He was the pastor of a large unregistered church called Living Stone church in Guizhou Province in China until he was placed under criminal detention in 2015, charged with ‘illegally possessing state secrets’.

He had refused to register with the state-sanctioned Patriotic Association for Protestants in China. They were accused of crimes against the state. They didn’t want to register as they felt it would give the government too much control over their activities and mean they lose their independence.

In January 2017 he was sentenced and another leader at the same church, Pastor Su Tianfu, was also put in prison for one year and suspended for two years.

The pastors were fined $1 million US for collecting ‘illegal’ donations from the congregation – both pastors filed appeals saying the donations were voluntary but the appeals were rejected.

Pastor Yang Hua’s health in prison had been noted before, with his lawyer saying he was “on the verge of paralysis” because of an inflammation in his legs and due to only being given basic medical care in prison.

He was moved to the medical wing of the prison but his leg and skin conditions only began while in detention and other health problems were exacerbated.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s China advocacy officer told Premier how else he suffered while inside: “He had limited meetings with his family –…

Will Graham was invited to share the gospel at the Central Scotland Celebration of Hope three day event at the Falkirk Stadium, in partnership with over 200 churches across Central Scotland.

Hundreds committed their lives to Christ at the event itself and hundreds more did so online and through discipleship courses.

Michael Rollo, a local church leader and member of the committee shared the impact that the event had on him.

“It’s just been humbling to see what God has done…I believe that what we’ve sown here we will reap in the days to come,” he said.

“There’s a legacy for the generation coming behind. Many, many young people have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Over 2,000 people braved the cold temperatures to hear Will Graham share a message of hope in Falkirk, Scotland, Friday night. This man fell to his knees during worship led by Christian artist Aaron Shust.

The Falkirk event is just the first of such events planned by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the UK.

Franklin Graham, president of the organisation and son of Billy Graham, will be visiting Blackpool in September 2018.

Lee Searle, director of ministry for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the UK shared his excitement about the future of evangelism in the UK.

“This event in Falkirk has shown that there is still…

Published on Wednesday to coincide with World Refugee Day, World Vision’s new report, On the Road to Somewhere, reveals that of the 28 million children who were forced to flee their homes due to conflict and disasters in 2016, more than 16 million were displaced in their own countries.

Erica Hall, World Vision’s technical policy lead for child protection, told Premier why there isn’t as much focus on internally displaced children.

“They’re less visible. It’s so much easier to see and to think about the children who are turning up on the shores of Europe.

“Whereas children who are in the Democratic Republic of Congo for example – they’ve had cycles of displacement for their entire lives.”

The Christian charity is calling on the governments of the UK and other wealthy countries to provide more funding for the vulnerable group.

At least 3,270 grave violations against children including recruitment as child soldiers, sexual violence and destruction of schools were recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017 alone – a 245 per cent increase since 2015.

In war-torn South Sudan where seven million people are internally displaced as a result of conflict, 60 per cent are children.

Highlighting the specific prayers internally displaced children need, Hall explained: “Pray that they’re not forgotten and pray that we can…

Teaching on sexuality and transgenderism emerged as another of the main concerns younger believers have about their church, the survey found.

Hillary Topp, director of the Student Christian Movement (SCM), which commissioned the research, said the results were not a sign churches ought to shift their theological position.

Speaking with Premier, she explained: “It’s about having an open dialogue.

“It’s not helpful when churches say, ‘this is the teaching on this – and that’s that’. What would be better is if we explain why that’s the teaching [and] what’s the theology that this is grounded in.

“I think it’s important that students can ask questions and question some of these things.

“Perhaps, some of the things that some churches feel they can’t budge on, other churches feel they can, and they’re still following Christ. For me, it’s not about churches compromising in any way.”

The attitudes of older Christians at church were also named as factors which made faith more difficult for Christian students, according to the findings.

Conducted by the St Mary’s Centre – a Christian research institute – the survey sought to establish how Christian students can be best supported in their faith.

Topp also said: “These findings give us an insight into the spiritual lives of the students we support, and also point to the challenges that students face in seeking to live out their…

Corinne Broughton, Rebecca Coatsworth, Lydia Lee and Esther Longe will preach in front of a live audience and the viewers of BBC’s The One Show on Thursday 21st June.

The London School of Theology and Preach magazine are running the competition and require sermons to be no more than 1500 words and based on the theme ‘Be Set Free’.

Preachers from 19 to 83 years old entered and for a third of entrants it was the first sermon they had ever written.

Rebecca Coatsworth, a writer for a Christian charity said: “I got the email telling me I was a finalist at the end of my lunch break at work. I saw the subject line and started freaking out; I absolutely could not believe it! There were tears – happy tears!

“Honestly I am both incredibly nervous and incredibly excited for this event. I feel 100 per cent inadequate and totally out of my comfort zone, which terrifies me, but if God can use my sermon to speak to just one person (even if that person is me!) it will be worth it.”

Rebecca Coatsworth

Finalist Corinne Broughton, who is studying Theology in London, said: “I had entered the competition because I really believe God is growing the gift of speaking and writing in me, but I never considered that I would stand a chance of winning the competition. It really is an amazing opportunity to be published in the book. Also, for the…

Areeb Umeed Bakhsh, 13 and Somer, 15, and their parents, Maqsood and Parveen, have been living in limbo for six years after being repeatedly turned down by the Home Office, largely because officials do not believe they would be at risk if returned to the Muslim country.

Speaking on World Refugee Day, the brothers said they regarded themselves “Scottish boys”.

Somer, who is studying five Highers at Springburn Academy in Glasgow and hopes to be an astrophysicist when he is older, said: “I love Scotland and I do not want to go back to Pakistan.

“The thought of it terrifies me and it is very stressful to even imagine going back there. I wouldn’t have a future and I can’t even read or write Urdu.

“I want to live here in Scotland, it is my country and my home.”

Paul Sweeney, MP for Glasgow North-East, said it would be “inhumane” to deport the family.

He said: “I have met the family and was disturbed to learn that they are at risk of deportation to Pakistan where they have already faced discrimination and very real death threats for their Christian beliefs.

“This family have already contributed a huge amount to our local community of Possilpark in Glasgow through the parish church and are exactly the sort of people that our country should be welcoming with open arms, not casting out to a dangerous future.

“It is shocking that a highly skilled and motivated family like this…

More than 600 members of the United Methodist Church (UMC) say Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ endorsement of a new “zero tolerance” immigration policy infringes upon church law.

In the complaint, the 640 signatories accuse Mr Sessions of “child abuse” by introducing “practices that indefinitely separate thousands of young children from their parents” and “holding thousands of children in mass incarceration facilities with little to no structured educational or socio-emotional support.”

Taking a tougher stance on people illegally entering the country from Mexico has led to 2,000 children being separated from their families at the border, recent official statistics revealed.

Last week, Mr Sessions defended the new immigration policy by quoting chapter 13 of Romans, where Paul urges the believers in Rome to respect the God-given authority of their earthly leaders.

In response, the complaint accuses him of spreading “doctrines contrary to the standards of doctrine of the United Methodist Church”, through the “misuse of Romans 13 to indicate the necessity of obedience to secular law.”

Among the other charges clergy and lay members levelled against Mr Sessions – who is a UMC member and attends UMC churches in Alabama and Virginia – are “immorality” and “racial discrimination”.

Premier has contacted The United States Department of Justice for a comment.

Amid widespread…