Topic · 10 stories
Christians in Asia: Pressure, Perseverance and a Growing Church
Some of the fastest-growing churches in the world, and some of the most pressured, are in Asia. In Myanmar, roughly 85% of the Chin and 90% of the Kachin are Christian — the fruit of a mission that began with Adoniram Judson two centuries ago — and both regions have seen churches bombed and burned in the civil war. In China, pastors of unregistered churches like Early Rain's Wang Yi serve long prison sentences. Pakistan, eighth on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, keeps Christians on death row under its blasphemy law.
The pressure takes different legal shapes — anti-conversion laws in Nepal, a constitution in Malaysia that defines every ethnic Malay as Muslim — but the stories have something in common: believers who keep meeting anyway. This page keeps them in one place. For how to respond, start with the guide on praying for the persecuted church.
Every story on christians in asia
Myanmar's Military Bombs a Church in Chin State and Burns Another in Kachin
Two junta fighter jets bombed a Presbyterian church in Mindat, Chin State on 9 October, and on 12 October soldiers set fire to Htingnan Kachin Baptist Church in Banmaw, Kachin State, along with nearby homes, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
The Double Life of Malay Christians: Faith That Can't Be Written Down
Article 160 of Malaysia's constitution defines ethnic Malays as Muslim. Malay Christians like "Deborah" and "Lukas" can't be baptised or marry in church, avoid anywhere that asks for ID, and risk "rehabilitation" if exposed.
Nepal Arrests 24 South Korean Christians at a Bible College
Twenty-four South Korean Christians were arrested on 9 October at Nepal New Covenant College in Morang District over "illegal religious teaching, training, and promotion." The principal says they were only meeting believers inside the college.
Pakistan's Supreme Court Upholds Christian's Death Sentence — and Frees His Brother
On 7 October Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Qaiser Ayub, a 49-year-old Christian from Lahore accused in 2010 of posting blasphemous material, while his brother Amoon was acquitted and released. Their lawyers plan a revision petition.
Prayer Alert: Health Fears for Pastor Wang Yi as China Renews Pressure on Early Rain Church
Advocacy groups say Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu's Early Rain Covenant Church — jailed since December 2018 on a nine-year sentence — may have late-stage liver cancer. Meanwhile police detained 11 church members, mostly over 60, at a teahouse reading group in September.
Burma's Christians Bought the House Where Adoniram Judson Was Born
Adoniram Judson sailed for Asia in 1812 and spent decades translating the Bible into Burmese. Today, Burmese diaspora Christians own his birthplace at 145 Main Street, Malden — bought for $875,000 — and use it to tell his story and house students.
Eight Zion Church Leaders Still in Prison as Advocates Say China's Christians Went Unmentioned
Religious-freedom advocates say Chinese Christians' persecution did not come up when President Trump met Xi Jinping on 24 September. Eight leaders of Beijing's Zion Church remain behind bars.
The Kingdom Briefing: Four Stories to Pray Through This Week
This week's source-linked briefing follows four stories where the Church is being called beyond attention and into prayer, care, relief and patient discipleship.
Worship at Any Cost: Believers Gather Under Pressure Across Six Nations
From an unfinished church in Mexico to a burned church in Nigeria, believers continue to gather—and ask the global Church for specific, sustained prayer.
Nepal Floods: Churches Grieve, Serve and Ask the Global Body of Christ to Pray
After catastrophic flash floods swept through communities near Nepal's northern border, local believers are grieving lost family members while churches and relief partners organize practical aid.