When Christian worship is a crime: The deadliest era in modern history
As I read the new Open Doors report released this week, my heart broke again for our persecuted family around the world especially those in Nigeria and Syria, where the violence is relentless. I could not stay silent.
It used to be that persecution was seen as something “over there” in oppressive regimes with names most Americans couldn’t pronounce. But the new reality is this: worship itself has become a crime in parts of the world, and the blood of believers is spilling at rates not seen in decades.
The latest World Watch List from Open Doors US, released January 14, 2026, reports that more than 388 million Christians, one in seven believers worldwide now face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. This marks an increase of over 8 million from the previous year, driven by weak governments, extremist militias, and radical ideology.
The trends are both harrowing and unmistakable:
- Open Doors data shows 4,849 believers murdered for their faith in the reporting period (October 2024 to September 2025) — a record high.
- In Nigeria alone, 3,490 Christians were killed, making up 72% of the global total, with churches and communities under constant threat from militias and terrorist groups.
- Syria, once home to a thriving Christian community, has seen violence spike dramatically since the fall of its former government, jumping to number 6 on the list, the largest single year rise in over a decade as extremists exploit dangerous power vacuums.
In Egypt, Coptic Christians, the largest Christian population in the Middle East continue to live under threat, despite representing over 10% of the country’s population. While Egypt’s government publicly claims to support religious tolerance, Copts face systemic discrimination, mob violence, and judicial indifference. Churches are routinely denied permits or forcibly closed under security pretexts, while attackers of Christian communities are rarely prosecuted. In rural areas, false accusations of blasphemy often spark violent riots, forcing Christian families to flee their homes. Converts from Islam face even greater persecution, often from both the state and their own families. Egypt may not top the World Watch List rankings, but it remains a place where following Christ can cost a person their safety, dignity, or freedom.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Christians are being slaughtered by Islamic State linked ADF rebels, particularly in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. In July 2025, militants massacred at least 49 people including children during a night vigil at Saint Anuarite Catholic Church in Komanda. Earlier in the year, another church was attacked in Kasanga, where worshippers were abducted or executed. In September, a funeral wake in Ntoyo turned into a bloodbath as militants killed over 60 people, many of them Christian villagers. These atrocities are part of a broader campaign by jihadist militias to terrorize Christian communities, burn churches, and displace thousands. For many believers in the DRC, simply attending a prayer vigil has become a matter of life and death.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern of escalating violence, where extremists and hostile government’s view Christianity not as a harmless faith but as a threat to their power and ideology. In some nations, loyal citizens are effectively forbidden from belonging to Christian communities without risking their lives.
And make no mistake worship has become a punishable offense in certain regions. Recent reports, including from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, highlight chilling examples where even attending church carries life threatening consequences.
Yet the response from Western governments and global institutions has been lukewarm at best. In too many capitals, religious persecution is treated as a distant human rights issue instead of the crisis affecting millions of sisters and brothers in Christ, men, women, and children killed simply for following Jesus.
This is not a problem that can be ignored. Religious freedom is not a relic of ancient history; it is a bedrock human right, enshrined in international law and fundamental to the flourishing of any free society. When worship is a crime, freedom itself is at stake.
America and its allies must confront this persecution with urgency:
- Public awareness: The atrocity of believers being murdered for worship must be reported with the gravity it deserves.
- Diplomatic pressure: Governments should elevate religious freedom in foreign policy and condition assistance on protecting minority believers.
- Support for the persecuted: Emergency aid, resettlement programs, and direct support for families of martyrs cannot be afterthoughts.
Christian persecution is not a statistic. It is a wake up call — a stark reminder that freedom must be defended not just at home but wherever the cross is treated as a threat. Let the global Church lift her voice in prayer and action until every believer can worship without fear.
Wendy Yurgo is the Founder and CEO of Revere Payments, a Christian conservative fintech company serving many of the nation’s leading faith-based and freedom-driven organizations. She is a writer and speaker passionate about faith, freedom, and strengthening families. Her work is rooted in light, guided by principle, and grounded in truth. (Previously published under Wendy Kinney.)
