Trump strikes muted tone at National Prayer Breakfast, plays up evangelical interests
Washington, DCRNS US President Donald Trump began his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast by renewing his commitment to the religious conservatives who helped lift him into office. “I will never let you down, I can say that – never,” Trump said as he approached the podium on Thursday morning (Feb. 7), speaking to a […]
Andrew Brunson, back in US after detention, hopes to return to Turkey one day
RNS Pastor Andrew Brunson, the American evangelical imprisoned in Turkey for almost two years, says he’d like to return to that country someday. For now, he is grateful to be on US soil. Andrew Brunson speaks during a US Commission on International Religious Freedom event in Washington. He was joined by his wife, Norine, and […]
70 years since universal declaration, human rights “ignored and abused all over the world”, says rights group
World Watch Monitor Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Monday, 10th December, rights group ADF International has called for “recommitment” to the founding principles, which it says are being “consistently ignored and abused…all over the world”. Chief among those rights, ADF notes, is the “foundational principle of freedom of religion and belief, […]
Turkey’s Protestant Christians ‘feel stronger’ after trauma of Brunson case
World Watch Monitor Turkey’s tiny Christian community has “emerged stronger” from the high-profile trauma of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson’s highly contested imprisonment and trial, according to a spokesman for Turkey’s Protestant Christians. The US pastor’s two-year ordeal culminated in a Turkish court’s decision on 12th October for his release and departure to the United States. “It feels […]
US pastor released by Turkey prays with Trump
BosNewsLife After two years of detention, an American pastor was freed in Turkey and flown to the United States where he prayed with President Donald Trump who welcomed him at the White House. The arrival of Andrew Brunson at the Oval Office in Washington, DC, was the ultimate culmination of perhaps millions of prayers from […]
Andrew Brunson freed after telling court, “I love Jesus, I love Turkey”
RNS A Turkish court has freed Rev Andrew Brunson, an American missionary who had been the subject of a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Turkey. Brunson had been under house arrest after being accused of terrorism and conspiring against the Turkish government. The pastor, who denies all charges against him, had previously been […]
Andrew Brunson’s legal appeal sent to Turkey’s highest court
World Watch Monitor Jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson’s lawyer has filed a formal appeal before the Turkish Constitutional Court to overturn two lower court refusals to release his client from house arrest. The 10 page petition studied by World Watch Monitor called for “urgent” and “corrective” action by Turkey’s highest court to set free the […]
Pompeo: US “sparing no effort” for return of pastor detained in Turkey
Washington, DCRNS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated Trump administration promises to continue to work for the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been held in Turkey for almost two years. “We are sparing no effort to return Pastor Brunson home to the United States,” Pompeo said on Friday at the annual […]
Turkey replaces prosecutor who indicted US pastor Brunson
World Watch Monitor At the outset last week of Turkey’s new judicial year, the Izmir prosecutor who prepared the controversial indictment accusing US pastor Andrew Brunson of terrorism and espionage was reassigned to another bureau. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul dismissed the transfer simply as a “routine procedure”with no particular significance, referring to Turkey’s common practice of […]
In depth – Hidden agendas cloak Turkish-US feud over jailed pastor
World Watch Monitor On the eve of the week-long Muslim festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused US President Donald Trump of not wanting to solve his country’s disagreements with the United States over jailed US pastor Andrew Brunson. “It seems that they do not want to solve these problems, […]