
KUMBH MELA – The Swacch Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission was launched on October 2nd, 2014 as a major government initiative with the goal of making India ‘clean’ by the same date in 2019. When Prime Minister Modi initiated the campaign, he declared that, “A clean India would be the best tribute India could…
Venezuela Crisis — “The political unrest is creating a humanitarian crisis. One of our partners on the ground said it’s the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world right now.” Venezuela is facing the biggest economic crisis in modern history with hyperinflation, leading to starvation, deaths and mass migration. The U.S. announced Saturday that USAID will be sending…
Prestigious $500,000 AMH Gerson L’Chaim Prize presented to SIM Missionary Dr. Rick Sacra will help extend and expand SIM’s healthcare ministry in impoverished Liberia NEW YORK, NY — An American missionary doctor who risked his life at the height of Liberia’s 2014 Ebola crisis, and has spent more than 20 years doing medical missionary service…
ATLANTA – Dr. Michael Youssef is best known for his 30 years of ministry through Leading the Way broadcasted primarily from the Church of the Apostles which he pastors in Atlanta. The 70-year preacher is leading a new project, Vision 2025, through which he hopes to engage Christians around the world to win 1,000,000 souls…
Tun N., serving with GFA Asia field partner, leaves behind a wife and three children WILLS POINT, TX—Gospel for Asia (GFA) is mourning the loss of one of its field-partner workers, a pastor who has been reported dead after being abducted at gunpoint in Myanmar, formerly Burma. The tragic death of Tun N., aged 41,…
COLORADO SPRINGS – The Board of the Christian and Missionary Alliance recently published its 2018 Impact Report. The Alliance, founded over 130 years ago by A.B. Simpson, continues to express the love of Jesus Christ by sharing His Gospel with those who have yet to hear the Good News. Dr. John Stumbo, C&MA President describes…
BEIJING – Christians in China are learning what it means to fight against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (See Ephesians 6:12) The Chinese government is continuing its concerted efforts to shut down all forms of Christian worship. Missions Box has been publishing news…
JHARKHAND – An Anganwadi[1] worker in Jharkhand recently praised a team from World Vision for its work with Jharkhand health officials to help reduce acute malnutrition in the state. Although the State of Jharkhand contains about 40% of India’s entire mineral reserves, nearly 80% of the people who live there are farmers. It is India’s…
STRASBOURG – The European Court of Human Rights has rendered a judgment against Turkey in the case of Altınkaynak and Others v. Turkey. The court ruled that Turkey had violated the rights of a group of Seventh Day Adventists in 2004 when they attempted to register their religious foundation. Although Turkey ratified the European Convention…
TUCKER, GA – TheAmbassadors for Christ ministry began in 1948 as the fruition of the vision of Australian evangelist John Ridley to raise up Christian leaders who would establish churches “to penetrate Australia’s secular society.” Today, the ministry reaches into 22 countries on six continents. As the impact of the ministry, then known as the…
Due to Geopolitics and the Declining Economy, Venezuela Finds Itself in the Middle of a Hunger Crisis FOREST, Va. — Venezuela was once considered the wealthiest country in South America. Today, however, growing discontent due to power cuts, food and medicine shortages, the plunging price of oil and political upheaval, has left this nation in…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report – Discussing the misunderstandings and social stigma of leprosy that keep it alive, despite being a curable worldwide problem. Leprosy. For many, a cloud of mystery, fear and shame surrounds this disease. It’s a disease that destroys nerves and deadens limbs to sensations of touch…
Concern growing for the safety of Pastor Tun N., serving with Gospel for Asia field partner. WILLS POINT, Texas — Gospel for Asia (GFA) has issued an urgent prayer appeal on behalf of one of its field-partner workers who was abducted at gunpoint in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Tun N., aged 41, who pastors a congregation in…
ISLAMABAD – Heavy security surrounded the Pakistani high court as the world awaited the judges’ decision on whether to proceed with the appeal against her recent acquittal on blasphemy charges. Paramilitary troops and quick response units deployed in sensitive areas in the capital as radical Muslim had called for protests. Just a few hours ago,…
KINSHASA – When Missions Box News last reported on the outbreak of the Ebola virus on 15 December 2018, the deadly epidemic had already become the second-largest outbreak of the disease in history. At that time, 425 people were known to have contracted the Ebola virus and nearly 250 had perished – double the numbers…
ISLAMABAD – Asia Bibi’s acquittal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan was on October 2018, on charges of blasphemy after being held on death row for eight years. The judges ruled that the prosecution had “categorically failed” to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, that the evidence against her was flimsy, the complainant was not…
When Christians read reports from nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia some may wonder why missionaries have not reached out to the unreached long ago. We can easily operate on a false assumption that the current number of unreached and underserved is an indicator of the past failure of others to go and…
DELHI – Officials in India are completing final preparations for the 70th annual Republic Day on Saturday, January 26th. This year’s celebration will also celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, “Father of the Nation.” Wednesday, January 23, 2019, preparations included a full-dress rehearsal for the annual parade at Rajpath. The entire…
LAHORE – Pervaiz Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was arrested in 2015 on charges of blaspheming the Muslim prophet Mohammed. In an unusual turn of events, he was released on bail after serving only 20 days in prison. On January 15th a district court ruled in favor of his acquittal. Pervaiz is an independent contractor who,…
SONORA – Had I not known better, I would have thought that the story I was reading in the Calvary Chapel Magazine was about a ministry in South Asia. Being evangelical is considered turning on one’s own culture and family traditions, and people make fun of those who profess Christ. Many people, especially men and…
In February 2018, Dr. Graham exchanged his earthly rewards for his heavenly rewards, marking the first time since 1955 that he was not included in the annual Gallup poll of American’s most admired men. Sadly, the 2018 poll of the most trusted Americans by occupation also witnessed a continuing decline in the respect afforded to…
DAVOS – Three thousand world leaders are expected to meet at the World Economic Forum in this Swiss community from January 22nd through the 25th. The theme of this year’s forum is “Trust: The world’s currency.” Immediately preceding the event, Oxfam released a 40-page research report entitled “Public Good or Private Wealth.” Oxfam is an…
WILLS POINT, TX The last Sunday in January is set aside to observe World Leprosy Day. Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a Special Report examining the problem of leprosy. Across the globe, leprosy charities and partners join together to raise awareness of this disease that many people believe to be extinct, when in fact…
World Leprosy Day: Gospel for Asia-supported workers’ hands-on care for sufferers brings practical help and spiritual hope to those still marginalized by long-feared disease. WILLS POINT, Texas — Gospel for Asia (GFA) is spotlighting its efforts to bridge the historic social gulf caused by the disfiguring disease that leaves sufferers disadvantaged and often despised—one outstretched arm…
Religious freedom, i.e., the separation of church and state appears to be gaining greater legal standing around the globe. Yet, according to the latest Open Doors World Watch List, persecution of Christians is on the rise. Christians are not the only ones being persecuted. People of any faith who are in the minority are increasingly…
PENANG – During the recent testing of lighting fixtures at a residential high-rise under construction in the city of Penang, a local Muslim mufti complained to local authorities because the resulting pattern was in the shape of a cross. The mufti insisted that the authorities investigate why the lights had been arranged as a cross…
Private Christian schools gathering in San Antonio, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, will address how to harness technology, innovate and other hot-button issues facing movement SAN ANTONIO, Texas—Forget the joke about Moses being the first person to download something onto a tablet—when it comes to using technology in schools, some faith-based educators have been quietly leading the…
CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison published an open letter this week to “Australians of all faiths.” The catalyst for the letter is the parliamentary debate on freedom of religion versus discrimination against sexual orientation in religious schools and institutions. A Missions Box report published on October 17, 2018, asked the question, “Australia: Can…
GAFFNEY, SC – The closure, censure, and prohibition of churches, whether as congregations or as church buildings has become a regular theme in news from countries around the world. It is reasonable to expect the trend to continue and, eventually, to overflow into the home of the free and the brave. This writer, having once…
FOREST, VA — Every night, thousands of girls in the beach resort town of Pattaya, Thailand, go to work in the city’s red-light districts. Some of them have been taken there from their rural homes and sold into the sex industry against their will. Most of them have no other choice — poverty has prevented them…
SANTA ANA, CA – According to its website, “For over 60 years, Open Doors has worked in the world’s most oppressive countries, empowering Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. Open Doors equips persecuted Christians in more than 60 countries through programs like Bible & Gospel Development, Women & Children Advancement, and Christian Community Restoration.”…
“Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions.” —Roderick Davis, missionary to Kenya
Contrary to popular belief among many Americans, radio is not a relic of the past. Once again, we are victims of our own isolation and our preoccupation with the ever-emerging technologies that seem to have relegated radio to the recollection of retirees. Then, there is the virtual demise of the once ubiquitous Radio Shack. The…
VIENNA – January 2019 is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. According to the United Nations 2018 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons released this month, human trafficking has “taken on horrific dimensions.” The report, which compiles data from 142 countries, was published in two booklets. The first is typical of the annual report from a global…
MANAGUA – Chosen Children Ministries is a faith-based, non-profit organization focused on reaching families and communities in Nicaragua. Its methodology is unique in that the organization has field staff in two locations within the country through which it utilizes teams of volunteers from evangelical churches, schools, universities, and businesses to expand its outreach. Because Nicaragua…
WASHINGTON — The 46th annual March for Life Rally, which marks the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade abortion opinion, will be held on January 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C. This year’s March for Life theme is “Unique from Day One” and conveys the message that each life begins at conception. The…
KAMPALA – Being a pastor is a difficult life at the best of times. Pastors commit to a life of serving the Lord and reaching out to others, often at great personal sacrifice, to help them carry their burdens. Being a pastor in developing countries in Africa has got to be even more difficult, especially…
A Special Report published in February 2018 by Gospel for Asia (GFA) revealed that more than 40 million people around the world are currently living in some form of slavery. The report added that 25 million of those are enslaved in Asia and the Pacific. Seeking Justice and Defending Human Rights Wherever Poverty and Oppression…
NAIROBI – A joint report released last year by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United National Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated that the sub-Saharan nation of Kenya is one of the countries facing an urgent need to overcome the problem of open defecation. Nearly 30% of the people in Kenya defecate in the open,…
Studies have shown program reduces inmate recidivism and improves the prison environmentDEBARY, FL – Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (“Kairos”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, announces the start of a Kairos Inside Program at Pamlico Correctional Institute located in Bayboro, North Carolina beginning Thursday, January 24th. The weekend event will be the first Kairos Inside Weekend at this…
Modern missions pioneer and advocate, Don Richardson, passed away on December 23, 2018, at the age of 83. In 1952 at the age of 17, the young Canadian from Prince Edward Island gave his life to Jesus Christ at a Youth for Christ rally. In 1962, after graduation from Prairie Bible Institute and Wycliffe Bible…
Dr. Rick Sacra, recipient of 2018 AMH Gerson L’Chaim Prize, can tell of what inspired him to risk his life to serve others at awards celebration dinner, Jan. 31 in NYC CHARLOTTE, NC — The bravery of an American missionary doctor who risked his life to help others during an Ebola crisis in Liberia, West…
WARRENTON, MO — The need has never been greater for children to hear biblical truth and recognize the Bible for what it is—even children in church. Americans view of the Bible has shifted substantially in recent years, and the church is not immune. According to the Barna Group, “Millennials are half as likely as Elders to…
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:16 Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs have always been a part of the Christian life. The Apostle Paul refers…
FOREST, VA — For nearly four years, Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war that has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and famines. World Help is one of the humanitarian groups responding to this crisis. Working with local partners, the organization is providing food and emergency supplies to Yemeni families….
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading cause of death in the world in 2018 claimed the lives of 42 million people. That’s more than the number who died from cancer, malaria, HIV/AIDS, smoking, alcohol, and traffic accidents combined. Worldometers estimates that there was a total of 59 million deaths globally during the…
