Christian Persecution Is Rising Around the World
I was recently having a conversation with someone who is churched, but certainly biblically illiterate. We were discussing the growing deception and the groundwork being laid for the beast system infrastructure. When I referenced the beast system, this person began talking in terms as though he would be here when this system is in full force. The conversation then turned to the timing of the Rapture. Now this is one of the frustrations I deal with on a daily basis. People provide their interpretation of Scripture that is based on either 1.) their feelings and emotions or 2.) someone else’s flawed interpretation.
As the conversation turned to the timing of the Rapture, this person basically rejected the idea of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture based on his idea that Christians must be “tested by fire.” He thinks that Christians have it easy and have not suffered enough persecution to warrant being rescued from the wrath to come.
I know! Does he not see what is going on around the world? Has he not read history? It’s mind-boggling that someone could be so blind to the reality of what is happening… but should I be surprised? How many Christians just bury their heads in the sand and don’t concern themselves with what is going on around the world? In fact, I believe most don’t concern themselves with what is going on in their own backyard.
I penned an article roughly two years ago titled, Not Appointed to Wrath, but Not Immune to Persecution. In this article, I lay out the fact that we, as the body of Christ, have and will suffer persecution for our testimony in Jesus, BUT we are not appointed to the wrath that is reserved for an unbelieving world.
Now the purpose of this short article is to provide some stats that would indicate Christians are actually suffering persecution on a global scale.
THE CHURCH THAT SUFFERS
Before we talk about the persecuted church around the world today, I want to take you back nearly 2,000 years to a church that Jesus Himself addressed: Smyrna. Jesus did not rebuke this church. He looked at this suffering church and said, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty.”
Think about those words: “I know.”
Jesus knew every threat. He knew every loss. He knew every family that had suffered because they belonged to Him. He knew what it cost them to confess the name of Christ.
And then He told them something that probably wasn’t what they wanted to hear: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.”
Jesus did not promise that the suffering would stop. He promised something greater: He would be faithful to them in the middle of it.
And then came His command: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
We read those words today from the comfort of our cushioned chairs, in air-conditioned churches, and with the freedom to gather publicly (at least here in the Western world). But for the believers in Smyrna, those words were not theoretical. Following Jesus could cost them their livelihood, their freedom, and even their lives.
Smyrna may be ancient history, but the persecuted church is not.
Right now, across the world, there are believers gathering secretly because publicly worshiping Jesus could put them in danger. There are pastors who know that preaching Christ could lead to imprisonment… or death. There are Christians who have lost homes, jobs, family relationships, and freedom because they refuse to deny Jesus Christ.
For millions of Christians, persecution is not something they read about in church history. It is their daily reality.
According to the 2026 Open Doors World Watch List, more than 388 million Christians experience high levels of persecution or discrimination because of their faith. That is roughly 1 in 7 Christians worldwide. The rate is about 1 in 5 in Africa and 2 in 5 in Asia.
Below are the top 10 countries on this watchlist:
https://www.opendoors.org/persecution/countries
We are going to explore a few of these on the top 10 and even some that fall outside. Due to the nature of what has been going in Nigeria over the past few year, I felt it appropriate to start there.
NIGERIA
Open Doors ranks Nigeria #7 on its 2026 World Watch List and describes it as having been the world’s most violent place for Christians for several years.
According to a September 2026 report from Equipping the Persecuted, 4,216 Christians were killed in Nigeria between January 1 and September 8, 2026. That works out to approximately: 16.8 Christians every day or One Christian every 86 minutes.
IRAN
Open Doors reports that Christian converts from Islam are particularly vulnerable. House churches are be raided, believers arrested and interrogated, and Christian activity prosecuted under national-security accusations. Following recent Iran-Israel conflict, Open Doors reports authorities increasingly portrayed evangelical converts as potential Western collaborators or spies.
ISLAMIST EXTREMISM
The newest Pew Research Center analysis, published in September 2026, estimates that there are now about 5.5 million Muslims in the United States, compared with approximately 2.4 million in 2007. That’s more than a doubling in less than two decades. The number of American mosques also increased from roughly 1,200 in 2000 to nearly 2,800 in 2020.
The most important implication of Islam’s growth in America isn’t political—it is spiritual. Millions of Muslims now live within reach of American churches that believe Jesus commanded them to make disciples of all nations.
This is at odds with Islam and is a perceived threat. What do you think this quiet (not-so-quiet anymore) infiltration of Islam into America means? As the rise of Islamic influence continues, will we also see persecution of Christians commence on our home soil? Let’s look at how many countries are Muslim-majority on the 2026 World Watch List:
Somalia — #2
Yemen — #3
Sudan — #4
Syria — #6
Nigeria — #7
Pakistan — #8
Libya — #9
Iran — #10
Muslim-majority countries represent 80% of the top ten.
Conclusion
In just a short period of time, I’ve proven that Christian persecution is not just limited to small pockets. In fact, roughly 15% of Christians suffer some level of persecution. Now let’s put this to the test of Scripture. As a follower of Christ, will we experience persecution for our faith? Paul answers this question in his second letter to Timothy: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). More importantly, Jesus addresses this in John 15:18-20:
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”
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