New data from the federal government shows that spending on new construction of churches and other houses of worship increased by 17 percent from June 2024 to June 2025, even as overall annual construction spending dropped by 3 percent. This is the first serious rebound in church construction in 20 years. Spending peaked at $8.8 billion in 2001 and has slid downward since then, reaching a low of $3.4 billion in 2014 and $3.1 in 2021. Spending went up, however, in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The reasons for the rebound are unclear. Several consultants told The Wall Street Journal that many of the expansions are “multipurpose space,” including childcare facilities, coworking spaces, and coffee shops.
United States: One God, Three Persons, Many Confusions
Seven out of ten Americans are Trinitarians if you ask them whether there is one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, according to the latest Lifeway Research study of popular theology. But the meaning of the words God and person seem to escape many: A majority also say that Jesus is not God, just a good teacher, and the Holy Spirit is some kind of force, not a personal being. The State of Theology study has found similar levels of Trinitarian confusion going back to 2014.
United States: Plane Crash Claims Two Missionary Lives
A turboprop plane crash in Coral Springs, Florida, killed two Americans who hoped to deliver medical supplies, water filters, and Starlink satellite internet equipment to Jamaica. The Beechcraft King Air went down right after takeoff on November 10, nearly hitting several houses. Alexander Wurm, 53, got his pilot’s license in 2005 and recently acquired the airplane for Ignite the Fire to help with the group’s humanitarian work in the Caribbean following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. “He really made a difference in the lives of the people on the ground. … He saved lives and he gave his life,” Crisis Response International founder Sean Malone told the Associated Press. The plane made five separate trips to Jamaica the week before the crash. Wurm’s daughter, Serena, 22, was the other passenger aboard the fatal flight.
Chile: President with No Faith Praises Prayer
President Gabriel Boric told a gathering of evangelicals in Puente Alto that he does not have “the gift of faith” but is encouraged by their fervent prayers for the country. “Faith and solidarity are fundamental pillars for facing the challenges that await us,” Boric said. Ministers at the annual Servicio de Acción de Gracias Nacional Evangélico (National Evangelical Thanksgiving Service) used the opportunity to speak about the sacredness of life and the need to keep legal restrictions on abortion in place, as well as the dangers of materialism and the practice of judging all policies by economic growth. Multiple candidates are running to replace Boric in 2026.
France: Christian’s Murder Posted to TikTok
A 45-year-old Iraqi Christian TikToker was murdered near his home in Lyon. Ashur Sarnaya, who used a wheelchair to get around, shared his faith with his 16,000 followers. He was stabbed in the neck at 10:30 p.m. on September 10 and died of cardiac arrest, but not before posting a final video online. There are reports of threatening comments left by Muslims, but it is not clear the attack had anything to do with online trolling.
Germany: Nazi-Vandalized Art Is Reunited
A museum has reunited the severed head of John the Baptist with the rest of a 16th-century artwork by the Reformed painter (and personal friend of Martin Luther) Lucas Cranach the Elder. An art gallery in Nazi-era Germany cut up Cranach’s Salome with the Head of the Baptist, slicing Salome at the midriff, rebranding her as a “Saxon princess,” and reframing the art as a contemporary portrait. The gore of the Reformation-era painting was considered unacceptable to polite 1930s tastes, and the story of John the Baptist’s execution was understood as a warning about the dangers of authoritarian rule, which was impolitic during Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. The Ducal Museum in Gotha purchased Salome for €144,000 (about $168,000 USD) and is displaying both parts together.
Sudan: Last Minister in Darfur City Flees Church
The last priest in the besieged city of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan, was forced to leave in September. One side of the ongoing civil war, the Rapid Support Forces, has blockaded el-Fasher since April 2025, when a local militia declared its allegiance to the other side of the civil war, the Sudanese Armed Forces. Many have been killed in the fighting. People are starving as well. Anglican Daramali Abudigin, 44, said he was going to leave in April but then realized there would be no one left to minister to the dying people. The church could not offer people food or safety but held regular worship services.
Ghana: Credentials to Be Checked
The Assemblies of God has instructed all ministers to stop using the title Dr. if they only have honorary degrees. Ministers with earned academic degrees must submit their credentials to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission for recognition before they can use Dr. Violating the new rule could result in suspension from ministry. The Ghana government has warned it will tighten regulation of misused academic titles as well as degrees from unaccredited universities and diploma mills. Local observers expect scrutiny of ministers to increase.
Israel: Arab Christian to Lead Global Evangelicals
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) found new leadership in Nazareth, appointing Botrus Mansour as the new secretary general and CEO. Mansour, who was trained as a lawyer, has served as the operational director of Nazareth Baptist School, an elder and cofounder of Local Baptist Church in Nazareth, and CT’s Arabic-language translator. He is the first Arab Christian to lead the WEA and said he hopes his experience as a minority within a minority in Israel will help him bring new unity to the WEA. “Living in Israel, the Lord prepared me to love as well as be sensitive and open to different people,” Mansour told CT. “The Bible says that perfect love casts out fear.” Mansour said the WEA will continue to engage in interfaith dialogue, which some national alliances have sharply criticized, but it will not be the main focus.
Iraq: Babylon Back in Business
The restoration of Babylon is nearing completion after 15 years of reconstruction, funded by the US Embassy to Baghdad and multiple World Monuments Fund grants. The north retaining wall of the Ishtar Gate has been fixed, and the Temple of Ninmakh, dedicated to a Sumerian goddess, is set to reopen. The temple will be available for weddings and concerts and open to the city’s growing number of tourists. The number of international visitors, many from Russia and Iran, increased 30 percent from 2023 to 2024. People have not lived in the ancient city since the 1200s.
China: Censored Reporter Leans on Faith
A 42-year-old blogger who was jailed for four years for reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, where the virus first spread, has been jailed again after she attempted to meet with human rights activists. Prosecutors claimed Zhang Zhan caused a public disturbance and distributed defamatory information that tarnished the country’s international image. The court did not release any documents related to the trial or allow international observers in the courtroom. Local sources say she has been sentenced again, but that cannot be confirmed. Zhang has spoken frequently of how her Christian faith inspires her to report news in the face of authoritarian censorship and how it sustains her in prison.
This article appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of Christianity Today as "Brand New Steeples Going Up".
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