house churches

China's Christians felt a noticeable rise in persecution in 2012 as the Communist government began the first of a three-phase plan to eradicate unregistered house churches.

American Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, imprisoned in Iran on charges of evangelizing, was sentenced this morning to eight years in prison.

Protestant Christians and leaders of other faiths in Vietnam are criticizing a new decree on religion that went into effect this year as a significant step backward, with one Christian activist saying it could put an end to the house-church movement.

A 32-year-old Iranian who is a U.S. citizen and a Christian convert has been imprisoned without notice of any formal charges while visiting his family in Iran, according to his wife and attorneys in the U.S.

The condition of an Iranian pastor languishing in prison on charges of "actions against the Islamic state" is deteriorating as authorities intend to kill him by denying him medical treatment, according to sources close to the prisoner.

Reports of Iranian authorities arresting Christians for their faith are pouring in, indicating that the Islamic nation is running a massive campaign targeting house churches.

Chinese church leaders do not expect major changes after China's ruling Communist Party announced a new leadership team Thursday in Beijing.

Beijing's Shouwang Church, one of China's largest house churches, continues to refuse official registration in spite of increasing pressure from the Chinese government.

In China's Shaanxi province, police raided and broke up a summer camp organized by a house church, confiscating church property and taking the organizer to a police station for questioning.