FALLS CHURCH, VA — As Christians face rising persecution worldwide, many of us are looking for ways to connect with those who suffer for their faith. Christian Freedom International – which helps persecuted Christians – has a few ideas. In hostile regions of the world, Christians risk beatings, imprisonment, discrimination, and death for their faith….
BELLINGHAM, WA — Faithlife, makers of integrated church technology products, today released its highly anticipated new version of Logos Bible Software, Logos 9. Designed to help ministry leaders spend more time serving the Church, Logos 9 includes multiple new features, many of which are specifically focused on helping pastors bring order to the chaos of…
WILLS POINT, TX — Girls face greater exploitation than ever, with 650 million child brides in the world today, a shocking new report reveals. As women’s rights take center stage in the U.S. and many parts of the world, the reality for millions of girls worldwide is sexual exploitation and forced marriage before the age…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued this Special Report on the horrific realities girls face, child marriage, human trafficking, abuse & exploitation, and the restoration & redemption that God brings to their lives. Nearly 173 years ago, on October 16,…
WASHINGTON, DC – Its 2020 Annual Report on international freedom of religion has been made available to the public by the USCIRF. Various media reports have created confusion concerning the publication, with some referring to it as “the 2019 report” and others as “the 2020 report.” For clarification, the title of the 104-page document is…
PHOENIX, AZ – The most significant existential threat for America is not the Coronavirus. Nor is it China, Iran, Russia, or North Korea. It is also not the potential collapse of our economy and supply chains. Continuing analysis by the American Worldview Inventory 2020 points out that “One-third of the nation’s adults who have chosen…
“Our ability to act quickly is critical.” — Open Doors USASANTA ANA, CA — Living conditions for Christians and other religious minorities worldwide are rapidly worsening due to the Coronavirus outbreak, says Open Doors USA, an organization working with persecuted Christians in more than 60 countries. “Their situation is going from bad to worse,” said…
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — Professor and Harvard graduate William Jeynes is organizing a National Day of Repentance for Easter, Sunday, April 12th. He is contacting governors to announce the proclamation for their states, and religious leaders to make the proclamation for their houses of worship and denominations. He is hopeful that President Trump will make…
WARRENTON, MO — Child Evangelism Fellowship operates over 99,000 after-school clubs around the world. GOOD NEWS CLUBS feature Bible teaching, music, games and snacks for children once a week. When schools and churches closed for weeks in South Korea due to COVID-19, a plea went to CEF International Headquarters in Missouri for help with an…
GENEVA — The following is the fourth in a series about the response of the WCC, member churches and all people of goodwill to COVID-19. The purpose of these stories is to share hopes, concerns and best practices among our one human family. – WCC director of communication Marianne Ejdersten As the world grapples with…
WASHINGTON, DC – The passage of the FY2020 Federal spending bill on December 19th ensures government funding for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom for another three years. Congress must re-approve funding of the USCIRF before the 2023 fiscal year. Although many government programs are included in the $1.4 trillion package, the USCIRF came…
Recently we observed one of the International Day[s] of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (known by the acronym IDOP). Initiated over 20 years ago by the World Evangelical Alliance, 100,000 congregations around the world and millions of Christians participate on this day. “Let us unite in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters,” IDOP said…
LONDON – 123 UK politicians gathered in the House of Parliament to hear first-hand about the persecution of Christians around the world, and listen to the recommendations from the Open Doors World Watch List report about how our Parliament can best respond. MPs heard about the 5,500 churches destroyed or closed down in China, the…
WASHINGTON – Today Open Doors announced the 2020 World Watch List of religious persecution offenders at a press conference in Washington, D.C, and revealed that Christians living in China are experiencing unprecedented levels of persecution, and their quality of life is deteriorating at an alarming rate. China jumped four spots, from #27 in 2019 to…
The U.S. State Department removed Sudan from its list of governments that are engaging in or tolerating systemic and ongoing religious freedom violations and has placed Nigeria, Cuba, and Nicaragua on a special watch list for “severe violations of religious freedom” for the first time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday the State Departments’…
ERIE, PA – How did the Lord lead one man in Erie, Pennsylvania, to establish a Christian faith-based organization as unique as ChosenIMA that ships medical equipment to Christian healthcare facilities in 100 nations? First, He chose a man to stand in a gap that others may never have noticed. Then, He sent him on…
Resolving the Limitations Illiteracy Places on the Human Spirit WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) issues an extensive Special Report on illiteracy, the dominant disabler to flourishing for millions around the world, and the miraculous potential of literacy that is able to change the lives of men, women and children for generations. Few…
SEOUL, KOREA — After three intense days with deep discussions and productive sessions, the bi-annual meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) ECHOS Commission came to an end recently. Fourteen young committee members and staff from 20 different countries all over the world had gathered in Seoul, Korea to further strengthen the WCC young…
NEW YORK – August 22, 2019, marked the first International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief sponsored by the United Nations. Missions Box News first became aware of the proposed special day in July 2018 when members of the British parliament were called to consider supporting a proposal…
WILLS POINT, TX – June 30th marked the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, “On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, let us reaffirm our commitment to stop criminals from ruthlessly exploiting people for profit and to help victims rebuild their lives.” In fact, the total eradication of human…
BANI, BURKIN FASO – Wearing a Christian cross on a necklace is common. For some, it is a mere prettification. Others wear one as a talisman of sorts. But, for believers, it is a witness to their faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. It is, for the most part, a perfectly acceptable…
WASHINGTON — Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairman of Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission along with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), today held a bipartisan hearing on the perilous state of religious freedom for Christians in China, Nigeria, Iran and other places around the world. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, head of the U.S. State Department’s Office…
ASMARA – The tiny country of Eritrea has been called “The North Korea of Africa.” The county ranks at Number 7 on the Open Doors World Watch list of states where the persecution of Christians is the most severe. No national elections have been held since the country gained its independence in 1993. Even though…
![The world is unlikely to meet a target of ending child labor by 2025, which is part of the 17 global development goals agreed [upon] in 2015 at the United Nations.](https://missionsbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/gfa-06-12-17-gospelforasia-RT15-04790-230x300.jpg)
LONDON – June 12 marks the annual World Day Against Child Labor. We would like to share news of advances in liberating children from this burden that robs them of their childhood, education, and the potential for a thriving future. Sadly, on a global scale, we cannot. Verisk Maplecroft issued their 2019 Child Labor Index….
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report on the aftermath of acute gender imbalance: Discussing the horrendous reality of 100 million missing women worldwide. One of the stunning stories from Scripture tells about the uninvited woman who crashed a VIP party at the home of an important religious leader. This is a…
LONDON – Missions Box News reported on December 28, 2018, that British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt had ordered a review into the escalation of persecution of Christians around the world. The task was assigned to the Anglican Archbishop of Truro. The complete report was originally scheduled to be released in time for Easter Sunday. However,…
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has released its annual report in the aftermath of attacks on mosques in New Zealand, churches in Sri Lanka and synagogues in the United States. “It’s coming at a time when religious freedom concerns, for lots of reasons, are getting more attention across the board,” USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie…
WASHINGTON — With its particular focus on China’s oppression of religious and human rights, an independent watchdog group has decried in its annual report the state of religious freedom across the globe. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan organization created 20 years ago, concludes in its Monday (April 29) report that “innumerable…
“The devil doesn’t want people to read because God wrote a book.” TULSA – You may never have heard of Literacy & Evangelism International, but the calling and vision the Lord gave to Dr. Robert F. Rice over 50 years ago are still prospering today. During several years of service ministering in South Korea, Bob…
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…
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…
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.”…
Despite claims by some that radio broadcasting is dying, it remains at heart of FEBC’s pioneering ministry, even as it uses new-tech pathways to share the gospel LA MIRADA, Calif. – As it marks 70 years of proclaiming the gospel to some of the farthest corners of the world, FEBC (Far East Broadcasting Company), the…
WILLS POINT – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948, seventy years ago. Article 4 of the Declaration says, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” A large number of people in the United States – perhaps most…
NEDLANDS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Slavery is not a thing of the past. Despite the efforts of William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and others, slavery did not end in the 19th century. In fact, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, over 70 million people are caught in the throes of 21st century slavery. More than 70…
NASHVILLE – Dr. Billy Kim and evangelist Luis Palau were honored at the opening of the National Religious Broadcasters annual convention in Nashville. The two renowned and highly-respected preachers were co-inductees into the NRB Hall of Fame. The two join a list of a veritable “Who’s Who” in Christian broadcasting that includes Ray Ortmund, Chuck…
PYEONGCHANG – “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” – I Corinthians 9:25 Thousands of athletes from around the world are competing in the global spotlight of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. All of them…
Photo by Diliff In February, President Trump was on a phone call with the Australian Prime Minister. All the sudden, an argument arose and President Trump hung up the phone on the Prime Minister. Vice President Pence made a trip in April to smooth out relations between the United States and Australia. Per Fox News,…
In early July of this year, flooding started in southern Japan because of Typhoon Nanmadol. Per Fox News, “Heavy rain warnings are still in place for parts of the southern island of Kyushu after Typhoon Nanmadol swept across Japan earlier in the week, dumping large amounts of rain that damaged homes, roads and rice fields.”…
Photo by PH1 R. ORIEZ There has been a Civil War raging in Somalia between the Somali military and a terrorist group, known as Al-Shabaab. In June, Al-Shabaab attacked two restaurants in a car bombing and sniper attack. Per Fox News, “Al-Shabab, a Somalia-based extremist group that often targets popular areas in the country’s capital,…
A vaccine may soon be available for the mosquito-borne Zika virus that has cast fear across the Americas. Inovio of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and GeneOne Life Science of Seoul, South Korea, worked together to develop the vaccine, which is ready for human trials. The pharmaceutical companies will seek 40 volunteers to test their vaccine….
Myanmar called an annual report issued by the U.S. State Department “sad and regrettable” after being named among the worst human trafficking offenders. Along with Iran, North Korea and Syria, the report cited Myanmar’s negligence to meet “the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking.” Reuters reported that Myanmar’s ranking, which got downgraded from the previous year,…
“Top 10 countries for persecution of Christians: 1. North Korea 2. Iran 3. Saudi Arabia 4. Somalia 5. Maldives 6. Afghanistan 7. Yemen 8. Mauritania 9. Laos 10.Uzbekistan” ~ Open Doors World Watch List 2010 ~
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” – Hudson Taylor Early Life of Hudson Taylor Hudson Taylor was born in Yorkshire, England on May 21, 1832. His father was a chemist and Methodist lay minister. Hudson was dedicated to reaching China with the Good News…
