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The Christian Emergency Network (CEN) will launch a national effort to prepare the Christian community to be "response ready" in times of national crisis. CEN will make the official announcement at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Feb. 16, during the National Religious Broadcasters convention. CEN's founder and chairman, Mary Marr, along with Tom Bowen, will present their vision for the network. Bowen served with search and recovery teams following 9/11 and received multiple honorable service citations for his service. Recently he was presented with the Medal of Heroism and the National Distinguished Humanitarian Award by American Rescue Workers. The state of New York has designated June 24 as "Tom Bowen Day" for service above and beyond the call of duty to the residents of New York. Bowen recently joined CEN, explaining that there is a "real need for a coordinated response from the Christian community in times of national tragedy." (Assist News Service)

PEACE TALKS, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTS BOOST HOPES FOR KASHMIR RESIDENTS

In Pakistan there is renewed hope that next week's peace talks with India will pave the way for a solution to all the disputes involving the neighbors, including Kashmir. Peace talks are slated to begin in Islamabad on Monday, Feb. 16. The region has been wracked with violence, taking its toll on business, development and ministry. Lee DeYoung from Words of Hope said security concerns make it impossible to get specific about the ministry's broadcasts, but radio programs are bringing encouragement to area residents. "Words of Hope is involved with some other organizations including FEBA Radio and Gospel for Asia in broadcasts in the Kashmiri language to the people of Kashmir which is overwhelmingly Islamic," he said. DeYoung says disillusionment with the 56-year conflict has had an interesting impact on the spiritual environment. "People who are certainly hungry for hope and programs that talk about the peace that comes only in Jesus Christ. There is an openness to something that points them credibly toward peace." (Mission Network News)

PHILIPPINE MINISTRY GAINS ANOTHER AWARD FOR 'WAGING PEACE'

For the second time in two years, Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines, Inc. has been recognized for its daring missions to "wage peace" in rebel strongholds and conflict zones of the country. On Dec. 19 Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and Armed Forces of the Philippine Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya presented the award for the "Non-governmental Organization of the Year for Peace Efforts." The award commended Operation Blessing for "bravery and selflessness in launching medical, disaster relief and community development missions that promoted peace, healing, unity and restoration in communities scarred by armed rebellion and terrorism." Brig. Gen. Edwin Vargas also commended members of the organization for helping soldiers medically and other ways during missions. "You have brought a lot of blessings to our soldiers," he said. "I believe they become stronger and braver when they know the Lord God is with them. We cannot thank you enough for what you've done for our soldiers and countrymen." (Assist News Service)

SURVEY REVEALS MULTIPLICATION OF HOUSE CHURCHES IN BEIJING

House churches are multiplying in Beijing, and the Chinese government can do little to stop them. Last year a survey conducted by the communist-controlled Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB) and various leaders of China's state-controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) found that there are more than 3,000 unregistered churches in the city with a total attendance of 90,000. Most are small fellowships with an average of 20 members. Larger groups of 60 to 100 members exist, especially in the suburbs and villages surrounding Beijing, but house church leaders said such groups usually divide to avoid trouble with authorities. Another 30,000 Protestant believers attend the eight large registered TSPM churches in Beijing, bringing the total number of Christians to 120,000, just 0.9 percent of the city's 13.2 million population. Meanwhile, RAB officials say the construction of two new official church buildings will be completed by December 2004. Some observers believe the provision of these 16,000-square-foot churches is a move to encourage house church Christians to attend official services. Others says the construction may be linked to the government's desire for favorable international opinion leading up to the Olympics planned for Beijing in the summer of 2008. (Compass)

BILLY GRAHAM ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR CRUSADE IN LOS ANGELES AREA

Evangelist Billy Graham announced plans on Monday to hold a crusade at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., July 29-Aug. 1, returning to the Los Angeles metro area where he has realized some of his greatest ministry impact. "I never dreamed I would still be preaching at the age of 85," said Graham in a letter a week after being released from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., where he had a partial hip replacement. "God has granted me renewed strength, energy, freedom and determination to preach the gospel. The call that the Lord laid upon my heart to share the good news is as strong as when I was much younger. There is a new generation that needs to hear the gospel since our last crusade there in 1985." More than 400 local pastors and community leaders were on hand at the "Announcement Celebration" at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood to launch this cooperative effort that will involve more than 1,000 local churches representing some 50 denominations. This will be Graham's seventh evangelistic campaign in the Los Angeles area, resulting in a total of 75,000 decisions for Christ. Graham's next crusade will be at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., June 17-20. (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

* STATION IN QUAD CITIES ADDS SPANISH PROGRAMS IN COOPERATIVE EFFORT

For the first time the 50,000 Hispanics living in the Quad Cities along the Illinois-Iowa border can hear hours of daily Christian radio programming in their own language through a cooperative effort involving a consortium of local Evangelical Free Churches (EFC) and HCJB World Radio.

Spanish programs began airing on Moody affiliate WDLM-AM in East Moline, Ill., on Dec. 2, 2003. Programs go out from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily on 960 kHz. Moline is one of the Quad Cities along with Rock Island, Ill., and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, a metro area with a population of 360,000. The station uses programming from Radio Cadena Manantial (RCM), a Spanish satellite service operated by the World Radio Network, a cooperating ministry of HCJB World Radio.

Station Manager Lane Morgan said calls from listeners began coming in almost immediately after the Spanish broadcasts began. On the second night of broadcasts, a man called from 30 miles south of the station to say he could hear the programs. Another listener whose wife is from Guatemala and lives about 15 miles to the north said, "While the signal is not strong, it is very listenable."

Retired engineer Walt Keller, who helped prepare the site for the satellite downlink equipment, said the signal travels surprisingly far since power on the AM transmitter must be turned down to about 100 watts at night to avoid interfering with another station in eastern Illinois. "We've found that the signal is traveling 20 to 25 miles," he said. "This is further than any of us ever thought was possible. Praise the Lord!"

Keller said he was "very excited" to see the broadcasts begin. He, along with Moline First EFC member Lois Johnson, had a vision for years to bring the gospel to the growing Spanish-speaking population in the area.

His interest was peaked when he and his wife, Betsy, volunteered at McAllen, Texas, in February 2000. There he met HCJB World Radio missionaries Dwight Lind and Jim Heck who serve at the nearby World Radio Network headquarters.

"They showed us how the satellite network functions and how the programs could be aired on a local station," he said. Two-and-a-half years later, Heck visited the Quad Cities, hoping to install a low-power FM station, "but with the current FCC freeze on new licenses, this proved impossible."

When Heck learned that WDLM-AM operated only during the day, he suggested that the broadcasts continue at night, but at a reduced power, airing Spanish programs during the unused 12-hour slot.

"The AM station chose to go off the air rather than run at their licensed night-time power level of approximately 100 watts," Heck explains. "An FM translator would have given the Hispanic community a 24-hour radio service, but that was blocked by the FCC freeze. We wanted to do something, and God showed us that there were unused resources which He had. We are reminded again that we are dependent on His supplying our every need."

With funds from the local Evangelical Free Churches and technical help from Wayne Huhta and Curt Bender, HCJB World Radio missionaries from the area, the downlink equipment was installed, and the broadcasts began late last year.

Keller added that local Hispanic pastors have expressed appreciation for the broadcasts, and listenership appears high, although no hard data is available. He added that the broadcasts will make it "a lot easier" to plant more Hispanic churches and encourage believers to grow in their faith. There is only a handful of small Spanish-speaking churches in the area. "My prayer is that the broadcasts will help unite the Hispanic congregations," Keller said. (HCJB World Radio)

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