The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a predominantly Christian nation with over 95% of its population identifying as Christian, has seen a surge in targeted attacks against Christian communities, often perpetrated by groups like the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist militant organization affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS).
One of the most recent and horrific incidents occurred on February 13, 2025, in the village of Mayba, Lubero territory, North Kivu province. According to reports from Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog, 70 Christians were found beheaded inside a church. The attack began in the early hours when suspected ADF militants entered the village, ordering residents to leave their homes quietly. Twenty Christians were initially captured, followed by an additional 50 as the community gathered to respond.
The ADF, known for its brutal tactics, has been linked to this massacre, which left the local church community reeling and prompted calls for urgent prayer and international attention.This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence.
In June 2024, over 80 Christians were killed in North Kivu between June 4 and 8, with villages attacked, homes burned, and many reported missing. Earlier, in March 2023, the ADF killed at least 72 Christians in Nord Kivu over two weeks, including 17 in Mabuku village, where an Episcopal priest was among the victims.
Another notable attack in May 2024 saw 14 Christians in North Kivu murdered by ADF militants for refusing to convert to Islam, an event praised by Pope Francis for their martyrdom. Since mid-October 2024, over 100 Christians have been killed by the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP, another name for ADF), with 53 deaths reported between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve alone.
The ADF’s stated goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate in eastern DRC, and their methods include beheadings, shootings, and abductions, often targeting Christians explicitly. For instance, in June 2024, ISCAP claimed to have beheaded 60 Christians in Masala village, Beni territory. These attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands—738,000 in 2024 alone, according to the UN’s OCHA—bringing the total displaced in DRC to 7.2 million. Churches have closed, villages have been abandoned, and Christian farmers have lost their livelihoods, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Despite joint military operations like “Cheng Gong,” involving UN peacekeeping forces and Congolese and Ugandan armies, the violence persists. Local church leaders, such as Pastor Kambale Aristote, have described an atmosphere of perpetual fear and called for global intercession, noting the ADF’s intent to convert or eliminate Christians.
The DRC’s ranking on the Open Doors World Watch List rose to 35 in 2025, reflecting the escalating persecution, with 355 Christians killed in 2024 compared to 261 the previous year.The international response has been criticized as inadequate, with some observers pointing to a perceived silence from global bodies and Western governments compared to other conflicts.
Violence against Christians is never discussed the same as when violence occurs against other religious groups. There is a long and documented history of violence against Christians.
During the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks launched a brutal campaign against Christianity, particularly targeting the Russian Orthodox Church. From 1917 onwards, they executed 28 bishops and over 1,200 priests in the first five years, with many more imprisoned or sent to labor camps. This persecution, driven by the atheist ideology of communism, decimated Christian communities and left fewer than 500 churches by the mid-20th century.
Since May 2021, at least 33 Christian churches in Canada have been burned to the ground, with 24 confirmed as arsons. The reason for the arson has been attributed the discover of unmarked graves of indigenous children in the grounds of religious residential schools in Kamloops.
Many fires are suspected to be linked to anger over the discovery of potential unmarked graves at former Indian residential school sites, though no conclusive motive has been identified. Other causes include accidental fires, but the scale and timing suggest deliberate acts, often targeting Catholic churches on Indigenous lands. To date no bodies have been discovered and it is now mostly believed that there are no mass graves.
The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019, caused significant damage, destroying the spire and roof. The cause remains under investigation, with initial theories pointing to an accidental fire, but given the global ant-christian sentiment it’s easy to believe it was intentional.
Christianity is facing both physical attacks, like massacres and church burnings, and moral challenges from secularism, atheism, and movements opposing traditional teachings. This dual threat calls for Christians to unite and protect their faith, similar to how other religions organize for protection.
Given these attacks, Christians must consolidate by fostering unity across denominations, advocating for legal protections, educating about their faith, and supporting persecuted communities. The question of why they seem unable to do so may stem from legal restrictions, social stigma, and a lack of centralized organization compared to other religious groups.