Brazil: a quarter of population are evangelical, new survey shows
Luke Randall
Date posted: 30 Sep 2026
Over a quarter of Brazil’s population identify as evangelical Christians, amounting to around 56 million people, while the number of Roman Catholics continues to gradually shrink, according to new research.
A census, carried out in 2022 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), revealed that more than 80% of the nation’s 210 million population identifies as Christian (when Roman Catholics are included), although an increase in non-religious affiliation was also seen alongside encouraging statistics for evangelicals.
Ugandan beaten by sons for converting to Christianity
Milla Ling-Davies
Date posted: 29 Sep 2026
A Christian in eastern Uganda has been hospitalised after his Muslim sons beat him for leaving Islam.
Kibirige Abumusa, 52, put his faith in Christ on 1 June at an open-air evangelistic event in Jinja City, which he had been encouraged to attend by a business colleague. When he returned home two months later, his adult son, 28-year-old Kibirige Nudallah, confronted him about his conversion, before beating him with a stick so badly that he was unable to leave hospital for a week. Abumusa’s four other sons also joined in.
‘At least 11 churches’ affected in Nepal flood tragedy
Luke Randall
Date posted: 24 Sep 2026
Relief efforts continue at pace as Nepal recovers from devastating flash floods which have seen more than 70 Christians numbered among around 1,000 killed, and 75 more numbered among the thousands missing.
The disaster, believed to have been caused by a melted glacier, saw many communities hammered by floodwaters, with mud, rock and debris brought down by the waters leaving entire villages swept away and buried underground. The Nepalese government is coordinating relief efforts but ruined infrastructure, including roads and bridges, as well as ongoing flood warning alerts, make rescue efforts challenging.
US missionary released from captivity in Niger
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 20 Sep 2026
An American missionary has been released after more than nine months in captivity in Niger.
Kevin Rideout was kidnapped from outside his home in Niamey, Niger, in October 2025. Serving In Mission (SIM) International have now confirmed his release, describing him as being in good health in the care of United States officials.
Flooding devastates church in Japan
Luke Randall
Date posted: 19 Sep 2026
A church in Chiba Prefecture has suffered “particularly severe” damage following recent flooding that hit areas of eastern Japan, marking the second such incident to hit the congregation in 16 years.
Members of Masago Baptist Church, located in Mihama Ward, within the city of Chiba, meet together for worship in a sanctuary on a semi-basement level but were devastated to find that floodwater had torn through the building, rising to around 60cm above the floor, and leaving almost all of the room’s furnishings damaged beyond repair.
Biblical Anglicanism spreads across Europe
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 13 Sep 2026
A Biblically-orthodox Anglican movement is expanding across Europe.
The Anglican Convocation Europe (ACE) welcomed Spanish congregation La Comunidad Anglicana Evangélica de Valencia (CAEV) into its diocese.
Swiss ban appeal
Luke Randall
Date posted: 5 Sep 2026
The Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA) has expressed support for three evangelicals who are appealing new restrictions on the wearing of religious symbols for lawmakers in Geneva, stating that such measures effectively see their religious beliefs “banished”.
Despite a 2019 ban on such symbols in the Grand Council – Geneva’s cantonal parliament – being reversed in the courts, a new version of the ban has narrowly passed with slim majorities in parliament and the public vote. However, Markus Hofer, Joseph Kabongo and Michael Mutzner have appealed the ban, believing it to be unlawful.
letter from Japan
‘One generation shall commend your works to another...’
John Newton Webb
Date posted: 2 Sep 2026
One of my favourite things about the city of Sapporo is how safe it is for children.
As soon as they start primary school (aged six) children walk to and from school by themselves, and go out to the park by themselves. Of course there are incidents, and children are equipped to recognise and get away from potentially dangerous adults, but overall children have a lot of freedom.
Iranian Christians ‘courageous’ despite new TV bans
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 1 Sep 2026
Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has banned several Persian-language Christian satellite broadcasters branded as “hostile” media organisations, with authorities warning that cooperation with them could lead to prosecution under the country’s recently expanded espionage laws.
“For many Iranians who are searching for answers about Christianity but have no Christian community around them, no church they can safely attend, and no one they can openly ask questions of, these stations have been a vital source of hope and information,” said Ben Cohen, Head of Media & PR for Open Doors UK. “They provide an opportunity to hear the message of the gospel, learn about the Christian faith, and make informed decisions about following Jesus.”
Anti-Christian surge in Austria
Luke Randall
Date posted: 31 Aug 2026
The number of anti-Christian hate incidents in Austria increased by 29% in 2025, with property damage, threats, terror offences and theft featuring prominently, according to new research.
The Austrian Hate Crime Report for 2025, carried out by the Ministry of the Interior, revealed that Muslims and Jews experienced a greater number of hostile incidents, but the number of attacks against Christians has increased from 111 in 2024 to 133 last year.
Sensational find backs Biblical account
Nicola Laver
Date posted: 30 Aug 2026
Archaeologists have reported finding charred wooden beams from Solomon’s Temple, which was razed to the ground by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
The Israel Antiquities Authority said the sycamore beams were discovered during a dig on the Givati Parking Lot – a major archaeological excavation site in the Jerusalem Walls National Park.
Vietnam Christians under pressure
Luke Randall
Date posted: 27 Aug 2026
Christians in Vietnam are increasingly being charged for alleged involvement with separatist groups, with 119 arrested in the Central Highlands during the first half of 2026.
Authorities accuse some of those arrested of being involved with the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) and De Ga Protestantism, characterised by the state as illegitimate Protestant practices in support of ethnic minority self-determination in the mountainous region.
Child euthanised in Netherlands
Luke Randall
Date posted: 24 Aug 2026
Warning: readers may find the contents of this story distressing.
A child under 12 in the Netherlands has been euthanised for the first time since assisted suicide provisions were expanded nationally in 2024 in a move described as “an abject failure of the state in safeguarding the vulnerable.”
Ukraine: Good news amid war
Lydia Houghton
Date posted: 23 Aug 2026
European Christian Mission International (ECMI) says that, among Baptists alone, around 160 Ukrainian churches have been planted across Europe during the past four years.
ECMI’s Strategic Partnerships Director, Jim Memory, recently attended the Ukrainian Baptist Churches in Europe Conference in Poland. “He came away deeply encouraged by what God is doing through Ukrainian Christians across the continent,” ECMI said.
German evangelicals celebrate 140 years
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 23 Aug 2026
The Evangelical Alliance of Germany (EAD) is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year alongside the 180th anniversary of the World Evangelical Alliance.
Celebrations took place at the Bad Blankenburg conference in Thuringia, first held in 1886.
‘New’ ancient sermons found
en staff
Date posted: 21 Aug 2026
Two newly-discovered sermons by one of the early church’s leading theologians, both on a notoriously difficult Biblical passage, are set to be published later this year.
The talks are by Augustine of Hippo, one of the most significant Christian leaders in post-New Testament history, and focus on the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28.
Famous missionary marks 60 years
Luke Randall
Date posted: 21 Aug 2026
Renowned missionary and author Jackie Pullinger is celebrating 60 years of work in Hong Kong, having journeyed from Britain with little before working to support the needy in the notorious Kowloon Walled City.
St Stephen’s Society, the charity set up by Pullinger in 1981 as her work grew in impact, is hosting an anniversary event in Hong Kong in honour of her years of service. The week-long event, dubbed “Sound the Trumpet”, will feature an exhibition, music, documentaries and testimonies which will be open to the public, before friends of Jackie and the charity gather at the end of the week for worship.
Spain: Christian camp survives inferno
Emily Pollok
Date posted: 21 Aug 2026
A Christian camp located in the region of Madrid, where officials say the wildfires raging this summer are the worst they’ve experienced, is still standing.
Pinos Reales, part of Evangelismo en Acción (Evangelism in Action), is a Christian camp and retreat centre which was established in 1974. However, situated 70km from Madrid, the ministry has been facing the possibility of destruction with devastating wildfires spreading across Spain and other parts of Europe this summer.
