News From The Field - 09-30-2026

MYANMAR: Pastor and Congregant Arrested, Killed by Burmese Military

William, a pastor in Chin State, Myanmar, and another Christian man, Pu Nam Ceu, were arrested by soldiers from Myanmar’s military on May 16, 2026, and later killed while in military custody. Before his arrest, the pastor sent his wife and five children to the relative safety of a larger city while he returned to the jungle, where some members of his congregation were hiding because of ongoing civil conflict. He did not want to abandon his church members, especially those most vulnerable and exposed to danger. When soldiers arrived at the place where church members were hiding, William and Pu Nam Ceu were arrested. Christian leaders repeatedly sought information about the two men but received no response until learning of their deaths. A memorial service was held in their village on Aug. 26. Pray that God will comfort the families of these two men and give courage and wisdom to Christians who continue to faithfully serve in conflict-affected areas of Myanmar.

KYRGYZSTAN: Church Property Confiscated

Local government officials are working to seize property owned by a church since the 1990s and used to host children’s camps in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. “We have more than a thousand children that attend the camps annually,” said a local pastor. Though Christians hold title to the property, which is also used for other church events, they have had to wage a legal fight to keep it. “We have had many court appearances already and have won all of them,” said a pastor. “I am very concerned about the upcoming one.” In recent years, multiple governments across the former Soviet republics in Central Asia have passed restrictive laws designed to curtail religious instruction to minors.

FINLAND: Member of Parliament “Guilty” After Standing for Biblical Truth

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of Finland found Päivi Räsänen guilty under a legal statute concerning “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.” Räsänen has been a member of Finland’s parliament since 1995 and is a former Minister of the Interior for the nation. Her “crime” was writing lessons for her church communicating what the Bible says about human sexuality. The criminal case against Räsänen began in 2019 when she posted a picture to social media showing her Bible open to Romans 1:24–27 with a caption asking why her church’s leaders had signed on to co-sponsor a “Pride” event. Though a police investigation recommended no charges be brought, the prosecutor brought charges anyway and then appealed not one but two lower-court acquittals. Räsänen recently told VOM Radio that even through this long challenge, she’s experienced blessings.