MIDLAND, TX — ChinaAid released its 2019 Annual Report on Friday, detailing persecution and key findings for the year. The report covers the period from January-December 2019 and provides information on the targeting of Chinese Christians. Throughout the year, ChinaAid observed escalated instances of religious oppression, driven by the government’s campaign to develop “religion with…
EASTON, MD — As anxious families in the troubled Middle East and North Africa — and especially Iran — face the coronavirus epidemic, Christian broadcaster SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) today launched a new campaign to “calm the wave of fear with God’s peace.” With coronavirus — known as COVID-19 — threatening to become a global pandemic, more…
VIENNA – The world water crisis is real. More than 2.3 billion people live in water-scarce areas. While the crisis may not affect you personally, about one-third of the world’s population contends with water scarcity daily. Water stress occurs when less than 1,500 cubic meters of water per year are available to residents of any…
SHANGHAI – On this day 166 years ago, a man sent from God set foot in China for the first time. It would change his life. More importantly, it would change the life of the Chinese people for more than a century and a half until this present day in 2020.That man was James Hudson…
FOREST, VA – A Christian humanitarian organization has announced a new campaign to provide aid to Chinese families in cities that have been deemed high risk for the deadly coronavirus as the death toll rises above 1,000. World Help, an organization serving the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world,…
HONG KONG – As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, major cities in China and more than 20 countries around the world, including Japan, Thailand, and Singapore, have fallen to the virus. Hong Kong’s churches are providing a prayer book online called “Pass Over Us”, and the Chinese Evangelical Association launched a 28-day prayer…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – During the weekend from May 14 through 17 this year, the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and Breakpoint will present China Aid founder, Bob Fu, with the 2020 William Wilberforce Award. The Wilberforce Weekend is the annual flagship event for the Colson Center. The China Aid website describes Bob Fu as…
WUHAN – Americans have become aware of Wuhan, China because it appears to be the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus. Wuhan is also making headlines as one of the regions where the police have already begun implementing the Administrative Measures for Religious Groups slated to become law throughout the country effective February 1, 2020. “The…
![[World Cancer Day 2020] By the time our son, Jeremy Mains, was rushed to the local hospital’s emergency room, his bone marrow was filled with cancer cells.](https://missionsbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Karen_Jeremy-denoise-fb-230x300.jpg)
World Cancer Day 2020 by Karen Burton Mains Years ago, traveling around the world in the role of a journalist at the invitation of the director of an international relief organization, we stopped to visit Mother Theresa’s Kalighat Home for the Destitute Dying. I will always remember, as have other journalists before me, particularly Malcolm…
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…
CHENGDU, SICHUAN — Chengdu authorities sentenced Pastor Wang Yi to nine years in prison this morning, days after his secret trial. Wang, who is the pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church, was found guilty of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.” Both charges were given to him because of his position within…
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – During the first two decades of the 21st Century, the lines between humanitarianism and evangelism have become blurred. Much of this can be attributed to the growing inclination toward political correctness, the revelation of the billions of people living in extreme poverty in developing (and industrialized) countries, and the increasing fascination…
LITTLETON, CO – While China Partner celebrates 30 years of ministry, the country is, once again, undergoing dramatic changes. As they have in the past, Chinese Christians are learning to stand firm in their faith and be willing to trust the Lord in every circumstance. China Partner is there to help them. Erik Burklin is…
TOKYO – Japan rose like a phoenix out of the ashes of World War 2 to become the world’s third-largest economy and a leading producer of in-demand passenger vehicles. The country has taken a back seat over the last several decades as other developing nations have become giants of industry and technology. Yet millions of…
WASHINGTON — Rev. Patrick Mahoney, the Director of the Christian Defense Coalition based in Washington DC, is leading the efforts to support the democracy and freedom protests happening in Hong Kong and will be speaking at local rallies, leading prayer gatherings and meeting with local pro-democracy and Christian leaders. Rev. Mahoney is the first American…
BARTLESVILLE, OK The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on Christians around the world to pray for persecuted believers in North Korea as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church takes place on Sunday November 3. To help mobilize informed prayers, VOM’s 2019 IDOP short film, “Sang-chul: North Korea”, provides a dramatic example…
ROME – When the United States Secretary of State speaks, it is usually about political affairs of state. When Mike Pompeo addressed a symposium in Rome on October 2, his message was about increasing global threats to the right of religious freedom. Secretary Pompeo was a featured speaker at a symposium about the work of…
HONG KONG – Speculation about the future of Hong Kong abounded in 1997 when Great Britain handed over its governing authority to mainland China. Anxiety-ridden headlines predicted China would move swiftly to integrate the city under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When a one-country, two-systems approach was proposed, the world breathed a…
BEIJING – For more than two years, Missions Box News has brought our readers reports of the Chinese Communist Party’s widespread campaign to clamp down on Christianity in mainland China. The big news out of China in January 2019 was not tariffs and trade wars. The CCP demanded that the first of the 10 commandments…
BEIJING – Barely six months ago, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIFR) identified its current Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). Sixteen of the CPC were ranked as Tier One, those of the most significant concern. Of those, committee member Gary Bauer said,“If we were going to rank the Tier 1 countries, China would…
BOSTON – Liberty Counsel was in court yesterday presenting oral argument regarding its motion for summary judgement requesting the United States District Court in Boston to rule that Boston resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution, can fly the Christian flag on Boston’s City Hall flagpoles on the same terms as other…
CHENGDU – Persecution has become a hot topic, especially among Christians, reportedly the most persecuted people in the world. The annual World Watch List ranks countries where persecution of Christians runs high, even beyond imagination. Missions Box News has published more than 50 articles and news stories about the persecution of Christians in 2019 alone….
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…
BOSTON — Liberty Counsel has asked a federal district court to forgo a trial and order the city of Boston to allow its resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution, to fly the Christian flag on a city flagpole that Boston has opened to hundreds of other organizations. The city censored the religious viewpoint…
BOSTON — Liberty Counsel has asked a federal district court to forgo a trial and order the city of Boston to allow its resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization, Camp Constitution, to fly the Christian flag on a city flagpole that Boston has opened to hundreds of other organizations. The city censored the religious viewpoint…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) issues an extensive Special Report on child labor: Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others In a report written by Lee Tucker, a consultant to Human Rights Watch, about the problem of bonded labor in Asia, a young girl shared, “My sister…
BEIJING – The prevailing stories on major media outlets about China are about tariffs and trade wars. But these stories may be far from the most important news about what is going on in China. Possibly, the biggest story in China is going largely unreported. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is continuing to increase its…
MIDLAND, TX — When Liao Qiang and his family of six arrived in Taiwan last week, it’s because it was their only option for keeping their children safe. The family, which is affiliated with Early Rain Covenant Church, has been under constant surveillance from the Chinese authorities ever since a December crackdown on the church…
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…
HONOLULU – From as far back as I can remember as a child in church, we were taught to memorize Scripture. One of the very first verses we learned was Psalm 119:11 – “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” We knew that the more we commit…
MISSION VIEJO – Harold Sala founded Guidelines in 1963, the same year he completed his graduate degree work. Guidelines began as a simple radio program built on the idea of connecting people with the Lord through practical, five-minute devotionals delivered over the airwaves. During the early years, Dr. Sala produced the daily programs while pastoring…
SHANDONG PROVINCE – The Chinese government initiated the Sharp Eyes project following its approval by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2016. Sharp Eyes is the beginning of a program to dramatically increase video surveillance throughout the nation. The goal of the project is to have “coverage across all regions, sharing…
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…
MIDLAND, TX – March 4, 2019 — ChinaAid has released its 2018 Annual Persecution Report, demonstrating China’s sharp escalation of human rights and religious freedom abuses over the past year and providing key examples. The report, published in both Chinese and English, catalogs cases of China’s oppression of Christians and contrasts them to cases documented…
HENAN – Reports continue to stream from China regarding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and it’s actions to eliminate Christianity from the country. Crosses have been removed from church buildings, churches have been subjected to electronic monitoring whilst others have been closed. The First Commandment has been declared illegal. The Bible is being retranslated to conform…
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…
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…
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…
HENAN PROVINCE – On November 30, 2018, Chinese communist authorities ordered a church in Henan Province to remove its display of the first commandment of the Ten Commandments. The directive came during a regular inspection of a church affiliated with the government-approved Three-Self church movement. Freedom of religion in China has been a consistent and…
CHENGDU – Last week Chinese authorities detained Pastor Wang Yi and 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Szechuan, China.Bob Fu, the president of ChinaAid, said that “the massive overnight attack . . . represents a major escalation of religious persecution in China.”Former U.S. Senator and current U.S. Ambassador at Large for…
WASHINGTON – On November 15, 2018, the American Law and Justice Center (ACLJ) published a petition to release John Cao, a U.S. pastor imprisoned in China on fabricated organizing illegal border crossing charges. Cao, whose family resides in North Carolina, was arrested by Chinese officials in March 2017 as he crossed the border between Myanmar…
TORONTO – It has been said that God uses common things to accomplish uncommon things. Whoever said that may have been thinking about loaves and fishes or Balaam’s donkey. It is not likely that they were thinking about sailors and comic books, but God can use them, too. He has, and He still is. Warmolt…
Most people who know of Pearl S. Buck remember her as the author of the 1932 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Good Earth. It was assigned reading for many Baby Boomers. The book was the Western world’s first accurate representation of life in China. Mrs. Buck was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature for “notable…
WASHINGTON DC – People need to be seriously aware that Jesus said more than “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” in Mark 12:17. He also said, “And to God the things that are God’s.” Christians and evangelical churches around the globe are feeling the oppression of officials whose desire is to bring the…
YANGON – Myanmar, formerly Burma, may best be described a line from Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” in which the king exclaims, “It’s a puzzlement.” In a recent article, we related the story of a Christian pastor in a small village in the Chin state in northwest Myanmar. The gist of the story…
NEW DELHI – Asia Times may have best summarized recent reports about the continuing population growth in India. “Top demographers feel that within three to five years, India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country.” While the population growth rate has been on the decline in China, India’s population continues to advance at…
In the face of death, Robert Jermain Thomas remained faithful in his mission to share the Good News with people of Korea even though it was not open to the Gospel. Life as a Student As Robert grew up, his relationship with the Lord thrived, being the son of a preacher. At the age of…
BEIJING – Chinese officials successfully closed and barred the doors of Beijing’s largest house church on July 8th, occupying it with ‘thugs’ to prevent members from entering. The closure is yet another in a growing list of moves by agents of the government to either gain oversight of or close Christian churches in China. The…
Expansion of International Day for the Unreached alliance announced at NRB, underscores ‘growing importance’ of Great Commission campaign NASHVILLE — A movement to accelerate missions efforts among peoples who have yet to hear about Jesus continues to gain momentum, with two new additions to the International Day for the Unreached organizing group. Frontier Ventures and William…
