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 massive challenge of reducing extreme poverty worldwide, mainly through providing education, transmitting values. In my original special report for Gospel for Asia (GFA) titled Solutions to Poverty-line Problems of…
WILLS POINT, TX — One of the world’s biggest poverty-alleviating organizations spotlights the huge “uphill battle” facing many of the world’s 258 million widows in a recently-released report. Treatment of widows is often startlingly unfair and cruel, catapulting them into a crisis of survival, says the new global report by Texas-based Gospel for Asia (GFA…
NORTH KOREA — North Korea is on the verge of a catastrophic meltdown according to reports reaching Open Doors from North Korean Christians. “North Korea faces a major crisis with multiple causes,” says Timothy Cho, North Korean escapee. “Covid-19 lockdown, catastrophic flooding, and international sanctions.” Although the North Korean Government has claimed that they have…
WASHINGTON — Coptic Solidarity’s 5th Annual Modern Coptic Martyrs Day will be hosted on Zoom this Friday, October 9th at 2 PM, Eastern Standard Time. This year’s event will be held on the ninth anniversary of the Maspero Massacre when 27 Copts were brutally murdered by the Egyptian Army while they were peacefully protesting a…
NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly declared the second day of October as the International Day of Non-Violence. It has been observed annually since 2007, yet its true meaning becomes less clear the more one studies the thought-leaders who address the subject. What Non-Violence Is Not In far too many thousands of cities…
CHINA — The Chinese church continues to grow at a phenomenal rate with forecasts that it will reach 224 million people by 2030. This acceleration comes in the midst of what’s believed to be the country’s worst persecution of believers since the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s according to China Aid’s Bob Fu. Some of…
WASHINGTON — The International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), a nonprofit working to secure a future for all Nigerians, launched a new Data Tome (“report”) today proving the religious persecution and genocide that has been occurring in Nigeria over the last 20 years. The report includes recent testimonies of some of the more than 60,000 victims…
BRISTOL, TN — The Tennessee-based, 18,000-member Christian Medical Association (CMA, www.cmda.org) lauded a Tennessee patient protection policy that protects disabled patients during the COVID pandemic. The policy was announced this afternoon by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and developed collaboratively between HHS, the state of Tennessee,…
Noel Yeatts, President of World Help, is an active advocate for social justice and humanitarian needs around the world, discusses women like Som who are trapped in the chains of poverty and the sex industry. Som had the deck stacked against her from day one. She was 20 when she got pregnant with her first…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued a Special Report on the ugly truths of world hunger: “Scandal of Starvation” — world hunger is a long-term social and global crisis, directly or indirectly causing around 9 million deaths each year –…
A house church pastor in China’s Hunan province has been arrested for “inciting subversion of state power” after he refused to join the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s Three-Self Patriotic Association. Radio Free Asia reports that pastor Zhao Huaiguo, the founder of Bethel Church, was arrested on April 2 in China’s Hunan province, after being criminally…
WASHINGTON – An international organization representing Baha’is says it is extremely concerned about Iran’s ongoing detention of up to 100 Baha’is at risk of contracting the coronavirus in Iranian prisons. In a VOA Persian interview on Monday, the Baha’i International Community’s chief representative to the U.N. in New York, Bani Dugal, said an estimated 50…
NICOSIA, CYPRUS – SAT-7, the Christian media ministry to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), recently published its annual report for 2019. SAT-7 continues to reach beyond borders and into the homes of people in countries where sharing the Gospel face-to-face is difficult at best. “SAT-7 broadcasts … through four channels in three languages…
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…
WASHINGTON D.C. – The wife of a Malaysian pastor who was abducted in 2017 was among 12 women honored Wednesday with the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award. Susanna Liew, the wife of pastor Raymond Koh, was honored by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump for fighting on behalf…
NIGERIA – The recent news reports about Christian persecution coming out of Nigeria are horrifying. A day after Christmas, extremists who identified themselves as part of ISIS murdered 11 Christians in Nigeria. A few weeks into the new year, on Jan. 19, the Islamic State of West Africa released a video of a child —…
Amid U.S.-Iran tensions, broadcaster SAT-7 gives Iranian Christians first opportunity to share with millions of viewers, many from extremist backgrounds EASTON — Pioneering broadcaster SAT-7 today announced a virtual, “real-time” television news-talk show — Signal — that is the first program of its kind encouraging Iran’s “secret Christians” — at a time when U.S.-Iran tensions…
WASHINGTON — The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event attended by more than 3,000 individuals from more than 120 nations. One would think it is the perfect platform to create awareness of the plight of Copts in Egypt and to solicit international assistance to improve it. That said, every individual Copt that Coptic Solidarity…
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…
TEHRAN – Concerns are being raised internationally about the well-being of an Iranian Christian convert who was arrested during an anti-government protest in Tehran last week. The Human Rights Activists News Agency first reported on the arrest of 21-year-old Christian convert Fatemeh Mohammadi, who prefers to go by the name “Mary” since her spiritual conversion….
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA, www.gfa.org, founded by KP Yohannan) issues a Special Report update on the current progress in the fight against leprosy where global leprosy-elimination leaders are making exciting advances both medically and socially. In 2018, another 208,619 new cases of leprosy were detected globally. Is any progress being made in…
SAO PAULO – Jair Bolsonaro has been the elected President of Brazil since January 1, 2019. Brazil’s liberals and secular humanists were unable to prevent Bolsonaro from winning his 2018 presidential campaign. Christians and conservatives rallied to support his campaign that opposed homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, and drug liberalization with 55 percent of the vote….
GENEVE — The World Council of Churches (WCC) joins in solemn commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. In a joint comment, WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom and general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit reflect on the role this “full revelation of the extremity of human evil”…
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…
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’…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) issues an extensive Special Report on extreme poverty worldwide, how alleviation and eliminating it is possible, but it is not inevitable. If the modern world is truly a “global village,” that means everyone on earth is our neighbor—and Jesus was very clear about how we are to…
MOSCOW – This is not an article about a missionary agency, a missionary project, or a faith-based organization. It is about people of whom we are mostly unaware. People who need the Lord. People who need our prayers. The purpose of this article is to raise our collective awareness and encourage us to pray.Something significant…
WASHINGTON, DC – A recent meeting of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom declared that “Places of worship and other religious sites should be sanctuaries where worshipers feel safe to practice their faith.” Based on statements made at meetings of, or contained within documentation published by, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,…
NIGERIA – The Jihadist massacre lasted for five hours. Esther listened from the makeshift outhouse as she hid behind the door. “Convert or be killed!” shouted Boko Haram militants. Their commands were followed by screams, the popping of machine guns, and the smell of burning flesh and hair as they made their way through the…
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…
ANHUI – According to China Aid authorities have destroyed a church in China and detained its pastors. No legal papers ordering the church’s demolition were provided, but officials tore it down on Friday October 18. It could seat more than 3,000 people and was part of the country’s officially-recognized church network. The large building –…
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…
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – A high profile group of US Christian leaders visited Saudi Arabia on the eve of 9/11. During their visit, the delegation issued a statement including why their visit coincided with the 9/11 tragedy. “While it may surprise some that we would choose the week of September 11 to visit the Kingdom,…
GENEVA – Nearly a million Rohingya are interred at refugee camps in Bangladesh, having fled their homes to escape persecution in their native Myanmar. Tensions have been rising over the past several months and have reached a point where remaining in Bangladesh may become as dangerous as of being back in Myanmar. The UN Office…
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…
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was founded in 1998. The mission of the USCIRF is “To elevate and promote international religious freedom as a norm and practice.” During the past year, the USCIRF has issued four factsheets that summarize four types of laws used internationally to prevent the…
Welsh councillors in the UK have defended their freedom to conduct prayers before meetings in the face of opposition from those labelling it ‘discriminatory’. Councillor Paul Penlington called on Denbighshire Council in North Wales in the UK, to conduct prayers away from the council chamber, and has received the support of the National Secular Society….
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…
Rev. Joseph D’Souza, one of the most widely considered as one of the most influential voices of global Christianity discusses how Christians should respond to the crisis in Kashmir, and perspective for all Indian, Pakistani and all Christians to have in this dire situation. Christians around the world ought to pray for Kashmir as tensions…
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…
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…
KARACHI – The Pakistani Senate has passed a bill to end child marriage, making marriage illegal for girls under the age of 18 to marry. That sounds like good news in a country where it is estimated that 21% of girls under 18 are married, often being forced to do so as early as age…
IDLIB – Unless you deliberately searched for it, you probably missed one of the most significant news stories of the past few weeks.After eight years of bloody fighting, the Syrian civil war may finally be coming to an end. The Syrian army launched an offensive to retake Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold. If Idlib…
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…
BARTLESVILLE, OK – Saturday, June 29, 2019, is The Day of the Christian Martyr. It is both right and proper that we pay homage to those brave souls who committed their lives to Christ regardless of the cost. Beginning with the eyewitness account of the stoning of Stephen in the Book of Acts (Chapter 7)…
WILLS POINT, TX — Leading faith-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA), announced today it will provide crucial aid and spiritual support to hundreds of “shunned and shamed” widows to mark International Widows Day, Sunday, June 23. “In some Asian cultures, when a woman’s husband dies, she is often stripped of her dignity, her worth,…
WASHINGTON —Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, spoke in Taiwan at the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Forum (TIRFF) on the importance of promoting religious freedom around the world, particularly in China. The conference is a joint effort of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan,…
WASHINGTON D.C. — “Christians in the Mirror: Stories of Courage and Faith in the Face of Persecution From Syria, Iraq, India, Sudan and Egypt” will premiere Monday, June 10 at the Miracle Theatre in Washington D.C. from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Joshuacord, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is honored to share with the community this one-of-a-kind film…
![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….
