States do face real threats and evil can sometimes only be checked by force. But the lesson is clear: war is a profoundly blunt instrument for creating justice, reconciliation or lasting order.

War reshapes the future. It robs children of their innocence and replaces it with fear. It cripples economies, fractures societies, and plants seeds of hatred that can last for generations. 

The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to provide emotional and spiritual support to people displaced by war in Lebanon. “Even as the sound of drones grows louder in our skies, we continue to witness glimpses of Christ’s love in action”, says Loulwa El Maalouf.

To receive the displaced is to echo the heart of Jesus who “did not come to be served but to serve”. Still, we feel the tension: the urgent needs of today and the long work of tomorrow. By Wissam Nasrallah, president of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut.

The complexity of the international situation requires believers not to remain silent in indifference or to clamour in partisanship, but to speak clearly, as a result of a conscience formed by Scripture. A commentary by the Italian Evangelical Alliance.

Sadly, when both Moscow and Washington talk ‘peace’ but do war, and trust between allies has been eroded by bellicose behaviour, we have a new reality to face.

Unlike the Shiites in other nearby Islamic countries, the Azerbaijanis remained largely independent and did not accept the religious authority of the Ayatollahs. Azeri Christians could be a key for the future.

In an interview with Evangelical Focus, the secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance urges Christians to be sensitive to the reality of Iranians and to be careful not to impose their perceptions or eschatologies from cultures far removed from the Middle East.

In Jordan, there is “no panic in the streets but definitely a collective awareness that the region can shift overnight”. Churches are “calling for focused prayer gatherings, encouraging believers not to spread fear”, the Christian leader says.

Christian leaders partnering in the Middle East lament the conflict after the Israeli and US attacks on Iran. They call to seek reconciliation and pray for the protection of the most vulnerable.

A pastor of the Iranian church in Barcelona analyses the impact of the fall of the Ayatollah regime’s leadership and the situation of Iranian Christians in the diaspora, where they hope for rapid political and social change that will restore religious freedom in the country.

I had the privilege of traveling to Malta to learn from ministry partners in the Middle East. Watching the side by side in the region and beyond, I was reminded once again of the blessing that comes when we collectively seek the Kingdom of God.

Human rights violations against Iranian Christians include “imprisonment, exile and forced labour”, says a new report.

God is continuing to work, even amid the horror and suffering of the Iranian people.

TiranaFest is a major effort “to bring the love of Jesus to Tirana” in June, a partnership of the Albanian Evangelical Alliance and the Palau Association in Europe.

Trans World Radio's Farsi ministry shares Jesus through various media, from radio to the metaverse.

The church leaders have already spent years in prison. The European Parliament condemns the “systematic repression” of Christians and other minorities in the country.

North Korea heads the new Open Doors ranking. North African countries such as Morocco and Algeria appear on the list. “If we lose religious freedom, then all other freedoms fall”.

Pundits warn that in 2025 we are heading back to the law of the jungle, a world where might is right and money manipulates.

Martin Accad, president of a theological seminary in Beirut, analyses the critical situation on the ground. “Though we often feel helpless, we never feel hopeless”.

The testimonies of persecuted Christians from China, India and Iran reminded the 5,000 at the Lausanne 4 Congress of the price to be paid for faithfulness to Christ. “But these sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us”, says Iranian pastor Farshid Fathi in an interview.

At the national parliament’s square, 1,000 listened to testimonies of persecuted Christians, displayed flags of countries where there is no religious freedom, and prayed in front of a symbolic mass grave.

The victory of an asylum seeker who became a Christian in Austria could set a precedent for other new believers in Europe.

More than 23,000 visitors visited the ship operated by OM teams. Watch the video report.

Other 20 Iranians could face death sentences soon. Around 320 have died in clashes with the Iranian security. Christians support the prostests.