Reform UK unveils plan to protect churches from being turned into mosques in bid to ‘restore Britain’s Christian heritage’

 

Zia Yusuf has set out Reform's plan for churches, should they win a majority at the general election

 

A Reform government would move to give churches protected status to ensure they are not turned into mosques.

The party’s new home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, plans to “restore Britain’s Christian heritage” by enacting mass deportations of illegal migrants and persuading British expats to return to the country.

He said renewing Britain’s Christian faith was imperative to restoring “cultural meaning” among young people and men in particular.

Mr Yusuf, a practicing Muslim, told The Telegraph his first move would be to grant immediate and automatic listed status to churches across the UK.

This means alterations affecting their historic character would be banned.

Nigel Farage’s party would also establish a new class for churches that would prevent them from being converted into places of worship for other religions.

Places of worship in England do not currently fall under the F1 use class - changes within this class do not require planning permission.

Mr Yusuf fears churches are increasingly being converted into mosques, and says he has been inundated with emails from “anxious residents” across the UK about the trend.

One recent case is the Georgian church of St John’s Hanley in Staffordshire, where a row erupted after Stoke-on-Trent council approved planning permission.

A restrictive covenant was placed on the church when the site was sold in 2009, which meant the Church of England was able to intervene.

Mr Yusuf said: “Regardless of whether somebody is of faith or not, or which faith they follow, I think the Christian heritage of this country is very important and protecting our heritage and our culture is important, otherwise the country is not a country, it’s just an economic zone.

“And so, as one step in pursuit of that, we will end the incendiary practice of converting churches into mosques or any other places of worship by granting listed status automatically to all churches and prohibiting that.”

Since being freed from lockdown, young people have increasingly found faith in both God and the Church.

YouGov’s bi-annual tracking data points to a significant shift in religious belief, particularly among younger adults. In the 18–24 age group, the share who say they believe in God has almost tripled in just over three years, rising from 16 per cent in August 2021 to 45 per cent by January 2025.

Among those aged 25 to 49, the increase has been less dramatic but still substantial, with belief growing from 21 per cent to 33 per cent over the same period.

Signs of renewed engagement can also be seen in church attendance. Two YouGov surveys, conducted in 2018 and 2024, suggest a 56 per cent increase in the proportion of UK adults who attend church at least once a month.

Mr Yusuf told The Telegraph he would like to see the trend go further and encourage even more people to attend church.

He said: “I would argue there is crisis of meaning culturally, particularly among men and young people.

“I do think a sense of belief in God and patriotism, while they’re not necessarily the same thing - I think there is some connection there.”

The number of people who describe themselves as Christian in England and Wales fell below half of the population for the first time in the last census.

There was, however, a rise in the number of people describing themselves as Muslims, by 44 per cent to 3.9 million in the last census.

The number of people identifying as Hindus also rose by 22 per cent to one million.

Mr Yusuf added: “I think if politicians play their part, then I’m optimistic that over time … they will have more things to take pride in as they are made to feel proud of their history again, rather than being taught that they should be ashamed of it.

 

Archbishop of Cape Town becomes new chair of Christian Aid

The Archbishop of Cape Town has been announced as the new chair of Christian Aid.

The UK development and humanitarian agency said Most Rev Dr Thabo Makgoba, has a strong track-record of working on poverty and injustice in South Africa and globally.

Dr Makgoba, who is also the Metropolitan Church of Southern Africa has previously worked with Christian Aid on climate and economic justice.

He takes over from the previous Chair, Dame Sarah Mullally who has just become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dr Makgoba has personally experienced marginalisation, spending his early years in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, before his family was forcibly removed under apartheid laws and settled in Soweto.

In 2009, after receiving the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, from the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City, he described it as an award for all South Africans who were denied access to education.

Archbishop Thabo pioneered the concept of "indaba" in the worldwide Anglican Communion as a means of getting to grips with difference, and was decorated by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the Cross of St Augustine for his role in the Communion. 

Christian Aid CEO, Patrick Watt, said: “We are delighted to welcome Archbishop Thabo as the new chair of Christian Aid.

“Throughout his ministry he has walked alongside people who are poor and marginalised, and strived for a just world in which everyone has life before death.

“Archbishop Thabo's leadership will be invaluable as we work with partners across the world to tackle the root causes of poverty, in a fast-changing landscape.”

Since 2012, he has also served as Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape. 

 

Bandits kill pastor in Kogi

 

Armed bandits have reportedly killed a man identified as Pastor Gideon, a Hausa cleric and secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area. 

Local sources said the incident happened on Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2026, when the pastor reportedly went to his cashew farm on the outskirts of the community.

The attackers allegedly ambushed him at the farm and killed him. 

His locally made gun was also said to have been destroyed during the attack. 

An eyewitness in the area claimed the assailants left the victim severely mutilated before fleeing the scene. 

Community members are calling on the Nigeria Police Force and the Kogi State Government to urgently address the rising attacks and improve security in the area.

 

Pope Leo: We must rediscover the essential core of the Christian message

 

Pope Leo meets with the Italian law enforcement agency, Carabinieri, in the Vatican 

 

In a meeting with Italian law enforcement officers, Pope Leo XIV stresses the importance of performing duties with an “upright conscience”. 

Greeting Rome's Carabinieri, a law enforcement agency, at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to receive those “who serve in maintaining order and security in the metropolitan area of Rome and throughout the province.”

Though the Jubilee Year was particularly demanding, the Pope shared his joy that the Carabinieri were able to have an enriching experience both personally and professionally.

“Indeed, it has been so for all of us who live in Rome: the witness of so many pilgrims has strengthened and uplifted us," he said.

The Pope then turned to the early days of Christianity in Rome, when the Good News of Jesus began to spread in different settings, including the army. This Good News was “a new way of living and thinking; a God who is love, mercy, and forgiveness; a fraternity among all men and women that transcends every social and ethnic difference.”

One of Italy's main law enforcement agencies, the Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie and is the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces. Pope Leo highlighted that they know what hierarchy, command, and obedience mean.

Similarly, he explained that the Gospel, throughout the centuries, has deeply influenced the structures, principles, and patterns of thought and behavior within the civilizations it entered. Yet, “it did so not through violent revolution, but through a peaceful transformation from within, through consciences and the conversion of hearts.”

Through this, the Gospel brought a fresh understanding of both God and the human person, marked by absolute respect for life and for every human being, together with worship directed to God alone.

Pope Leo then asked the question: “Is this not what can and must happen in every age, even in the world and in the Rome of today?” His response was yes, and he noted that the Second Vatican Council and the teachings and examples of the Pope confirm this.

To do this, the Pope urged everyone to rediscover the “essential core of the Christian message and spirit of the early Church to embody them in our world, so different and far more complex.” As St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Closing his address, Pope Leo thanked the Carabinieri for their service, particularly around the Vatican and in the city of Rome. He encouraged them to always perform their duties with “upright conscience, faithful to the principles and regulations of the Carabinieri Corps and, as Christians, faithful to the Gospel, which fills every intention and every action with the charity of Christ.”

He entrusted them to the protection of Mary, Virgo Fidelis, and offered his blessing on each of them, their families, and their work.

 

Greeting the Carabinieri from the Province of Rome, Pope Leo expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to receive those “who serve in maintaining order and security”. 

Christian Schools with Strict Cell Phone Policies Report Better Student Mental Health: Study

 

New research involving Christian schools reveals a strong correlation between restrictive cell phone policies and positive student mental health, with nearly all schools rating student mental health as good or excellent having such... 

A growing body of research in recent years has linked teen cell phone use to poorer mental health outcomes – and now a study of Christian schools suggests a similar pattern.

The Association of Christian Schools International and the School Counseling Mental Health Initiative at Denver Seminary survey Christian school educators and found that 80 percent rated their students’ mental health as “good” or “excellent.” Notably, schools that restricted cell phone use were much more likely than those without such a policy to give students a favorable mental health grade.

In fact, 98 percent of schools that rated their students’ mental health as good or excellent had a restrictive cell phone policy – and the strongest results came from perhaps the most stringent approach: requiring students to turn in their phones.

“The response option that was most highly correlated with respondents’ perception of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ student mental health was collecting phones at the start of each day and returning them

 

Church Explosion in Upstate New York Injures 5, Including 4 Firefighters

 

 

An explosion at Abundant Life Church in Boonville, NY, injured five people, including four firefighters and the pastor, following reports of a gas leak. 

An explosion at an upstate New York church injured five people Tuesday as firefighters investigated a reported gas leak that left the building a total loss.

The morning explosion at Abundant Life Church in Boonville, N.Y., occurred around 10:30 a.m., shortly after two people at the church reported smelling gas and called the propane company. Firefighters were sent to the scene, and officials said four of them were in the basement when a propane furnace turned on, triggering the blast. A fifth firefighter on the first floor was thrown against the wall, the Associated Press reported. He was trying to ventilate the building.

Emergency crews are responding to a reported gas explosion at Abundant Life church in Boonville. 

Four members of the Boonville Fire Department were taken to the hospital, as was the church’s pastor, Brandon Pitts, 43. Police said all five were in critical but stable condition. 

Pastor, daughter and son-in-law slain in Plateau state, Nigeria

 

Rev. Bulus Madaki was killed in Plateau state, Nigeria along with his daughter and son-in-law.  

Fulani herdsmen last month killed a pastor, his daughter and her husband, leaving the couple’s 3-month-old baby with a machete wound, in Plateau state, Nigeria.

The Christian family was ambushed as they traveled on the Jos-Barkin Ladi highway to a village in Barkin Ladi County on Jan. 16, the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS) of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) said in a statement.

The Rev. Bulus Madaki, an EMS worker, his daughter and son-in-law were slain in the attack, while the granddaughter suffered a machete cut on the head and was left to die but survived.

“In Nigeria, the gospel is often preached at the cost of blood and tears, the blood and tears of missionaries who choose to follow Christ no matter the price,” the EMS leaders stated.

Pastor Madaki had served at Janta 2 Mission Station in Zagun District Church Council (DCC) and was recently transferred to Gwol DCC; he was killed along the Kassa-Nding Bridge in Barkin Ladi County, they said.

“He was killed alongside his married daughter and son-in-law by killer Fulani herdsmen. They were on their way to his new mission station. They never arrived,” the leaders stated. “His granddaughter, a 3-month-old baby girl, survived the attack with a severe head injury. She now lives as an orphan, having lost her father, her mother, and her grandfather in a single, violent moment.”

The attack marks the harsh reality of missions in Nigeria, they stated.

“Missions in Nigeria is growing, but the danger that comes with it is both real, brutal and enduring,” they stated. “In spite of this attack, it is a sure evidence that we are winning and souls are being won to Christ through a tumultuous period.”

ECWA members told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that persecution of Christians will continue to serve as a catalyst to the spread of the gospel.

“We pray to do more, persecution will never end and so also evangelism will never end,” said ECWA member Cletus Ali. “We pray for them [terrorists] and believe they will one day receive salvation and become part of us.”

Ayoola Abejide, another ECWA member, asked God to give grace for gospel proclamation despite persecution and death.

“May God intervene and also bring vengeance upon the enemies of the gospel and give us rest,” Abejide said. “No retreat, no surrender. Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. May God comfort the church and the entire family.”

ECWA member Lydia Mark said God speaks in all situations.

“He is speaking even right now concerning this present situation,” Mark said. “May God grant us the needed grace to believe even when we don't loudly hear Him as He speaks in Jesus’ name. Divine comfort we pray.”

More Christians were killed in Nigeria than in any other country from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025, according to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. Of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith during that period, 3,490 – 72 percent – were Nigerians, an increase from 3,100 the prior year. Nigeria ranked No. 7 on the WWL list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report

“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.

In the country’s North-Central zone, where Christians are more common than they are in the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia attack farming communities, killing many hundreds, Christians above all, according to the report. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, according to the report. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.

The violence has spread to southern states, and a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest, armed with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL noted. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.

Nigeria ranked seventh on the 2026 WWL list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

 

South African Church Defenders accuse CRL Rights Commission of deception over church regulation plans

 

Professor Musa Xulu resigned as the chair of the CRL Section 22 Committee after he alleged that there was a pre-determined agenda to control religious activities. 

A Christian civil liberties group has accused South Africa’s Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) of misleading the public about its intentions toward churches, warning that a proposed “self-regulatory” framework masks a deeper push toward state regulation of Christian institutions.

At the center of the dispute is the CRL Rights Commission’s Section 22 Draft Self-Regulatory Framework for the Christian Sector, developed through a special ad hoc committee. The Commission has repeatedly insisted that it is not seeking to regulate churches, describing the initiative as voluntary and consultative. 

In a statement issued on Jan. 22, the South African Church Defenders (SACD) said it was “deeply concerned” by a recent media briefing held by the CRL Rights Commission. According to SACD, the briefing failed to provide a truthful account of the Commission’s own documents and public record.

“The public was presented with statements that directly contradict the Commission’s official documents,” the group said, describing the briefing as deceptive rather than merely unclear or poorly communicated.

In a press briefing on Jan. 21, the commission responded to a statement made by the former chairperson Professor Musa Xulu, who had alleged that there was a pre-determined agenda to control religious activities through the state.  

The SACD group points specifically to clause 2.3 of the draft framework, which calls for nationwide consultations toward the development of a legislative framework for the Christian sector. SACD says this clause directly contradicts public claims that no legislation is being pursued.

“SACD rejects as false and misleading the claim that the CRL Rights Commission is not pursuing legislation or a legal framework for the Christian sector,” the statement reads. “This denial is directly contradicted by the Commission’s own draft framework.”

According to SACD, the framework is designed to establish sector-wide regulatory bodies, enforce registration of Christian institutions and leaders, and impose binding codes of conduct. While the Commission has framed these measures as part of a self-regulatory process, SACD argues that they amount to regulation in substance, if not in name.

The group accused the Commission of presenting “self-regulation” as a public-facing concept while quietly advancing mechanisms that would ultimately place churches under state-linked control. “This is a direct contradiction between what the Commission says and what it is doing,” SACD said.

SACD warned that once a legal framework is drafted, the process would move through consultations and eventually to recommendations to Parliament. At that stage, the group said, lawmakers could be presented with a record suggesting broad participation and consent, making approval more likely.

“This is precisely how legislation is formulated,” the statement said, urging churches to remain vigilant and oppose the process early rather than after it has gained momentum.

The organization also took aim at the tone and purpose of the CRL Rights Commission’s media briefing, suggesting it was an exercise in damage control rather than a genuine attempt to engage critics following the resignation of Xulu.

Without quoting Xulu directly, SACD said efforts to discredit his concerns only deepened public unease about the process. “Institutions of Chapter 9 stature are meant to uphold the highest standards of moral authority and public trust,” the statement said, adding that contradiction and concealment undermine the legitimacy of both the institution and its work.

For these reasons, SACD reiterated its call for the immediate removal of the CRL chairperson and the disbandment of the Section 22 Ad Hoc Committee.

The group said it was “totally opposed” to any legal or legislative framework that seeks to regulate Christian belief, governance, leadership, or practice. Religious freedom, it said, is protected by South Africa’s Constitution and cannot be subordinated to state-controlled structures, even under the banner of consultation or accountability.

SACD also sought to clarify what it sees as a mischaracterization of its position. It rejected claims that its opposition centers on a government White Paper, saying instead that its concerns relate to constitutional limits, lawful process, and the scope of authority granted to the CRL Rights Commission.

“The case is about the constitutionality of the Section 22 Ad Hoc Committee, the failure to follow proper lawful processes, and the protection of freedom of religion,” the statement said.

While the January statement itself does not announce new legal action, SACD’s position must be understood against a broader backdrop of public conflict between church groups and the CRL Rights Commission.

Previous media reports have documented that SACD and allied church leaders have, in recent months, challenged the Commission’s actions through legal channels, arguing that earlier attempts to regulate religious institutions exceeded constitutional boundaries. Those cases and applications have been reported by several South African news outlets and have framed SACD as one of the most vocal opponents of expanded CRL oversight.

In separate reporting, the CRL Rights Commission has defended its approach, saying the framework is intended to protect congregants from abuse and exploitation and to promote ethical leadership within faith communities. The Commission has insisted that participation would be voluntary and that it has no intention of policing doctrine or belief.

Other church bodies have taken more cautious or mixed positions. The South African Council of Churches (SACC), for example, has acknowledged concerns about abuse within religious spaces while urging dialogue rather than confrontation, according to previous public statements reported in the media.

The resignation of Professor Xulu has further intensified scrutiny of the Section 22 process. The former Chair of the commission described internal tensions and confusion over the committee’s mandate, reinforcing claims that the initiative has been poorly defined and contested even among its architects.

For SACD, however, the issue is not one of internal disagreement but of constitutional principle. The organization says the CRL Rights Commission cannot deny legislative intent while advancing documents that explicitly call for it.

“South Africans are entitled to honesty, clarity, and constitutional fidelity,” the statement concluded. “The CRL Rights Commission cannot publicly deny its legislative intentions while advancing a framework that expressly calls for them.”

SACD said it remains committed to defending religious freedom, constitutional supremacy, and the rule of law.

South Africa’s move would mirror steps being taken or considered elsewhere on the continent. Kenya is mulling the introduction of laws that would oversee religious organisations, including stricter registration, financial reporting, and state oversight following cases of abuse and exploitation. Rwanda has already implemented tight regulations  that require faith-based groups to meet strict registration, leadership, and safety standards, with authorities closing thousands of churches that fail to comply.

 

Kenya’s President Ruto, clergy condemn violence during service attended by politicians

 

Speaking at another church service in PEFA All Nations Gospel Church in Nairobi, Ruto said that politicians have all the right to seek elective posts but to also respect the places of worship. 

President William Ruto has cautioned politicians against politicizing church services following violent attacks that happened at an Anglican Church of Kenya church in Central Kenya on Jan. 25. The incident at Watima ACK Church involved an armed group that stormed the church compound and disrupted the Sunday service that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other politicians were attending. 

Speaking at another church service in PEFA All Nations Gospel Church in Nairobi on Sunday, Feb. 1, Ruto said that politicians have all the right to seek elective posts but to also respect the places of worship. “It is a place that deserves respect. Let’s not usher in politics, hatred and conflicts,” the head of state said. “All arms of security must ensure that our places of worship are protected from unnecessary, useless and retrogressive fights and politics.”

Last week’s chaos at the Watima church has drawn condemnation from the local clergy and underscored the undercurrents of the Kenyan political scene. 

Bishop Gerald Mwangi Muriithi, who leads the Mount Kenya West Diocese of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) overseeing the Witima ACK church strongly condemned the incident. “As a church, we have seen instances involving police and goons in the public on several occasions and mostly in political matters. Has the police service been compromised and held hostage by the goons and militia in this country?” the Bishop asked. 

“We therefore condemn, with the strongest word possible, the heinous act of disrupting the church service by goons accompanied by police. In this regard, we demand the following: We demand that the Inspector General or police conduct a speedy and a thorough investigation of the whole matter with possible prosecutions of all those who are found culpable,” he added.

The Bishop emphasized that the church expects political leaders to uphold tolerance to safeguard the nation’s peace and stability. He stressed the need to respect and protect all clergy, and insisted that political or personal disputes should never be played out in places of worship. 

He also called for a formal apology from all relevant security agencies and political leaders implicated in the incident, condemning the attack as both criminal and shameful.

Civil society and religious organizations also weighed in, condemning the disruption of worship. The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) called for accountability and respect for constitutional freedoms.

“The National Council of Churches of Kenya strongly condemns the disruption of the worship service at the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Witima Parish, Nyeri County, on Sunday Jan. 25, 2026. The National Police Service violated the constitutional right to worship as provided for under Article 32 (2) of the Constitution of Kenya (2010),” the report from NCCK said. 

The body outlines several occasions since 2020 where the church was at the center of attacks mainly from the national police service, stating that it is a worrying concern. “NCCK avers that the deliberate, unwarranted, and unprovoked lobbing of teargas canisters at worshippers in a place of worship is not only illegal and unconstitutional but an attack on the body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who is our Lord and Savior,” it added. 

The NCCK demanded a formal apology from the Interior Minister and the Police Inspector General to both the Church and Kenya’s wider religious community. The council also called for the rapid investigation, interdiction, and prosecution of all police officers involved in attacks on churches during worship.

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) criticized the use of tear gas inside a church as unlawful and unjustified. The incident has sparked debate nationwide over the politicization of public spaces and the risks posed when political rivalries intersect with religious gatherings.

Gachagua, a former Ruto ally turned foe, claimed the attack was an alleged assassination attempt, blaming rogue officers for orchestrating violence against him. The incident intensified political tensions in Central Kenya, highlighting the fragility of public order during high-profile political appearances. Eyewitnesses described a scene of confusion and fear, with some alleging that the incident may have been orchestrated to create political drama.

Political reactions were immediate and sharply divided. Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi accused Gachagua’s camp of staging the chaos, while Deputy President Kithure Kindiki condemned the incident, labeling the attackers as “criminals in cassocks” and criticizing elements within Gachagua’s supporters.  

Most Americans believe in God, but many rarely attend worship

 

Worshipers gather during a church service in the United States.

Most adults in the United States believe in God and engage in some form of religious practice, but nearly half never attend religious services, according to data from the Pew Research Center that offers a snapshot of American faith by scaling the population down to a hypothetical town of 100 people.

The analysis, based on Pew’s  2023–24 Religious Landscape Study, found that 83 of every 100 U.S. adults say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Of those, a majority express strong conviction: 54 say they believe with absolute certainty, while 21 are fairly certain. Another eight say they are not too certain or not certain at all. Sixteen people in the hypothetical town say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit.

Religious practice, however, is more uneven. If the United States were reduced to 100 adults, 25 would attend religious services in person at least once a week. Eight would attend once or twice a month, and 18 would go a few times a year. Nearly half — 49 people — would seldom or never attend in-person services.

Prayer remains common, the study found. In the scaled-down town, 44 people would pray daily, while 23 would pray weekly or monthly. Thirty-two would seldom or never pray.

Views on the importance of religion also vary widely. Thirty-eight people would say religion is very important in their lives, and another 26 would describe it as somewhat important. By contrast, 35 would say religion is not too important or not important at all.

Belief in the afterlife continues to be widespread but not universal. Seventy of the 100 people would say they believe in an afterlife. Among them, 52 would believe in both heaven and hell, 14 would believe in heaven but not hell, and three would believe in hell but not heaven. Twenty-eight people would say they do not believe in any form of afterlife.

The analysis draws on responses from 36,908 U.S. adults who participated in the 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. The survey was conducted from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024, and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 0.8 percentage points.

Pew researchers said the “100 people” framework is intended to make large national statistics more tangible.

 

Putin using Russian Orthodox Church to repress religion, panel says

 

Panelists take part in the affiliated session “The Kremlin’s Use of the Russian Orthodox Church in the War Against Ukraine,” sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy, during the International Religious Freedom Summit on Feb. 3, examining how religious institutions are being instrumentalized by the Russian state to justify war and suppress dissent at home and abroad. 

The regime of Vladimir Putin is using the Russian Orthodox Church in efforts to repress other faiths not only in Ukraine and other foreign countries but within Russia’s borders, clergy and rights defenders said.

Dmytro Koval, co-director of Truth Hounds, a Ukrainian human rights organization documenting Russian crimes in Ukraine, told participants at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Feb. 3 that Kremlin use of the Russian Orthodox Church goes back to early years of occupation in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and prior.

“There were for instance units called the Russian Orthodox Army, and it’s institutionally connected to the Russian Orthodox Church,” Koval said. “And these units, again, they practically realized this doctrine of a Russian world and this new Russian imperialism, this new Russian attempt to rebuild the empire, either Soviet or Russian; these forces showed us how the church is used and how it’ll be used in the future to come.”

The Russian Orthodox Army, a Russian separatist paramilitary group founded in 2014 fighting Ukrainian forces in Donbas, was reportedly later absorbed into the Oplot Fifth Separate Infantry Brigade. It is used to mobilize the Russian population and Russians in the occupied territory to take active part in the war and give their lives for the causes of the Kremlin, Koval said.

“What is quite interesting is the language used in the Russian Orthodox Army – they were talking about crusade, but in their imagination that crusade had its enemy not only in Ukraine but also in the West,” Koval said. “So basically, the crusade had to continue beyond Ukraine in Western Europe, but also the U.S. was always mentioned.”

Understanding how Russian occupation has impacted religious freedom – including killing of church leaders and other Christians and closing churches – is key to understanding Ukrainian resilience and opposition to “so-called peace talks” with Russia, he said.

“One of the reasons why Ukraine is so unapologetic regarding [opposition to] any territorial deals, it’s because Ukraine is fighting not for territory, but for people,” Koval said. “And very much was learned from this eight to 10 years’ experience of occupation before the full scale invasion – what the occupation actually means for people, including what it means for the freedom of the region.”

Russia has long wanted to repress religion beyond its borders, as a 2017 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report noted, he said.

“What is sad in that report is that Russia is one of the few states that is not only organizing repressions in the country, but it’s also exporting religious persecution,” he said.

 

Dr. Dmytro Koval (right), co-director of the Ukrainian human rights group Truth Hounds, speaks during the International Religious Freedom Summit on Feb. 3 about the Kremlin’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church to legitimize occupation and repression in Ukraine, describing how religious language and institutions have been mobilized to advance Russian imperial ideology. 

 “One of the reasons why Ukraine is so unapologetic regarding [opposition to] any territorial deals, it’s because Ukraine is fighting not for territory, but for people,” Koval said. “And very much was learned from this eight to 10 years’ experience of occupation before the full scale invasion – what the occupation actually means for people, including what it means for the freedom of the region.”

Russia has long wanted to repress religion beyond its borders, as a 2017 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report noted, he said.

“What is sad in that report is that Russia is one of the few states that is not only organizing repressions in the country, but it’s also exporting religious persecution,” he said.

Dr. Vira Iastrebova, director of the Eastern Human Rights Group, addresses participants at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Feb. 3, warning that the Russian Orthodox Church is being used to militarize children and youth through paramilitary camps that combine weapons training with ideological indoctrination. 

Vira Iastrebova, director of the Eastern Human Rights Group, told the summit that the Russian Orthodox Church has become a tool of militarizing young people by implementing various youth programs and paramilitary clubs.

“One is called Camps, Et cetera; one is called Orthodox Warriors,” Iastrebova said. “And in those camps and programs, children are trained to use firearms and also are indoctrinated in ideologies of hatred and violence. Understandably, this is going to have very grave consequences for the future that we must take into account as we focus our attention on reunification of Ukraine’s territories and working towards better freedoms for all people of faith.”

The Rev. Andrey Kordochkin, a Russian Orthodox priest based in Europe who was sanctioned and suspended from the Moscow patriarchate after co-authoring an open letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, told participants that the Kremlin’s use of the patriarchate goes as far as propaganda found in official prayers.

“If you look at the text of the prayer which was introduced in September 2022, you can see that liturgically, it has a form of a prayer, but in fact it’s political declaration,” Kordochkin said, noting that it implicitly denies the existence of Ukraine as a country. “Then this prayer also presents Russia not as an aggressor but as a victim of some hostile forces that had wanted to destroy it in a conspiracy kind of mindset.”

Most importantly, he said, the liturgical prayer speaks about victory rather than reconciliation. A priest obliged to read the prayer changed the word “victory” to “peace” and was defrocked, he said.

 

The Rev. Andrey Kordochkin, a Russian Orthodox priest suspended by the Moscow patriarchate for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, speaks at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Feb. 3, criticizing state-mandated prayers that frame the war as a sacred struggle and punish clergy who call for peace rather than victory. 

“Now a spokesman for the Moscow patriarchate, when he was asked by a journalist whether these punishments upon these priests are not too cruel, said, ‘Well, the church is like the army. If people in the army give an oath and if they do something that goes contrary to it, they have to pay the price, and the priest and the deacons before they’re being ordained, they also give this oath.’ So, the patriarchate itself is describing itself in kind of paramilitary terms.”

Recently Moscow Patriarch Kirill said those who question the national consensus in Russia should be treated as betrayers of the motherland, Kordochkin noted.

“Now, betrayal of motherland is not a moral term, it’s a legal term because it’s a criminal article which implies punishment up to a death sentence,” he said. “So, you can see this repressive symphony in both the church institution and the state.”

 

Christians in Nigeria live in fear amid kidnappings, killings

 

The Rev. Bobbo Paschal, Catholic priest released
from captivity in Kaduna state, Nigeria on Jan. 17, 2026.

 

Christians in a village in Nigeria remain traumatized by violence even as a priest held hostage for 61 days was released last month, sources said.

The Rev. Bobbo Paschal of St. Stephen Catholic Parish in Kushe Gugdu village, Kagarko County, Kaduna state was released on Jan. 17 after terrorists kidnapped him on Nov. 17, according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna.

Innocent Yakubu, a community leader in Kushe Gugdu, close to Kubacha, said Fulani herdsmen invaded the village and killed another Christian on the day they kidnapped Paschal.

“It has thrown the entire community into fear, sorrow, and uncertainty “The entire community remains traumatized as we continue to search for safety that no longer exists.”

In the kidnapping of Paschal as he prepared for the morning Mass in the early hours of Nov. 17, church member Gideon Markus was killed and two other congregants were kidnapped and remain in captivity, according to leaders of the archdiocese.

Yakubu said the village has suffered repeated attacks by Fulani assailants for many years that have claimed lives and destroyed livelihoods, he said. 

“Christians here now live in constant fear because violence has become a recurring nightmare,” Yakubu said. “Our land is bleeding, our hearts are broken and our communities are losing hope.”

The kidnapping of Paschal was not the first time a priest or resident has been abducted in Kushe and surrounding villages, he said.  

Sunday Audu, another area resident, said herdsmen in late January and early February also attacked Aribi, Ungwan Pah, Dogon Daji and Kurmin Lemu villages.

The 166 Christians kidnapped by armed Muslim terrorists in Kurmin Wali village, Kaduna state were released in the early hours of Thursday (Feb. 5), the Rev. Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern Nigeria chapter, said in a statement.

“All the 166 Christians kidnapped by terrorists in Kurmin Wali community have now been released,” Hayab said. “They are currently being attended to in a military hospital, after which they will be transferred to the Kaduna State Government and subsequently, to be released to their families.”

The Christian leader, a Baptist pastor, said no ransom was paid by churches for the release of the captives, but that the government that handled the negotiations with the terrorists.

The Christians were kidnapped on Jan. 18 while attending church worship services.

Congressional Hearing

At a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 4, religious liberty advocates spoke of recurring killings, abductions and mass displacement in Nigeria.

Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback described Nigeria as a frontline of global terrorism with militant Islamist groups expanding their attacks across Africa and the Middle East.

“The deadliest place on the planet to be a Christian is Nigeria; early warning signs of a Muslim-on-Christian war are emerging across Africa, and Nigeria sits at the center of that danger,” Brownback said.

Radical, militant Islam continues its “purification efforts” throughout the Middle East North Africa region and beyond, he said. “Syria and Nigeria are key focus areas in their quest for dominance, excluding all other faiths.”

Stephen Schneck, former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2024 to 2025), said at the hearing that freedom of religious expression is facing a global crisis propelled by authoritarianism, religious nationalism and weak state institutions.

“Nigeria, Syria and Sudan are examples of countries where poor governance and widespread insecurity have created dangerous conditions for communities of faith,” Schneck said.

Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) recommended the U.S. address the “culture of denial” by Nigerian officials despite mass killings of Christians by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani militants; sustain and enforce the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC); apply International Religious Freedom Act policy tools such as sanctions, economic penalties against Nigerian entities enabling or tolerating religious freedom violations; compel Nigeria to protect Christians and moderate Muslims from religiously motivated violence; urge Nigerian authorities to prosecute perpetrators and prevent attacks in Christian communities; and monitor and curb influence by China, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are exacerbating instability in Nigeria.

At the same time, a petition by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) before the United Nations on genocide against Christians in Nigeria received wide acceptance within 16 hours of its filing, according to ACLJ President and CEO Jordan Sekulow.

Within a day of the petition being posted on the ACLJ website, more than 517,000 signatures have been gathered, with the target of 750,000 signatures expected.

Saying 90 percent of all Christians killed worldwide are in Nigeria, Sekulow said Christians live in a constant state of terror, fearing abduction, torture and murder by radical Islamic jihadists, including Fulani herdsmen.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.

“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.

More Christians were killed in Nigeria than in any other country from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025, according to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. Of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith during that period, 3,490 – 72 percent – were Nigerians, an increase from 3,100 the prior year. Nigeria ranked No. 7 on the WWL list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.  

In the country’s North-Central zone, where Christians are more common than they are in the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia attack farming communities, killing many hundreds, Christians above all, according to the report. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, according to the report. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.

The violence has spread to southern states, and a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest, armed with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL noted. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.

 

American missionary accuses Benue government of attempting to sabotage his plans of rebuilding Yelwata village which was attacked by bandits

An American missionary has accused the Benue State Government of deliberately obstructing his efforts to rebuild Yelwata village, which was recently attacked by bandits.

According to him, he attempted to construct a market for the people of Yelwata, but the government rejected the proposal and instead sent him a market blueprint valued at ₦300 million. He insists the project can be completed for no more than ₦60 million.

He also claimed that there’s no market in any Nigerian village that is worth N300m. 

The missionary further alleged that certain individuals are exploiting the suffering of Benue indigence affected by bandit attacks for personal gain.