Recently, a Nigerian Christian and his family have had to flee to a different part of the country after a convert had a change of heart and turned on the man.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a recent vicious attack left 40 Christians dead and the rest of world wondering if anyone will dare to stop the Islamist takeover of Central Africa.
Some Afghan Christians, believing they were in a better place, are behind forced to move again. Muslim governed Central Asian countries are sending refugees displaced by the wars in Afghanistan back home where the Christians among them face renewed persecution.
Over the decades the wars in Afghanistan have sent refugees into neighboring countries by the thousands. Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs says in several of those host countries those refugees are no longer welcome.
“Tajikistan has now, earlier this month, given Afghan refugees 15 days to leave the country, go back home. This follows decisions in Pakistan as well, and Iran that did the same thing.”
Some of the refugees being forced back under Taliban rule are Christians, and Nettleton says they're looking at some heavy persecution.
“So these Christian refugees who are being told, 'hey, go back to Afghanistan,' they know that probably means trouble, it means persecution, when they get there.
Some persecuted Christians are eligible for asylum here in the US, but there's a catch.
“One of the things about asylum is in order to file for asylum you have to be physically present on U.S. soil. So that doesn't help someone in Tajikistan or Iran or Pakistan.
Nettleton says God may be doing a work in Afghanistan.
“In every single province of Afghanistan we know there are followers of Jesus. And so, God is able to sustain his church, and even to spread the gospel, in hard situations.”
Congo church attacked
In the Congo, Islamist terrorists from the Allied Democratic Forces attacked a Christian church in Komanda, in the northeastern corner of the country a week ago Sunday. They burned down the church, killed 40 Christians, several, including some children, by beheading, and then abducted an unknown number of other children. Arielle Del Turco, Director of the Center of Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, calls the slaughter tragic.
“They're getting caught up in these terror groups and the civil war and unrest there, but they were specifically targeted because they're Christians by Islamist groups, and we see this across Africa,” she said.
She says it's part of the attempted takeover of Central Africa by Islamist radicals.
“The Islamists are very open in that they are trying to create a territory that is completely Muslim-dominated and controlled, and as part of that they are attacking Christians and Christian villages.
For change to occur, Del Turco says the growing death toll has to get the attention of Western countries and their leaders.
“The West is no longer able to ignore it. The death toll is just too high and the situation is just too dire for Western leaders to be ignoring this.”
She says the US is poised to lead the way, but the point man is waiting his turn in the Senate.
“The Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom for the Trump administration, the second time, hasn't been confirmed yet, but we're really looking on the Senate to confirm quickly Mark Walker, who will be the International Religious Freedom Ambassador for Trump. I think we're really going to see a lot of momentum once that happens.”
Nigerian family seeks safety
In Nigeria, Voice of the Martyrs is helping to relocate the family, who spokesman Todd Nettleton says are being kept anonymous for their safety. He says the story started out as a victory.
“He was a teacher and was able to help encourage one of his students, a young female student, to follow Jesus Christ.”
And because she was coming from a Muslim family, she was in danger.
“She had to flee from her family, and he helped her get away from town and get to a Bible school where she could be discipled.”
But Nettleton says things took a turn for the worse a couple years later.
“Two years later she came back to her home village and really renounced her faith in Christ, not only renounced her faith in Christ, but then she started pointing the finger and saying that 'the Christians bribed me, the Christians paid me to change my religion.'”
He says that put the target on the Christian teacher's back. The persecution began almost immediately.
The people said, “We need to get revenge on them.” The family’s house was looted and then burned to the ground. They had to flee and get to a safer part of Nigeria for them.
Nettleton says the family is still praying for the girl, who the Holy Spirit could still reach.
