The year 2024 marked the first full year of Christian Daily International’s coverage of events, developments and voices in the global Church. Among the more than 1,000 news articles published this year, here are 12 of the top stories:
El Salvadorian President
A surprising first place with thousands of views takes one of CDI’s articles on Nayib Bukele who was re-elected president in the small Central American nation of El Salvador. He became known for his controversial efforts to drastically reduce crime, and despite not being a religious person, he had the support of many evangelical leaders: Bukele, president who referred to God in his speeches, reelected in El Salvador.
Olympics controversy
Somewhat less surprising is that a story about the controversial opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 got a lot of traction: Olympics opening ceremony criticized for 'offensive' drag queen parody of Last Supper.
Archaeology sparks interest
There seems to be a special interest in archaeological discoveries related to the Bible that frequently attract many views. Among the most-read was: Ancient decorative mosaic noted for first inscription of Jesus as God on display at Museum of the Bible.
Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization
CDI published more than 50 articles, interviews and op-eds before, during and after the Lausanne 4 Congress. The two most-read articles shed light on the controversies that arose during the event: Lausanne apology for speaker remarks on Israel-Gaza, dispensational eschatology risks stirring greater controversy; and Lausanne edits Seoul Statement’s paragraphs on homosexuality, says there may be more ‘non-substantive changes’. The most-read interview was the one with Chris Wright: ‘We wouldn’t have to connect proclamation & social action, if we hadn't separated them in the first place’. A search for “Lausanne 4” provides a list of other articles and op-eds published by CDI on the historic event.
Church scandals continued in 2024
Sadly, there were again several church scandals that made headlines this past year. The one that got most attention on CDI was an article about a Pakistani archbishop: Vatican removes Pakistani archbishop over corruption, sexual abuse charges
Call for prayer amid UK riots
Riots rocked the U.K. in the summer of 2024. CDI reported that the Christian Police Association (CPA) pleaded with followers of Jesus Christ to fervently pray and support police officers who are dealing with violent confrontations: UK Riots: Christian Police Association calls on believers to support police, requesting 'Prayer! Prayer! Prayer!'
Is Lionel Messi a Christian?
Sports and famous players generally attract a lot of attention. Among the most-read articles on CDI is the one that asks: Is Lionel Messi a Christian? Another sports story that sparked interest was about the 'Power Girls': Pakistani Christian sisters make history by winning 12 gold medals in int’l powerlifting championship.
2 million Koreans hold joint worship service
A major story that garnered a lot of interest was the joint worship service in Korea that brought together more than two million Christians onsite and online to protest against a law change that they fear will take Korea down the wrong path. In terms of number of views, the article about the event was closely followed by the exclusive interview with the organizer: 2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation; and [Interview] Two million Koreans to unite on Sunday (Oct 27) to protest a law & prevent the nation from going down a liberal path
Persecution remains high in 2024
A key focus of CDI is to raise awareness on the persecution of Christians around the world. Dozens of stories in 2024 tell of the suffering of those who live out their faith in difficult contexts, and their admirable endurance and steadfast hope. The most-read persecution story this year was: Coptic Christians are attacked in two villages in Egypt.
Majority mission movement gains momentum
In 2024, CDI could closely follow a new mission movement that has emerged among Global South mission leaders. The series of articles and interviews related to COALA (Christ Over Africa, Latin America and Asia) will likely continue to stir interest in 2025: Newly formed Majority World mission coalition invites global Church to discuss new paradigm focused on unity and partnership.
Christian Heritage Month in Canada
Many readers found the news about December as “Christian Heritage Month” to be a welcome acknowledgement of the historical and contemporary Christian influence in Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicates approval for December to be marked as “Christian Heritage Month” in Canada
An indication for next year
An early sign of what may gain traction next year is an ongoing article series related to the upcoming World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly in 2025 and the strong reactions in the proposed host country of Korea. The most-read (so far) was the first story: WEA plans to hold General Assembly 2025 in Seoul spark controversies in Korea days before official announcement.
We are grateful for your interest in Christian Daily International this past year. We look forward to serving you with insightful Biblical, factual and personal news and perspectives from every region of the world in 2025!
