The Chairman’s Report for June

In this issue of the newsletter
New: Orphanage mourns another murder by the Sunni Muslim Fulani
New: Attacks just 30 miles from orphanage kill Christian farmers
New: Orphanage farm brings fresh food and self-worth to orphans
New: The Chinese Communist Party fights for control of the church

Brother of Orphanage Students Murdered by Fulani

On May 6^th our Nigeria mission witnessed firsthand the near daily reality of Jihadist persecution in Nigeria. Our Nigerian Director, Joshua, led a team into the Fan district of Barkin Ladi following yet another Sunday massacre that struck at the heart of Plateau State where we work.

The Fulani jihadists attacked on a Sunday evening, this time on May 3rd. One of the five youths murdered that night was Obadiah, the older brother of three younger children currently under our care at the orphanage.

The attack occurred a mere 35 miles from the orphanage and came suddenly just like the attack on Palm Sunday evening, as families gathered in the Gari Ya Waye district. The attacks in this area by the Fulani are getting more intense.

In a heartbreaking scene, our team transported his three siblings back to their village to mourn.

The solemn visit was a stark reminder of why our work exists: we are not just caring for “orphans” in an abstract sense; we are caring for children whose families are being systematically destroyed by the Suni Muslim Fulani.

In March I reported that the uncle of one of the students in our transition program was murdered by the Fulani in the same area.

Violence at the Grave: The tragedy did not end with the attack that Sunday. While our team was in Barkin Ladi, more murders were committed by the Fulani.

Just a short distance away in the neighboring community of Nding, seven more Christians were slaughtered.

Showing their contempt for Christians, even those burying their dead, the Fulani militias attacked the mass burial site where the Nding community was attempting to lay the seven Nding victims to rest.

The Aftermath: The Fan district, which is made up of rural farms, has been emptied by fear of more attacks. Joshua’s latest report details a worsening situation:

• Schools are closed: Education has ceased as parents fear their children will be targeted.
• Businesses are on hold: The local economy is paralyzed, deepening the poverty of these already vulnerable families.
• Ongoing attacks: As of this report, violence is not a past event; it is ongoing. Fresh reports of gunfire and movement continue to be reported in this area of Plateau State.                                     

Our Heart for the Persecuted Church project stands in the gap, striving to provide the essential aid that the state government does not. However, the continued deadly attacks in Plateau State that Joshua reported on exhaust the meager resources we and other aid groups can provide.

When a brother of children at the orphanage is murdered by the Jihadists, the trauma ripples through our entire organization in Nigeria and at our office in the United States.

The frequency and nature of these attacks—targeting youths, interrupting burials, and keeping communities in a state of constant terror—demand more than just our sympathy. They demand a response. The Nigerian government ignores the pleas and protests of Christians.

President Trump has listed Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern as he did in his first term. His administration is also working with the Nigerian government to fight the Islamic State, but nothing is being done to stop the slaughter of innocents by the Fulani Suni Muslims.

A joint American and Nigerian military action killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the head of the Islamic State in Nigeria in May.

Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants American help to fight the Islamic State because they want to overthrow the current government, but Tinubu has no problem with the Fulani as they want a totally Muslim culture inside the current government structure. The Islamic State is a threat to him; the Fulani are not!

The Christians of Plateau State are not victims of a “clash” as the Western politicians and media claim, they are a people under a relentless Jihadist siege.

Heart for the Persecuted Church remains committed to standing with them, helping to provide for displaced families and orphans left in the wake of the Jihadist attacks.

I refuse to be politically correct and will continue to speak the truth about what is happening on the ground to Christians in the middle belt states in Nigeria.

Please pray for the protection of the orphanage children, for the family of Obadiah, and for the peace of the Fan district.

Please continue to pray for Danjuma, the orphanage security guard who was brutally beaten and robbed by Fulani as he walked home unarmed.

Danjuma underwent successful surgery but there was a physical and emotional toll. He spent five days in the hospital with head injuries. After two months he is still not completely recovered from his injuries.

The Farm: Ten years ago, I was introduced to a struggling orphanage in Miango, Plateau State that had been abandoned by the founder.

The children were receiving two meals a day of what was basically gruel or mush. Twice a week some protein was added if funds were available.

The children had lost their parents to Islamic terror. I decided to take responsibility for the orphanage. Meals were upgraded to three a day with protein. A new water system was installed with a new water tower. New furniture and buildings were added.

In 2021 the orphanage was overrun and destroyed by Sunni Muslim Fulani. The children escaped. Every building was destroyed and the children were placed in temporary quarters in Jos. More than the housing and school were lost.

Two years before the attack in 2021 land in Miango was obtained for the children to farm. The concept was simple: Allow the children to help feed themselves and develop self-worth. The farm was a huge success. So much corn and Irish potatoes were harvested that some were given to a small less fortunate orphanage.

The Fulani ran their cattle through the farm when they destroyed the orphanage in 2021. Their cattle trampled what they did not feed on. The Fulani use herds of cattle to advance on farms, hiding themselves and their weapons among the cattle.

In 2023 we rented land for a new farm and had an amazing harvest in August. Much more was produced than could be consumed before spoilage. Corn and potatoes were donated to smaller less fortunate orphanages. Successful farms were harvested in 2024 and 2025. Let’s do it again!

This year the older kids will clear the field, and the younger kids will help them plant. The crop this year includes Maize, Soybeans, Tampa (Finger millets, a highly nutritious cereal, Sweet Potatoes. Carrots, and Groundnuts (Peanuts). Some hay will be grown to use as covering for carrots.

This year the cost of starting up for the farm, including seed and fertilizer, is less than $2,500, the value to the children’s nutrition can be measured, but not the self-worth it builds. The smiles when the harvest comes in are incredible as the children say: “We did this.”

The Cross Under the Chinese Communist Star

The Battle for China’s Church: The global stage was recently captured by President Donald Trump’s high-stakes state visit to Beijing. Amidst intense international negotiations over trade tariffs, artificial intelligence, and global shipping lanes, a silent, profound conversation occurred behind closed doors.

On his return flight, President Trump revealed that he had directly pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider releasing jailed Christian pastors. Chief among them is Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who was swept up in Beijing’s escalating war on faith.

While diplomatic pageantry fills our evening news, the reality on the ground for Chinese believers is a grueling battle for the conscience. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has dramatically intensified its campaign to “Sinicize” religion—a bureaucratic term that translates to forcing the Church to worship the state above the Savior.

Across China, independent churches that refuse to register with the government-controlled denominations are being violently dismantled.

In a massive, coordinated crackdown against the underground Zion Church network in October 2025, authorities arrested Pastor Jin along with nearly thirty other pastors and associates.

Pastor Jin and the others were formally charged with the “illegal use of information networks.” Their crime is alleged to be using the internet to tell others about Jesus.

Pastor Jin—a brilliant scholar who holds a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States—has faced years of round-the-clock surveillance and strict exit bans, separating him from his wife and children for seven years. Today, he languishes in a squalid detention cell with limited access to critical medical care for his severe Type 2 diabetes.

Yet, like the early Church, China’s believers refuse to back down. Leaders are courageously declaring that they answer to a higher authority than the CCP. From the ashes of confiscated sanctuaries, independent fellowships continue to multiply in secret.

The Wall Street Journal with nearly five million digital and print subscribers published a very deep 1,500 word article on Pastor Jin, the persecution of Christians in China and President Trump’s attempts to address the issue. The article appeared on May 20th, shortly after President Trump’s return from China.

This deep dive article by one of the most respected publications in the world validates the real persecution of Christians in China.

This is why the global witness of the Religious Freedom Coalition remains so vital. When world leaders meet, we must ensure that the plight of our persecuted brethren is never negotiated away or forgotten.

Prayer Focus: Please join us in praying for Pastor Ezra Jin and the countless unnamed underground church leaders currently enduring interrogation and imprisonment in China. Pray that the Lord will give them unshakeable boldness, provide divine physical protection over their health, and cause their captors to see the transformational light of the Gospel.