June 29, 2026
America’s 250th anniversary: A reminder that millions still don’t have religious freedom worldwide
As the nation marks its milestone birthday, The Tide urges American Christians to pray for persecuted believers around the world
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — As Americans prepare to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary this Independence Day, The Tide® global media ministry is turning the celebration into a call to action — urging believers across the country to remember the millions of Christians around the world for whom religious freedom is not a birthright, but a dangerous pursuit. For a ministry that broadcasts the Gospel across Africa, Asia and Europe, July 4 carries a weight that goes far beyond fireworks and festivities: it is a sobering reminder of how many people are still waiting for the freedom America has long taken for granted.
“America’s 250th anniversary is a moment to celebrate — and to be grateful,” said Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide. “But for those of us who have spent decades walking alongside believers in countries where following Christ can mean prison, heavy fines or worse, it is also a moment of deep reckoning. The freedom we celebrate on the Fourth of July is the very freedom our brothers and sisters abroad are risking everything to claim.”
That reality is growing more acute by the day. Nepal has passed a series of laws prohibiting the spread of the Gospel — and a growing number of states in India have followed suit. Chhattisgarh enacted a Freedom of Religion bill imposing harsh penalties for alleged forced or fraudulent conversion to Christianity. In Maharashtra — India’s second-most populous state — the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 imposes stringent restrictions on the right to change one’s faith, with those found guilty of “unlawful conversion” now facing fines and up to seven years in prison.
Members of the European Parliament, advocates and survivors speaking before the European Parliament have sounded the alarm over intensifying anti-Christian violence across South Asia, calling for stronger international action as attacks continue to surge in India, Pakistan and neighboring countries.
The crisis extends beyond legislation. In Pakistan, hundreds of prisoners languish behind bars for alleged violations of blasphemy laws against the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Those from minority faiths — including Christians — endure cruel treatment and discrimination within the judicial system, according to reports from Christian Daily International.
The scale of global Christian persecution is difficult to overstate. According to ADF International, “Around the world, 1 in 7 Christians face harassment, violence, or worse simply for their faith. In Africa, this number rises to 1 in 5.”
As Christians around the world face persecution and faith-restrictive laws, The Tide’s goal is to lead as many people as possible into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, primarily through Christian media broadcasts in multiple languages. The Tide believes that everyone should have access to the Gospel, which is why the ministry tells people about Jesus in the language they were born to speak. The Tide disciples new believers and develops local leaders, focusing its efforts on people groups with limited access to the Gospel, and providing radios and media players for people to listen to the broadcasts.
“As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, The Tide is taking this celebration of America’s freedom as an opportunity to urge America’s Christians to pray for this same freedom for their brothers and sisters around the world,” Shenk remarked. “Every broadcast we air in a restricted region — every believer who takes a risk to tune in — is a testament to the fact that the Gospel cannot be legislated away. We will keep broadcasting until every person has the chance to hear it in their own heart language.”
To learn more about The Tide’s mission to bring the Gospel to those who need it most, click here.
From its humble origins in 1946 as a local Gospel radio broadcast in Chambersburg, PA, The Tide® ministry has grown into a global network of Christian media broadcasting partnerships committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. In 2008, The Tide® ministry ended all English-language programming in order to focus on developing and distributing indigenous heart-language content in areas around the world that are less touched by the Gospel. Today, The Tide® ministry works with partners in multiple countries across three continents to broadcast Gospel-centered messages via radio, satellite TV and other media. In order to make disciples and plant churches, The Tide® ministry also provides resources for literature distribution, correspondence courses, discipleship and leadership training activities, and the distribution of radios and media players.
For more information about The Tide® ministry broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special year-long campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide® global radio ministry, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
To inquire about airing any of The Tide® ministry radio broadcasts, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.
