Tag: Protestants

Top pastor’s arrest adds to Christians’ concerns in Central African Republic

August 9, 2013 Central African Republic Michel Djotodia, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, Protestants

The order for Rev. Nicolas Guerékoyamé’s arrest seems to have come straight from the very top. President Michel Djotodia, pictured, seized power in a coup in March.Crispin for World Watch Monitor The already fragile situation for Christians in the Central African Republic (CAR) may be worsening. On Tuesday (August . . . Read More

After 12 years, Turkey closes the door on American church volunteer

July 29, 2013 Turkey Diyarbakir, Jerry Mattix, Protestants, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Jerry Mattix makes a presentation on Luke in an undated photoSpecial to World Watch Monitor After 12 years serving a church in Turkey voluntarily and peacefully, Jerry Mattix suddenly is on the country’s blacklist. Officially, the government has deemed Mattix a threat to national security. Yet the police have . . . Read More

Algeria’s Protestants want their churches back

June 27, 2013 Algeria Algeria, Algiers, Arab Spring, Bejaia, Bibles, Churches, Islamic extremism, Kabylie, Mostaganem, Protestant Church of Algeria, Protestants

The Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) has reaffirmed its desire to regain control of several former churches used today for other purposes. Christians are the distinct minority in Algeria, representing less than 1% of Algeria’s 38 million inhabitants, and often face restrictions when seeking to build new churches. The presence . . . Read More

Uzbek woman fined over Bible

May 23, 2013 Uzbekistan Bibles, Protestants, Urgench, Uzbekistan

An Uzbek woman has been fined and sentenced to one and a half years of corrective labour for the “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious literature”. Sharofat Allamova, a Protestant from Urgench in north-western Uzbekistan, has also been banned from leaving the country, is to be placed in . . . Read More

Two steps back?

March 2, 2013 Vietnam Catholics, Central Highlands, Communism, Dien Bien, Hanoi, Hmong, Hoa Binh, Minorities, Nguyen Van Dai, Protestants, Religion Law, Religious freedom, Vietnam

On Jan. 1, Vietnam updated its rules for enforcing its highest law regarding religion. Known as the Decree on Religion 92/2012 ND-CP, or simply ND-92, the new decree is meant to clarify rules written in 2005. On close inspection, ND-92 does appear to clarify one thing: Vietnam’s intent to control . . . Read More

Uzbek pastor released from Kazakhstan prison

December 5, 2012 Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan, Makset Djabbarbergenov, Protestants, Uzbekistan

Uzbek pastor Makset Djabbarbergenov has been released from prison in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He was released Dec. 4 and taken to the airport, where he was reunited with his wife and four children. According to the Norwegian religious-freedom watchdog agency Forum 18, they were flown to Germany. After arrival at Frankfurt . . . Read More

Appeals Judge in Azerbaijan to Decide Fate of Church

June 22, 2012 Azerbaijan Baku, Churches, Protestants

A Christian congregation in Azerbaijan is waiting pensively to see if a judge will uphold a court order that banned its right to meet and “liquidated” the church. “They are upset, but at the same time they continue coming out hoping for the best,” said Mechti Suleymanov, an elder at . . . Read More

Turkish Christians subject to discrimination, attacks, report says

February 14, 2012 Turkey Education, Malatya, Protestants, Turkey

Despite some promising developments, Christians in Turkey continue to suffer attacks from private citizens, discrimination by lower-level government officials and vilification in both school textbooks and news media, according to a study by a Protestant group. In its annual “Report on Human Rights Violations,” released in January, the country’s Association . . . Read More

Missionary couple killed, peace pact in Puebla

February 3, 2012 Mexico Baptists, Catholics, Coahuila, Mexico, Mexico City, Missionaries, Organised crime, Protestants, Puebla

A married couple who had served for 28 years as Baptist missionaries in Mexico were murdered on Tuesday (Jan. 31) at their home near Monterrey in El Cercado, Santiago, Nuevo Leon. John Casias, 76, and Wanda Casias, 67, were strangled with electrical cords when intruders broke into their house and . . . Read More

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