Some churches get very upset if the preacher uses any humour in the pulpit. Other churches esteem humour above all else that comes from the pulpit.

A clause will protect ministers with a traditional biblical view of marriage. Gafcon reacts by appointing a “missionary bishop” for the UK.

“Belief-based intolerance and discrimination of refugees is a pan-European problem”, Christian organisations said during a hearing at the European Parliament. 

Evangelical pastor Hector Peñafiel, a welding master, uses his skills to teach his profession and share the gospel with asylum seekers. “They can plan their future now”, he says.

“The image of Christians as a persecuted minority is not completely right”, says Egypt’s Bible Society Director Ramez Atallah in an interview with Evangelical Focus. He analyses the coexistence with Muslims and the role of the evangelical community. 

Political and religious leaders heavily criticise the decision. France, Germany and Italy reject Trump’s assertion that the climate deal can be redrafted.

About 300 participants took part in the first FOJEC conference. A biblical view of business as well as study cases were shared with a generation eager to make a lasting impact in society.

Lindsay Brown closed the European Leadership Forum in Poland challenging participants to recover the centrality of the gospel and strengthen the mission of carrying the message of Christ to the ends of the Earth.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the only Nordic national church which doesn’t celebrate same-sex marriages. The Church Synod of the church discussed intensively about it in May.

Between eight and ten gunmen attack a bus carrying Coptic Christian to a monastery in Minya. Egyptian Christians have been violently persecuted in the last months.

Honor and shame are prominent in Majority World cultures, where these moral values form the ‘operating system’ of everyday life. People avoid disgrace and seek status in the eyes of the community.

Spanish evangelicals launch a series of videos explaining how the Reformation has impacted society. In July, Madrid will host the “15J”, a week with a Congress, evangelism and concerts to commemorate the 500th anniversary.

Evi Rodemann (Germany) talks about the unique contributions to society that only the Church can make. 

About 800 participants will travel to Poland to take part in specialised networks. John Lennox will be the main Bible teacher during the annual gathering, which aims to strengthen God’s mission in European countries.

The Refugee Campaign offers prayer materials, advocacy resources and a Sunday service order to pray and engage with refugees on 18 and 25 June.

In the last three years, there have been 350 new disappearances in the Mexican State. On Mother’s Day, evangelicals prayed for the relatives of the missing persons.

“Except for a few Orthodox extremists, I do not hear a single voice expressing approval for the prohibition of the Jehovah’s Witnesses”, says Russian church historian Constantine Prokhorov.

Hassan Taour and Abdulmonem Abdumawla had been accused of espionage. Czech aid worker Petr Jasek received a presidential pardon in Februrary.

Since 2014, 27 places of worship have been closed, affecting around 40 Christian communities. Some “bought a premise with a loan, remodeled it, but cannot use it”, says pastor Daniel Magnin.

Around 130 delegates from different parts of the country reflected on the role of Christians. A manual for counselling the victims of violence has been published.

‘Ahok’ is sentenced to two years of prison. The judges say the Christian politician “has caused anxiety, hurt Islam and divided Muslims.” Islamic radicals increase pressure on Christians.

Friends and church leaders supported the two children of the “exemplary” mother in the funeral. The police talks about a probable “religious motivation” of the Muslim attacker.

An exhibition in the region of Galicia shows the impact of the Bible despite many obstacles. Photos: Marina Acuña.

About 390’000 people attend a Christian church in Scotland. The growth of Pentecostals and free evangelicals is not enough to stop the decline of the other denominations.

The criminalization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is a mistake, says the Italian Evangelical Alliance. Freedom of worship should be guaranteed for everyone, “even for those who, in our view, are completely wrong.”