*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

Pakistan's religious and ethnic minorities continue to face threats of serious sectarian violence, a new report from Minority Rights Group International warns. The report recommends that those responsible for crimes of ethnic and religious hatred including recent killings, destruction of property and places of worship, and crimes of sexual violence, must be brought to justice and steps taken to instigate independent inquiries into these acts. The killing of seven Christian charity workers in Karachi on Sept. 25 was the latest in a number of attacks on religious minorities (including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis and Shia Muslims) which have escalated in recent months. Pakistan's Hindu minority, traditionally marginalized within Pakistan, have been further targeted due to continuing political discord between India and Pakistan regarding the disputed Indian state of Kashmir. (Minority Rights Group International)

U.S. DIPLOMATS BARRED FROM SITE OF BULLDOZED CHURCH IN BELARUS

Two U.S. diplomats and their translator have been barred from visiting the site of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church which was bulldozed by authorities in the village of Pahranichny on Aug. 1. They were also not allowed to meet local parishioners. The diplomats were stopped on Oct. 9 by police who said they were violating a restricted border zone. Pahranichny is a few miles from Belarus' western border with Poland. All roads into leading to the village were blocked by police, border guards and unmarked vehicles. It is thought that this happened because the diplomats had informed Vladimir Savchenko, chairman of the Hrodna regional administration, that they intended to visit Pahranichny. (Keston News Service)

DALITS EAGER TO LEAVE HINDUISM, CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY

A week after the controversial ordinance banning forcible religious conversions came into force in the southern India's Tamil Nadu state, the Dalits (people outside of the caste system) in Koothirambakkam are bristling with defiance. "Let the government drag us to court or put us in prison, but we will not remain Hindus anymore," said an 80-year-old man who was born a Dalit. "When the government cannot ensure that we are not treated like inferior animals by caste Hindus, why is it coming up with this anti-conversion law?" Many Dalit intellectuals view the ordinance as anti-constitutional. "It works against the Dalits," said the coordinator of the Center for Dalit Studies in Hyderabad. (India Mail)

FIRST INTERNET RADIO STATION IN ESTONIAN TARGETS YOUNG LISTENERS

Raadio 7, a Christian radio station based in Tallinn, Estonia, affiliated with United Christian Broadcasters International and supported by IBRA Radio in Sweden, has launched an Internet radio station called 24x7 aimed at Estonian youth. The first Estonian Internet radio station which began a trial transmission on Oct. 10, already has had thousands of hits. The official launch will be on Dec. 1. Anti Tiik, the project's technical director, said the format of the programming is designed to attract young listeners. "In Estonia 40 percent of the population uses the Internet daily, which makes it possible to reach young people who are interested in computers, the Internet and music," he says. The Internet station had more than 60,000 hits during the first week alone. The programming features about 80 percent music -- mostly in Estonian and English -- and 20 percent speech. To listen, visit www.24x7.ee . (Assist News Service)

COLLEGE FRESHMEN ESPECIALLY OPEN TO HEAR GOSPEL MESSAGE

With colleges and universities in full swing across North America., many opportunities to share Christ with new students have opened up, says Phil Evans of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. "New students, especially freshmen, are very open to new ideas," he says. "They've left home. They're investigating and exploring new things. So if they can be introduced to Christians they are more likely to investigate the claims of Christ. There's an openness in the fall that you might not get in the second semester or in the spring." Evans expects the number of small-group Bible studies with students on campuses to keep growing. "Last year InterVarsity had more than 4,000 small-group Bible studies across the country. Approximately half of them were designed for non-Christian students, and we saw almost 2,000 students come to Christ. (Mission Network News)

* COUP LEADER, TYCOON TO FACE OFF IN ECUADORIAN RUNOFF ELECTION

Ecuador's presidential election in Ecuador Sunday, Oct. 20, appears headed to a second-round runoff with the possibility of a coup leader in the final vote becoming Ecuador's next president, reports HCJB World Radio's Ralph Kurtenbach in Quito. With 62 percent of the votes counted by early Monday morning, coup leader Col. Lucio Gutiérrez, 45, was leading the pack of 11 candidates with 20 percent of the vote followed closely by Ecuador's richest businessman, Alvaro Noboa, 51, with 17 percent. Noboa lost the 1998 runoff against former president Jamil Mahuad. He is no relation to the current president, Gustavo Noboa. The runoff election will be on Nov. 24.

In January 2000 Gutiérrez helped lead an Indian insurrection that resulted in a short-lived ruling trio composed of him along with Indian leader Antonio Vargas and a Supreme Court judge. In just hours the group was replaced by the administration of Mahuad's then-vice president Gustavo Noboa who did not run in this election. Vargas was a presidential candidate but did not place among the top vote-getters. Socialist Party Congressman León Roldós had 16 percent of votes cast while former president Rodrigo Borja had 15 percent. Xavier Neira and Jacobo Bucaram finished with 13 and 10 percent respectively. After the short-lived coup in 2000, Gutiérrez was jailed but later granted amnesty. He founded his political party, calling it the January 21st Patriotic Society -- referring to the coup. He dismisses comparisons with populist Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez who led a botched coup before winning office at the ballot box.

Gutiérrez is backed primarily by leftist groups while Noboa finds support among Ecuador's poor masses. Ecuador has suffered a decade of tumultuous politics that saw two presidents and a vice president run out of office. The economy collapsed three years ago, causing a turn to the U.S. dollar to stabilize the country's finances. But prices soared in 1999, and Ecuadorians are still feeling the pinch. The nation of 12 million has a foreign debt of $11.4 billion and little outside investment to help pay it off.

HCJB World Radio provided national coverage of the election from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. with five blocks of programming. "We had an hour break every now and then to allow for some rest for the on-air team," said National Radio Director Allen Graham. "It was a long day, but a good day. Our team did a super job. We're all tired today, but very happy with what God allowed us to do." The broadcasts were carried on HCJB World Radio's AM and FM stations in Quito and on repeaters in Manabí, Esmeraldas, Tungurahua and Papallacta. The broadcasts were also carried on HCJB-2 (an FM station in Guayaquil with a repeater in El Oro), on the Vozandes Satellite Network with nine affiliates, and worldwide via shortwave.

"We were able to provide coverage to 14 of Ecuador's 22 provinces," Graham said. "This is was the first time we not only had a large number of stations retransmitting the signal, but also participating with reports from their respective communities. This provided a totally new flavor to the coverage, which we have not had in the past. For instance, in one 30-minute segment we went from Radio Punto in Ibarra (northern Ecuador) to Ondas de Esperanza in Loja (southern Ecuador) to Radio Caliente in Lago Agrio (eastern Ecuador) to Radio La Voz de los Caras (western Ecuador). This provided a real richness to our coverage which we've not had in the past. I also feel that it has created more of a two-way bond between HCJB World Radio and our affiliate stations in the satellite network.

"Together we were able to provide Christ-centered election coverage in a way that no one of us could have done by ourselves," Graham added. "I think it is especially exciting since several of the affiliate stations in the satellite network are secular, but they want the programming that we have to offer. Three of the four stations that carried the signal off-air are secular, but they are willing to use our programming, including the spiritual content. What a great opportunity God has given us to be able to change lives for the kingdom!" (HCJB World Radio/Miami Herald/AP)

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

Více než 11,000 lidí odevzdalo svůj život Kristu během celé evangelizační kampaně. Pan Bruce Hardy, více-prezident a generální manažer Texas stadionu, prohlásil, že účast překonala starý rekord návštěvnosti stadionu stanovený křesťanskou zpěvačkou Carmen, na jejíž koncert se přišlo podívat 71,000 lidí v polovině devadesátých let minulého století. Pan Hardy řekl: „Bylo to neuvěřitelné, ale toto byli nejlépe chovající se mladí lidé co jsem kdy viděl.“ Graham přinesl zprávu o naději založené na Boží lásce a odpuštění. Sám Billy Graham řekl:„Přijel jsem s jedním záměrem, a to kázat stejné evangelium jako jsem tady kázal před jednatřiceti lety.“ Evangelista, který trpí Parkinsonovou chorobou a před dvěma lety prodělal sérii mozkových operací, se rozhodne o budoucnosti jeho služby až po návratu domů. „Je to v Božích rukou,“ jak říká Graham.

Na úspěšné organizaci akce se podílelo více než 25,000 dobrovolníků z 1,000 sborů reprezentujících 37 denominací z oblasti Dallas-Fort Worth. (Assist News Service / Seattle Post)

Despite ongoing unrest in the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) since a failed coup attempt on Sept. 19, the situation in the main coastal city of Abidjan is "still quite normal," says Lee Sonius, director of HCJB World Radio's Sub-Saharan Africa region, who returned to Abidjan with his family about two weeks ago. "All schools are open and businesses are running," he says. "However, some missionaries have left and are leaving while others are staying. We hope we can stay and have no plans to leave at this point." Frequence Vie (Frequency Life), a partner radio ministry operated by SIM and partner churches in Abidjan, "is still on the air and doing a great job," Sonius adds.

The U.S. Department of State has ordered the departure of all U.S. government personnel in non-emergency positions along with family members from Ivory Coast. The Department of State also warns U.S. citizens against travel in the country, especially in the northern cities of Bouake and Korhogo which remain under rebel control. HCJB World Radio missionaries Larry and Linda Burk are back in Abidjan after being evacuated by helicopter from Korhogo where they were helping to install an antenna for another partner station.

In the latest skirmish, French troops fired teargas at demonstrators trying to storm their base in Ivory Coast earlier today in a sign of growing tension since last week's cease-fire to end a month-long rebel war in the country, reported Reuters. Soldiers from the former colonial power finished deployment between rebel and loyalist lines in an effort to end the fighting that has left hundreds dead, driven tens of thousands from their homes and terrified the fragile region. But in Abidjan, protesters opposed to the cease-fire besieged the French base to demand the handing over of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara who is accused by many government supporters of links with the rebels. The rebellion has heightened tension between Ouattara's Muslim north (where many of the rebels come from) and tribes from the mostly Christian south. Ouattara has been hiding with the French since the coup attempt on Sept. 19 that blew up into a rebellion in the world's leading cocoa producing country. He says President Laurent Gbagbo's security forces tried to kill him. (HCJB World Radio/Reuters)

SIGNING OF SUDAN PEACE ACT COULD LEAD TO EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES

President George W. Bush signed the Sudan Peace Act Monday, Oct. 21, putting pressure on the Sudanese government to seek an end to the country's civil war. World Vision's Serge Duss says the legislation could place sanctions on Sudan if the country fails to seek peace. "The first would be to oppose any international financial loans to the government of Sudan. The second would be to downgrade or suspend diplomatic relations. The third would be to deny Sudan access to oil profits. And the fourth would be to seek U.N. security council support to impose an arms embargo." Duss says this could be the key to more effective evangelistic outreach. "There's no better way to share the gospel by either by proclamation or deed than when there is peace in a country. So this will be significant in terms of our being able to share the gospel in many different ways." (Mission Network News)

PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE IN MOSCOW HELPS SAVE LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH

A local court in eastern Russia's port city of Vanino has ruled against liquidating an independent Baptist church in the city, marking a significant victory for the observation of legal precedent in such cases. Court documents show that the decision was related to the ruling by Russia's Constitutional Court earlier this year that allowed the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army to remain open. The local department of justice of the eastern Russian region of Khabarovsky Krai had sought liquidation of the Baptist church in Vanino for failing to re-register by the Dec. 31, 2000, deadline as stipulated by Russia's 1997 law on religion. When the case was finally heard on Aug. 29, however, Judge Tamara Afanasyeva ruled against liquidation. The court's written ruling, which the Vanino Baptists eventually obtained, confirms parishioner Inna Vaulina's assumption that the local court had decided in the church's favor due to the earlier ruling by Russia's Constitutional Court. The ruling on the Vanino Baptists came into effect on Sept. 9. (Keston News Service)

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S RELIGIOUS LIBERTY REPORT 'LACKS CLOUT'

The State Department's latest report on international religious liberty is an important accomplishment, but it is a "less effective instrument of U.S. foreign policy than it could be," says Felice Gaer, chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. "Although the annual report demonstrates a great amount of work, in some places it is not complete, muffles legitimate criticism and comes to questionable conclusions." Gaer offered her observations about the report in a hearing before a House of Representatives subcommittee. "The report did not include a sufficient explanation of policies that the State Department is implementing to advance religious liberty," she told the subcommittee. The International Religious Freedom Act, which was enacted in 1998, requires the president to take specific actions against governments designated as countries of particular concern. Under the law, he is provided a range of options, from diplomacy to economic sanctions. The president also has the authority to waive any action. (Religion Today)

BILLY GRAHAM DRAWS RECORD CROWDS AT CRUSADE IN TEXAS

Despite declining health, 83-year-old evangelist Billy Graham preached a series of powerful messages during his four-day Metroplex Mission at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, Oct. 17-20. This was his 412th crusade in 55 years of ministry. Event organizers observed that his preaching, which got stronger each night, was the "most powerful it had been in the last five years." Despite congested traffic and torrential rains the first two days, crowds set consecutive stadium attendance record crowds of 82,000 and 83,500 on the weekend with thousands more being turned away each night. About 15,500 people spilled onto an overflow area in the parking lot on Sunday after gates were closed 45 minutes before the program began. More than 11,000 people made commitments to Christ during the crusade. Bruce Hardy, vice president and general manager of Texas Stadium, said the crowd beat the old attendance record set by Christian singer Carmen who drew about 71,000 at a concert in the mid-1990s. "It was unbelievable," he said. "These were the best behaved young people I've ever seen." Graham brought a message of hope about God's love and forgiveness. "I came for one reason and that's to preach the same gospel that I did [when I was here] 31 years ago," he said. The evangelist, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and underwent a series of brain operations to drain fluid two years ago, reaffirmed that he will decide about future ministry after returning home. "It's in God's hands," Graham said. More than 25,000 volunteers from 1,000 churches representing 37 denominations from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area worked together to help make the event a success. (Assist News Service/Seattle Post)

NEW HIGH-TECH MINISTRY EMPHASIZES BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

With its motto, "Any Road, Any Load, Any Time," Overland Mission is a 3-year-old ministry that some view as revolutionizing mission work. Describing journeys similar to those found in Acts, founder Philip Smethurst says missionaries have witnessed the salvation of whole villages, people being set free from demons and a "outright miracles" during expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa and South America's Amazon basin. But unlike the first missionaries, these are equipped with high-tech tools such as global positioning systems, satellite phones, inflatable boats and expedition trucks. The ministry stresses building relationships, discipling converts, working alongside local churches and establishing Bible schools in developing countries. (Charisma News Service)

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

Militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka are suspected of setting fire to a church in Sri Lanka as well as the home of a believer who lived nearby. The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported that an Assemblies of God worship center and a believer's home in the town of Weerawilla in southern Sri Lanka were both destroyed on Saturday, Oct. 13. A group of men reportedly set fire to the buildings. Earlier the same week a pastor and his family were attacked in their car. Pastor Stephen Yogarajah, along with his wife and 11-year-old son, all sustained injuries, and their car has badly damaged when they were assaulted by a group of 10 to 15 men in Kodolkela. Believers in Sri Lanka often face harassment from militant Buddhist groups. (Voice of the Martyrs)

2 MORE CATHOLIC PRIESTS MURDERED IN COLOMBIA AS STRIFE CONTINUES

In unrelated attacks within hours of each other, two Catholic priests were murdered in Colombia Friday, Oct. 18. In the early morning as 31-year-old José Luis Cárdenas Hernández was about to leave his home to jog, he answered a knock on the door and found five men in civilian clothes armed with long-range weapons. They spoke for 10 minutes before Cárdenas was shot five times in the head. He was the parish priest for Chalán, 400 miles northwest of Bogotá. Authorities believe his murder was the work of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), although a spokesman for the group denies the allegation. Later that same afternoon, Gabriel Arias Posada, 66, vicar of the diocese of Armenia, was traveling to help secure the release of a kidnapped official when he and his driver were shot and killed in the town of Anserma. Reports of priests being killed have become commonplace in Colombia as the strife between the government and rebel groups continues. Armed groups in Colombia have killed 47 priests and two bishops in the past 18 years. In the past decade the internal conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives. (Voice of the Martyrs)

* Together with local partners, HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel on FM stations in four Colombian cities. The ministry also airs Spanish programs across the country and all of Latin America via shortwave.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS JOIN CLERGY TO PRAY AFTER SNIPER ATTACKS

Elected officials from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia joined clergy from diverse religious groups and community leaders at Faith United Methodist Church in Rockville, Md., the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22, to pray in response to the string of murders by the so-called "Beltway Sniper." Attendees voiced united support for law enforcement efforts to find and arrest the sniper who has claimed at least 10 lives in the past three weeks. Religious leaders also expressed support for the families of victims, offering counseling assistance to the general community and calling for people in the region and the nation to join in prayer for healing from the random shootings. Two men suspected of committing the attacks were arrested at a highway rest stop in rural Maryland about 50 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., early this morning. Police arrested the two men who were sleeping in a car at a the rest stop. Government sources identified one of the men as former U.S. soldier John Allen Muhammad, a Gulf War veteran, and his 17-year-old stepson, John Lee Malvo. A spokesman for Maryland's Montgomery county said it's premature to tie the pair definitively to the sniper killings. "People are jumping ahead. Give us time to do our job," he said, adding that the two were being questioned in Rockville, Md., where the sniper task force has its headquarters. The arrests occurred hours after authorities descended on a home in Tacoma, Wash., believed to hold clues important to the investigation. Then they issued a nationwide alert for the car, spotted by a motorist and an attendant at the rest stop. (Religion Today/Reuters/AP)

REVIVAL SWEEPS ACROSS CUBA AS HOUSE CHURCHES MULTIPLY

"Cuba is being visited by a tremendous revival in which thousands of lives are being saved," wrote an unnamed Cuban missionary in a recent report. "In the midst of all kinds of economic difficulties, the Holy Spirit has been moving mightily within Cuba. Hundreds of preaching points known as 'home churches' and prayer cells are springing up," he said. "It's easy to find places of worship in which the pastors in charge are young men who have been saved for only one year and are now serving full time, leading groups of up to 100 people." In an unprecedented move, the Cuban government is also allowing preaching within prisons, and many inmates are turning to Christ. "Everywhere there is a hunger for the Word of God," the missionary said. "Bibles, New Testaments and tracts are being spread by the thousands throughout our nation -- a nation that turns its eyes towards God with each passing day." Thousands of young people are preparing for service through local Bible seminaries and correspondence courses. The revival is occurring despite Cuba's poverty. Many of the Christian workers lack bicycles, lanterns, shoes, clothing or funds to purchase food. (Christian Aid Mission)

* HCJB World Radio continues to air Spanish programs to Cuba via shortwave from South America. Hundreds of listeners have enrolled in the ministry's Christian Academy of the Air, a correspondence program incorporating Spanish broadcasts. In addition, many pastors' workshops sponsored by Apoyo, a joint training ministry with Leadership Resources International, have been held in Cuba since the mid-1990s.

ANCIENT INSCRIPTION MAY BE EARLIEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS

A limestone bone box dating to approximately A.D. 63 is being heralded as the "only New Testament-era mention of the central figure of Christianity," reported the Biblical Archaeology Review. "It is the first-ever archaeological discovery to corroborate biblical references to Jesus," the journal states. It apparently once contained the bones of James, the brother of Jesus. An inscription on the box reads, "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." The family relationships contained on the new find helped experts ascertain that the inscription very likely refers to the biblical James, brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55-56; Galatians 1:18-19). Although all three names were common in ancient times, the statistical probability of their appearing in that combination is "extremely slim." In addition, the mention of a brother is unusual, indicating that this Jesus must have been a well-known figure. "The James ossuary may be the most important find in the history of New Testament archaeology," said Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. "It has implications not just for scholarship, but for the world's understanding of the Bible." (Religion Today)

MISSIONARY OPHTHALMOLOGIST HELPS RESTORE PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL SIGHT

Growing up on the mission field is the reason an American ophthalmologist is heading to Africa to help give sight to the blind. Dr. Devin Harrison of Christian Blind Mission International says the need is great. "In Africa there's probably only one ophthalmologist per 1 million population. Where I am in Seattle it's probably one ophthalmologist per 15,000. So there are many people in Africa who don't have access to care at all." Harrison says that helping patients with their physical sight can open up doors for evangelism. "I can provide good-quality care to people, especially in areas such as Muslim areas, that are not normally open to the gospel. When you treat their physical needs, patients may be more accepting to learn more about Christianity." (Mission Network News)

Později v to samé odpoledne cestoval 66-letý vikář diecéze v Armenii pan Gabriel Arias Posada na pomoc při propuštění uneseného úředníka, když on a jeho řidič byli zastřeleni ve městě Anserma. Zprávy o vraždách kněží se v Kolumbii stávají běžnými při pokračujících sporech mezi vládou a skupinami rebelů. Ozbrojené skupiny v Kolumbii mají na svědomí vraždy 47 kněží a dvou biskupů během posledních 18 měsíců. V minulé dekádě si tento vnitřní konflikt vyžádal více než 40,000 obětí na životech. (Hlas Mučedlníků)

*HCJB World Radio spolu s místními partnery vysílá evangelium na FM stanicích ve čtyřech městech v Kolumbii. Misie dále vysílá na krátkých vlnách programy ve španělštině na většině území Kolumbie a celé Latinské Ameriky.

Just two days after Karachi police abducted Robin Peranditta from the grounds of the Sindh High Court, the traumatized survivor of last month's deadly Christian massacre in the city was released from police custody on Thursday, Oct. 24. Peranditta, 27, gained his freedom after meeting with two individuals in an undisclosed location. They secured his release after being held in unlawful police custody for a month. Although the court ruled on Tuesday that Peranditta's detention had been illegal and ordered his immediate release, a contingent of police from the Criminal Investigation Agency surrounded him after the hearing and forcibly re-arrested him on the stairs of the court building. The Daily Times reported that the police "beat up and abused his lawyers" when they tried to prevent their client from being taken away. The lawyers immediately filed a legal protest, accusing the police of contempt of court for defying the release order. Court findings made public at Tuesday's hearing indicated that the Christian detainee had suffered "severe physical and mental torture" during his four weeks in custody. Peranditta was working as a watchman and errand boy for the Institute of Peace and Justice when its downtown Karachi offices were attacked by unidentified terrorists on Sept. 25. Seven of his Christian co-workers were shot and killed in the raid while an eighth is recovering from critical head injuries. (Compass)

FAMINE THREATENS MORE THAN 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN ETHIOPIA

Famine is again threatening the African country of Ethiopia, says Beth Allen of Food for the Hungry, adding that the situation is similar to the food shortage in 2000. "There is insufficient rainfall going on in large portions of the country," she says. "Authorities estimate that approximately 6 million people do not have enough food to eat. And during 2003 they estimate that the number will jump to between 10 and 14 million." Allen is concerned that many donors are "Ethiopia-weary," tending to ignore the situation. "What if God had turned His back on the people? We need to keep being merciful because God was merciful. If there was ever a time for Christians to come to the people of Africa, now is the time. The secular system can not take care of the problem." (Mission Network News)

* Staff members at HCJB World Radio-Australia's studios record Oromo language programs that are aired to 28 million speakers in Ethiopia and Kenya via shortwave from partner FEBA Radio.

HUNGARIAN CHURCH EXPERIENCES 'REVERSE GENERATIONAL GROWTH'

An 11-year-old evangelical church in Budapest, Hungary, is reporting the coming to Christ of three generations -- only in reverse order. "About 50 young people came to Christ in the last seven years," said the church's pastor. "None of them had Christian parents. So the church was composed predominantly of young adults." Then during the last year, through the life and witness of these young people, their parents began to come to the Lord. First one couple, then several mothers, and then more and more parents until they formed a second generation of believers. "We can now see some signs of a third generation coming to the Lord," the pastor said. "But these are not the grandchildren, but the grandparents! This is so unusual and unnatural, but still wonderful to see the joy of the older Christian youth with the baby Christian parents and the grandparents becoming 'prenatal Christians.'" The pastor said this reverse progression toward faith in Christ is one of the consequences of 40 years of communism. Many youth had left the traditional faith, but church planters are seeing increasing numbers of young people coming to Christ and then influencing the older generations. (Christian Aid Mission)

* HCJB World Radio recently signed a partnership agreement with Yes Radio in Budapest to broadcast Christian programs via the Internet. The ministry is also applying for a local FM license. A partner station in Oradea, Romania, also airs three hours of Hungarian programming to Hungary each week. Oradea is home to one of six stations in the Radio Voice of the Gospel, a cooperative effort of HCJB World Radio, Evangelical Alliance of Romania and the Romanian Missionary Society.

IBS, SALVATION ARMY TO BEGIN TRAINING DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS

The International Bible Society (IBS) will begin training disaster relief teams next month in a collaborative effort with the Salvation Army called S.O.S. (Scripture Outreach Servants). Team members will provide spiritual and physical aid to people in crisis situations. Through the outreach, IBS aims to expand its ministry vision, develop more expertise in disaster outreach and share the hope of Christ with people in distress. "Together we desire to offer the hope and strength found in God's Word to disaster survivors in appropriate ways," says IBS Director of Outreach Sues Hyde. IBS will deploy S.O.S. teams in groups of four or five when disasters strike. (International Bible Society)

CHURCH PLANTERS SEE POSITIVE SIGNS FOR CHRISTIANITY IN TURKEY

With less than 1,000 Christian believers among 67 million people, the voice of the gospel remains a "whisper" in Turkey, reports the International Needs Network. Yet there are encouraging signs as three church planters work among young Muslims in the Istanbul area. An innovative "Internet evangelism" project is also being pioneered. "Pray for a Turkish Consultation being held this month by a group of mission agencies there." (Mission Network News)

PHILIPPINE MINISTRY MAKES PROGRESS ON BIBLE TRANSLATIONS, TRAINING

A full-time missionary working with an indigenous Bible translation ministry in the Philippines is pleased at the progress made in recent months. Nida Guil-an Apang serves in the main office of the Translators Association of the Philippines and also ministers to the Cotabato-Dulangan Manobo people of Mindanao. This summer she and her team produced 17 "big books" for the children's literacy program and created the curriculum for phase 1 of a children's education program. They also conducted a two-week literacy teacher training program. The new books focused on the biblical account of creation. "We now have seven teachers who are excited to teach," Nida said. "Pray for the believers and other workers there as many of them need encouragement and revival." (Christian Aid Mission)