The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has approved measures urging President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria due to the widespread persecution of Christians, following a congressional hearing on March 12. 

Lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for its failure to protect Christian communities from escalating violence, citing alarming data from multiple human rights organizations. A 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa revealed that Nigeria accounted for 90% of all Christians killed globally each year. The report documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, at least 55,910 people were killed, and 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the country. 

During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) emphasized the severity of the crisis, referencing firsthand testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria.

“Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from elected officials,” Smith stated. “None of them have been arrested or brought to justice.” 

Nigeria has consistently ranked among the deadliest countries for Christians, according to various organizations tracking global religious persecution. 

International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that in 2023 alone, thousands of Christians were killed in Nigeria, with entire villages burned down by extremist groups.  

“Terrorism, violent militancy, and local unrest continue to rock Nigeria’s many fragile Christian communities,” an ICC staffer said in ICC’s 2025 Global Persecution Index.  

Islamic terror groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are killing Christians in the northeast, while Islamic Fulani militants regularly kill Christians throughout the north. Fulani militants have killed more Christians than Boko Haram in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, and Southern Kaduna states. 

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has also warned that Nigeria’s security forces have failed to curb the violence and that in some cases, local officials have been complicit. 

Lawmakers at the hearing expressed serious concerns about the Nigerian government’s failure to act, despite constitutional protections for religious freedom. The subcommittee’s report criticized Nigerian authorities for allowing extremist groups to operate with near-total impunity. 

Before he starred as Jesus in “The Chosen,” Jonathan Roumie’s career in the entertainment industry included interning at “Saturday Night Live” (SNL)—where he met Chris Farley—and voicing “Celebrity Deathmatch.” Roumie made his first appearance on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday (March 17), where he talked to host Jimmy Fallon about the unexpected success of “The Chosen.”

“Thirty years ago, I was an intern for ‘Saturday Night Live,’” Roumie told Fallon. During that time, Roumie had worked in the very same building that he and Fallon were currently in. 

Now, Roumie said, “I’m a guest with you, who was on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ So it’s really, it’s a crazy full circle.”

 

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Jimmy Fallon Asks Jonathan Roumie About ‘The Chosen’

Jonathan Roumie pursued acting for years before finding success in “The Chosen,” a historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ. The series, which is created, co-written and directed by Dallas Jenkins, is unique in that it got its start through being crowdfunded and is now a global phenomenon.

RELATED: ‘My Face Pops Into Their Mind As They’re Hearing Scriptures’—Jonathan Roumie Tells Tucker Carlson What It’s Like Being Recognized in Public

Roumie told Fallon he interned on “SNL,” working in the research department, during Will Ferrell’s first season. When Fallon asked if any memories of “SNL” hosts stuck out to him, Roumie answered, “One of the things I do remember is seeing Chris Farley come back to visit” after Farley’s tenure on the show had ended.

Everyone on staff lined up to greet Farley and “it was clear that he was beloved by everybody,” Roumie said. Roumie decided to take the opportunity to meet the famous actor and comedian—who was not sure who Roumie was, but greeted him warmly anyway. 

Fallon mentioned that Roumie also voiced MTV’s “Celebrity Deathmatch.”

“For those who don’t know,” Roumie said, the show featured “clay animated celebrities [fighting] each other to the death in the most ridiculous ways, and they needed people to sound like the celebrities. And so I wrote a letter to the casting director and said, ‘Hey, I do impressions. Could I audition?’”

Days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in his country’s war with Russia, the leader spoke to Franklin Graham about efforts to obtain “a just and lasting peace.” Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, shared on March 14 that he urged Zelenskyy “to call for a national day of prayer at this critical time.”

In a social media post recapping last Friday’s phone call, Graham added, “I would encourage this not only for the people of Ukraine, but also for the people of Russia and around the world—that the church of Jesus Christ stand together in prayer for peace.”

RELATED: Franklin Graham Thanks Mike and Karen Pence for Visiting Samaritan’s Purse Relief Team in Ukraine

“So many lives have been lost,” he said. “President @realDonaldTrump is right—this war must end. We need God’s help.”

Today I spoke with Ukraine’s President @ZelenskyyUa. I urged him to call for a national day of prayer at this critical time. I would encourage this not only for the people of Ukraine, but also for the people of Russia and around the world—that the church of Jesus Christ stand…

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) March 14, 2025

Ukrainian President: ‘We Value Franklin Graham’s Voice’

Zelenskyy also posted about the conversation, thanking Graham “for his support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, humanitarian aid, and the important guidance” during the three-year conflict. Zelenskyy said the two men talked about the March 10 meeting in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations.

“Our state seeks peace more than anyone,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, “which is why Ukraine accepts the United States’ proposal for an unconditional 30-day full interim ceasefire.” Although the Ukrainian leader called that “a good step to save people,” he warned that “Russia is looking for various excuses to avoid ending the war.”

Zelenskyy concluded, “We value Franklin Graham’s voice and rely on his support. Thank you for your prayers for Ukraine and peace.”

Days later, on March 17, Zelenskyy expressed impatience with the lack of progress on the ceasefire. “It’s clear to everyone in the world,” he wrote, “that it is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin who continues to drag out this war.”

The proposal could have been implemented “long ago,” Zelenskyy posted, adding that people are dying daily. “The unconditional ceasefire proposal is essentially about saving lives, allowing diplomats to work on ensuring security and a lasting peace—the proposal that Russia is ignoring,” he stated. “Pressure is needed to finally make Moscow accept that their war must be brought to an end.”

Trump and Putin Discuss Ukraine War

Zelenskyy issued that plea ahead of the Tuesday (March 18) phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders were expected to discuss topics such as territorial concessions by Ukraine and control of a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

A North Carolina pastor who had been released on bond in a child sex crimes case has died. Waymon Jordan Sr. of Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church in Waxhaw was arrested on March 5 and charged with four counts of statutory sex offense with a child.

Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.

While the cause of death has not been disclosed, authorities do not suspect foul play in Jordan’s death. Jordan was 79 years old. 

The special victim’s unit of the Union County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Jordan in February after receiving a report of child sex abuse. 

RELATED: Georgia Youth Pastor Charged With 6 Counts of Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

He is accused of engaging in a “sexual act” with a child who was 15 years old or younger, according to WBTV. The crime is alleged to have occurred in 2022. 

Jordan was initially denied bond, but he was later released on a $200,000 bond. He had been scheduled to appear in court on March 25. 

Sometime after his release, Jordan was found dead outside of his church.

Jordan is still listed as the founder and senior pastor on Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church’s website. According to his profile, he was ordained in 1972. 

RELATED: NY Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Faces up to 30 Years in Prison

ChurchLeaders has reached out to Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church for comment and will update this article in the event of a response. 

(RNS) — On a recent night, a mother in California found herself lying awake at 3:00 a.m., her mind racing. Unable to sleep, she tossed and turned for the next three hours, anxiously ruminating on the same question that has haunted her for years.

“All the time, I just think about it: How can I help my son?” she told Religion News Service in a recent interview. “I cannot think about anything else.”

It’s a personal agony that has long plagued Ava — which is not her real name, as she requested anonymity to be able to speak freely about her story — who is a refugee from Iran living in the U.S. While much of her family has resettled here, her eldest adult son remains in exile in Indonesia. A local church has sponsored his entry into the U.S., but he, like virtually all refugees seeking entry into the country, is currently in limbo after President Donald Trump’s decision to essentially freeze the U.S. refugee program entirely.

That includes people fleeing religious persecution. In her most trying moments, Ava says, she turns to that which has long given her family strength, even as it prevents her from ever returning to Iran, where she could face potential death: the Christian faith.

“I can pray,” Ava said. “We pray every day. We pray about it every night. Every day. Every morning. Every moment. We just pray for our son’s situation — to join us, and that God will open the doors for him to come with his family and start a new life in the United States.”

Ava and her family’s refugee story began roughly 20 years ago when her husband visited South Korea on a work trip. He joined a Christian church there and brought his newfound faith back with him to Iran, where he quietly participated in Bible studies. The family eventually fled to Indonesia, where Ava said she, too, converted to Christianity after a chance encounter in a shopping mall connected them to a Persian church, which they eventually joined.

“I decided to follow Jesus,” she said, adding that her younger son also came to embrace the faith while they lived there.

Over the next 10 years, the family lived in Indonesia while also seeking refugee status through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The process was agonizingly slow, but Ava’s family was eventually briefly resettled in Michigan before connecting with a church in California, leading them to finally put down roots on the West Coast.

But while Ava embraced their new beginning, it was tainted when her eldest son — who converted to Christianity and fled Iran to Indonesia later than the rest — was not initially approved for resettlement alongside the rest of his family.

Meanwhile, the family grew closer to their church congregation, with Ava and her husband joining a “home group.” It was through these gatherings they met fellow parishioners Taryn and Fernando Herrera.

“They are truly our family,” Fernando said, adding that Ava’s family has been “embraced by the congregation.”

Ava was equally effusive, describing her relationship with the church as “perfect,” and exclaiming, “we love them!”

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, an outspoken Christian who recently was baptized and received a minister’s license, offered words of faith and encouragement last week to football players at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder.

Washington, 70, talked about some of his struggles, his roller-coaster relationship with God, and how he eventually realized that “God put me on this planet to preach.”

CU head coach Deion Sanders—also an outspoken Christian—opened a recent team meeting by playing a clip from Washington’s 2000 movie “Remember the Titans.” Then the man Sanders called “the greatest actor ever” appeared on a livestream to talk to and interact with players.

RELATED: ‘Don’t Play With God’: Denzel Washington Preaches During NY Times Interview

Denzel Washington ‘Deserted God’ But Received Mercy

Washington began by reciting Psalm 19:14, praying that his words would be pleasing to God. Then he described himself as “a man of God who’s been through every machination of faith, from faith to eff it.”

“I rejected God. I hated God,” he said. “I loved God. I appreciated God. I’ve had no patience with God, and God has had nothing but patience with me. That’s why they call it grace.”

Only by God’s grace, Washington said, did he survive a rough upbringing. He sold drugs, shot up heroin at age 13, and saw people get killed. Even after being “filled with the Holy Spirit in the ’80s…I still wanted to go party,” he said. Washington also described the extreme highs and lows of fame and the world’s fickleness.

RELATED: Denzel Washington: Prayer and the Holy Spirit Have Protected Me

The actor told CU’s football team that people all have different platforms but one God-given purpose. “I’m here to tell you God did not put you here to play football,” Washington said. “He gave you that gift, but that’s not your purpose in life.” He urged listeners to have a solid foundation and to be rooted in faith.

Reading from the devotional book “Jesus First for Men,” Washington talked about Jesus’ parable of seeds sown on barren places—and what a rocky heart might look like. “I had a rocky place in my heart and deserted God,” the actor said, “but thank God he had mercy on me.”

Lola Sheen, daughter of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, has publicly shared her newfound faith in Christ. While she admitted that she has quite a bit to learn, Sheen vulnerably shared how God demonstrated his power during one of her worst panic attacks.

“I have been wanting to share how God has transformed my life for so long,” said Sheen in a recent YouTube video.

Lola Sheen Recognized She ‘Didn’t Give [Jesus] Time To Pour Into Me’ Before a Panic Attack

Lola Sheen came to know Christ last year and was recently baptized in a local church. Sheen’s Instagram profile describes her as “saved by His Grace,” and she started a podcast to share her journey with others.

“Jesus is the only reason why I’m here today and made my life worth living,” Sheen said.

With just two episodes, her “HeavenlyBonded” podcast is “about walking with Jesus and walking through life.” Sheen has committed to uploading a new video each Sunday. The second episode focuses on “God’s Strength In Our Weakness.”

Sheen recently traveled to New York City for several days to promote a new show on Bravo, “Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.” While many people would embrace and enjoy a full schedule, interviews, and hair and makeup sessions, Sheen found it daunting.

Sheen remembered, “I did not make enough time to pray and to really, really let God fill my mind with his truth.”

She described how she felt insecure around so many “people who constantly have eyes on you.” Combined with being in the large city and navigating a full day of press interviews, the insecurity led Sheen to experience growing anxiety that could lead to a panic attack.

“I never made enough time for Jesus because I was so busy,” admitted Sheen. She later reflected on how it’s “important to make sure that I’m putting God at the beginning of my day and the end of my day.”

RELATED: ‘It’s a Great Way To Start Your Day’—Actress Patricia Heaton Reflects on Reading the Bible in a Year

Sheen recognized a familiar cycle in her own life. She listens to the world, rather than God’s truth, and it creates such anxiety within her soul. In this instance, her natural tendency was to isolate herself. But she knew isolation is often a temptation from the enemy because “that’s when we’re the most vulnerable.” Rather than fixating on the negative thoughts and emotions, Sheen decided to embark on a fun day in the city with friends. Admittedly, she still had not spent time with God and “received God’s peace.”