A former Seventh-day Adventist pastor was shot and killed by a drunk driver in northern Germany on Friday, Aug. 13. Arno Kuhn, 53, an engineer who had pastored a Seventh-day Adventist church in Hamburg, was traveling in his car with his wife, a daughter and a Swedish friend near Luebeck when a vehicle in front of them forced two cyclists off the road and sped off. After his daughter got out to attend to the injured cyclists -- a pair of 13-year-old boys -- Kuhn chased the driver. When he managed to stop him, the 41-year-old Polish farm worker pulled out a gun and shot Kuhn. He later died in a local hospital. The Polish worker was arrested by police and charged with murder. Police said he was under the influence of alcohol. He had stolen the car and two handguns from the farm where he worked. He claims to have had a "mental blackout." Kuhn leaves his wife and three children ages 27, 14 and 13. Members of Kuhn's church, established in the early 1970s, described him as a person who had a heart for the poor and underprivileged. They said it's tragic that he lost his life as a result of "showing civil courage." (Assist News Service)

PRO-HINDU PARTY IN INDIA RETURNS TO FUNDAMENTALIST ROOTS

Following the defeat of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India's national elections last April, Hindu fundamentalists have pressured the party to return to its nationalist roots. Activists from the radical Vishwa Hindu Parishad are convinced that the BJP lost the elections because it had softened its policies and abandoned the Hindu cause. Party leaders recently announced that the BJP would return to its "Hindutva" radical right-wing political roots. However, the party is now using the term "nationalism" rather than "Hindutva" to avoid alienating its secular allies in politics. Meanwhile, a report issued by the U.N. Development Program in July noted a rising number of violent incidents against religious minorities in recent months, saying this posed a grave risk to an otherwise "cohesive" nation. (Compass)

COURT CASE SPARKS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DEBATE IN MALAYSIA

Religious freedom has become a hot topic in Malaysia in recent weeks, sparked by a decision made in the Kelantan Sharia Court. Four Malay Muslims had originally applied to change their religion in 1992. Since all ethnic Malays are considered Muslims from birth under the constitution, all four were arrested and imprisoned for 20 months. The four eventually renounced Islam under a commissioner of oaths in 1998, hoping to sidestep the sharia (Islamic law) court system. However, they were then sentenced to contempt of court. Malaysians are now debating whether ethnic Malays have the right to choose their own religion under the terms of the constitution, the Koran and sharia. (Religion Today/Compass)

PROTESTANT CHAPLAINS PROMISE NOT TO PROSELYTIZE AT OLYMPIC VILLAGE

The 45 Protestant chaplains ministering at the Olympic village in Athens, Greece, have signed an agreement saying they will not proselytize. These chaplains, all volunteers, make up nearly half of all the people working at the Religious Services Center at the Olympic village that accommodates members of all the major faiths. Malcolm Bradshaw, senior Anglican chaplain in Athens, described how, prior to the games, he found himself in discussion with the Athens Olympic Committee (ATHOC) regarding the role of the chaplaincy. "The authorities were only prepared to deal with established Christian churches within the country with which they had good relations. The idea of sports ministries from abroad coming in and doing their own thing was out of the question," Bradshaw said. If chaplains begin propagating their faith, ATHOC officials said they would move the Religious Services Center outside the Olympic village, "severely limiting the chaplains' work," Bradshaw said. "We have to act responsibly, and anyone who doesn't will lose their accreditation immediately." (Church Times)

CHURCHES CONTINUE TO MULTIPLY AMONG TRIBAL GROUP IN SENEGAL

The church is growing in large numbers among a specific tribal group in the West African country of Senegal, say CB International's Glenn Kendall. Until recently, the Serer people were primarily bound up in an animistic religion, but now many are turning to Christ. "Experienced missionaries set the foundation for ministry with people coming to Christ," he said. "Then you have key gifted nationals who are using culturally appropriate methods to help the church grow. And then you have external help from American Christians." Despite the gains, much work remains. "While the church among the Serer people is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 percent per year, it's starting from such a relatively small base that there are still many thousands of people yet to come to Christ," Kendall says. In addition to evangelizing their own, Serer believers are looking to share the gospel with Senegal's under-reached Wolof people. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio works in partnership with Brethren Assemblies and SIM in Dakar, Senegal, to make weekly Wolof Christian broadcasts available across the country on an FM network. More than 3 million people speak Wolof.

CHRISTIAN RELIEF AGENCIES MOBILIZE AID EFFORTS IN FLORIDA

Christian relief agencies are mobilizing aid efforts along Florida's Gulf Coast after Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the U.S. in 12 years, blasted through the region on Friday, Aug. 13. The Salvation Army is concentrating its operations in the Tampa Bay area. Relief personnel and equipment from Florida's panhandle, which suffered only minor damage, are also making their way to Tampa to reinforce local efforts.

"This is certainly a test of our resources," said Kevin Smith, the Salvation Army's state disaster director. As a national first responder to disaster, the denomination has mobilized all of its equipment, including 43 mobile feeding units to provide initial assessment and emergency relief in the affected areas. The Salvation Army also has set up mass feeding stations, refrigeration units, showers and sleeping trailers that could be used during any long-term clean-up efforts.

In addition to homes and businesses, many churches and other religious structures were damaged in the storm. For example, Warner Southern College, a school owned and operated by the Church of God Lake Wales, Fla., suffered extensive damage. College administrators planned to meet today to assess the damage and set a possible timetable for the opening of the new school year. The beginning of classes, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 23, may be postponed for a "few days." The school is without electrical power and water as well as telephone services. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is also meeting today to assess the situation.

At Christ the King Lutheran Church in Punta Gorda, Fla., Rev. LeeRoy Martin put out a hand-painted sign advertising outdoor services on Sunday after the church was too damaged to be used for meetings. He set up folding chairs with a Bible on each seat. "You realize the significance of spiritual values when everything else is blown away," Martin said. Some worshipers seeking a break from the chaos arrived in their Sunday best, others came in muddy sweat-stained shirts and jeans, but all sought to have their spirits lifted through prayer and fellowship. The 600-member First Alliance Church in Port Charlotte, Fla., was one of the churches destroyed in the storm. Despite the destruction, Rev. Scott Borden said, "I believe that God is at work, even in Charley."

U.S. insurers predict that Hurricane Charley could be the most costly storm to hit the nation since Hurricane Andrew caused about $25 billion in damage to the Miami area in 1992. Florida officials initially estimated economic losses due to Hurricane Charley at $15 billion. With sustained winds topping 145 mph, it also killed 16 people and left thousands homeless. Meanwhile, another potential hurricane, Earl, has developed in the Caribbean and is headed toward Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. It may also threaten Florida later this week. (Christian Emergency Network/Assist News Service/United Methodist Committee on Relief/Reuters/AgapePress)

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© Copyright 2004 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

All but five of the 100 Christians arrested July 12 in China's Xinjiang autonomous region have been released by China's police following an international outcry. Five Christians in the group, however, remain in detention and could face long prison sentences. The five are being held in the A Ke Su prefecture near the provincial capital of Urumqi. In a separate incident, 100 Christians who were arrested in Henan province at the beginning of a church workers' retreat Aug. 6 continue to be held by police. Since then, authorities also have arrested some of the believers' family members. In the province of Anhui, Luo Bing Yin, a major underground church leader, has been transferred from a local detention center to the Funan Prison. He is a leader in the Ying Shang house church movement that has about 5 million members. He has not had a court hearing, and the charges against him are unknown. He had been imprisoned twice before, first in 1978 and again in 2001. Police also raided Luo's business, a DVD-duplication company, confiscating computers and other equipment. The computers reportedly contained information about other underground Christians in China. (Voice of the Martyrs)

SRI LANKA'S HIGH COURT ALLOWS BILL TO PROHIBIT FORCED CONVERSIONS

Reports from The Asian Tribune in Sri Lanka indicate that the island nation's Supreme Court has ruled that a bill proposing to outlaw "unethical conversions" is constitutionally valid and can proceed to a vote in the parliament. The bill was introduced in late July by a minority party of Buddhist monks, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), who claim that evangelical Christian groups have been using unethical means to win converts. The bill would make it illegal to "convert or attempt to convert . . . any person from one religion to another by the use of force or by allurement or by any fraudulent means." Converts would be required to register with a government official, as would those who brought about the conversions. Twenty-two parties challenged the constitutionality of the bill, saying it represented a direct contradiction of Article 10 of the Sri Lankan constitution which says, "Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice." Article 9, however, assures Buddhism the "foremost place" in Sri Lanka. (Jubilee Campaign)

600 CHILDREN COMMIT LIVES TO CHRIST DURING OUTREACH IN ZAMBIA

An outreach team from Northgate Church in Chester, England, recently returned from a two-week mission to Zambia where 600 children responded to appeals to give their lives to Christ. The "Encounter Zambia" team of 20 was led by Peter Wooding, senior news editor of United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) Europe. He ran a leadership course, children's ministry workshops, kids' clubs and street meetings in some of the neediest neighborhoods in the capital city of Lusaka July 23-Aug. 4. During the first week of the mission, team members trained local Christians in children's ministry through a series of workshops at the Kingsgate Centre in Lusaka. While the workshops were taking place, other team members were involved in street outreaches to hundreds of needy kids. "At the end of each session we would give them the opportunity to ask Jesus into their lives," Wooding said. "At the conclusion of our three-day street outreach we saw 350 responses in total." Another 250 children came to Christ in the second week of the mission as team members coordinated children's clubs in three different churches in the Lusaka area. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio, in cooperation with In Touch Ministries and a local partner, added weekly Bemba programs in 2000. The programs air on Zambia's Radio One Network, covering the country and much of Malawi, going out via shortwave, AM and FM. In 2003, weekly half-hour programs were added in the Nyanja language.

IBS EXPANDS BIBLE DISTRIBUTION IN EUROPE, CENTRAL ASIA

God's Word is being well received across Europe -- especially in Eastern Europe, says Joe Parker, European director for the International Bible Society (IBS). "We have openness in the school systems in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria and even in Western Europe -- in England and the Netherlands. This year we've started an outreach in schools in Kyrgyzstan -- a predominately Muslim country in Central Asia. We have seen great openness there, and we can distribute all of the Scriptures that we want." In Kyrgyzstan, IBS is distributing copies of My First Bible. "We have this in a three-language edition with Russian, Kyrgyz and English," Parker says. "We have open distribution in the schools, and then they can also use these to learn English." (Mission Network News)

CAMBODIAN TEENS RESPOND TO COUNTRY'S FIRST 'MISSIONS BOOT CAMP'

Dozens of teens in the South East Asian country of Cambodia recently received evangelism training from 49 leaders with Words of Hope in the country's first "missions boot camp." Teen Missions International's Steve Peterson calls the event a landmark occasion. "This is the first boot camp that we've organized and run for training Cambodian teens in their own country and how to reach their people and have a vision for sharing the Lord," he said. American and Canadian youths set up the boot camp and helped train the national teen leaders. Peterson says the training could open doors for evangelism. "The youth are the future of any country, and these young people from the churches and orphanages in Cambodia have caught a vision to grow in their walk with the Lord and share Christ," Peterson said. "They know the language. They know the culture. They are the most powerful missionaries for reaching Cambodia and the rest of South East Asia." (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio, in cooperation with Campus Crusade for Christ, worked with a local partner to plant Cambodia's first Christian radio station in 1998. New Life Radio in the capital city of Phnom Penh broadcasts the gospel in Cambodian and English.

CHRISTIAN RELIEF AGENCIES EXPAND OUTREACH IN STORM-RAVAGED FLORIDA

Churches and Christian relief organizations have stepped up efforts to prevent an outbreak of disease among more than 1 million Americans who were left without power and proper sanitation after Florida's fiercest storm in 12 years. Hurricane Charley killed at least 16 people and caused an estimated $15 billion in damage when it smashed through Florida's Gulf Coast on Friday, Aug. 13. Some people are still unaccounted for, including church music and youth ministers, their families and a pastor. Tens of thousands of people, especially those in coastal areas, remain homeless. People were seen sifting through the rubble where once their houses or mobile homes stood.

"I feel like I am losing part of my family," said a woman close to tears in an interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) which is raising funds to help hurricane victims. "I have been living here for 11 years, and there are a lot of memories there."

Dozens of churches were heavily damaged or destroyed in the storm. The Presbyterian Church (USA), for example, reported that two churches in the Peace River Presbytery in North Port, Fla., were leveled while five others in the area sustained "minimal to moderate damage." At least two other Presbyterian churches along the Gulf Coast also suffered heavy damage -- First Presbyterian Church in Punta Gorda and the Chapel by the Sea on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers. The island remains inaccessible.

More than 70 Southern Baptist disaster relief units from 11 states have been activated to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts in southwestern Florida. Despite widespread destruction around them, churches such as Eastside Baptist Church in Punta Gorda held community services on Sunday, meeting in the parking lot.

Bill Horan, president and chief operating officer for Operation Blessing, said his ministry has teamed up with the Salvation Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to feed the hungry and give moral support. Trucks already have delivered more than 123,000 pounds of food. A fleet of refrigerated tractor trailers has been made available to FEMA and the Salvation Army, Horan said.

International Aid (IA) is also sending volunteers and relief supplies to Florida. "Our greatest response and greatest contribution is to provide volunteers who can help clean out homes, repair roofs, cut down trees that are blocking driveways, and so forth," said IA President Myles Fish. "We're also sending several truckloads of supplies down such as roofing material, baby food and water purification units."

IA's strategy is to work through local churches to reach out to the community. "As is often the case, people are dumbfounded at the willingness of volunteers to come from as far away as Michigan and spend three or four days working on their home," Miles explains. "That close interaction always gives us the opportunity to explain why we're doing it and in whom we believe." (BosNewsLife/PCUSA News/Baptist Press/Mission Network News)

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© Copyright 2004 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo released seven employees of Radio Hosanna, an evangelical radio station in the southern city of Lubumbashi, on Saturday, Aug. 7. However, they refused to let the station resume operations since shutting it down three days earlier. On Wednesday, Aug. 4, national intelligence agents and police officers raided the station and confiscated the equipment, including the transmitter, and arrested four of the station's journalists, two technicians and a security guard. The raid stemmed from the rebroadcast of a sermon by Albert Lukusa, pastor of the Nouvelle Cité de David (New City of David) Church which owns Radio Hosanna. During his sermon, Lukusa criticized the government, alleging that it is corrupt and has mismanaged the country's economy, reported the local press freedom organization Journaliste en Danger. Lukusa, who was arrested by members of the National Intelligence Agency on Aug. 3, remains in detention in Lubumbashi. Authorities accused the pastor of insulting the head of state and "inciting people to revolt against national authorities." The raid took place after station employees announced Lukusa's detention on-air, rebroadcast his sermon and invited listeners to call in to express their opinions. (AllAfrica.com)

* HCJB World Radio works with local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to broadcast the gospel on FM stations in Boma, Bukavu and Kinshasa. Programs go out in English, French, Kikongo Fioti, Lingala, Luba and Swahili. Weekly programs in the Songe and Kikongo San Salvador languages also air from local FM stations in the country.

VIETNAMESE CLERGYMAN ARRESTED FOR PREACHING 'ILLEGAL SERMONS'

The head of an illegal church group in Vietnam has been arrested for preaching without permission. Hong Thien Hank, 57, a clergyman for an illegal splinter branch of the Cao Dai Church, was detained along with his wife at their home in the southern province of Tien Giang. The pastor has been accused of illegally promulgating the beliefs of an "unauthorized sect" and printing and distributing religious information without permission. All churches and religious organizations in Vietnam must receive authorization from the government to operate. The Cao Dai Church, with about 5 million followers -- mainly in southern Vietnam -- was officially recognized by the government in 1997. (WorldWide Religious News/ABC)

40,000 CHRISTIANS FLEE IRAQ FOLLOWING ATTACKS ON CHURCHES

An estimated 40,000 Christians have left Iraq in the wake of recent attacks on churches in the country, says a government official. In statements Sunday to the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the minister for displacement and migration, Pascale Icho Warda, said that the emigration "is due to the insecurity and the recent attacks on churches in Baghdad and Mosul." Four attacks on Christian places of worship in Baghdad and two in Mosul left at least 10 dead and 50 wounded in early August. On Aug. 2 Pope John Paul II sent a message to Archbishop Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and president of the assembly of the Catholic bishops of Iraq, to express his sympathy. "At this time of trial I am spiritually close to the Iraqi Church and society, and I renew the expression of my heartfelt solidarity to the pastors and faithful," the papal telegram said. John Paul II assured Iraqi Christians of his prayer and "constant commitment" so that a "climate of peace and reconciliation will be established in the beloved country as soon as possible." Christians comprise about 700,000 of Iraq's 24 million inhabitants. (WorldWide Religious News/Zenit)

HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP URGES END TO PAKISTAN'S BLASPHEMY LAW

The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) has called on Pakistan to change its controversial Blasphemy Act. Under the law, which has been in force since 1986, an alleged defamation of Islam or the prophet Mohammed may be punished with the death sentence. Many non-Muslims, especially Christians, have been indicted and convicted. But the law is often abused as a means of private revenge, reported the ISHR based in Frankfurt, Germany. Two Christians convicted under the act, Anwar Kenneth and Kingri Masih, are on death row. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf reportedly has promised more than once to change the blasphemy law. But his announcements have never been put into practice, apparently because of pressure from Islamic extremists. ISHR has also called for the abolition of other brutal forms of punishment such as stoning or whipping for offenses like adultery, gambling and alcohol consumption. Of Pakistan's 156 million inhabitants, 96 percent are Muslims, 2.3 percent are Christians and 1.5 percent are Hindus. (IDEA)

'TRIBUTE TO UNKNOWN GOD' DRAWS THOUSANDS AT OLYMPICS

Nearly 2,000 years ago Paul traveled to Greece, shared the gospel and explained how people could know personally the God they called the "unknown god." In honor of that, FLAME 2004 held a "Tribute to the Unknown God" rally in Athens as part of its Olympic Games outreach. Fotis Romeos of AMG International says 10,000 people attended the event. "We never had such a meeting in any place of Greece. This was the greatest gathering for a Christian cause, ever to take place in Greece." Olympic outreach is just beginning, and he's excited about the potential for evangelism. "We have a great number of Greeks coming from across Greece, but also I was able to locate people from Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq. I also located people from South America, Africa and Eastern Europe. We Practically have the world in our yard." The ministry is also handing out New Testaments and video copies of the "Jesus" film. (Mission Network News)

BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGIST CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND JOHN THE BAPTIST'S CAVE

British archaeologists Shimon Gibson says he has found a cave near Jerusalem where John the Baptist may have baptized his disciples. Gibson spent five years excavating the site near Jerusalem, unearthing objects apparently used in ancient purification rituals, reported the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Inside the cave, a huge cistern with 28 steps leads to an underground pool. During a tour of the cave, archaeologists discovered ancient wall carvings that they say tell the story of the fiery New Testament preacher as well as a stone that they believe was used for ceremonial foot washing. But the Bible says John baptized in the Jordan River, and other archaeologists note that there is no proof that John ever set foot in the cave. The carvings stem from the Byzantine period and apparently were made by monks in the fourth or fifth century, possibly to commemorate John the Baptist at a site linked to him by local tradition. The 79-foot deep cave is at present-day Kibbutz Tzuba, about 2.5 miles from John's birthplace of Ein Kerem. Gibson's team found a quarter of a million pieces of pottery, apparently from artifacts used in the immersion process. (Assist News Service/AgapePress)

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© Copyright 2004 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA - btc@hcjb.org