The church has always grown under persecution. That was the first thing that came to mind after reading the headline. Though I have not yet read the article.
The church has always grown under persecution.
_____________________________________________
Not always...the Japanese all but obliterated it in thier country for centuries under the Shogunate until the persecution ended during the Meiji Restoration.
When Islam spread throughout the Middle East, the growth of Christianity in those areas dropped considerably. Since 1900 to the present day, the number of Christians in the Middle East have literally been cut in half according to Pew Research.
It’s not just that Christianity can be slowed in growth. If that were the case, then it would still just be a matter of time until Christianity (and Christian Culture) became dominant, but to the contrary unless people band together and defend their Christian culture, history has demonstrated that it can effectively be wiped out (or greatly diminished).