church

80-year old US Pastor abducted by gang in Haiti; “I’ve come to plead”

An 80-year old American citizen and pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel remains in captivity after being abducted by gunmen in Haiti on October 3, nearly two weeks before 16 American missionaries and a Canadian were kidnapped together by a Haitian gang on the island, the Miami Herald (MH) reports. Both the US Embassy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have reportedly been contacted about Pastor Michel’s situation on account of his US citizenship.

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Cuban government seeking 10-year jail term for Pastor, “My children and I plead for help”

Authorities in Cuba are looking to impose a 10-year prison sentence on a pastor who participated in nationwide peaceful protests against the government on July 11, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Currently held at the Boniato maximum security prison, Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo of the Monte de Sion Independent Church in Palma Soriano has been charged with ‘public disorder,’ and ‘disrespect’ among other offenses.

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Canada: Pastor spends second night in jail to stand for religious freedom

A pastor in Manitoba, Canada spent an additional night in prison last week after rejecting bail conditions that would have prevented him from preaching at his church, Fox News reports. Pastor Tobias Tissen who leads Manitoba’s Church of God Restoration was imprisoned for two days after violating a COVID-19 order which banned outdoor gatherings of more than five people.

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Three pastors freed from prison in Myanmar

Three ethnic Kachin pastors in Myanmar were among 5,000 prisoners freed by the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) on Monday, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. The Tatmadaw said in a statement they had released the prisoners “on humanitarian grounds,” but it is widely believed this was a strategic move by General Min Aung Hlaing to gain international acceptance as the legitimate leader of Myanmar.

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Chile: Two more churches destroyed in ongoing wave of arson attacks

In the latest of a wave of arson attacks on churches in Chile, two churches in the Biobio region were burned to the ground on October 12, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. The attacks on both Protestant and Catholic churches in Chile began in 2015.

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