Unyielding Faith: Inside the Global Struggle for Christian Survival in 2024

(Analysis) 2024 brought unprecedented challenges for Christian communities worldwide. From clandestine house churches in China to strife-torn villages in Nigeria, millions of Christians faced a toxic blend of government oppression, violent extremism, and hostile social pressures.

Now, a newly released Global Persecution Index by International Christian Concern (ICC) documents this surge in systematic repression, shedding light on the anguish—and the remarkable resilience—of persecuted believers across every continent.

“It is more than a list of violations,” said Jeff King, President of ICC. “It’s a stark reminder of the endurance of the persecuted Church and a clarion call for the global Church to act.”

Authoritarianism: The Global Trend

One of the key findings in the 2024 report is the rise of authoritarian regimes targeting religious freedom. From China’s sweeping surveillance state to Nicaragua’s clampdown on the Catholic Church, dictators worldwide see independent faith as a mortal threat to their power.

• China has honed a model of iron-fisted religious control, using its sophisticated surveillance technology and relentless crackdowns on underground churches.
• Nicaragua has singled out the Catholic Church as a “political enemy,” further isolating Christians who already live on the margins.

Unyielding Faith: Inside the Global Struggle for Christian Survival in 2024. (Photo Internet reproduction)

As authoritarian ideas spread globally, these regimes share a common tactic: forceful regulation or outright elimination of Christianity and other dissenting faiths.

Collateral Damage: When Conflict and Persecution Collide

Persecution often takes root amid broader social, political, and ethnic conflicts. In Sudan, civil strife has led to the destruction of more than 165 churches since 2023, illustrating how political wars can morph into attacks on religious communities.

In regions such as Myanmar and China, persecution is driven not only by religious hatred but also by ethnic animosities—Uyghurs and Rohingya face genocidal campaigns fueled by both ethnic and religious hostility.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s territorial ambitions in Armenia have led to the deliberate destruction of dozens of Christian heritage sites. As ICC’s report demonstrates, Christians frequently become targets in these overlapping crises.

Wherever armed groups, authoritarian regimes, or radical militias step in, violence against Christians and vulnerable minorities tends to follow.

Shifting Sands of Terrorism: A New Epicenter in Africa

Despite the collapse of the so-called Islamic State (IS) “caliphate” in 2019, global terror has not abated; instead, it has migrated. Nearly half of all terrorist-related deaths worldwide now occur in Africa.

This rise is fueled by groups such as the Islamic State’s African affiliates, al-Qaida offshoots, Somalia’s al-Shabab, and Nigeria’s Boko Haram. Whether these factions battle each other for territory or join forces, Christian communities remain a constant target:

• Boko Haram is infamous for mass abductions of schoolchildren in northern Nigeria and across the Lake Chad Basin. Christians top the group’s “priority scale” of enemies.
• Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) arose from a Boko Haram split, employing more “populist” tactics like offering loans and infrastructure to local communities—thereby winning support while simultaneously terrorizing Christian enclaves.

Beyond terrorism, state actors in regions such as Sudan continue their assaults on Christian minorities. While 8.2 million civilians have been displaced by ongoing violence in Sudan, religious minority groups—including many Christians—have suffered with little international recourse.

Growth Under Fire

Ironically, persecution often dovetails with remarkable church growth. Despite government crackdowns and terror campaigns, Christianity remains the fastest-growing religion in Asia.

In Iran, an Islamic theocracy, the church is believed to be growing by as much as 20% annually. Such flourishing faith communities disprove the idea that brutal persecution can extinguish belief. Instead, they offer a testament to the fortitude of these believers and “evidence of God’s ongoing work,” as King puts it.

Focus on Africa: A Rapidly Shifting Battlefield

Historical Context

Christianity’s roots in Africa stretch back to the first century, when it took hold in northern regions—particularly in Ethiopia, one of the world’s earliest Christian nations. Over centuries, the faith spread southward, shaping the continent’s cultural tapestry. Today, Africa hosts more Christians than any other continent.

Modern Struggles

This rich heritage has not spared African Christians from extreme violence. The Sahel region—spanning countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan—is now ground zero for terrorist expansion.

Deep poverty and interethnic rivalries create a fertile ground for radicalization. Terrorist outfits exploit this situation by offering basic services in exchange for local support.

• ISWAP and Boko Haram exploit economic desperation to gain recruits, further destabilizing parts of Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon.
• Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo face severe aggression from the Allied Democratic Forces, a jihadist group with roots in Uganda.

Meanwhile, African governments remain largely ineffective in combating terror. In some cases, in-fighting between rival militant groups has reduced extremism more effectively than state interventions, according to the International Crisis Group.

Russia: Religious Control at Home and Abroad

Domestic Crackdown

In Russia, a Tsarist-style government, entwined with the Russian Orthodox Church–Moscow Patriarchate (ROC-MP), enforces rigid control over religious expression.

President Vladimir Putin’s overarching “Russkiy Mir” (Russian World) ideology subjugates any religious communities not aligned with the ROC-MP, casting noncompliant Christians—particularly Protestants and Evangelicals—as threats.

• Draconian Yarovaya Laws curb missionary work and punish any Christian teaching deemed “extremist.”
• Increasingly, Christian leaders critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have faced arrests, heavy fines, or forced deportations.

Occupying Ukraine

In occupied regions of Ukraine, persecution is even more blatant. Investigations reveal that Russia has damaged or destroyed at least 125—and possibly up to 630—religious sites since the war’s escalation in 2022.

Christians there face abductions, forced disappearances, and brutal assaults. The Russian military justifies these actions as part of its broader strategy to extinguish Ukrainian identity, which, in many places, is closely tied to free Christian practice.

Middle East and North Africa: A Birthplace in Turmoil

Christianity emerged in the Middle East two millennia ago, but for centuries now, believers have weathered a host of threats:

• Iran remains one of the harshest theocracies, handing down death sentences for “apostasy” and employing morality police to enforce Islamic codes. Yet the Iranian church reportedly grows by about 20% per year.
• Saudi Arabia, though sectarianly opposed to Iran, maintains a similar fusion of religion and governance, where open Christian worship is effectively criminalized.

Social stigma—especially in countries like Egypt—further reinforces persecution, pushing Christians to the margins. Attacks on churches and discriminatory legal codes persist, creating an environment of chronic insecurity.

South Asia: Religious Nationalism on the Rise

In nations like India and Pakistan, leaders stoke religious nationalism to cement political authority:

• India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), influenced by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has systematically marginalized non-Hindus, including Christians. Welfare programs often exclude lower-caste Christians, pressuring them to revert to Hinduism to access government benefits.
• Pakistan imposes severe blasphemy laws, placing Christians under constant threat from mob violence or lengthy prison sentences. Most end up in low-paying, dangerous jobs like manual sewer cleaning or bonded labor.

Religious nationalism in South Asia has grown so potent that many Christians practice their faith in secret for fear of reprisals from neighbors and the state alike.

Southeast Asia: Secular and Religious Authoritarianism Collide

Whether under the banner of communist ideology or extremist religion, governments in China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia restrict Christian freedoms:

• China’s Sinicization campaign co-opts state-approved churches while shutting down underground congregations.
• Vietnam employs tight state oversight to curb Christian worship outside its authorized Evangelical Church.
• North Korea retains what some analysts consider the harshest anti-Christian policies on earth, punishing Christian worship with forced labor or execution.
• Myanmar’s Tatmadaw military junta uses a militant form of Buddhist nationalism to justify attacks on Christian minorities, especially in the wake of the 2021 coup.

Despite this repression, Christianity continues to make significant progress. Some studies even describe it as the fastest-growing religion in East and Southeast Asia.

A Call to Global Action

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” wrote the early Christian writer Tertullian, a sentiment Jeff King of ICC echoes with urgency. He implores the global Church and international community to:

1. Pray and Advocate: Intercede for persecuted believers and demand accountability from hostile governments.

2. Provide Humanitarian Aid: Support NGOs offering medical care, shelter, and legal defense to those targeted for their faith.

3. Champion Legislation: Urge policy changes that condition foreign aid and diplomatic ties on improvements in religious freedom.

As authoritarian leaders and militant groups continue to squeeze the life out of Christian communities worldwide, they unintentionally highlight a profound paradox: attempts to crush faith have often ignited even greater zeal.

If global powers and faith communities unite, they can apply strategic pressure and provide relief efforts. This collective action could transform 2024’s record of persecution into a catalyst for deeper renewal. It would stand in contrast to the silence that many oppressors seek.

In a year scarred by harrowing reports, one fact stands out: Christian believers facing arrest, displacement, and violence have not given up hope. Their stories serve as a testament to resilience in the face of unimaginable fear—and a ringing challenge to us all not to remain silent.

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