Islamist terrorists in Nigeria are thought to have killed a prominent Christian leader in the northern reaches of the country after the country's president recently declared a state of emergency.

"Suspected Islamic militants have killed a Christian leader in north-eastern Nigeria shortly after the president declared a state of emergency in the region to tackle insurgents and terrorists' threatening Africa's most populous nation," BosNewsLife reported.

Two suspected members of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram shot Faye Pama Mysa, a Pentecostal pastor and secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state of Borno while he was in his home on Wednesday. more >>

A registered nurse claiming she was endorsed by Jesus lost the bid for mayor of North Miami, Fla., in Tuesday's election, reportedly finishing last in a line of six other candidates.

Anna Pierre, a Haitian native who reportedly moved to America after recording a hit pop song in the Caribbean country, made headlines last week when she announced on her Facebook group and on campaign stops that her official endorsement for her mayoral candidacy was Jesus Christ.

"Yes, Jesus endorsed me!" Pierre reportedly told the local news station NBC 6 South Florida during a campaign stop at the Gwen Margolis Community Center on Tuesday. more >>

Coptic-owned businesses and pharmacies in Menbal village, Minya in northern Egypt were attacked by a mob, resulting in extensive damage and several injuries.

"The thugs attacked my shop, assaulting it with stones. Some of the contents were damaged … they destroyed a number of Coptic-owned shops and pharmacies," Michael Sobhi, a witness from the village, told Mideast Christian News.

"The Copts of the village couldn't confront the thugs, as their numbers increased. They had firearms and blades, so Copts tried to avoid fighting with them," he added. more >>

Samir Sabri, a lawyer, filed a complaint to the Supreme State Security Prosecution against Ahmed Mamhoud Abdullah, also known as Abu Islam, because he threatened Christians in Egypt.

Abu Islam said that Muslims would be able to eliminate the country's Christians in just two days in one of the episodes on his Al-Ummah Islamic channel.

Sabri said in the complaint that there is a video clip, which activists have been sharing on social media sites, where Abu Islam claims that Copts are to blame for all the sectarian violence, but are playing the victim's role. He goes on to demand they stop "evangelizing Muslims." more >>

Pope Francis celebrated his first canonizations in the course of his Mass in St. Peter's Square last Sunday, giving the Catholic Church over 800 new saints. All but two (a Colombian nun and a Mexican nun) were the "martyrs of Otranto," who were beheaded for their faith after Turkish Muslims invaded their southern-Italian port city in 1480. In the pope's words, "They had refused to renounce their faith and died confessing the risen Christ." According to some historical records, while the 800 were being executed, a Turk by the name of Bersabei was inspired to convert. He too suffered martyrdom, impaled by his own comrades-in-arms.

Christians of all faith traditions have long been persecuted in many countries, but today in the Muslim world, where Christians are often the largest non-Muslim minority, the persecution is accelerating and spreading.

Pope Francis had met with the Coptic pope, Tawadros II of Alexandria, just two days before, and no doubt he was praying for the mounting number of Coptic martyrs in Egypt, with whom, he had said, Catholics are united in the "ecumenism of suffering." This would include the two killed and seven dozen wounded as they were leaving St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria on April 7 and also the four whose funeral had just taken place inside the cathedral, who had been murdered in a Muslim pogrom the previous day. It would also include those languishing in prison for their faith, such as Nadia Mohamed Ali and her seven children, all of whom were sentenced by an Egyptian court to 15 years' imprisonment earlier this year for converting to Christianity. Another Christian woman, Demyana Emad, a 23-year-old primary-school teacher, was jailed last week for "insulting Islam" in her classroom -- only the latest example of the Islamist government's blasphemy prosecutions, typically of Christians. more >>

In order to avoid a lawsuit from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the school district in Muldrow, Okla., will be removing its Ten Commandment displays from all schools after an atheist teen student addressed legal concerns.

In spite of this decision on behalf of the school board, the small community of Muldrow has rallied around its Christian beliefs, urging the district to hold strong to its religious freedom and keep the Ten Commandments in place.

After a meeting held Monday night, the Muldrow School District board members opted to have the Ten Commandments plaques, which sit in each classroom in the school district, removed in order to avoid the threatened lawsuit from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the separation of church and state. more >>