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CHRISTIANS LAUD LATE PRESIDENT FOR HELPING OPEN COMMUNIST AREAS
As millions of Americans mourn the death of former U.S. President Ronald
Reagan, mission leaders are also saluting him for helping open Eastern
Europe and the former Soviet Union to the gospel. For example, OC
International President Greg Gripentrog says Reagan's policies allowed the
ministry to begin working in the former East Germany and then taking over
communist youth camps in Russia. "We were able to take some of the communist
camps and train churches in how to use those structures to preach the gospel
to Russian youth," he said. "Every year for the last six or seven years
we've seen an average of about 15,000 Russian youth come to faith." OCI's
work also expanded into the Islamic republics in Central Asia, Gripentrog
said, adding that he could not share details for security reasons. "The only
way we can get there is as people provide funds for travel and materials,
and then, we need people who are willing to go, to pay the price needed to
see these people that have been cut off from the gospel for decades now. Now
that the door's open we need people go through and reap the harvest that's
there." (Mission Network News)
LUTHERAN MINISTER IN DENMARK AGAIN SUSPENDED AFTER DENYING GOD
The Lutheran minister in Denmark who proclaimed last year that there was no
God or afterlife, was suspended for a second time Thursday, June 10, after
ignoring church orders not to repeat those beliefs from the pulpit. The
Associated Press reported that Bishop Lise-Lotte Rebel suspended Rev.
Thorkild Grosboell, pastor of Taarbaek (a small town near Copenhagen), and
handed his case to the government "requesting that it take the necessary
steps." In Denmark Lutheran ministers are employed by the state and only the
government can fire them and only with a recommendation from their presiding
bishop. Grosboell has been under Rebel's strict supervision since he first
was suspended after a May 2003 interview in which he said "there is no
heavenly God, there is no eternal life, there is no resurrection." About 85
percent of Danes belong to the state Evangelical Lutheran Church, though
just 5 percent attend church services regularly. Grosboell eventually
retracted his statement and apologized for what Rebel had termed
"provocative" remarks. His suspension was lifted. Yet he repeated those
beliefs in recent weeks. Grosboell "again has spoken in a strongly
provocative, hurting and confusing way," Rebel said. (Assist News Service)
UKRAINE CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE EXPLOSIVE CHURCH GROWTH
In 1991 Gregory and Galina Sukhyna planted the Church of Praise in Krivoy
Rog, a colorless city of more than 1 million in southeastern Ukraine.
Dominated by heavy industry, the city is infamous for violent crime and drug
addiction and has one of the worst reputations in the nation. Still, by June
2002 the Christian community there had grown to 33 churches, and the main
church hosted a three-year Bible school with 75 students as well as a
rehabilitation center for 35 people and a program to feed the poor. In the
past two years the community has grown to 400 churches. Many of the new
churches are in outlying villages, but some have been planted in Armenia,
Central Asia and Moldavia. Gregory has a rule that churches are only planted
in areas where none already exist. The key to church planting is social
ministry and the working of the Holy Spirit, he says, adding that many
people have been freed from violence, drugs and alcohol. Others have been
healed from serious diseases. Most of the church planters are graduates of
the prison Bible schools and rehabilitation centers. The most successful
church planter is Galina, a grandmother who has planted 100 new churches
with her team in the past two years. (Friday Fax)
TEAM VISITS PAPUA NEW GUINEA TO LEARN ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATION
Wycliffe Bible Translators has sent a 20-member "discovery team" to Papua
New Guinea to help with hands-on aspects of Bible translation and literacy
work, including support work in the area. This focus is specifically
designed for people who are interested in language work as it applies to
Scripture translation. Papua New Guinea, home to more than 850 languages,
has one of the most diverse indigenous populations in the world. Team
members, who left June 3 and return Aug. 8, will visit remote villages,
getting a first-hand look at Bible translation and literacy work. Activities
include such things as assisting translators/literacy teams, participating
in workshops and showing the "Jesus" film. (Mission Network News)
* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart,
Ind., are working with partners in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to design
and build a satellite radio network with at least 32 outlets planned. The
first outlet went on the air in Port Moresby in January. Together with
Wycliffe Bible Translators, HCJB World Radio also helped plant a Christian
FM radio station in Kitai in 1996.
ESL CLASSES AT HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OPEN STUDENTS TO GOSPEL
Students in at least one Hungarian university are learning about Christ as
they learn to speak English. Proficiency in a foreign language is a degree
requirement, and English is generally the language of choice. Enterprising
Hungarian missionaries have taken advantage of this opportunity and have
provided students with practical help while interacting and building close
relationships. The relationship building is accomplished not only through
student-teacher interaction, but also in student-to-student relationships as
committed Christians attend these sessions. Bible verses are occasionally
used in the lessons and fellowship continues after class, providing
opportunities for evangelism. (Missions Insider)
* PARTNER STATION IN EMBATTLED CONGOLESE CITY RESUMES BROADCASTS
Broadcasts from Radio Kahuzi, HCJB World Radio's partner ministry in Bukavu,
Dem. Rep. of Congo, went back on the air earlier this week after heavy
fighting disrupted power in the city of 250,000 near the Rwanda border for
most of 10 days.
"For the moment, we are the only private radio on the air in Bukavu," wrote
Richard McDonald of Believer's Express Service, Inc. in an e-mail report on
Wednesday. "So with our normal Christian programming, we are trying to
reassure the distant populations that peace and calm are returning to
Bukavu. We are thankful to be on the air after many difficult days with no
electricity and varying stages of insecurity that began on May 26."
McDonald added that government forces had captured the rebel insurgents with
"very little, if any, loss of life." He urges prayer for "order to be
reestablished among the military forces, and for civil authority to be
established so normal life can resume."
U.N. peacekeeping troops continue to patrol the streets of Bukavu to prevent
further looting of shops and offices of humanitarian agencies. The troops
are also working to prevent acts of retaliation among ethnic groups. Brig.
Gen. Mbuza Mabe, the loyalist commander under which Bukavu falls, appealed
to residents via U.N. Radio Okapi to remain calm. The dissidents had invaded
Bukavu after they received reports that Mabe was killing Congolese Tutsis,
known as Banyamulenge.
McDonald said another 1,000 fix-tuned shortwave receivers built by Galcom
have cleared customs in Goma and are ready to ship to Bukavu for
distribution. "We sometimes toss one of these solar-powered radios to a
passing armored troop carrier," he said. "The U.N. troops from South
America, Europe or South Africa are happy to have it and to listen to our
programming/music and the gospel along with development programs in health,
hygiene and agriculture, as well as news."
Radio Kahuzi, founded in 1992, broadcasts via FM (91.1 MHz) and shortwave
(6210 kHz) in six languages -- English, French, Kikongo, Mashi, Lingala and
Swahili. The station is among the first to be established via HCJB World
Radio's "radio planting" ministry which helps establish local stations
worldwide. More than 250 partner stations around the globe are now on the
air as a result of this outreach. (HCJB World Radio/U.N. Integrated Regional
Information Networks) |
Zprávy HCJB 11.6.2004
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