‘Religious Freedom and Vulnerability’ was the theme of the conference attended by 40 researchers from 14 countries, organised by the Institute for the Study of Religious Freedom Or Belief.

From the sex trade in Thailand and people kidnapped into cyber-scamming in Myanmar to forced labor in tourist centers, human trafficking is one of the world’s most widespread injustices.

We spoke in Berlin with Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish parliamentarian awaiting the outcome of a trial for publicly expressing her Christian beliefs. “I see a real threat to freedom. That’s why I always encourage Christians to make use of the rights we still have: freedom of speech, freedom of religion”.

Amsterdam, with its Protestant tolerance became Europe’s most important printing hub in the 17th century. Exiles and intellectuals flocked to the city because of its freedom to print and disseminate new ideas—further boosting its international soft power.

Divorced from its Christian roots, Schuman warned, democracy would degenerate into anarchy or tyranny, a process we see unfolding before our very eyes right now. 

Headlines the world over last Friday announced the new pope, Leo XIV. Headlines 75 years ago on May 10, 1950, announced a new audacious plan for peace: ‘France takes the nations by surprise’, ‘Schuman bomb’.

As Friedrich Merz’s government takes its first steps, the Evangelical Alliance calls on Christians to “resolutely oppose exclusionary thinking” that vilifies certain groups in the country.

“Every person has something to give”, says evangelical parliamentarian Marc Jost, who helped secure approval for the initiative in the Swiss parliament.

A report from the European Freedom Network Bridge 2025 Conference  held in Austria.

In the region worst hit by the earthquakes two years ago, Christians continue to help people rebuild their lives and overcome trauma in the aftermath of the disaster.

Evangelicals submit a report to the UN Human Rights Council, denouncing “cases of abuse of religious freedom, political rights and racism” in Bulgaria.

We interviewed Shahar Isaac (Peter) and Vanessa Benavente (Mary, mother of Jesus) on the day of the European premiere of Last Supper, the fifth season of The Chosen.

In its address to the UN Human Rights Council, the World Evangelical Alliance proposes better training on religious freedom for state officials and politicians.

The European Freedom Network Bridge 2025 conference happens in Horn, Austria. “An opportunity to learn and collaborate, to see the end of trafficking in Europe”, say the organisers.

In Spain, abolitionist NGO Amar Dragoste has studied the drastic increase of young women trafficked from Colombia and points to the rise of recruitment on platforms such as OnlyFans.

At first glance, it seems that both those who see the Bible as final authority, and those who see it as a valuable myth, have much to share. Yet, upon closer observation, the foundations for their beliefs are worlds apart. 

Ahead of Sunday’s elections, the Protestant, Catholic and other churches ask to “vote for parties that stand up for our democracy”. Alice Weidel’s AfD party rises in the polls amid tough immigration debates.

Schuman warned that democracy cut off from the Christian values of peace, solidarity, freedom of conscience and rule of law would degenerate into tyranny. Autocratic rulers espousing Christian language are cloaking this degeneration.

Jack Hemmings, along with fellow veteran Stuart King, “wanted to use aviation for good”. They founded Mission Aviation Fellowship in 1945. The ministry still serves people in unreached places of the world.

The new Brussels representative of the European Evangelical Alliance shares her vision in an interview. “Evangelical Christians are called to balance religious freedom while maintaining authentic expressions of biblical faith”, she says.

We must call on Europe to make a critical assessment of the results of its policy of renouncing the biblical worldview. We must offer hope for revitalisation.

The evangelical pastor had been sentenced to seven years in prison after participating in the mass demonstrations for democracy in July 2021.

We attended the Open Doors press conference in Madrid to get the stories and context of the most widely cited report on persecution of Christians globally.

Few remember how distrusting, fearful and uncertain the post-war years of the late 1940s were, with lives, bodies, families, cities and nations having been broken, disrupted and destroyed. How do you rebuild out of such brokenness?

Photos showing important, but not so well known, stories from around the world throughout the year, by World Vision.