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

About 120 Christians attending house churches in Pingdingshan, a city in China's Henan province, were arrested on Friday, April 4. Many of those detained are leaders of the Local Church, an unregistered denomination that came from the root of Watchman Nee's teachings. Authorities later released about 20 of those arrested after determining that they were not leaders. Approximately 100 church members remain in prison. The 20 released were fingerprinted and fined. The Local Church is considered to be an "evil cult" by the Chinese government, and attendees have faced persecution throughout the years. Wang Xincai, one of those arrested in last week's raid, had already spent 16 of the last 20 years in prison for the sake of the gospel. It is unclear what will happen to the 100 Christians still being held, but it is not unusual for detained believers to face days of beating and torture while in custody. (Asia Harvest)

REBELS PILLAGE MAF'S FACILITIES IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is reporting bad news regarding its vacant facilities in Central African Republic. Eyewitness reports indicate that missionary homes, the truck garage, printshop, bookstore and all storage areas have been pillaged by rebels. MAF's airplane hanger and fuel storage areas were also emptied. Despite the looting, officials are thankful that none of their national workers were injured, and their homes are safe. Looting was widespread after a military coup March 16 in which rebel leader Gen. François Bozize proclaimed himself as president. (Mission Network News/AP)

* HCJB World Radio's partner station in Bangui, Central African Republic, continues to broadcast the gospel despite the unrest. The station went on the air in May 2001 with partners Grace Brethren International Missions and the Grace Brethren national church. Broadcasts go out eight hours a day in two languages, French and Sango.

LEADING ISLAMIC LEADER IN RUSSIA CALLS FOR JIHAD AGAINST U.S.

One of Russia's top Muslim leaders has called for a jihad (holy war) against the U.S. for its attack on Iraq but was quickly threatened by government officials to keep quiet or risk prosecution. "We will collect donations and then use that money to buy weapons for the struggle against America and to buy supplies for the Iraqi people," Islamic leader Talgat Tadjuddin was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. Tadjuddin did not specify how Russia's 20 million Muslims could take part in the jihad, but said in a March 29 interview with the Izvestia newspaper that those believers not satisfied with prayer could go "quickly and quietly to Baghdad and take weapons in your hands, and if you have no weapons, strangle the aggressors with your hands." The next day the local prosecutor's office issued an official warning to Tadjuddin not to break the Russian law that forbids inciting ethnic or religious hatred. Officials in Russia, with its Orthodox Christian majority and sizable Muslim and Buddhist minorities, are wary of religious conflict, especially given the ongoing violence in mostly Muslim Chechnya. (Religion Today)

* HCJB World Radio has been sending gospel broadcasts across Russia via shortwave since 1941. In the early 1990s the ministry began working to "plant" local radio ministries in Russia and now works with partners in a dozen cities. In 2000 HCJB World Radio helped launch the first Christian Russian radio satellite network (operated by Christian Radio for Russia) which reaches from Eastern Europe to Siberia. Downlinks have been installed with more than 26 partners across Russia, and many more are planned.

PEACE TALKS IN NEPAL COULD SPUR CHURCH-PLANTING OPPORTUNITIES

Nepal's King Gyanendra is calling on the country to support planned peace talks between the government and Maoist rebels in an effort to bring about a multi-party democracy. World Help's Eric Vass is hoping this will help the ministry's church-planting goals. "We have an exciting opportunity right now, with our Nepali partners, to help birth new church planting movements in each of the five regions of Nepal. We're looking for North American partners to impact this world for Jesus Christ." Vass says while the ever-increasing Christian population faces oppression from Maoists and Hindus, mission outreach is moving forward. "The church in Nepal is not adopting a 'let's hunker down and wait for the difficulties to pass and then when things get easier we'll fulfill the Great Commission.' The church in Nepal is gaining a legitimacy that says, 'We're going to take this kingdom of God into all the kingdom of Nepal.'" (Mission Network News)

CONFERENCE URGES U.S. BELIEVERS TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL AT WORKPLACES

Nearly 300 pastors, marketplace business leaders and workplace ministers made an unprecedented commitment Thursday, April 4, to collaborate in affirming the Western marketplace as a platform for the gospel of Jesus Christ. These segments of the faith-based community descended upon the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in the mountains of North Carolina for a three-day conference designed to create an action plan to bring God's presence into the workplace. "I believe one of the next great moves of God is going to be through believers in the workplace," said Billy Graham. Christian representatives from across the U.S. and six other countries affirmed their unified commitment to workplace ministry with an intentional focus on equipping men and women in all spheres of work and society to understand and experience their work life as a holy calling from God. Mission experts in recent years have focused on the 10/40 Window in an effort to bring the gospel to unreached people groups. This conference focused on the new mission field -- the "9-to-5 Window" in the workplace. Conference attendees plan to start tens of thousands of fellowship groups in the next few years at businesses such as those represented at the conference. (Assist News Service)

REPORT: ENROLLMENT DROPS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS U.S.

Enrollment in Catholic schools across the U.S. fell by 2.4 percent last year as 140 schools were closed or consolidated. However, experts say there are "strong signs of life" for parochial schools. Forty percent of Catholic schools have waiting lists for admission, and 47 new Catholic schools opened last year, states a report issued by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Enrollment in the country's 8,000 Catholic schools fell by 65,000 students to 2.5 million. One-quarter of students are members of minority groups, and 13 percent are non-Catholic, although that figure can reach higher than 70 percent in some urban settings. Michael Guerra president of the NCEA, said the "decline reaches far beyond the parents and students immediately touched by the closures. Catholic schools have been a force in this nation for more than a century, providing a strong academic and Christian education for students." Guerra said the economic downturn has made it difficult for middle-class families to afford tuition, even though scholarships are often available for lower-income families. Guerra said the tight economy is a good reason to allow school voucher programs to help children attend Catholic schools rather than failing public schools. (Religion Today)

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