The 2015 World Watch List from Open Doors ranks 50 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is most severe. The worst 10 are Muslim nations, yet Christians need to be aware that not all Muslim countries persecute Christians. Take the West African nation of Benin. It's one of 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the body which describes itself as ‘the collective voice of the Muslim world.’ Benin’s president, Boni Yayi, was born into a Muslim family. However, he is now a devout Evangelical Christian. He worships at his local Pentecostal church, where he sometimes also preaches the sermon, and has expressed a desire to ‘evangelise the world’ when his presidential term ends in 2016.

In China there are more Christians today than there are members of the 87 million-strong Communist Party. They grow by an average of 10% a year, which means there will be 250 million Christians by around 2030, making China’s Christian population the largest in the world. While in the 1980s the faith grew most quickly in the countryside, in recent years it has been burgeoning in cities. A new breed of educated, urban and socially and economically active Christians has emerged. This rapid growth of the Church is forcing an official re-think on religion. In fact, the Party is even asking Christians for their help.

Pauline Cafferkey, from Glasgow, was diagnosed with Ebola in December after returning from Sierra Leone. On 4 January it was announced she was in a critical condition. (See last week’s Prayer Alert.) The hospital has now said in a statement that she was ‘showing signs of improvement’. The 39-year-old had volunteered with other UK NHS staff for the charity Save the Children in West Africa. The full statement from the hospital said: ‘The Royal Free Hospital is pleased to announce that Pauline Cafferkey is showing signs of improvement and is no longer critically ill. she remains in isolation as she receives specialist care for the Ebola virus.’ Ms Cafferkey has been treated with experimental drugs and has received blood plasma from another British nurse, Will Pooley, who recovered from an Ebola infection last year.

The church in Mongolia has seen spectacular growth since 1990 when the country moved from communism to a democratic form of government. At that time there were only four known Christians in the nation of 3 million. By 2000 the number of believers had increased to nearly 10,000, and a decade later it reached 40,000, the new believers gathering in some 600 churches - 300 in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar and 300 in the provinces. Today the growth continues. Mongolia has the eighth-fastest growing church in the world, although Operation World indicates that evangelicals still represent only about 1.2 percent of the population. Meanwhile, Christian radio is playing an increasingly important role in that growth. ‘Through radio, thousands of people now can hear the truth, and in this [once-communist] country - nearly voided of religious influence for decades - people are listening,’ said Sam Joseph, a Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global) radio planter.

Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world's largest religious television broadcaster, announced that on 5 January 2015 it launched its newest network, TBN UK, on Freeview channel 65, the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial television service. The neworkt reaches 95 percent of the television households across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, bringing 24-hour Christian programming to a combined total of approximately 26 million UK homes. TBN Vice President Matthew Crouch said that the launch of TBN UK represents one of the most significant commitments in the history of the 42-year-old global faith-and-family television group, ‘While TBN has been available in the UK through cable and satellite,’ he explained, ‘this will be the first time that over 65 million individuals across the British Isles will have access to a broad range of faith-and-family programming 24 hours a day.’

Over Christmas and the New Year, the Queen spoke of Jesus as ‘an inspiration and an anchor’. In her annual Christmas message the Queen spoke about reconciliation and forgiveness, describing Jesus as a ‘role model’ of these qualities. In the message, broadcast on Christmas Day, she said: ‘For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people, of whatever faith or none.’ The monarch’s annual Christmas speech, which was first delivered by George V in 1932, is one of the rare occasions when the Queen gives her own views on events in the nation and around the world

Chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are now deployed to bring hope and healing by fanning out and ministering in the city of Ferguson, Missouri USA - following riots that erupted after the recent Grand Jury decision not to indict a local police officer in the Michael Brown shooting case, according to Erik Ogren, writing for the Billy Graham website. ‘We've heard from several pastors, and they view this as raw spiritual warfare. That's what it is and it's very obvious,’ said Jeff Naber, one of the Rapid Response Team. ‘With that said, the potential for revival here is extreme. This is different from a tornado or flood,’ said Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplain Strib Boynton as he manoeuvred his truck through the streets of Ferguson. ‘This is changing the hearts of people, of a whole community.’

Close to two-thirds of the UK’s best performing primary schools have a religious ethos, according to the latest league table results. The tables showed that out of the 693 schools in which all pupils achieved the Government’s expected standards, 62 per cent (427 schools) had a religious ethos. That is despite faith schools making up just a third of all primary schools in England. The faith schools include 330 Church of England and 88 Roman Catholic primaries. Nigel Genders, the C of E’s Chief Education Officer, said: ‘I’m delighted that Church of England primary schools are leading some of the outstanding practice going on in schools across the country and congratulate the pupils, teachers, support staff, parents and communities who have worked together to secure success.’

In China there are more Christians today than there are members of the 87 million-strong Communist Party. They grow by an average of 10% a year, which means there will be 250 million Christians by around 2030, making China’s Christian population the largest in the world. While in the 1980s the faith grew most quickly in the countryside, in recent years it has been burgeoning in cities. A new breed of educated, urban and socially and economically active Christians has emerged. This rapid growth of the Church is forcing an official rethink on religion. In fact, the Party is even asking Christians for their help. But there’s also a downside to this growth. See an assessment of the Church in China at Joel News International.

A gunman shot a Filipino pastor in the foot, pointed a handgun at his head, and demanded to be taken to the American missionaries’ complex. Missionaries Daniel and Colleen Jaquith were woken by gunshots, then the gunman burst into their room, with the pastor as hostage, demanding money. In response the Jaquiths dropped to their knees and began to pray. ‘Stop praying! Stop praying!’ the intruder yelled. They paid no attention and continued to pray. Then the pastor started a scuffle, Dan was shot in the arm, Colleen bound the bleeding arm with a pillow case while the pastor wrested the firearm from the gunman who then fled into the night. Later police arrested the gunman, who had a long history of drug use and law breaking. Their brush with death was terrifying but Dan is filled with gratitude for God’s protection and His answer to their prayers. Dan said he gives the Lord praise for His mighty deliverance during desperate times of trouble.