It’s Thursday, October 13th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Jonathan Clark

Russian persecution of Ukrainian churches and pastors

Protestant churches and pastors are facing persecution in Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.

Over the last month, Russian troops have shut down the three largest Protestant churches in Melitopol as well as churches in Mariupol. Masked soldiers also detained Baptist Pastor Leonid Ponomaryov and his wife Tatyana of Kurchatov Church in Mariupol. In the Luhansk region, leaders of six Protestant churches were forced to flee from the city of Lysychansk.

Paul Robinson with Release International said, “We are seeing churches raided, sealed and shut down, and the disappearance and detention of pastors in the occupied areas . . . Yet the message of history should be clear to Russia: the Christian faith has survived 70 years of Soviet totalitarian rule . . . Persecution can only strengthen the church.”

Middle Eastern and North African Christians in World Evangelical Alliance

At the end of last month, the Middle Eastern and North African Evangelical National Councils held their most representative event since it started in 2018. It’s the newest branch of the World Evangelical Alliance.

Some evangelical leaders, like those in Egypt, report growth under new government recognition, while others, like those in Iraq, report continued repression. Many Evangelical refugees from countries like Iraq are building communities in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Delegates at the meeting represented some 600 million Evangelicals across the Middle East and northern Africa.

Speaking of Christ, Isaiah 9:7 says, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”

West Virginia Supreme Court: Tax dollars allowed for private, Christian, & homeschool

Last Thursday, the West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the state’s Hope Scholarship Act.

The 2021 act offered funds for students to use at private school, faith-based school, and homeschool. 

State Treasurer Riley Moore said, “This is a victory for West Virginian families over the out-of-state trial lawyers and liberal activists who are trying to block educational freedom and school choice for the children of our state.”

Tulsi Gabbard, former Democratic presidential candidate, leaves Democrat Party

Tulsi Gabbard, the former congresswoman from Hawaii and 2020 Democrat presidential candidate, announced Tuesday she is leaving her party.

The former rising Democrat star posted her reasons for leaving on Twitter and called on others to join her.

GABBARD: “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party that’s under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers, who are driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoking anti-white racism, who actively worked to undermine our God-given freedoms that are enshrined in our Constitution, who are hostile to people of faith and spirituality, who demonize the police, but protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, who believe in open borders, who weaponize the national security state to go after their political opponents.”

Remarkably, 8.3 million people have viewed her video.

Perhaps her exit from the Democrat Party will inspire Democrats, who share her sense of abandonment, to leave the Democrat Party in advance of the mid-term election.

Biden’s FBI targets pro-life Christians

Speaking of weaponizing the national security state, as Gabbard did, the FBI and Department of Justice continue to hunt down Christian pro-life activists. 

Last Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against eleven people in connection with a peaceful protest outside an abortion mill in Tennessee last year. This comes within weeks of the FBI arresting pro-life activist Mark Houck at his home in Pennsylvania.

One of the recently arrested Christians was Paul Vaughn who is married with 11 children. Vaughn told the Daily Signal that FBI agents raided his home in Tennessee last week with “guns pointed at the door, banging on the house, yelling and screaming, ‘Open up. FBI.’”

Appearing on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, Vaughn compared the arrest to the persecution the church has often received from tyrants.

VAUGHN: “As a Christian family, we do a lot of studying about historic Christianity and missionaries in the past and persecution that has happened in the church. So, they’re familiar with stories. They know there are people who’ve been martyred throughout history. They know they’ve been persecuted and, and picked on by bully tyrants in other parts of history just like they are being in America today.”

What’s especially galling about Paul Vaughn’s case is that he wasn’t even arrested for trespassing on the day of the protest in front of the abortion mill.

Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Study: 70% of pastors say giving at or exceeded budget

And finally, Lifeway Research released a new survey on how the economy is affecting churches.

Fifty-two percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say the current economy is having a negative impact on their churches. Nevertheless, 70% of pastors say giving at their church this year is at or exceeding their budget.

Although smaller congregations recovered to pre-pandemic attendance levels more quickly, they are more likely to report financial struggles in the face of rising prices.

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, October 13th, in the year of our Lord 2022. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.