Zprávy HCJB 23.6.2003

 UVĚŘENÍ JE V INDII SPOJENO S PŘEKÁŽKAMI.
   Mission Network News - Protikřesťanské nepřátelské incidenty jsou v Indii na vzestupu. Pro ty, kdo sledují počet států, které zavedly zákony proti náboženským konverzím to není žádné překvapení. Podle prezidenta Trans World Radio (TWR) Davida Tuckera je to důvod k modlitbám. TWR vysílá pro Indii ze zahraničí, ale pro nové věřící je cena vysoká. „Když dospějí k touze po křtu a po sborovém společenství, vezmeme je k soudci a zde dostanou úřední potvrzení, že jsou připraveni konvertovat ke křesťanství. Tak to pro jistotu děláme již dlouhá léta. Tímto způsobem jsme v Indii založili přes 600 sborů.“ Tucker říká, že sbor začíná pracovat se skupinou posluchačů a „když je jich kolem stovky, pravděpodobně se přetvoří v komunitu. Ta se ze dne na den se změní v kazatelskou stanici, začnou křty a blahodárné působení pro celou vesnici. Sbor tak roste uvnitř vesnické komunity. Z vnějšku k žádnému posilování nedochází, evangelizaci provádějí Indové sami.“

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 VŠECHNY ZPRÁVY V ANGLIČTINĚ.
   IRANIANS REPORTEDLY DISENCHANTED WITH ISLAMIC REGIME

Reports indicate a majority of Iranians want a regime change. Demonstrations by Iranians demanding free democratic elections have lingered all week. Lee DeYoung is with Words of Hope, which is transmitting Christian programming into Iran. He says this could have positive implications on ministry. "Because the regime is so closely linked to Islam itself, the negative perceptions of the regime are translating into disenchantment with Islam. That means that there is probably unprecedented interest in spiritual things and especially Christianity." As the spread of Islam has been driven by the inspiration of the Iranian revolution 20 years ago, DeYoung says its demise could have widespread implications. "If that revolution is undone or discredited by the popular will of the people of Iran itself, the repercussions psychologically throughout the Islamic world will be enormous." (Mission Network News)

COST OF FAITH IS HIGH FOR NEW BELIEVERS IN INDIA

Anti-Christian violence incidents in India are on the rise. This comes as no surprise to those counting the states adopting anti-conversion laws. For Trans World Radio's (TWR) International president, David Tucker, it's a cause for prayer. TWR broadcasts into India from outside, but for new believers, their new faith is costly. "When they want to come to the point of baptism and church membership, we take them to a lawyer and we get them to stamp that they are prepared to convert to Christianity. That's the way we've done it for many, many years. We've planted over 600 churches in India in that way." Tucker says a church begins with a listening community, and, "...when the community builds to about 100 people, we will probably build a community center. It will be for educational work during the day, we do baptisms there, it will give clean water for the village. So, there will be a development within the village itself. This isn't an outside force coming in, these are the Indians doing their own evangelism." (Mission Network News)

INSTABILITY WREAKS HAVOC, DISRUPTS MINISTRY IN ZIMBABWE

"Our current national situation goes down in history as the worst-ever in post-independence Zimbabwe," says the Bible League's Director in Zimbabwe. "Please pray that God will sustain us during this harsh storm." Zimbabweans face a critical lack of fuel and basic food items nationwide. Electricity cuts have disrupted most businesses. And the severe shortage of bank notes has crippled thousands who want to withdraw cash from their accounts. The opposition group has called for unspecified mass action, seeking to oust President Robert Mugabe and his government. The tempest swirling through the southern Africa nation, although economic and political in nature, directly affects Bible League ministry. Travel is difficult or impossible for some workers who lead Bible studies and train fellow nationals to establish new churches. Many Bible League-trained Christians also wrestle with attending to the physical needs of seekers and Christians living in dire poverty. "Our whole country has been robbed," says the Bible League's Director. "But the positive side is that there is an openness to the gospel, creating a need for a further supply of Bibles and New Testaments. There is a spiritual hunger that meets, or even surpasses, the physical hunger in our country." (Bible League)

TELEVISION SERIES FOCUSED ON SUFFERING CHURCH AROUND THE WORLD

This month, David Alton, member of the House of Lords (U.K.) and co-founder of the Jubilee Campaign, hosts a 14-part television series on the persecuted church produced in conjunction with Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the global Catholic network. The Suffering Church series will take viewers on a country-by-country journey through the ordeals suffered by Christians under Muslim, Communist, and totalitarian regimes worldwide. "This series is meant, first of all, to be informative, to tell stories of the hardship but also the inspiration of Christians who suffer a great cost on account of their faith," said Lord Alton. "Hopefully, the viewers will then be motivated to take action; to pray, to write letters to their representatives, or to support, with time or finances, organizations that are fighting the good fight." Jubilee Campaign's Researcher and Parliamentary Officer, Wilfred Wong, says, "This is the first time that such an extensive television series has been made on the persecuted church, and Jubilee Campaign has been privileged in being able to help organize these programs. It is all the more significant because the media rarely covers the plight of the suffering church, giving the wrong impression that anti-Christian persecution is not extensive." Each episode of the fourteen part series features a panel of international experts complemented by interviews with leading thinkers, activists, and politicians. (Jubilee Campaign)

CHRISTIAN LEADERS LOBBY U.S. CONGRESS FOR AIDS FUNDING

Some 90 Christian leaders went to Capitol Hill last week to lobby for full funding of President Bush's five-year, $15 billion program to prevent and treat AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. The evangelicals divided into groups to visit about 20 lawmakers from both parties regarding the disease. Last year, evangelist Franklin Graham organized a conference on the issue. Last week, World Vision together with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and the relief group MAP International brought 250 ministers, missionaries and donors to Washington, D.C. for two days of meetings on HIV and AIDS. A World Vision lobbyist said their primary plea was for Congress to appropriate the full funding for Bush's global AIDS program, beginning with $3 billion for fiscal 2004. (Charisma News Service)

BRITISH METHODISTS CELEBRATE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDER'S BIRTH

The Methodist Church is celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of its founder, John Wesley, but the observance comes amid a continuing crisis over fears for the future of the church itself in his native Britain. A national service has been organized to commemorate Wesley's life. But there are growing concerns over the health of the Methodist Church in Britain, where a steady decline in attendance has seen the number of Methodists in the country shrink to one-third of the total at Methodism's peak. The trend prompted one of the church's leading figures to warn that the church must either reform or face its own demise in Britain within five years. A religion commentator said, "although many Methodists see signs of hope in thriving youth clubs and social projects, the figure represents a decline of about 7 percent in the past three years." One future prospect is a possible closer relationship with the Church of England. The two churches share many of the same problems, centering on falling attendance and an aging membership. Earlier attempts at unity failed for a variety of reasons. Methodism's plight in Britain, however, is not reflected elsewhere. The global membership is estimated at 33 million. (Religion News Service)

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