Chinese Pastor Dies After Years of PersecutionSeptember 10, 2025 — China (International Christian Concern) — After enduring years of persecution, Pastor Zhao Huaiguo, founder of Bethel Church in Cili County, Hunan, China, has died, leaving behind a legacy of faith...
4 of 5 Most Populous Countries Persecute ChristiansAugust 8, 2025 — 8/8/2025 Asia (International Christian Concern) — Four of the five most populous countries in the world share a disturbing reality: Christians are systematically and harshly persecuted within their borders. China...
China Expands Crackdown on Independent Churches July 18, 2025 — 7/17/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — Recent reports and firsthand testimony from Christians in China indicate that the Chinese government is persecuting the church with renewed vigor as it implements...
Authorities Raid Multiple Zion Church Locations in China July 3, 2025 — 7/3/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — China’s crackdown on Christianity continues as multiple branches and locations of the Zion Church have been raided. In late May and early June,...
Beyond the Grave: Why Counting Christian Persecution Incidents Is Harder Than Counting Deaths July 3, 2025 — By Lisa Navarrette, ICC Fellow In 2025, Christian persecution continues to be a sobering reality for millions across the globe. However, despite widespread awareness and advocacy, accurately measuring this persecution remains...
Trial Starts for 3 Chinese House Church Members July 2, 2025 — 7/2/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — A trial for three members of a long-standing, unregistered house church in China began on June 24 at the Baqiao District Court. Pastor...
Chinese House Church Issues Statement on 3 Imprisoned PastorsJune 27, 2025 — 6/27/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — As a church camp concluded one day in 2022, Chinese authorities arrested three pastors from Linfen Covenant Home Church in Shanxi. The church recently...
China’s CCP Prioritizes Communism in Church Worship June 13, 2025 — 6/13/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China’s ruling political class, released a plan on May 7 mandating Protestant churches to alter their worship music to...
Vatican Appoints Chinese Bishop, Reaffirming Secret China-Vatican Deal June 12, 2025 — 6/12/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — The Vatican announced Wednesday the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as bishop of the Archdiocese of Fuzhou, located in China’s southeastern region. Bishop Lin’s...
Persecuted Communities Worldwide Face New Restrictions from the USJune 5, 2025 — An executive order announced this week introduced near-total restrictions on travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, and Myanmar — countries widely recognized as...
Christianity Steadily Growing in Asia Amid Persecution May 27, 2025 — 5/27/2025 Southeast Asia (International Christian Concern) — Although Christians throughout Asia are increasingly facing severe persecution, the gospel is spreading, and more people are putting their trust in Christ in...
Faces of the Persecuted | The Shenzhen Holy Reformed ChurchMay 19, 2025 — Throughout the month of May, you will come face to face with the reality of persecution through the stories of seven courageous believers ICC helped rescue. They are not just...
Pope Leo XIV Inherits Tense State of Affairs for the Catholic Church in China May 13, 2025 — 5/13/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — Much has been written about Pope Leo XIV’s role in restoring unity to a Catholic church globally divided along theological and political lines. From...
Global Executions on the Rise in a Trend Led by the World’s Top Persecutors May 9, 2025 — 5/9/2025 United States (International Christian Concern) — Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog group, last month released its annual report on global executions. The report documented 1,518 executions in 2024...
Chinese Christian Media Ordered to Include More Communist PropagandaMay 9, 2025 — 5/9/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — China’s only legal church, the Communist Party-controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement (TPSM), has been ordered to publish more communist propaganda in its “Christian" media....
9 Chinese Christians Receive Prison Sentences, Fines for Distributing Bibles April 17, 2025 — 4/17/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — Nine Chinese Christians have received prison sentences and large fines for re-selling and distributing Bibles in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. International Christian Concern (ICC) has...
