There is no question that persecution against Christians is on the rise worldwide. One can hardly watch the news or scroll through social media without hearing another story of Christians being discriminated against for their faith.
But what is happening goes far beyond mere discrimination. The data tells us that more and more Christians around the world are facing threats of violence. Last year, 380 million Christians around the world faced “high levels” of persecution. According to Open Doors, that number is up 15 million from the previous year. The reported incidents of persecution are not just words or empty threats. Real violence against Christians is drastically increasing at an alarming rate. Attacks against churches have gone up 800% since 2018. Last year alone, 4,998 Christians were killed around the world because of their faith.
This is the heartbreaking reality: More Christians are paying the ultimate price for their faith than ever before in modern history.
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Nowhere are these statistics more startling than in Northern Nigeria. In 2025, 4,476 Christians were murdered globally. But what is even more striking is that out of that, 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria alone! That makes Nigeria the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian.
These statistics do not even account for the hundreds of thousands of Nigerian Christians who were kidnapped, beaten, and had their children and property seized for the high crime of identifying as a follower of Jesus. Overwhelmingly, most of these atrocities happen in Northern Nigeria. This is a genocide of Christians happening in real time.
Twelve Nigerian States in Northern Nigeria have adopted an extremely strict form of Shariah Law into their legal system. This is the kind of law that cuts off a hand for stealing, gives 40 violent lashes for using drugs, or even sentences someone to death for homosexual activities. Under this system, where the Islamic religion and the legal system are the same, being a Christian is often a crime punishable by death.
To me, these are not just statistics. The reality of this unfolds in real time before my own eyes daily. The ministry I founded and manage, Across Nigeria, operates in the middle of this chaos.
Much of the areas we work in are controlled by extreme terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State of West Africa Province). Not too long ago, a young pregnant woman converted from Islam to Christianity. When she did, local enforcers locked her in a room until she delivered her baby. The moment the baby was born, they took the infant. To this day, she has never even seen or touched her baby. Shortly after this, she felt threatened and believed her life was in danger. Our team helped her escape and brought her to our refugee facility to rebuild her life.
In another example, an elderly woman was caught with a Bible that one of our pastors had given her. Her sons hired a man to kill her because they suspected she had become a Christian. We intervened and extracted her to the safety of our facility.
In 2021, one of our pastors was killed for simply being a Christian. I could share a thousand more examples of people suffering because they follow Jesus Christ. It is a daily occurrence in this part of the world. These stories are true. I have seen them and lived them.
Unfortunately, so much of the Christian Church in the United States is asleep when it comes to the issue of global persecution. I believe the American Church has lost its conviction to stand for truth and what is right.
That is not the legacy of the Christian faith. Historically, Christians have always been the ones who have spoken for those who have no voice. We have always fought for those who could not fight on their own.
The data doesn’t lie: Christian persecution across the globe is at an all-time high. It’s time for American Christians to stand up and be bold, not only for themselves, but for those who cannot stand for themselves.
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Brad Brandon is the founder and CEO of Across Nigeria. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in the foreign mission field. He serves predominantly in high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. Through Pastor Brad and the Across Nigeria team, ground-breaking work is being done to bring the Gospel into areas with the most intense opposition. His passion is to reach people in these areas with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help persecuted Christians who live under the constant threat of violence because of their faith in Christ.
