Middle East Council of Churches meets in Egypt

The General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has been able to hold a meeting in Egypt for the first time, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. That this Christian organization was allowed to meet in Egypt is notable, given that the country ranks 20 on the US Open Doors World Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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Christians Pray After Islamic Militants Execute 20 Christians In Nigeria

Christians have urged prayers for the surviving loved ones of 20 Nigerian Christian men executed by militants affiliated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State terror group in northeast Nigeria's Borno State. In May, an Islamic States' Amaq News Agency video showed the execution of the 20 Christians forced to kneel by knife-wielding militants.

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India: Christian pastors ordered to cease all ministry

Christian pastors in India’s Uttar Pradesh state were summoned to a police station earlier this month and ordered to cease all house church gatherings and religious activities unless they had a permit from the District Magistrate, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

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China: Christian coupled jailed and penniless for selling the Bible

A court in China has not only sentenced a Christian couple to seven years in prison for selling the Bible Christian books without permission but has also imposed such punitive fines on the pair that they have been left penniless and with no means to support their four children, Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News reports.

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India: Hindu authorities shut down church following complaints about conversions to Christianity

A pro-Hindu news outlet reported approvingly on May 24 that authorities in India’s Odisha state shut down a church following complaints about local tribal residents converting to Christianity. Persecution against Christians in India has intensified greatly since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

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