Zprávy HCJB 5.11.2006 - 11.11.2006

 Arab Vision chystá výrobu iráckých TV programů
    Navzdory rostoucímu násilí namířenému proti křesťanům v Iráku plánuje Arab Vision produkci iráckého křesťanského TV programu do začátku příštího roku. Tyto programy mají vytvářet křesťané Iráku ve svém vlastním konkrétním dialektu a zaměřovat se přitom na hlásání poselství evangelia svému národu a povzbuzování křesťanů čelících extrémnímu ohrožení. Mezinárodní ředitel Arab Vision řekl, „Irák už měl dost pumových útoků a válek. Mnoha Iráčanům přinesl islám většinou jen násilí a válku, a proto teď, víc než kdy jindy, se obracejí ke Kristu. Teď nastává čas šířit evangelium v zemi TV vysíláním.“ Přestože programy Arab Vision mají již teď v Iráku dobrou odezvu, zkušenost ukazuje, že lokálně vytvářené programy přitahují diváků více. Arab Vision zahájí produkci s pomocí Iráčanů žijících v sousedních zemích v naději, že nakonec ji přesunou do samého Iráku. I přes bezpečnostní rizika jsou křesťané připraveni čelit takovým úkolům, protože, jak naznačují, nebezpečí hrozící v důsledku produkce TV programu není o nic větší než v současnosti jen samotný fakt, že člověk je křesťanem. (Arab Vision)
 
 Úřady v severní Číně zbouraly modlitebnu domácí církve.
   Ve čtvrtek 26. října byla na základě příkazu místních úřadů zbořena modlitebna domácí církve v severní čínské provincii Jilin. Budova sloužila ke shromážděním místního sboru ve městě Nongda a v době, kdy se shromáždění nekonalo, i jako tržiště. Ve 4 hodiny ráno úřady poslaly 500 policistů a stovky vesnických čeledínů. Po probuzení a vystěhování lidí obývajících budovu byla hlavní část budovy včetně nábytku za hodinu obrácena v trosky. Úředníci použili obvyklou frázi o „urbanistickém zásahu“. Nicméně za 10 let fungování sboru byli jeho členové zastrašováni a bylo jim vyhrožováno, když se odmítali spojit se státem uznaným Národním hnutím Trojice. (China Aid Association)
 
 Den modliteb za pronásledovanou církev bude tuto neděli.
   Po začátku v roce 1996 s jen několika sbory, letos Mezinárodní den modliteb za pronásledovanou církev uznává 500 tisíc sborů po celém světě. Datum je stanoveno na 12. listopadu. Křesťané v krizi (CIC) nabádají jednotlivé sbory, aby si tento předmět připomínaly každou neděli měsíce a také své modlitby zaměřily na kritickou situaci trpících křesťanů ve světě. CIC k připomenutí nabízí následující neutěšené údaje.

“Mezinárodní den modliteb za pronásledovanou církev je velká příležitost pro miliony lidí změnit úděl těch, kdo jsou pronásledováni pro víru v zemích jako je Severní Korea, Saúdská Arábie, Nigérie, Irák a další,“ řekl prezident Open Doors Carl Moeller. Odhaduje se, že asi 200 milionů křesťanů po celém světě je vyslýcháno, vězněno a nebo i zabíjeno pro víru v Krista, dalších 200 – 400 milionů křesťanů je diskriminováno a stavěno na okraj společnosti.

Za 2000letou historii křesťanství zemřelo mučednickou smrtí nejméně 43 milionů křesťanů. Z nich polovinu smrt postihla v posledních 100 letech. Každé 3 minuty je umučen jeden křesťan. Asi v 50 zemích světa je nezákonné vyznávat Ježíše jako Spasitele nebo i jen mít Bibli. Sedmdesát procent věřících žije mimo Západ – řada z nich v zemích s nízkou úrovní lidských svobod. (Christians in Crisis/Open Doors)

 
 Misionáři evakuují město Oaxaca kvůli násilnostem
   Misionáři Evangelical Covenant Church byli v pátek 3. listopadu nuceni evakuaovat město Oaxaca v jižním Mexiku v důsledku eskalujícího konfliktu mezi mexickou federální policií a protestujícími požadujícími odstranění guvernéra Oaxacy jménem Ulises Ruiz. Guvernér je obviněn ze zmanipulování voleb 2004. V násilných bouřích zemřelo nejméně osm lidí , převážně zastřelených policií nebo ozbrojenými gangy. Jeden misionář na krátkodobém pobytu odletěl z Oaxacy v poledne 3. listopadu posledním letadlem před oficiálním uzavřením letiště. Misionářky Cindy Hoover a Jo Ellen Reeves odjížděly na sever do Puebla asi kolem 1 hodiny po poledni poté, co v jejich čtvrti vypukly násilnosti. Hoover později napsala svým přátelům email, “když jsme se vzdalovaly, všude na okrajích naší čtvrti byly požáry, neznámi muži v maskách se potulovali s obušky, kameny a Molotov kokteijly a po chodníku pochodovala pořádková policie. Nízko nad našimi domy kroužily vrtulníky. Bylo jasné, že musíme rychle zmizet. Opravdu jsme takové vystupňování událostí neočekávaly.” (Evangelical News)
 
 Modlitbám připisují piloti misie vyjasnění indonézské oblohy.
   Hustý dým z pálení natě působí letcům New Tribes Mission v Indonézii potíže při létání k týmům v odlehlých oblastech. Obyvatelé Indonézie jako každý rok v tomto období vypalují svá pole. Předpověď počasí nedávala naději na potřebné srážky a tak se misionáři začali modlit. Nyní jsou přesvědčeni, že modlitby byly vyslyšeny. Christina Buettner, jejíž manžel v Indonézii létá řekla: „Kouř se najednou i bez deště zvedl. Letiště byla opět otevřena a naši misionáři zas po dlouhé době mohli létat.“ Modlitebníci ve svém úsilí neustali, protože podle místních znalců bylo třeba, aby pršelo celý týden k odstranění kouře, který byl letos velmi hustý. Christina Buettner vypráví: „Za několik dní začalo pršet a lilo celou noc. Již druhý den mezi mračny prosvítalo modré nebe. Jsme vděční za tuto velkou milost a Bohu za jeho zásah.“ (Mission Network News)
 
 Indie: Další křesťané nuceni klanět se hinduistickým bůžkům.
   V pondělí 6. listopadu nutili hinduističtí extrémisté v odlehlé vesnici Bevainahalli v jihoindickém státu Karnataka křesťany, aby se poklonili hinduistickým bůžkům a aby si na znamení věrnosti hinduistické víře nalíčili čelo rumělkou. V druhém podobném incidentu se před týdnem hinduistický kněz obklopen 20 nebo 25 extrémisty a hinuistickou mládeží z Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) vydal od domu k domu a poroučel křesťanům, aby vyšli ven. Kdo se zeptal na důvod, dostal facku. Pak je shromáždili za vesnicí, hinduistický kněz pronesl řeč proti křesťanům a řekl jim, že se “vrátí k hinduismu.” Věřící pak byli odvlečeni do hinduistického chrámu a byli nuceni klanět se hinduistickým bůžkům. Pak jim byla rumělkou obarvena čela a byli nuceni jíst posvátné jídlo. Policejní inspektor K.L.Krishna, který událost sledoval řekl, že “Nabyl přesvědčení, že osobní bezpečnost křesťanů nebyla ohrožena a nedošlo k žádnému násilí.” (Compass Direct)
 
 Církev volá po ´ bezpečném nebi´ pro pronásledované křesťany
   Církev volá po zajištění „bezpečného nebe“ pro irácké křesťany, kteří se stále větší měrou stávají terčem neslýchaného násilí. Američtí katoličtí biskupové požádali Ministryni zahraničních věcí US Condoleezu Rice o udělení azylu pro stovky tisíc iráckých křesťanů, kteří opustili své domovy, aby se vyhnuli pronásledování. John Pontifex z britské pobočky Aid to the Church in Need, charitativní organizace na pomoc pronásledovaným křesťanům, řekl, že zná zprávy o ukřižování křesťanského chlapce v říjnu Basře, ale že nemá podrobnosti. Řekl také, že souhlasí s hodnocením situace v Iráku. „V Iráku jsme nyní svědky brutálního pokusu vymazat křesťanství z povrchu té země,“ řekl. „Popravy, zabíjení, věznění a mučení – prostě zlý sen, epocha v každém ohledu stejně krutá jako pronásledování křesťanů v době Římské říše.“ (Religion Today)
 
 Poselství o sexuální zdrženlivosti zachraňuje životy a církev v Ugandě roste
   Ugandský pastor Andrew Mwenge, žijící v zemi zdevastované v důsledku pandemie AIDS, skutečnost, že stále žije, přičítá Kristu. „Většina lidí, s kterými jsem ve vesnici vyrůstal, už nežijí,“ řekl. „Kdyby nebylo Krista, už bych tu nebyl. Vím to jistě.“ Tak mluvil Mwenge ve středu 1. listopadu v Nashville v Tennessee na akcích pořádaných LifeWay Christian Resources. AIDS snížil průměrnou délku života v Ugandě z 54 na 42. Mwenge ve svých 45 letech věří, že mu byly dány tři roky života „jako prémie“ a je stále odhodlán co nejvíce vytěžit z každého dne. Hnutí „Skutečná láska čeká“, které poprvé představili v Ugandě misionáři Larry a Sharon Pumpelly, se stalo katalyzátorem pro shromažďování lidí za účelem osvěty proti AIDS a rozšíření poselství o biblické čistotě do škol, mládežnických skupin, obcí a jiných míst. V následujích 12 letech Uganda zaznamenala pokles infekce HIV/AIDS z 30 na 6%, a je tak příkladnou zemí pro jiné africké národy. Mwenge, pastor Kampala Baptist Church, jedné z největších církví v Ugandě, je také vůdcem hnutí Skutečná láska čeká. (Baptist Press)
 
 V Salvadoru neznámí vrazi zastřelili dva luteránské kazatele.
   V El Salvadoru byli v neděli 4. listopadu třemi neznámými mladíky zavražděni dva luteránští pastoři. Oba manželé ordinovaní Salvadorským luteránským synodem byli napadeni, když vycházeli ze sboru Montes de Pensbert. 65letý Francisco Carrillos a jeho 57letá manželka Jusús de Carrillos sloužili ve sborech Pan de Vida a Montes de Pensbert ve městě Jayaque. Oba pastoři bylo známi jako „neúnavní ochránci lidských práv.“ Mimo jiných povinností byl Francisco prezidentem La Cruz Verde (Zelený kříž) v Jayaque, který zahrnuje lékařskou charitativní činnost a řídí organizace poskytující lékařskou péči místním obyvatelům. Po obou manželích zůstaly dvě dospělé děti. „Tato tragická událost nám znovu ukazuje vážnost a růst násilí v salvadorské společnosti,“ řekl rev. Ishmael Noko, generální tajemník Luteránské světové federace.(Lutheran World Information/El Diario de Hoy)
 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
   AUTHORITIES DESTROY HOUSE CHURCH IN NORTHERN CHINA

On Thursday, Oct. 26, a house church building in northern China’s Jilin province was forcibly demolished by the local government. The building served as the meeting place of the local Nongda house church and also housed a market when church activities were not being held. At 4 a.m. the government sent 500 policemen and hundreds of peasant workers. After waking residents and driving them out of the building, the main part of the building and all the furniture inside were turned to piles of debris within an hour. Officials used the pretext of “urban appearance rearrangement” for the destruction. However, during the church’s 10-year history, members have been threatened, attacked and harassed while maintaining their desire to avoid affiliation with the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. (China Aid Association)

CHRISTIAN FOOTBALLERS AT OHIO STATE DRAW BIG CROWDS

High-profile athletes and coaches from the No. 1-ranked Ohio State football team who shared about their relationship with Jesus drew overflow crowds of more than 13,000 to St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, defensive lineman Joel Penton and some of his fellow Buckeyes teamed up with Athletes in Action on Monday, Oct. 30, for an evangelistic outreach called the Main Event. More than 70 central Ohio churches and ministries got the word out and helped bus in Buckeye fans to the arena to hear the gospel. Tressel shared his testimony and asked the crowd, “If the game ended tonight, would you be a winner?” Penton echoed his coach’s comments saying, “We would feel so bad talking about our relationship with Christ tonight, without giving you an opportunity to enter into that very same relationship. When Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, died on that cross, He took on the penalty for our sin. Because He paid it, we can have a relationship with Him. We can know Him personally. We can have the promise of eternal life -- living forever with God.” (Mission Network News)

ARAB VISION TO LAUNCH TV PROGRAMMING PRODUCED BY IRAQIS

Despite increasing violence toward Christians in Iraq, Arab Vision is drawing up plans to produce Iraqi Christian TV programs by early next year. These programs are to be made by Iraqi Christians in their own particular dialect while focusing on sharing the gospel message with their nation and encouraging Christians who deal with extreme dangers. The international director of Arab Vision said, “Iraq has had enough of bombs and wars. For many Iraqis, Islam has brought mostly violence and war, and more than ever before, they are turning to Christ. Now is the time to spread the gospel through TV in that land.” Although Arab Vision’s programs already generate good response in Iraq, experience shows that locally made programs attract more viewers. Arab Vision will begin production with Iraqis living in neighboring countries with hopes to eventually move production work into Iraq itself. Despite the security risks, a number of Iraqi Christians are ready to face those challenges, indicating the dangers posed by producing TV programs aren’t much greater than what is already present just for being a Christian. (Arab Vision)

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS NAMES INTERIM PRESIDENT

Dr. Leith Anderson has been named interim president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) following the scandal and resultant resignation of Dr. Ted Haggard. Anderson is the senior pastor of the Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., which has 5,000 regular attendees. He is also the author of several books on leadership, including Leadership That Works and Dying for Change. His most recent book is How to Act Like a Christian. Anderson was also credited with saving the NAE from financial ruin during his 2001-2003 leadership of the organization, also under the title of interim president for the complete term. Anderson’s education includes degrees from Moody Bible Institute, Bradley University, Denver Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of eight books and the radio voice of Faith Matters which is heard on Christian stations across the United States. The board of NAE has not set a time frame for choosing a permanent replacement for Haggard. (Assist News Service)

NEARLY HALF OF U.S. RESIDENTS ‘UNSURE THAT GOD EXISTS’

A recent poll published on the website Breitbart.com says nearly half of all Americans are not sure that God exists. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, found that 42 percent of U.S. adults are not “absolutely certain” there is a God. When the same question was posed during a survey taken three years ago, only 34 percent of respondents felt the same way. Among the various religious groups, 76 percent of Protestants, 64 percent of Catholics and 30 percent of Jews said they are “absolutely certain” there is a God while 93 percent of Christians who describe themselves as “born again” felt certain God exists. The poll also asked about gender perceptions of God. When questioned on whether God is male or female, 36 percent of respondents said they think God is male, 37 percent said neither male nor female, and 10 percent said “both male and female.” Only 1 percent viewed God as a female. (Religion Today)

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
   DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH SET FOR SUNDAY

After starting in 1996 with only a few participating churches, this year at least 500,000 churches worldwide will be observing the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, Nov. 12. Christians in Crisis (CIC) is encouraging churches to observe this day on any Sunday during the month and focus prayers for the plight of suffering Christians worldwide. CIC offers these staggering statistics to reinforce the situation of persecuted Christians around the world.

“The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church presents a tremendous opportunity for millions of people to make a difference in the lives of those being persecuted for their faith in countries like North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Iraq and many more,” said Open Doors USA President Carl Moeller. An estimated 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with another 200 to 400 million facing discrimination and alienation.

In the last 2,000 years 43 million Christians have become martyrs. More than 50 percent of these were in the last 100 years. A Christian is martyred every three minutes. In nearly 50 countries around the world it is illegal to profess Christ as Savior and/or possess a Bible. Seventy percent of all believers live outside the Western world -- many of them in nations with poor human rights records. (Christians in Crisis/Open Doors)

ERITREAN SINGER RELEASED AFTER 2 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HER FAITH

Helen Berhane, a popular Christian singer from the East African country of Eritrea, was reportedly released from prison in late October. She is recovering at home with her family in Asmara. Berhane had been jailed since May 2004 after releasing a popular gospel music album which was very popular among young Eritrean Christians. While imprisoned, Berhane was held for extended time periods in metal shipping containers and in underground cells at the Mai-Serwa military camp. She repeatedly refused to sign papers recanting her faith or promising not to participate in church activities. Last month Berhane was admitted to a hospital with signs of physical mistreatment. About 2,000 Christians remain incarcerated for their beliefs in Eritrea without the benefit of a trial. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

RETIRED PASTOR SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE TO PROTEST ISLAM’S SPREAD

Retired Protestant Pastor Ronald Weisselberg, 73, climbed into a construction site adjacent to the Augustinerkloser church in Erfurt, Germany, and proceeded to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire on Tuesday, Oct. 31. He died in the burn unit in the hospital in nearby Halle. The provost of the church revealed Weisselberg left a detailed letter indicating his belief that the church should be more aware of the threat posed by the spread of Islam. Before covering himself in gasoline, the former pastor said “Jesus and Oskar,” in an apparent reference to Oskar Bruesewitz who burned himself alive in 1976 in a protest against the communist government of East Germany, under which Weisselberg had lived for many years. Axel Noack, the bishop of Saxony, while shocked at Weisselberg’s protest, admitted that the issue of Islam had been sidelined within the church and especially in eastern Germany where it is usually only spoken of in private. (Assist News Service)

* Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, has been broadcasting German programs worldwide via shortwave since 1953. Fourteen hours of programming weekly air to Europe, South America and the South Pacific. In addition, 10.5 hours of Low German programs air each week from Quito.

VIOLENCE IN OAXACA, MEXICO, FORCES MISSIONARY EVACUATION

Evangelical Covenant Church missionaries were forced to evacuate the city of Oaxaca in southern Mexico Friday, Nov. 3, following the escalation of conflict between Mexican federal police and protestors demanding the removal of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz. He is accused of rigging the 2004 election in his favor. At least eight people have died in the violence, most of them protestors who were shot by the police or armed gangs. At least one short-term Covenant missionary left Oaxaca by airplane at noon Nov. 3 on the last flight to leave before the airport was officially closed. Missionaries Cindy Hoover and Jo Ellen Reeves were driving north toward Puebla around 1 p.m. after violence erupted in their neighborhood. Hoover later wrote in an e-mail to her friends, “As we were leaving there were several fires going on in the outskirts of our neighborhood, unknown young men with masks roaming in our neighborhood with clubs, rocks and Molotov cocktails, and riot police marching down the walkway on the edge of our neighborhood. Helicopters were circling low over our houses. It was obvious we needed to leave quickly. We really didn’t expect this type of rapid escalation.” (Evangelical News)

* The World Radio Network, a cooperating ministry of HCJB World Radio, has 23 outlets, most of them Spanish-language stations and repeaters along the U.S.-Mexico border. Apoyo, a joint training ministry of HCJB World Radio and Leadership Resources International, holds leadership training seminars in Oaxaca, Mexico, on a regular basis.

EVANGELICALS DONATED NEARLY $20 MILLION TO ISRAEL DURING WAR

Evangelical Christians donated nearly $20 million to provide humanitarian relief to Israel during this summer’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Though the efforts were largely overshadowed by the massive generosity of the American Jewish community, the pro-Israel Christian community rallied a significant amount of support with less fanfare according to Haaretz, a large Jerusalem-based newspaper. Because of the lack of a single umbrella group that monitors donations, actual amounts remain difficult to ascertain. However, a survey of major Christian groups showed that the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) collected $17 million from July 10 to Sept. 10. This is a 100-percent increase from the same period last year. Other groups such as the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem and Bridges for Peace each raised about $500,000 for their emergency campaigns in the north. (Religion Today)

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
   MISSIONARY PILOTS CREDIT PRAYER FOR CLEARING INDONESIA’S SKIES

Dense smoke from agricultural burning in Indonesia has been making it difficult for pilots with New Tribes Missions to reach missionary teams working in remote locations. Indonesian people use fire to clear land for planting during this time of year. Without rain in the forecast, which can clear the air, the missionaries began praying. The missionaries considered their prayers answered when they heard from Christina Buettner, whose husband is a pilot in Indonesia. “The smoke just lifted . . . without any rain,” she said. “The airports opened up again, and one of our missionaries was able to fly out from interior after waiting to come out a long time.” However, the answered prayers didn’t stop. Locals were saying it would take a week of rain to clear the smoke because it was extremely dense this year. But Buettner said, “A few days later the rains came, and it has been raining pretty hard every night. We actually started to see cloud formations and some bits of blue sky. We are so grateful for this wonderful mercy and intervention of God.” (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local partners to establish more than 14 local Christian radio stations across Indonesia since 2004. Broadcasts from HCJB World Radio-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra also encourage listeners nationwide. In addition, HCJB World Radio has helped with relief efforts since the Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake/tsunami and subsequent quakes that devastated parts of Indonesia.

‘HIP-HOP SERVICES’ USED TO REACH NEW YORK’S YOUNG PEOPLE

New York Episcopal priest Rev. Timothy Holder has gotten the attention of some teens and young adults by using an innovative “hip-hop” worship style. Two years ago, Holder, who goes by the rap name “Poppa T,” created the HipHopEMass after an armed hostage situation at the church made him focus on the neighborhood’s younger generation. Now using rap music and the hip-hop vernacular, he has attracted some 12,000 people to about 75 “hip-hop services” nationwide in the past two years. The popularity of the outreach has led to the production of a CD album, hip-hop prayer books, Bible stories and Psalms -- all in hip-hop language. “Don’t get me wrong,” said Holder. “We are not replacing or substituting the Bible. We are bringing the story of the Bible to a younger generation and making it immediate and upfront. Hip-hop really is a culture. It’s about social change and justice. We’re here to promote the love and strength you find in hip-hop -- not the hate, misogyny and crime.” (Worldwide Religious News)

CHURCH CALLS FOR ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR PERSECUTED IRAQI CHRISTIANS

The church is calling for action to provide a “safe haven” for Iraqi Christians who are increasingly the targets of soaring violence. The American Catholic bishops have asked U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to grant asylum to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes to escape persecution. John Pontifex of the British branch of Aid to the Church in Need, a charity set up to help persecuted Christians, said he was aware of reports of the crucifixion of a Christian boy in Basra in October, but did not have details. He said he also agreed with the U.S. bishops’ assessment of the situation in Iraq. “What we are now witnessing in Iraq is a vicious attempt to wipe Christianity from the face of a country,” he said. “Beheadings, killings, arrests and torture -- it’s the stuff of nightmares, an era every bit as cruel as the persecution of Christians in Roman times.” (Religion Today)

BILLY GRAHAM KEEPS ACTIVE AMID CHALLENGES OF ADVANCING AGE

As U.S. citizens went to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, evangelist Billy Graham and his family celebrated his 88th birthday. A news release from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) said, “Although Mr. Graham has not held any crusades in the past year, he has participated in a number of important ministry events, including speaking at his son Franklin’s festivals in New Orleans and Baltimore. In addition, he completed his latest book, The Journey, to help individuals grow in their Christian faith.” Graham said this has been a “difficult year” as he and Ruth face the challenges of advancing age. “Yet, we still look forward with hope, as we know that every day brings us closer to a reunion with our loved ones and a face-to-face meeting with our Savior,” he said. The Grahams spend most of their days quietly at home, enjoying each others’ company in special times of Bible study and fellowship. (Assist News Service)

GOSPEL FOR ASIA ADDS RADIO BROADCASTS IN 11 NEW LANGUAGES

Christian broadcasts are available to an additional 6 million people as Gospel for Asia (GFA) recently added 11 new languages to its radio broadcasts. “We are now sharing the gospel via broadcasts in 103 languages in 10 countries,” said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. “Radio is a powerful tool because it can reach into huts in a remote village as easily as it can reach businessmen working in a city skyscraper.” The new languages (spoken in India, Nepal, Tibet and China) are Gurung, Khandesi, Ladakhi, Bantawa, Lungeli Magar, Rongmei, Netakani, Reang, Rengma, Vadari and Varli. “We were praying for native speakers of these languages, and God has graciously answered our prayers,” said Yohannan. “All of the GFA missionaries producing the new programs are native speakers and are excited about the opportunity to use the radio to share the gospel with their own people who have never heard it.” Missionaries are reaching isolated villages and discovering churches that have already been planted because of previous radio broadcasts. (Gospel for Asia)

* Radio programs in 17 languages air to India from HCJB World Radio-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra. The programs are produced at the ministry’s studios in New Delhi, India.

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
   BETHLEHEM COLLEGE STUDENTS PRODUCE ARABIC TV PROGRAM

The mass media department of Bethlehem Bible College in the birthplace of Jesus is now producing TV programs for Arabic satellite television station SAT-7. In a recent message to supporters, Dr. Bishara Awad, president of the college, said the hour-long program is aired twice weekly to an audience of hundreds. The program has sections for young children, youth and adults as well as a feature called “Site and Event” that highlights the Christian history of the Holy Land. In this segment a tour guide visits an archaeological site and speaks about the site’s historical background. On alternate weeks a pastor is the guide at a historical place and explains the theological aspects of the site. The aim is to strengthen the cultural identity of the Christian minority in Palestine and to build the rest of the society’s knowledge about Israel’s cultural treasures and history. (Assist News Service)

MORE CHRISTIANS FORCED TO BOW TO HINDU GODS IN INDIA

On Monday, Nov. 6, Hindu extremists in the remote village of Bevainahalli in southern India’s Karnataka state forced Christians to bow to Hindu gods and applied the vermilion mark of Hindu allegiance to their foreheads. In the second such similar incident in a little more than a week, Hindu priests accompanied a group of 20 to 25 Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, began going door to door ordering Christians out of their houses and slapping those who questioned their reasons. When they were gathered together near the village temple, a Hindu priest began speaking against Christianity and telling the Christians to “reconvert.” The believers were then forced into the temple and made to bow before Hindu gods and goddesses. Later they applied the vermilion mark to the Christians’ foreheads and forced them to eat a Hindu offering. Police Inspector K.L. Krishna, who looked on as the events unfolded, said, “I ensured the safety of the Christians and personally made certain no violence took place.”(Compass Direct)

GLOBAL SUMMIT TO ADDRESS CHURCHES’ RESPONSE TO AIDS PANDEMIC

Pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, will host the second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. The conference, coinciding with World AIDS Day on Friday, Dec. 1, will be attended by at least two U.S. Senators and U.S. Ambassador Mark Dybul, the Global AIDS coordinator. Presenters include Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse, Wess Stafford of Compassion International, Rich Stearns of World Vision and Sammy Mah of World Relief. “This conference is not about ministry leaders getting together to wring our hands and fret about the horrors of the AIDS pandemic,” said Kay Warren. “This is about pulling together the best and brightest minds of those people on the frontlines.” The conference will also explore six ways any church, regardless of size, can minister to people living with HIV/AIDS using the acrostic CHURCH: Care for and support the sick; Handle testing and counseling; Unleash volunteers; Remove the stigma; Champion healthy behavior; and Help with nutrition and medications. More than 25 million people worldwide have died of AIDS, leaving more than 16 million orphans in Africa alone. (Christian Newswire)

* HCJB World Radio has sent short-term teams to Cape Town, South Africa, to help with an AIDS clinic at a community center operated by Fish Hoek Baptist Church. HCJB World Radio’s Vozandes Hospital in Quito also operates an AIDS clinic. The ministry’s healthcare, broadcasting and teaching staff in Ecuador are working together to produce educational videos and radio programs to warn people about AIDS.

SURVEY: KENYA BECOMES HOTBED OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY

Evangelical Christianity has exploded across the African continent, spreading rapidly since 1970 from about 100 million adherents to more than 400 million today. In Kenya, evangelicals now make up a 56 percent majority of the country’s 32 million people. A 10-country survey by U.S.-based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found Kenya to have the largest percentage of evangelicals in Africa followed by South Africa and Nigeria at 34 and 26 percent respectively. In addition, Kenyans appear to be more devout in their faith with 87 percent of Pentecostal evangelicals in the country saying they have personally experienced or witnessed the divine healing of illness or injury. Since 2000 the number of churches in Kenya has nearly doubled to 38,000 from 20,000, according to the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya. Experts say this figure may be low due to the growth in small, unregistered churches. The Pew survey found that 98 percent of Kenyan evangelicals believe homosexuality is “never justified” and that 80 percent say Scripture must be interpreted literally. (Worldwide Religious News)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local partners to install eight radio outlets in seven cities of Kenya.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH INSTALLS FIRST FEMALE PRESIDING BISHOP

The first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA was installed on Saturday, Nov. 4. Katharine Jefferts-Schori was formerly the bishop for the state of Nevada and retains controversial liberal views on homosexuality in the church, a debate that has plagued the Episcopal denomination in recent years. Jefferts-Schori supports both the ordination of homosexual clergy and “blessing” ceremonies for same-sex couples. She told the Associated Press that she does not believe the Bible condemns “committed” homosexual relationships and says God has made some people “gay.” Jefferts-Schori also disagrees with the idea that salvation comes only through trusting in Jesus Christ, saying instead that salvation comes as the healing of all creation through holy living. “If we insist we know the one way to God,” she said, “we’ve put God in a very small box.” (Religion Today)

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
   BACK TO THE BIBLE’S MINISTRY IN BRAZIL BEARS SPIRITUAL FRUIT

Back to the Bible’s ministry in Brazil this summer is bearing spiritual fruit. One Bible camp sponsored by a partner of Back to the Bible hosted 65 teenagers with many making decisions for Christ. Another outreach netted 1,800 students who made decisions. Back to the Bible’s ministry in Brazil is strategically located in the country’s largest city, Săo Paulo. Radio programs reach a diverse listening audience whose spiritual upbringing often comes from a diversity of faiths which are combined piecemeal. Young people often call in as a result of listening to Back to the Bible’s radio program called “Verdade Biblica” (biblical truth). The program’s response rate has grown nearly 300 percent in the last year following an evangelical thrust. Back to the Bible’s outreach also includes Bible teaching, Internet Bible studies, e-mail devotionals, a website and a television program. (Mission Network News)

* 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.

UNKNOWN GUNMEN MURDER 2 LUTHERAN PASTORS IN EL SALVADOR

Two Lutheran pastors in El Salvador were murdered on Saturday, Nov. 4, by three unknown young people. The couple, both ordained pastors in the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod, were attacked as they left the Montes de Pensbert congregation. Francisco Carrillos, 65, and his wife, Jesús de Carrillos, 57, were serving the Pan de Vida and the Montes de Pensbert congregations in Jayaque. The two pastors were described as “tireless defenders of human rights.” Among other responsibilities, Francisco was president of La Cruz Verde (the Green Cross) in Jayaque which includes medical charities and organizations providing healthcare to the local people. The couple is survived by two adult children. “This tragic news serves to impress upon us again the serious and increasing violence afflicting society in El Salvador,” said Rev. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation. (Lutheran World Information/El Diario de Hoy)

ABSTINENCE MESSAGE SAVES LIVES, GROWS CHURCH IN UGANDA

Living among the devastation resulting from the AIDS pandemic, Ugandan Pastor Andrew Mwenge attributes the fact that he is still alive to Christ. “Most of the people I grew up with in the village are not alive,” he said. “If it was not for Christ, I wouldn’t be here. I know that for a fact.” Mwenge was speaking to an audience in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Nov. 1, at events related to LifeWay Christian Resources. AIDS has reduced Uganda’s average life expectancy from age to 42 from 54. Mwenge, 45, believes he has had three “bonus years” and remains determined to make the most of each day. When missionaries Larry and Sharon Pumpelly first introduced the True Love Waits movement to Uganda, it became a catalyst for bringing people together to address the AIDS problem and spread the message of biblical purity to schools, youth groups, communities and other places. In the 12 years that followed, Uganda’s HIV/AIDS infection rate dropped from to 6 percent from about 30 percent, making it a model for other African nations. Mwenge, pastor of Kampala Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in Uganda, also directs the country’s True Love Waits movement. (Baptist Press)

2 CONFERENCES ADDRESS NEEDS OF RUSSIAN CHILDREN, AIDS CRISIS

Russian Ministries is hosting two conferences to address the needs of the estimated 1.5 million orphans and children who roam the streets of Russia and the rapid rise in HIV infections in the region. “The Eastern European Summit for Children at Risk” is being held Nov. 10-14, and the “HIV and AIDS Forum of Good Practice and Networking” will follow Nov. 15-17. The first event will look primarily at the orphans and post-orphanage transition into society. The second conference then builds on this to address the exploding AIDS crisis in Eastern Europe. Anita Deyneka of Russian Ministries explains, “Above all, the reason we’ve been behind and promoting and organizing these two conferences is we hope that we can do more together than any of us can do individually as organizations. So with the networking and partnerships, we hope that we can do something much more massive and meaningful to help these situations.” Russia’s population is declining at a rate of between 800,000 and 1 million a year. Without a change, HIV will ravage the already-suffering country. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across Russia with a variety of radio ministries. The mission began sending gospel broadcasts across the country via shortwave in 1941, first from Quito, Ecuador, and in recent years from the U.K. In the early 1990s the ministry began “planting” local radio ministries in Russia and now works with partners nationwide. In 2000 HCJB World Radio helped launch New Life Radio, the first Christian Russian satellite radio network. More than 63 downlinks have been placed in more than 42 cities across Russia and neighboring countries.

ONLINE SPIRITUALLY BASED DATING SERVICE PARTNERS WITH YAHOO!

Multi-faith spiritual media company and online community Beliefnet, Inc. has joined with the online dating service, Yahoo! Personals, to create the largest spiritual online dating service. Beliefnet’s popular Soulmatch dating site will now allow customers to search the entire Yahoo! Personals database and sort by religious and spiritual preferences. “For so many people, finding a soul match means connecting on a deep level -- seeing what’s on the inside as well as on the outside,” said Steven Waldman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Beliefnet. “We want to help people who believe that spiritual connection is an important part of building a great relationship.” The partnership will integrate Beliefnet’s online community of more than 9 million members with Yahoo’s dynamic dating site which attracts more than 5 million visitors per month, allowing spiritually focused users more chances to meet matching singles with similar beliefs. (Religion News Service)

© Copyright 2006 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA

 

   Zpět  Další zprávy: www.prayer.cz