Danger can come in almost any country. Colombia had the most missionary deaths reported, 25. Numbers in other countries included: India, 15; Congo, 12; Uganda, 11; the United States, 10; Kenya, 6; Brazil and Iraq, 5 each; Argentina, Burundi, Guatemala, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and South Africa, 4; and 43 other countries had at least one death.

Reasons behind the deaths are many, but the lion's share of those killed — 106 of 177, or 60 percent — appear to have been murdered because of unpopular religious or political beliefs.

Among them was Christian missionary Aroun Warapong, shot in Laos two weeks ago on Dec. 23 after leading an early Christmas service. He recently had been imprisoned for a year because of his outspoken faith.

Other examples include Christian missionary Graham Staines and his young sons Philip and Timothy. They were burned alive in a Jeep by a mob in India in 1999. Local Christians alleged the mob was led by Hindu extremists.

Another example is Sergei Besarab, a Baptist missionary in his native Tajikistan who was shot in 2004. A week before he was murdered, a local newspaper sharply criticized Besarab's missionary work and noted he had been imprisoned four times.

Of such murders, Barrett said in an interview, "It's always been dangerous to be a public Christian working as a Christian in countries that are hostile to Christian countries. That would be about a quarter of the countries in the world."

He adds, "In many of those places, a missionary would know: If I stand up and preach there, I will be killed." He said Christian workers in such countries are usually careful not to call themselves missionaries but refer to themselves as relief or humanitarian workers.

Many missionaries were also killed by people who did not like their politics.

For example, Catholic nun Dorothy Stang was shot to death in Brazil last year after working 23 years there trying to protect the rainforest and its peasants. An investigating commission said a chain of people — ranchers, loggers and government officials — opposed her and were willing to pay to have her killed.

U.S. Catholic Rev. John Kaiser, 67, was shot in Kenya in 2000 after accusing the government of illegal seizing of land. Lutheran missionary Doraci Edinger, 53, was murdered in Mozambique in 2004 after she criticized the government for indifference about criminal rings she said are murdering people to steal and market their organs for transplant.

At least 40 of the 177 killed missionaries identified died in robberies.

An example is LDS missionary Adele Atchley, 65, killed in her apartment in an apparent robbery attempt in the Ivory Coast in 2002. Her husband was away from the apartment when the crime was committed.

Virtually all churches take steps to protect missionaries. The Utah-based LDS Church declined, however, to comment for this story about what steps it takes.