The Chairman’s Report for April

In this issue of the newsletter
Update: We are working to restore hope in Nigeria through prayer and aid
New: Individual stories from Plateau State and aid details
New: Government report details persecution of Christians worldwide
New: Iranian missile and drone parts rain down on Holy Land

Hope Amidst the Ashes: Restoring Futures in Mangu, Nigeria

In the rugged landscape of Mangu, Plateau State, the air is often thick with the memory of smoke and the heavy silence of a community once vibrant, now fractured. This region has become a primary target in the ongoing campaign of Jihadist violence led by the Fulani.

The objective of these raids is clear: to displace Christian populations and erase their presence from the land.

Recently, our Mission Director, Joshua ████, traveled to Mangu to conduct a vital follow-up visit with beneficiaries of our aid programs.

Joshua stands as a bridge between our supporters and the over 150 children currently seeking refuge at Mangu ████ ████. This facility serves as both a school and a temporary home for orphans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have escaped recent attacks.

The Voices of the Displaced

The reality of the situation is found in the eyes of children like Apollos ████. Apollos is a young girl whose life was upended when Jihadists attacked her village and killed her parents, leaving her among the growing number of orphans in Plateau State.

Despite the trauma she has witnessed, she spoke clearly about the daily hurdles they face.

“We need toilets, chairs, pencils, and uniforms,” she explained. In a place where children often sit on the bare, cold floor to study, a simple desk or a pencil is more than just equipment; it is a sign that they have not been forgotten by the outside world.

Joshua also spent time with Sati ████, a father who has been living in a state of displacement for three years.

Sati’s village was razed, and he has spent the intervening years moving from one temporary shelter to another, trying to provide for his five children. His story is typical of the “slow-motion” genocide occurring in the Middle Belt States in Nigeria where families are kept in a state of perpetual poverty and fear by Islamic terror.

Joshua also spent some time with Mrs. Afiniki ████, a widow burdened with the care of seven children. To survive, she sells small quantities of “dawa-dawa” (locust beans), a traditional seasoning.

Afiniki’s meager earnings are barely enough to provide one meal a day. Our programs support her children with a stipend that helps them attend school.

Heart for the Persecuted Church: A Lifeline in the Chaos

Our mission in Plateau State is to ensure that these victims are not left to face the “Fulani Terrorists” alone. One of the most critical aspects of our intervention is the monthly stipend we provide to the young orphans at this Mangu school.

Our support for the children allows the school’s caregivers—many of whom are volunteers working without pay out of their love for Christ—to provide the basic food and medical care these children need on a daily basis.

Beyond basic survival, we are investing in vocational training for IDP orphans. We offer support programs that teach woodwork, cooking and even hairdressing The goal is to provide IDP orphans we do not have the room for at the orphanage in Jos, with the skills to become self-sufficient in a country that offers them little government protection.

As Joshua gathered the children together, the resilience of their spirits was on full display. When he asked them who Jesus is, their voices rang out in unison through the dilapidated building: “Jesus is our Lord and Savior.”

Their voices are a powerful reminder that while the militants can destroy buildings and displace families, they cannot destroy the faith of those who belong to the Persecuted Church.

Official Report Confirms Abysmal Conditions in Nigeria

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its 2026 Annual Report, and the findings confirm what the Religious Freedom Coalition has been reporting from the front lines for years: Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a Christian.

While the USCIRF report is dated 2026, it relies on data and specific incidents from 2025 to make its recommendations to the U.S. State Department. These official reports are vital because they alert the international community and high-level policymakers to the systematic abuse of religious freedom.

Government Report confirms A Year of Bloodshed in Nigeria

The USCIRF report describes the religious freedom conditions in Nigeria as “abysmal,” citing a relentless wave of violence that has targeted Christian communities in the Middle Belt.

According to the USCIRF report’s 2025 figures:

• Massacres in the Middle Belt: The report highlights the killing of approximately 200 displaced Christians at a Catholic mission in Yelwata in June 2025, alongside the March 2025 slaughter of 52 people in Plateau State. These are the very areas where we operate, and these “figures” represent the parents of the children now in our care.
• Targeting the Innocent: The commission documented the abduction of over 300 individuals, primarily Christian schoolchildren, from a boarding school in Niger State. This underscores the specific danger faced by the orphans we support at our orphanage.
• Government Inaction: Crucially, the USCIRF criticized the Nigerian government for its continued failure to protect its citizens or prosecute the Fulani militants responsible for these Jihadist attacks.

Because of this ongoing failure, President Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in late 2025. While we welcome this official recognition, we know that the CPC designation does not feed orphans or protect a village from a midnight raid. That is why our work through Heart for the Persecuted Church remains so urgent.

Not Just Nigeria … Worldwide persecution against Christians

The Red Shadow: Persecution in Vietnam and China

While the headlines are often dominated by the Middle East and Africa, the USCIRF report (covering 2025) also shines a light on “Red” persecution—the state-sponsored oppression of Christians in Communist nations.

Vietnam’s Forced Renunciation: In Vietnam, the government continues to treat faith as a threat to national security. The report notes that ethnic Montagnard and Hmong Christians are being pressured to join state-sanctioned churches or face severe consequences.

• Forced Renunciation: Authorities have been documented forcing Christians to publicly renounce their faith.
• Imprisonment: Dozens of believers remain in prison for their religious activities, with sentences ranging from seven to nine years handed down as recently as May 2025.

China’s Digital Cages: The USCIRF report continues to rank China as one of the world’s worst offenders. In 2025, the “Sinicization” of religion reached new heights.

• Surveillance: The CCP uses high-tech facial recognition and “social credit” scores to track Christians and bar them from public life.
• Crosses and Closures: Thousands of crosses were removed from buildings, and many churches were forcibly closed or demolished.

A Tale of Two Communists: The Double Standard

Both China and Vietnam are run by repressive Communist regimes, and both systematically persecute Christians, but the United States government treats them very differently.

In the eyes of Washington, China is framed as a primary “strategic competitor” or adversary. Many of our elected officials openly refer to China as an enemy.

Consequently, China’s abuses are loudly condemned, and it is consistently designated as a CPC for religious freedom.

However, Vietnam is currently treated as a “friend” and a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific. Despite the USCIRF’s repeated recommendations to designate Vietnam as a CPC for its egregious violations, the State Department has been hesitant to do so, preferring to maintain the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” and favorable trade relations.

The Holy Land: A Sanctuary Under Fire

As we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord this year at Easter, the “Little Town of Bethlehem” and the surrounding Holy Sites are facing a crisis unlike any in modern history.

• Projectiles Over the Manger: Since the new Iran war began on March 2, 2026, the skies over the Holy Land have been filled with ballistic missiles and drones.
• Desecration of Sacred Ground: We have received confirmed reports of missile fragments and shrapnel falling in Shepherd’s Field—the very place where the angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds. Even more alarming, debris from intercepted projectiles has landed in the Old City of Jerusalem, striking near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Church in the Holy Land is shrinking as families are forced to choose between their ancestral homes and their survival. Now they not only face starvation from lack of work but also the debris of war falling upon them from a war in the skies above.

Prayer is needed! Please pray for the Christians remaining in the Holy Land who are all in great need. Pray for the Christians of Nigeria under attack. Please pray for all the Believers in the world who face persecution whether by Islamic terrorists or Communist governments.

Please pray for the children and elderly who suffer from losing family members!