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The famine crisis in northern Bahr El Ghazal in southern Sudan is becoming acute, say aid workers for Christian Solidarity International. Physician Dr. Luka Deng estimates that the famine will produce widespread death by starvation before the end of April unless U.N. and other relief agencies undertake "immediate massive intervention." Deng reports that malnutrition, especially among children, is increasing at an alarming rate, as is the proportion of the population dependent on scavenging for leaves and whatever food they can find in the wild for survival. The crisis has been compounded by a massive influx of people to the hunger zone from northern Sudan. The U.N.'s World Food Program acknowledged that the severe food shortage has placed 3.2 million lives at risk and has launched an emergency appeal to raise $302 million for the purchase of 267,900 tons of food. Civil commissioners of northern Bahr El Ghazal warned that all signs point to a humanitarian catastrophe as severe as the great famines of 1988 and 1999 which produced deaths on the scale of the devastating Dec. 26 earthquake/tsunami in the Indian Ocean. (Christian Solidarity International)

MUSLIM MILITANTS IN NIGERIA DECLARE 'DEATH SENTENCE' ON 5 CHRISTIANS

Muslim militants in Nigeria pronounced a "death sentence" on five Christian students expelled from public schools in November for conducting an evangelistic outreach. The families of two of the students, Hanatu Haruna Alkali and Abraham Adamu Misal, were attacked on Wednesday, Jan. 26, when militants went to their family homes intending to kill them. Alkali and Misal escaped harm but are now in hiding. The location of the other three students is unknown. Muslim leaders in Bauchi claimed the student outreach was "meant to deliberately provoke the Muslims" and declared their support for the activities of the Muslim militants. They called on all Muslims to be prepared to defend their religion "and the person and good name of the prophet of Islam, Mohammed, at all times." (Compass)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs to Nigeria in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003 weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages, Yoruba and Hausa. HCJB World Radio also has helped with radio ministries in six cities with more in the planning stages.

CHURCH LEADERS URGE U.N. TO RECOGNIZE 'CHRISTIANOPHOBIA'

Church leaders are pushing the U.N. to recognize "Christianophobia" just as they do anti-Semitism. The persecution of Christians may have been heightened by the war on terrorism, however, it has always existed. Baptist World Alliance's Wendy Ryan wants believers in the West to pay attention, saying it's more than a human rights issue. "If there's a lack of religious freedom in any one place, it has an impact on every place. The person in the local pew should be really concerned that if freedoms are lacking in other parts of the world, who knows? There could come a day where we might have to fight for our freedoms." Ryan says that religious freedom, including the right to evangelize, is deteriorating. "We are mindful that there are restraints, and the question then comes, if you are in a position where you are free to meet, but you are not free to openly share the gospel, what do you do? That is a part of religious freedom, and that's something for which we also fight." (Mission Network News)

INSTABILITY IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE AGAIN FORCES CLOSURE OF MISSION SCHOOL

Instability in the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire has forced the U.N. to back an arms embargo as a string of peace deals failed to break the impasse between rebel forces and the government. A fragile accord shattered when the president's forces attacked the rebels in November, bombing major towns and crashing through a buffer zone policed by French and U.N. peacekeepers. The fighting closed the International Christian Academy in Baouke which had just reopened in September following a 2002 coup. Evangelical Baptist Missions (EBM) teams evacuated in December with the hope that they would eventually return. "We're a part of a team organization there with several mission agencies, and we had a Christian school for missionary kids in that area," said EBM spokesman Jim Burdick. "We've had the opportunity to return to the campus. Most of the buildings are in good shape. The French military is still residing at the campus, and we were able to remove some household goods." Burdick says the fighting has forced team members to move to other countries. "The work that had gone on is in much upheaval because the embassies have asked the foreigners to leave the country." (Mission Network News)

* Fréquence Vie (Frequency Life), an HCJB World Radio partner FM station operated by SIM and local churches in the coastal city of Abidjan, broadcasts a message of hope and encouragement in Côte d'Ivoire. The station airs 17 hours of daily programming in French and local languages.

HOME SCHOOLERS IN GERMANY ORDERED TO RETURN TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ten home schooling families in Germany's Paderborn county have been ordered to return their children to public school or face criminal charges. The parents are fighting in court for the right to keep their children out of government schools. Seven of the families face criminal prosecution for home schooling and could potentially lose custody of their children. Even though the German government does not recognize home education, the Paderborn families recently pulled their children out of public school to begin teaching them at home. As Christians, the parents said they did this to protect their children from the "humanistic, atheistic values" they were being taught in public school. The families demonstrated to school officials that their children were receiving a more than adequate education. However, the school districts maintained that home schooling children is against the law and demanded that the children be enrolled in government schools. The parents argued that this would violate their rights, but County Education Director Heinz Kohler dismissed their religious convictions. The Paderborn County School Board has levied fines against the home schooling families and ordered the parents to return their children to the public school system or have them taken to school by force. The families were also warned that any resistance could result in the children being taken from their homes and put into state custody. (AgapePress)

JACKSONVILLE CHURCHES EMPHASIZE OUTREACH ON SUPER BOWL WEEKEND

Local ministers, National Football League officials and event organizers say Jacksonville, Fla., host city of Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday, Feb. 6, will be one of the most religiously oriented venues in the championship game's history. The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville reported that the event is "going where previous Super Bowl cities have seldom gone: events relating to faith." Thousands of believers representing more than 100 congregations took part in last Saturday's "Super March for Jesus" through downtown Jacksonville. More than 75 churches are working together to help the Convoy of Hope ministry distribute food to 20,000 Jacksonville-area residents on Saturday.

Hundreds of Southern Baptist Convention churches are also planning Super Bowl-related activities, including an estimated 200 "game day watch parties" in fellowship halls and members' homes. In addition, local congregations are planning street evangelism and other outreaches in an effort to minister to 100,000 out-of-town visitors. Tim Knopps, an Oklahoma-based evangelist hired by the Jacksonville Baptist Association to coordinate its Super Bowl outreach, said he has worked nine Super Bowls and never encountered the level of church involvement found in Jacksonville. "It's probably the most aggressive effort I've ever seen on a faith-based level," he said.

Thousands of young people nationwide are also organizing the "Souper Bowl of Caring" which encourages churches, schools, organizations and individuals interested in combating hunger and poverty to collect money in soup pots on or near Super Bowl Sunday. This year organizers expect teens from 15,000 churches, schools and other organizations to help collect money to feed those in need. The funds will be sent directly from the collection location to its charity of choice. (Religion Today/Charisma News Service/Baptist Press)

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