Human rights activist Chen Guangcheng spoke about his continued fight for human rights and freedom in China during a half-hour live chat that was co-hosted by ChinaAid and the George W. Bush Institute on Wednesday.

Chen told Jim Glassman, founding executive director of the Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas, that "democracy doesn't drop out of the sky; people have to be willing to fight for it."

"For China to really change, there must be a grassroots movement to change the rule of law," Chen said, explaining that the Chinese people must continue to fight for their human rights. "No one is going to grant it out of mercy, because if they do, they can take it away from us as well. The burden is on us." more >>

Prominent evangelist Franklin Graham has proposed that the Communist dictatorship of North Korea build a church for Christian visitors.

Graham wrote about the proposal in a prayer letter sent out on Monday and posted in full at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's website.

"I have visited North Korea several times, as my father and mother did before me, and I have prayed – along with many others – for any opportunity God might give to crack the door open even a little," wrote Graham. more >>

Christianity came to Ethiopia in the fourth century and today about two-thirds of the population is Christian, but not everyone is happy about it.

In May 2011, Abraham Abera, a worker at an Evangelical church, was walking home with his pregnant wife, Bertukan. Suddenly, six Muslim men wielding machetes assailed them beating Abraham to death and leaving Bertukan unconscious. She and the baby survived and as Bertukan recounts the attack she recalls the men's words: "You [Christians] are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message. We will destroy you."

In Russia, police with automatic weapons and attack dogs stormed St. George's Lutheran Church during Sunday morning worship. Blocking all exits, they announced that they were searching for "extremist literature" and proceeded to ransack Bibles and hymnals. Justifying the raid, the police commander said, "There were indications that terrorists were gathering there, and distributing terrorist literature." In fact, the raid was part of a growing program of hostility toward the Lutheran congregation that has been oddly branded "a Catholic sect." more >>

The World Evangelical Alliance's human rights ambassador has warned that Christians are being "chased from their homes" in Syria.

Dr Thomas Schirrmacher warned of a mass exodus of Christians from Syria similar to that experienced in Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion.

A decade ago, there were an estimated 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Since then, around half the Christian population has left the country due to hardship and persecution. Today, there are reportedly fewer than 60 churches left in the country. more >>

Bestselling author and Christian minister David Platt will be teaching on the end times in the upcoming Secret Church meeting that expects to virtually gather anywhere from 50,000-60,000 Christians in over 50 countries in a six-hour simulcast scheduled for Good Friday, March 29.

The theme of the upcoming Secret Church global gathering is "Heaven, Hell, and the End of the World," and will have Platt speak to the confusion, fear and hope among Christians and non-Christians who may be unsure of what the Bible says about the afterlife. The Birmingham, Ala., preacher argues, however, that what is most important is what the Bible's eschatology, or end-times teaching, says about the Christian's life and purpose in the here and now.

The Secret Church Simulcast, led by Platt and hosted by LifeWay, is described as "six intense hours" of teaching and prayer primarily focused on the persecuted church. It was the minister's experience with underground house church leaders in Asia that inspired the first event in November 2006, which was held at Platt's The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham and attracted more than 1,000 people. more >>

After eight years of indecision, the Egyptian government has approved the international NGO registration of Coptic Orphans, a nonprofit organization focusing on relief efforts for paternal orphans and their families.

"Despite whatever circumstances held our application in limbo during previous years, Egypt government's approval is a confirmation of what we have been saying all along: that Coptic Orphans works for the betterment of all Egypt," Coptic Orphans founder and Executive Director Nermien Riad said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post.

Orphans initially filed an application for official NGO recognition in 2005, but due to miscommunications among government officials and Egypt's media, it did not receive approval for eight years. more >>