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Hundreds of refugees have sought shelter at Radio Station ELWA in the Liberian capital of Monrovia as the political situation in the country continues to deteriorate. "We are again calling upon you to join us in prayer for Liberia," wrote a ministry spokesman in an e-mail report sent Sunday afternoon. "The news from the last two days has not been good. Lurd rebels have again attacked from the North and West, starting on Friday, again reaching the Freeport area on Saturday and coming close to the city center. Mortar shells are again being dropped in heavily populated areas. Reports indicate that the rebels are also moving toward Paynesville from the Freeport area. This could bring fighting closer to ELWA.

Despite the unrest, "things are still quiet at the ELWA campus," he wrote. However, more than 500 persons have arrived at the facility as the fighting spreads. The ministry's radio station and hospital continue to operate as long as diesel fuel is available to run the generators. The spokesman urged prayer for safety and a permanent resolution to the conflict.

HCJB World Radio works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available.

In recent developments, some 4,500 more U.S. sailors and Marines have been ordered to position themselves closer to Liberia to be ready for possible duty in Liberia, the Associated Press reported. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld signed a deployment order on the weekend sending a three-ship amphibious ready group from its position off the Horn of Africa into the Mediterranean Sea, defense officials said. That would put the group in a position to get to the west coast of Africa faster if needed for an evacuation of Americans, peacekeeping or some other mission. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia was hit by mortar fire today, and U.S. officials in Washington said a number of buildings in the complex had been hit by gunfire, though they believe the embassy itself is not a target.

Liberian Christians are appealing for more humanitarian aid as the situation worsens, reported Baptist World Alliance. Intense fighting among two rebel factions and government forces throughout the countryside of Liberia in the last three months has caused thousands of citizens to flee to neighboring countries as refugees. Internally displaced persons are scattered in camps across Liberia. Many supermarkets, shops, business houses, warehouses, and private homes have been destroyed and looted.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in recent fighting. Basic food commodities such as rice, water, meat and fish as well as gasoline are in short supply and expensive. Healthcare facilities have not been spared from looting even though they are overcrowded with the wounded and sick. More than 350 cases of cholera also have been reported, while major outbreaks of meningitis, typhoid and malaria have affected the refugee camps.

Liberia's national sports stadium, school buildings and other public facilities have become home to more than 150,000 internally displaced persons who are desperate for food. Meanwhile, staff members from international aid agencies have been evacuated from the country. Baptist World Aid is raising funds to provide 120,000 lbs. of rice for the country. (HCJB World Radio)

FOUNDER OF WORLD'S LARGEST CHRISTIAN MINISTRY DIES AT AGE 81

Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, died Saturday, July 19, from complications related to pulmonary fibrosis. He was 81. Fueled by his passion to present the love and claims of Jesus Christ to "every living person on earth," Bright spent more than five decades building and leading the Florida-based outreach. Campus Crusade is the world's largest Christian ministry with 26,000 full-time employees and more than 225,000 trained volunteers working in 191 countries. Ministries and projects range from military outreaches to inner-city work. Bright was so motivated by the Great Commission that in 1956 he wrote the booklet, The Four Spiritual Laws, which has been printed in 200 languages and distributed to more than 2.5 billion people, making it the world's most widely disseminated religious booklet. In 1979 Bright commissioned the "Jesus" film, a feature-length documentary on the life of Christ that has since been viewed by more than 5.1 billion people in 234 countries. The film has become the most widely viewed and translated film in history, available in more than 800 languages. Bright's successor is his long-time associate, Steve Douglass. Bright is survived by his wife, Vonette, who help found the ministry; one son, Bradley, a staff member at Campus Crusade; and four grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., but no date has been set. (Assist News Service)

ZAMBIAN POLICE FREE 280 BOYS FROM ISLAMIC SCHOOL

Zambian police recently raided the Faiz-E-Abrar Islamic Trust School in Lusaka, freeing the 280 boys -- all between the ages of 4 and 10 -- who were locked up in a warren of cells. The children, clad in Islamic caps and robes, told Zambian Youth, Sport and Child Development Minister Gladys Nyirongo (who accompanied the police) that they all wanted to leave the Islamic boarding school. The boys said they had been kept at the school against their will and were subjected to abuse. They were not allowed to speak their home languages in the school -- only Arabic. Those who broke this rule received corporal punishment from their instructors. Adherence to Islamic religious rituals was compulsory. Those who strayed from the Islamic teachings were "caged in small rooms and made to eat food kept in a manhole." The children received little academic teaching, mainly studying Islamic doctrine. Lusaka Police Chief Chandela Musonda said that two foreigners were arrested, including Iqbal Patel, the institution's chairman and director. Police investigations of "unlawful confinement and abuse" are continuing. Nyirongo said that most of the children were malnourished and lacked proper medical care. "We don't want to have another Al-Qaeda network in Zambia," she said. "This appears to be a very serious arrangement." Parents were promised that if they gave their children to the school, they would receive a university education in a Middle East country if they attained a suitable level of Islamic education and fluency in Arabic. (Frontline Fellowship)

BELARUS PROTESTANTS RALLY AGAINST GOVERNMENT DISCRIMINATION

Protestant leaders in the Belarus capital of Minsk held an unprecedented mass prayer rally Sunday, July 13, to protest what they call a "campaign of harassment" in the eastern European country, reported Religion News Service. The rally, attended by about 5,000 mostly charismatic Christians, was sparked by a national television broadcast last month that labeled Pentecostals as members of a sect. The program questioned the place of the non-Orthodox Christians in a country where just 5 percent of Christians are Protestants. The broadcast on Belarus' main television news show was led by a commentator who had earlier accused Pentecostals of being "Satanic vermin" and "enemies of the people" who practice human sacrifice. The two-hour prayer service included readings from a public appeal to Belarus' hard-line president, sometimes described as Europe's last dictator. Demonstrators complained of how the government impedes home prayer meetings, outdoor baptisms and the acquisition of property to build new churches. Of particular concern to Protestants is a new school textbook used throughout the country. The book's authors warn that many Christian faiths -- except Orthodox and Catholic -- produce fanatics who can destabilize society. While Protestant groups have earlier taken their complaints to court, Sunday's prayer service was the first large-scale show of strength and solidarity. (Religion Today)

PENNSYLVANIA HIGH SCHOOL WRONGLY BARRED BIBLE CLUB, COURT RULES

A Pennsylvania high school wrongly barred a student Bible club from meeting during an activity period before the start of classes, an appellate court ruled Tuesday, July 15. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the decision after Melissa Donovan, a senior at Punxsutawney Area High School, said the school district would not permit FISH, her Bible study group, to meet after school started at 8 a.m. School officials were wrong to prevent the club from meeting during an in-school "activity period" from 8:15 to 8:54 a.m., during which other student groups were permitted to gather, the three-judge panel ruled. "FISH is a group that discusses current issues from a biblical perspective, and school officials denied the club equal access to meet on school premises during the activity period solely because of the club's religious nature," Judge Ruggero John Aldisert wrote. The court said Donovan's constitutional rights to free speech and assembly were violated so she may be due attorney fees and damages. The district had argued that permitting the group to meet during the school day would amount to an inappropriate government endorsement of religion. Aldisert disagreed, saying the meetings were voluntary and did not involve teachers. (Religion Today)

CONFERENCE IN GREECE TO PREPARE 800 EVANGELISTS FOR 2004 OLYMPICS

Evangelists are preparing for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, not to compete for medals, but for hearts and minds. AMG International's Paul Jenks says in October the "More Than Gold Outreach" is sponsoring an event in Athens to prepare for the influx of athletes to the Games. "We're anticipating 800 delegates will be in Athens from at least 215 countries planning outreach -- not only in Greece but in their host countries around the world, using sports themes to do evangelism at the time of the Olympic Games." Jenks says the ministry is preparing new materials that cater specifically to athletes. "There'll be a special edition of the New Testament with a Greek cover, an Olympic theme, with testimonies that will be distributed to athletes and visitors. There'll be newspaper evangelism that will take place in Greece as well as other countries around the world." He asks believers to pray that AMG would be allowed to move forward on a sports complex that will house workers and leaders during the Olympics. (Mission Network News)

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

More than 600 civilians have been killed in a rebel onslaught on the outskirts of the Liberian capital city of Monrovia as fighting raged for a fifth day. The blast of mortar bombs rang out across the city today where the U.N. refugee agency described the situation as "horrific" and aid workers appealed for foreign troops to end the violence. West African ministers and security officials met in Senegal to discuss sending peacekeepers to the embattled country, and pressure mounted on the U.S. to intervene. Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chea said the soaring death toll in Monrovia has thrown into doubt pledges by President Charles Taylor to resign once peacekeeping troops arrived. Aid workers calculated that about 100 civilians have been killed by mortar bombs in the past few days, but Chea says overall civilian casualties are six times that figure. Angry Monrovians have cursed the U.S. for failing to send soldiers to help end the bloodshed. Today's heaviest gunfire rang out from areas near bridges that lead to the city center -- where the battle has seesawed since Friday -- and on a road encircling the city. U.S. President George W. Bush said he would only consider sending troops to help if Taylor, wanted by a U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone, left the country. (Reuters)

* About 500 refugees have sought shelter at Radio Station ELWA in Monrovia as the political situation in the country continues to deteriorate. Despite the unrest, the radio station and hospital continue to operate as long as diesel fuel is available to run the generators. HCJB World Radio works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available.

RELIEF EFFORT LAUNCHED IN SOUTHERN SUDAN AS FAMINE SPREADS

While U.N. relief efforts in Sudan are suspended during negotiations for a settlement to the longstanding civil war, Christian relief agencies are working to fill the gap in a worsening human tragedy induced by drought conditions and a failed harvest. "The village of Tonj in southern Sudan, for example, is being ravaged by famine," said pastor Gary Kusonoki, founder of Safe Harbor International Relief. "Our African staff has reported that seven to 10 people a week are losing their lives to starvation." Kusonoki and a team of 10 plan to arrive in Tonj with 50 tons of relief supplies to aid the deteriorating situation. "Thousands of people are on the verge of starvation. Many are to the point where their bodies can no longer take in solid food," he said. Sudan is the largest country in Africa, but it has been enmeshed in civil war for most of the years since it gained independence from Britain in 1956. An estimated 2 million people have died of famine and fighting in Sudan during the last 18 years. (Assist News Service)

BULGARIAN RELIGION LAW SURVIVES CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE

An effort to have parts of Bulgaria's controversial religion law overturned as unconstitutional has failed. The lawyer who represented 50 parliamentary deputies of the Union Democratic Forces (UDF) in their case at the Constitutional Court described the July 15 ruling as "amazing." "It is the first time in history that six judges have been against the law and only five in favor, but the law went through anyway," said Lachezar Popov, chair of the Sofia-based Rule of Law Institute. Members of religious minorities now fear the authorities will step up action against them. The religion law, which was adopted last December and came into force Jan. 1, was criticized in a June 2003 Council of Europe report that expressed concern about privileges granted to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Sofia-based Tolerance Foundation, headed by Emil Cohen, complained about the rights given to the courts under Article 9 to punish religious organizations for a variety of alleged offences. Popov reports that in recent months, churches and monasteries have been attacked and occupied by police -- at times in the face of legal orders. Both religious minorities and UDF deputies say the campaign against the law will continue. (Forum 18 News Service)

RELIGION COULD BE KEY ISSUE IN CAMBODIAN ELECTIONS

Christians in Cambodia are concerned that religion may be a key factor in national elections set for Sunday, July 27. Ken Huff from the evangelistic Book of Hope project says the major opposition group, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), was trying to win votes earlier this year by speaking out against Christianity. Bruce Hutchinson of Call to Prayer Ministries says the SRP used a cult group's claim that the ancient temples of Angkor Wat were built by Jehovah to stir opposition to Christians and gain political leverage. "In a country that reacts extremely to rumors, and is developing a strong culture of nationalism based on their cultural and Buddhist roots, this is something of a concern," said Hutchinson. The majority of Cambodia's 12.4 million people are Buddhists who mix beliefs from ancient Khmer, Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Religious freedom is protected in the Cambodian constitution, but Christians often face persecution and opposition, especially in rural areas. (Compass Direct)

STRAINED RELATIONS BETWEEN U.S., NORTH KOREA COMPLICATE OUTREACH

North Korea has warned that it may pull out of a 1953 armistice accord. The threat of war looms over the Korean peninsula as the U.S. tries to negotiate. Trans World Radio's Scott Hollinger says the atmosphere complicates outreach plans, but won't stop the ministry. "This is difficult. It's taking time for us to find the right people that we can utilize to send the radios into North Korea. There are more guards stationed at the border now, the infrastructure of transportation is not good, so it takes more time." Hollinger says that strained relations between the U.S. and North Korean governments serve to sharpen their evangelistic mission. "We produce 11 programs that are being aired to the Korean peninsula. Although the focus of those programs really is North Korea. It just means that we are more focused on making sure that ministry gets out." (Mission Network News)

VATICAN PLANNING JORDANIAN CHURCH TO BE LARGEST IN MIDDLE EAST

The Vatican plans to build the biggest church of the Middle East in Jordan near the site where scholars believe Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Last week the first group of Vatican engineers arrived to inspect the location of the 5,000 square meters complex, which is to be erected in a pyramid shape on the east bank of the Jordan River, said Baptism Site Commission Director Dia Al-Madani. The church, which will include a monastery and an indoor lake for baptism services, is to be constructed from old stones used in biblical times and will be large enough to "accommodate 30,000 pilgrims," explained Al-Madani. Although the Vatican will fund the multi-million dollar building and an unknown number of priests and monks are expected to live there permanently, "believers from all denominations will be welcomed and can be baptized in the church," said Al-Madani. "Construction of the church will begin this autumn and could be finished within three years." (Assist News Service)

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

"There are now more than 1,000 displaced people on the ELWA campus, staying in the gym, the youth camp, and some of the office and school buildings that were not being fully utilized," says Kesselly. "ELWA is still on the air, although on a slightly reduced schedule in order to conserve fuel -- 21/2 hours every morning and three hours each evening. They only have enough diesel fuel [to operate the generators] to carry them for about another week on this schedule.

"The ELWA hospital also continues to serve sick patients in the area with 24-hour emergency room service, and the clinic remains open, though few patients are coming in these turbulent days," Kesselly adds. "Transportation is also difficult -- very few taxis on the road -- but people are traveling the roads on the east side of Monrovia where ELWA is located. He urges believers everywhere to pray that many Liberians would respond to the gospel during these turbulent days."

HCJB World Radio works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available.

Boakai Yamah, chairman of the SIM-related church, Evangelical Church Union of Liberia (ECUL) said Tuesday morning that many pastors and church leaders have been forced to leave their homes. "Some are sheltering at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex -- the large local soccer stadium which is only about a mile from ELWA -- along with perhaps 30,000 or more other displaced people," he says. "Pray that God would use our ECUL pastors to comfort and encourage hurting and fearful people and that their faith would remain strong. Also pray as we assist our partners in ministering to the many needs, especially for food and medical care among the displaced people around Monrovia."

In recent developments, rebels took control of a key bridge in Monrovia today in fighting that shattered a day-old cease-fire pledge, sending thousands of families fleeing in a city desperately short of food, water and shelter, reported Associated Press. Separately, West African foreign ministers meeting in Dakar, Senegal, promised to deploy two Nigerian battalions to Liberia within days -- vanguard of what ministers said should be a 3,250-strong international force to bring peace to the devastated nation. Explosions boomed in Monrovia this morning, one day after rebel leaders announced a unilateral cease-fire.

"This morning we're still under attack," Defense Minister Daniel Chea said after a night of shelling and gunfire. "It's still raining round after round of mortars." Three U.S. ships with 2,000 Marines and 2,500 sailors aboard were moving toward the Mediterranean Sea and awaiting orders. Liberian President Charles Taylor, a former warlord indicted for war crimes in Sierra Leone, has pledged to accept Nigeria's offer of asylum -- but only after peacekeepers arrive to ensure an orderly transition.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is seeking U.S. intervention to calm the volatile and violent situation in Liberia, reported AFP. Powell told The Washington Times in an interview published today that history obliges the U.S. to help the troubled country. "We do have a historic link to Liberia, and we do have some obligation as the most important and powerful nation on the face of the earth not to look away when a problem like this comes to us. We looked away once in Rwanda, with tragic consequences," Powell said, referring to a 1994 genocide there. (HCJB World Radio/SIM)

AZERBAIJAN AUTHORITIES RAID HOUSE CHURCH, FINE 2 AZERI MEN

Police and local officials raided a worship service at an unregistered Baptist church in Gyanja, Azerbaijan, Sunday, July 13. Authorities confiscated all religious literature that they could find in the apartment where the congregation was meeting, including Bibles, hymnbooks and copies of the Baptist Russian-language journal, Vestnik Istiny (Herald of Truth). They also singled out the two ethnic Azeris -- church leader Zaur Ismailov and Magomet Musayev -- and fined them the equivalent of US$13 and US$33 respectively. About a dozen other people were present in the Baptist church when officials interrupted the sermon, declaring the service as "illegal," but none of the others were fined. Pavel Byakov, pastor of a church in Sumgait, said the two men have done nothing wrong, "so they told the authorities they will not pay." Firdovsi Karimov, head of the local department of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, upheld the fines, insisting the service was illegal because the church isn't registered. The Gyanja Baptist Church belongs to the International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians/Baptists. Congregations reject registration on principle in all the former Soviet republics where they operate, believing such registration leads to state interference and unacceptable restrictions on their activities. (Forum 18 News Service)

GROUNDBREAKING MINISTRY TO USE SATELLITE TV TO TRAIN PASTORS

Pastors in the former Soviet Union will be receiving training in the privacy of their own homes through a special outreach via satellite in August, says Jonathon Shibley of Global Advance. The ministry's Frontline Shepherd conference will be aired on satellite television beginning next month. "We believe this is going to be one of the first-ever telecasts produced especially for pastors in the Russian-speaking world, where every Saturday night pastors and church leaders will be able to tune in and receive an hour of training and encouragement before they go into their churches the following Sunday morning." Shibley hopes this telecast will encourage more Russians to help fulfill the Great Commission. "The Russian-speaking world could be one of the greatest missionary forces that exists," he says. "And we want them to take ownership in the Great Commission as well. God gave [this mandate] to the global body of Christ, and the Russian-speaking world is a significant part of that force." (Mission Network News)

AID AGENCY WORKS WITH IRAQ'S CHURCHES TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD

While U.S. military forces face continued hit-and-run attacks in Iraq, $1.5 billion in government aid is being pumped into the country. World Concern's Kelly Miller says the needs of post-war Iraq are too great to face alone. "There are hundreds of thousands of people in the country who are underfed. The distribution system is not in place. . . . So the ability to provide critical needs to many of the people of Iraq simply is not happening at this point." With the ministry's help, however, local churches are responding, Miller says. "It's very encouraging to know that there is a very vibrant Christian church in Iraq -- one that is integrated into the communities there. So the food distribution that we've been providing through our local partner is through the church. That's a huge statement for the Christian church to be able to provide the vitally needed aid." (Mission Network News)

MINISTRY OPERATES 50 SUICIDE HOTLINE CENTERS ACROSS JAPAN

A church-based suicide hotline begun in Japan in 1971 now has 50 call-in centers around the country, operating nearly 24 hours a day and employing more than 7,000 volunteer counselors. Japan has long held the world's highest suicide rate, and numbers have jumped 50 percent in the last five years, reaching 30,000 deaths annually. About 70 percent of suicides are committed by men, mostly professionals whose careers have been ravaged by the continuing economic crisis. (Pulse)

KENYA OUTREACH BRINGS PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL HOPE TO POOR CHILDREN

On a continent ravaged by poverty and diseases such as AIDS, one ministry in Kenya is reaching the most vulnerable victims -- children -- with the gospel. Ebenezer Life Center ministers to the whole needs of orphans and street children. At the Ebenezer Orphan Home, 162 children receive food, clothing, schooling and hygiene training. Another 77 orphans are cared for in private homes since the orphanage is not large enough to house them. All school-aged children in the home attend Ebenezer Christian School. In 2002 this school was recognized by the government as a "center of educational excellence." The students' performances in the school continue to improve as staffers strive for high standards in education. Another aspect of ELC's ministry is its Rehabilitation and Rescue Center for Street Children. This project began in 1996 with 80 street boys from Ahero in western Kenya. So far about 40 boys have been totally rehabilitated from lives of poverty and vice. Twelve are taking vocational training. Nearly all have accepted Christ as Savior. A number of boys are ministered to at a halfway home. There they live semi-independently, doing regular chores and being trained in skills such as mechanics, carpentry and motor vehicle wiring. (Missions Insider)

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

Five years after she was kidnapped, sold and forcibly married to a Muslim stranger, a young Pakistani Christian woman has won legal divorce from the man. In a landmark decision, the Lahore Family Court granted Maria Samar John formal dissolution of her 1998 marriage to Abdul Ghaffar. Now 23, she was only 17 when she was tricked by a Muslim relative to leave her home in Lahore. She was locked into a room by herself for five months, until the day armed men arrived with a stranger she realized was to be her bridegroom. The man, Ghaffar, paid John's kidnapper the equivalent of $2,000, and a wedding ceremony was performed. In September 1999, pregnant at the time, she managed to find a house key and escape Ghaffar's home with the couple's baby son. Her divorce suit, aided by the Lahore-based Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement, took 26 months to resolve. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reports that 226 underage girls were kidnapped in Punjab province in 2001 under similar circumstances. Only 12 were recovered and returned to their families. (Compass)

PRESBYTERIANS TO LAUNCH SECOND PROBE OF MISSIONARY CHILDREN ABUSE

The Presbyterian Church (USA) will launch a probe to investigate abuse allegations from Egypt and Cameroon. The church's General Assembly Council authorized the investigation last month. The panel, which will continue its work through 2009, will investigate alleged abuse against missionary children at the American Presbyterian Mission in Alexandria, Egypt, between 1950 and 1980, and at the Hope School in Elat, Cameroon, in the 1960s. "We want to be part of the healing for anyone who has already had something happen to them that shouldn't have happened, but we also want to prevent something from happening again," said Rev. Marian McClure, director of the church's worldwide ministries division. The panel would only handle abuse claims against former church employees. Any charges that are filed against current employees would be handled in a separate process. The panel was called because the allegations in Egypt and Cameroon were beyond the scope of a 173-page report issued last October that unearthed abuse at a missionary school in the Congo. That report found 48 separate incidents of abuse involving at least 22 women and girls. (Religion News Service)

SERBIAN BISHOP JAILED FOR 5 DAYS AFTER CONTROVERSIAL BAPTISM

Bishop Jovan Vranisskovski of the Serbian Orthodox Church was arrested in Bitolj, Macedonia, on Sunday, July 20, where he was trying to baptize a grandchild of his sister in a Macedonian Orthodox Church. He was prevented from doing so and then arrested and sentenced to five days solitary confinement. Relatives and co-workers of Vranisskovski are concerned about his medical condition, claiming that he was brutally arrested and physically molested afterwards. "The Macedonian government has no links with the church canonical issues or disputes in this regard," said Mirjana Konteska of the Macedonian Ministry of the Interior. "To our knowledge, Mr. Vranisskovski was defrocked from the Macedonian Orthodox Church three weeks ago and thus has no legal rights to perform religious rites in religious sites. The priests in the church called the police with charges of disturbing public peace and order. He resisted an officer, and after arrest he, and his party, were brought before a magistrate judge who sentenced him to five days in prison for disturbance of public peace and order and resisting a police officer." (Forum 18 News Service)

RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS MAY SUFFER IN WAR ON TERRORISM, SPEAKERS WARN

Main speakers at an international conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, July 17-18, stressed the importance of respecting religious freedom while fighting terrorism. "The threat of terrorism must not be used as an excuse to infringe on the right of individuals and groups to freely choose and manifest their religion or belief," said Ambassador Christian Strohal, director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Jonathan Gallagher, deputy secretary general of the International Religious Liberty Association, added that he is "highly concerned at recent developments in many nations that have reduced religious freedom in the name of national security. The rise in religious intolerance and discrimination must be combated, for the risk of destabilization and inter-religious violence is grave when the religious beliefs of faith communities are disregarded." More than 200 delegates representing 55 European and Central Asian countries attended the conference. (Adventist News Network)

PARTNERS LAUNCH 2 NEW SHORTWAVE PROGRAMS IN EGYPT, ERITREA

The Voice of the Martyrs and High Adventure Gospel Communication Ministries recently launched two new shortwave radio programs into Egypt and Eritrea. "The Road to Emmaus," an Arabic program, is being broadcast into Egypt at 10:45 a.m. (local time) each Friday on the shortwave frequency of 17595 kHz. "The Voice of Light" program airs to Eritrea at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on the frequency 13810 kHz. Local pastors in Canada produce both programs. "We are so pleased to have a significant role in these programs," says Glenn Penner, communications director for the Voice of the Martyrs. "Both programs are meeting a vital need in their respective countries. 'The Road to Emmaus' presents the gospel in a way accessible and understandable to Egyptian Muslims while 'The Voice of Light' is more directed to encouraging Eritrean evangelicals who are being persecuted for their faith; Half of this program consists of dramatic readings of our best-selling book, 'Jesus Freaks.'" (Voice of the Martyrs)

MINISTRY THRIVES IN VIETNAM DESPITE ONGOING PERSECUTION

Recent reports from Vietnam have confirmed longstanding worries about religious liberty in this country as new converts face discrimination and government surveillance. In spite of this situation, at least one ministry in the country is thriving. Stephanie Tebow of Educational Services International explains through teaching, staff members have opportunities to address students' deeper questions. "Our students begin to question and ask, 'Why are you a Christian?' and 'I see the difference between your life and mine. I want to know more about this Jesus Christ that you have in your life.' What happens next really depends on where they live," she said, referring to the persecution of believers. Tebow urges believers to pray "that our people will be given greater access, that there will be less suspicion and that our efforts to witness a lifestyle and to stand with and partner with other Christians would grow." (Mission Network News)

© Copyright 2003 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

As fighting rages in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, neighboring West African countries are readying peacekeepers. The deployment means a reinforcing strength behind the ouster of Liberian President Charles Taylor. Evangelical Baptist Mission's Doug Boisvert says he hopes the crisis will end soon. "With everybody shifting around so much, it's been hard to know even where everybody is [so we can work with local churches] to provide some assistance." While the precarious political situation worsens, people are flocking to local churches in search of hope, Boisvert says. "Churches are being swamped by people who just don't know what to do, and what they're going to find when they return to their homes. So ministry is going on . . . they're just making do with what they have."

In recent developments, artillery shells crashed into the U.S. Embassy compound and refugee-crowded neighborhoods this morning, killing at least 12 Liberian men, women and children and wounding more than 100 people in the bloodiest barrage in days, reported the Associated Press. The onslaught brought new, desperate cries from Monrovia's trapped people for a multinational peacekeeping force -- promised for weeks but with no firm deployment date yet set. "I want to tell George Bush to do something hurriedly, very fast and quickly. People are dying every day," cried Emmanuel Sieh, 28, who was part of one of the frantic crowds spilling onto the streets in front of the U.S. Embassy following the barrage.

The artillery barrage sent 15 to 20 shells crashing into the neighborhood of the embassy shortly after daybreak. Thousands of refugees have packed into the district, hoping for some safety from proximity to the heavily guarded facility. One shell struck inside the high-walled embassy compound, exploding harmlessly on rocky ground, a U.S. official said. Another hit near two boys who stood brushing their teeth in a yard near the embassy, killing both.

West African leaders have promised a multinational force for Liberia. The U.S. has yet to announce a decision on requests to take part in the peacekeeping force. Government forces blamed the attack on rebels who are fighting to oust Taylor, a warlord-turned president behind 14 years of near-perpetual conflict in the country. He has promised to step down when foreign peacekeepers arrive, but has repeatedly reneged on promises to cede power since June. (Mission Network News/AP)

* More than 1,000 refugees have taken shelter at Radio Station ELWA in Monrovia as the country's political crisis continues. Despite the unrest, the radio station and hospital continue to operate as long as diesel fuel is available to run the generators. HCJB World Radio works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available.

CHINESE POLICE RAID HOUSE CHURCH, ARREST 3 LEADERS

Officers of the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) raided an unregistered house church in Xiao Shan City in Zhejiang province early Sunday, July 13, breaking up a prayer and devotional meeting, assaulting Christians and arresting three church leaders. The raid came at 4 a.m. when Christians were meeting for prayer. One of those arrested was Shao Cheng Shen who helped found the church more than 25 years ago. Two of the church's leaders, Wei Min Xu and Chong Dao Gao, were also arrested. Police did not offer any arrest warrants or documentation for their actions. The three are being held at an unknown location, and their families had not been told their whereabouts or allowed to see them. Another Christian who was on the PSB's "most-wanted list" escaped through a church window during the raid and remains in hiding. The church building has been destroyed by government agents three times in its history. But each time the congregation rebuilt the building despite not having government permission. The church is connected with "The Little Flock" founded by Chinese Christian martyr Watchman Nee. An affiliated congregation in Heng Peng Village was also raided during services on July 6 when more than 300 PSB officers and military police demolished the church building. This church also had refused to register with the communist religious authorities. (Voice of the Martyrs)

CHURCHES URGE U.S. TO LIST INDIA AS 'COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN'

Given the climate of increasing violence against Christians and other religious minorities and recent laws that infringe their constitutional rights, church leaders in India have expressed regret about the refusal of the U.S. government to designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC). Last March officials in the Bush administration published a list of countries, citing Myanmar (Burma), China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Sudan for severe religious freedom violations, but left off other nations where Christians suffer. "We never said there is religious persecution in India, but there have been a number of attacks on Christian institutions," said Donald D'Souza, head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, in criticizing the U.S. decision. In May the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that it was "deeply disappointed that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell did not designate India, Pakistan, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Vietnam" as CPCs. The commission added that there have been "hundreds of attacks on Christian leaders, worshipers and churches throughout India," and the commission is "increasingly concerned about abuses of religious freedom in India, including the communal violence and killings that took place in the state of Gujarat last year." (Compass/Open Doors)

2 BRAZILIANS CONVICTED OF HATE CRIME FOR EVANGELIZING SPIRITISTS

Two Christians were recently fined the equivalent of $300 each for their participation in an annual evangelistic outreach on the beaches of Săo Paulo, Brazil, reported Charisma News Service. The Umbanda and Candomble spiritist groups sued Baptist pastor Joaquim de Andrade, 41, and Aldo dos Santos Menezes, 33, accusing them of violating Brazil's "hate crime" law by distributing tracts that spiritists say "disparaged the African goddess Iemanja." They charged Andrade and Menezes with "inciting evangelicals to commit acts contrary to the liberty of religious belief." During an April 16 hearing, a Săo Paulo judge fined Andrade and Menezes and warned them that if they did not stop proselytizing spiritists, they would face stiffer consequences next time. "This is a precedent-setting case," said former Brazilian resident Paul Carden, director of the Centers for Apologetics Research. "If Christians cannot freely share their faith with interested bystanders in a public place without the potential of some punishment under the pretext of having committed a hate crime, then this profoundly alters the spiritual equation in that country." (Religion Today)

* HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel in Portuguese to Brazil via shortwave from Quito, Ecuador, and maintains a world office and radio studios in Curitiba. Portuguese programs, which have been on the air continuously since 1947, generate more listener letters than any language service at Radio Station HCJB in Ecuador. The ministry's Portuguese programs also air on local radio stations across Brazil.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE GROUP TO HOLD FIRST-EVER YOUTH CAMP

A group dedicated to peace in the Middle East called Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation is making final preparations to hold its first-ever junior high summer camp. "This project began as a conversation between a few youth leaders at last September's youth leaders' conference," said a Mashala spokesman in an e-mail report. "One asked the question, 'Why don't we have a camp?' From that time we have met as a planning committee, recruited a director and camp staff, and coordinated and planned with the staff. Next week the campers will come!" The youth camp will run Monday to Friday, July 28-Aug. 1. Musalaha was founded on the belief that through faith in Jesus, the Messiah, there is hope for a lasting reconciliation of Jewish and Palestinian believers. "We find that it is important to expand our work among young people, particularly in light of the fact that they too are very influenced by the political situation," the spokesman said. The staff comprises youth leaders and camp counselors from both Palestinian and Israeli backgrounds. "The plan is to put Arabic and Hebrew speaking counselors together in a cabin and at every activity. . . . They are committed to reconciliation and also to sharing the love of the Messiah with the young people." The program includes Bible teaching, worship, cultural activities, dance, arts, crafts, drama, photography, games and outdoor activities. (Assist News Service)

SIM PARTNERS LAUNCH HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY TRAINING IN NIGERIA

Evangel Hospital and Jos Evangelical Theological Seminary, both related to SIM in Nigeria, are offering their first chaplaincy training module this month. SIM missionary Scott Cunningham in Nigeria has worked with the committee to develop the program -- believed to be the first from an evangelical perspective in West Africa. Tim Herron, a hospital chaplain from the U.S., is teaching the pilot course. One of Cunningham's former seminary classmates, Herron is a survivor of a brain tumor and continues to deal with the effects of the disease and the treatment. Following his recovery, he studied chaplaincy and counseling and founded an organization in Texas named Overcomers. "Tim has a wonderful perspective on God's purposes in suffering and on life and death issues, which he is communicating to these 10 Nigerian chaplains," Cunningham says. (SIM)

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