Weekly Bulletin on the Persecution
of Christians Worldwide
22 September 2026
The Universal Christian Church of the New Jerusalem presents a weekly news roundup, providing an updated overview of the persecution of Christians and Christianity worldwide.
Africa
Nigeria
On 6 September, Fulani terrorists invaded the Christian community in Ungwan Makama, killing a young man and kidnapping seven others. On 8 September, in the nearby town of Rimi, armed men killed one resident and abducted four others.
The following day, in Angwan Gamo, eight Fulani-speaking gunmen broke into a house and threw a four-month-old baby girl through a window. They killed the child’s father shooting him in the head.
On the same day, in Ungwan Mato, terrorists from the Lakurawa group opened fire on Christian homes, riddling an evangelical church with bullets. They subsequently ordered Christians to pay a tax, renounce their faith, leave or convert to Islam.
On the evening of 13 September, in Dungus, gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying Christians home from the market, killing nine people.
The following day, on the road to Mangu, suspected Fulani bandits ambushed and killed Markus Musa, a Christian leader who was en route to a meeting of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
On the same day, in Umunjo, Fulani militants killed a Christian community vigilante and another person, injuring a woman and kidnapping a resident.
On 15 September, in NTV and Gaza, gunmen killed three Christian vigilantes who were on night guard duty. On 17 September, in Gonifal (Riyom County), suspected Fulani militants wounded four members of the same Christian family in a machete attack.
On the evening of 18 September, in Mangu again, terrorists claiming to be Fulani opened fire on the Yan Gwari produce market as vendors were closing. Eight Christians were killed and numerous others were wounded. That same night, in Rakok, Fulani militants killed a Christian man while he was sleeping.
The following evening, in Gana-Ropp, Fulani-speaking terrorists riddled a car with bullets, killing five Christian farmworkers. That same night, a vigilante was killed in Panshe, another in Baten and a man and his son were critically wounded in Ndar.
On Sunday 20 September, Fulani terrorists killed a Baptist pastor and the church secretary and critically injured the pastor’s son in Dorowa Babuje while they were on their way to a church service. At around the same time, they killed a Christian in Rantyidi and raided neighbouring villages, forcing thousands of residents to flee.
Uganda
On the night of 6 September, in Kibenge, a Muslim father set fire to the house where his two daughters were sleeping to punish them for converting to Christianity on 26 August 2026; both young women survived.
North America
Mexico
On 15 September, the body of Fr. Román de la Cruz Hernández, a Catholic priest and parish priest in the Diocese of Huejutla, was found along the roadside in Lolotla (Hidalgo). He had been shot dead and an intimidatory sign had been attached to his back.
Asia
Azerbaijan
On 6 September, officials from the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations and police officers raided the ‘Peace’ Protestant church in Sumgait before Sunday service. Thirty worshippers were detained for hours and released only after signing a declaration stating that they were Christian.
China
On 16 September, over thirty officers raided a meeting of a Protestant house church in Jinzhai and took several worshippers to the police station. The following day, officials banned young people from singing hymns to Jesus and imposed songs praising the Party instead.
On 18 September, several pastors and staff members of the Jiaquan Protestant house church, which had been shut down by the authorities in 2019, were arrested in Beijing.
As previously reported, the crackdown on the Early Rain Covenant Church, a Protestant house church in Chengdu, continues. On 20 September, the police forcibly removed Elder Yan Hong from his home. He had been summoned several times over the past month.
On the same day, municipal officials in Huainan raided the Sunday service at the Huainan Covenant Church, a Protestant church. The police took a female worshipper away, and she was still being held the following day.
India
In the Nabarangpur district, Hindu villagers denied two Christians burial rights: a deceased woman’s body remained unburied for two days in Odondi on 14 September, and a burial was denied in Umerkote on 17 September. Their families were forced to bury them dozens of kilometres away.
On 16 and 17 September, a mob stormed the home of a Christian couple who hosted prayer meetings in Ghoraberia, demanding their conversion to Hinduism. The woman was dragged by her hair and beaten, and her husband was assaulted.
On 18 September, in Sinduria, the police arrested a Christian who was accused of preaching at home and inducing the poor to convert by offering them money. On 19 September, in Anuppur, the police broke up a prayer gathering at the home of a Protestant pastor.
On the evening of 19 September in Machpalli, villagers opposed the burial of a woman who had converted to Christianity until her family agreed to reconvert to their ancestral religion.
On the same day, in Billa Depot, a mob wielding iron rods stormed a Christian home prayer meeting, tore up Bibles and beat the eight worshippers present. Three women were dragged to the police station.
On 20 September, reports emerged that, following protests by the Bajrang Dal, the police had raided a Christian prayer gathering in Sidhi and arrested three leaders on forced conversion charges.
On Sunday 20 September, in Delhi, a group stormed a prayer meeting of the Global Royal Priesthood Christian community, accusing its members of mass conversion. These allegations were later dismissed by the police.
On the same day, in Khejuri, over fifty men disrupted a service at the Dekhali Church and Mission. They beat the Protestant pastor and a congregant and ordered those present to abandon their faith.
Indonesia
On Sunday, 20 September, several local residents, one of whom was armed with a machete, demanded that the GKPI Protestant house of prayer in Rajeg be shut down during a service. Authorities closed the venue pending mediation, despite it being fully authorised.
Myanmar
On 14 September, Baptist Associate Pastor Dal Thawn Tuang was shot and killed by military personnel in Lamzang as he was returning from carrying out his pastoral duties in a nearby village.
Pakistan
On 15 September, it emerged that Sagar Masih, a Christian younger working in a factory in Sheikhupura, had been forced to take part in Islamic prayers and ultimately convert. The police turned his mother away, informing her that her son was now a Muslim.
Europe
Germany
At dawn on 11 September, in Lucka, unknown individuals damaged the altar of the Lutheran church and set fire to a crucifix dating from 1649, which was almost entirely destroyed.
Russia
On 16 September, the court in Taldan fined the pastor of the Evangelical Baptist Church 20,000 roubles for possessing books belonging to ‘undesirable’ organisations, which were found in the vestibule.
Spain
On 7 September, five people broke into the tabernacle of the Catholic Church of San Martiño in Noia, stealing two ciboriums containing consecrated hosts.
Then, on 19 September, it emerged that an open-air Catholic shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary in Ceuta had been destroyed by unknown individuals, who smashed the altar and images left by the faithful.
On the same day, in Guitiriz, individuals tore down the tabernacle of the parish church and stole the ciborium, scattering the consecrated hosts across the village square.
Then, on 21 September, it was reported that the tabernacle containing the consecrated hosts had been stolen from the Catholic Church of Santa Marta in Carbayín Bajo.
Middle East
Israel
On 13 September, a man climbed onto the altar at St John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Haifa. After being escorted outside, he smashed a stained-glass window with a stone and was subsequently indicted.
Mother Church commends to prayer all these martyrs of the faith in defence of True Life in Christ and in Mary.
“I am coming soon:
hold firmly to what you already have,
and let no one take your victor’s crown away from you”
(Rev. 3:11)
