The Sealed

Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan and his wife, along with several other believers, were detained on Sept. 20 while attending court proceedings for imprisoned Christians Liu Yunhua and Gao Jianli in Xuchang, Henan province, according to China Aid Association. Pastor Zhang, who has been imprisoned previously, was released a few hours later with his wife. Other Christians, including the son of defendant Liu Yunhua, were detained by...

Nine Christians were arrested recently in Hamedan, Iran, on charges of engaging in journalistic activities, according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN). Iranian state television reported that two of those arrested were supported by organizations from the United States and Great Britain, but their nationalities are unknown. The other seven were reportedly accused of cooperating with “Christian-Zionist organizations.” The Iranian...

On Sept. 19, Islamic extremists broke into the Philadelphia Pentecostal Church in Sharif Town, Karachi City, Pakistan, and set fire to Bibles, hymnals, a musical instrument and a table, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. The church, which is led by Pastors George Rakha and Peter Shahzad, was established six years ago. “At 4 a.m., some fanatics broke the lock of the church door and entered the church,” VOM contacts...

November 14: Churches Reminded to Pray for the Persecuted Churches across the United States and around the world are preparing to “remember those in bonds” (Hebrews 13:3) on Nov. 14, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Begun in 1996, IDOP is a day for intercessory prayer and citizen action on behalf of persecuted Christian communities worldwide. “As our staff meets with persecuted Christians around...