October 13, 2026
Over 500 million Christians worldwide face restrictions on Bible access
Child Evangelism Fellowship® remains committed to taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to 40 million children worldwide this year
ST. LOUIS — New data from the Bible Access Initiative’s 2026 Bible Access List reveals that over 500 million Christians face Bible access restrictions worldwide. According to the report’s examination of 106 countries, laws imposed by governments hostile to Christianity, in addition to socioeconomic barriers, prevent those who would like a Bible from having one. The 2026 Bible Access list found that Afghanistan has the most restrictive measures, followed by Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania; all six countries are classified as having “maximum restrictions” on Scripture availability.
For Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), these findings reinforce the importance of the ministry’s commitment to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even in some of the most persecuted places on earth. Since sending its first cross-cultural missionaries to Mexico in 1943, CEF has remained committed to sharing the Gospel with children around the world.
“These numbers are a sobering reminder that millions of people around the world still do not have ready access to God’s Word,” said CEF Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “At CEF, we see firsthand how important it is for children to hear the truth of Scripture and learn that there is hope in Jesus Christ. Whether the barrier is persecution, poverty or simply a lack of access, every child needs the opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond to it. That is why we remain committed to taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to 40 million children worldwide this year.”
Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), founded in 1937, has been establishing Good News Club® ministries in countries around the world for decades.
In 2025, more than 34 million children worldwide were impacted by the Good News through CEF ministries.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact™.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,800 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
