A court in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has ordered Global Involvement through Education (Global I.E.), to shut down its operations across the country. The court objected to the non-governmental organization's "activity carried out by the office that does not correspond to objectives declared in its charter, in particular missionary work among the local young people." The organization is accused of using English language courses taught by foreign nationals in an attempt to convert college students from the country's dominant faiths of Islam and Orthodox Christianity to Protestantism. Uzbek law bans "activities aimed at converting religious believers from one faith to another, along with any other missionary activities." The Global I.E. website states that its projects may include a "study of different religions or different cultural values or customs." However, it does not claim any specific faith. (WorldWide Religious News/ Global I.E.)

U.S. CHRISTIANS URGED TO BOOST SUPPORT FOR INDONESIAN BELIEVERS

Jubilee Campaign, a UK-based group that monitors children's rights and religious persecution, reports concern over the security of Christians in Indonesia. Jubilee Campaign USA Director Ann Buwalda says the rapid growth of Christianity in Indonesia has caused Muslims to resist with force. The government has closed more than 150 churches in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta and the island of Java. Recent Legislation has been enacted that could shut down hundreds more across the country. Buwalda is encouraging Christians to get involved. "We would ask people to pray and write their congressmen and senators to take an interest in what's happening there." Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population and has been cited by the U.S. State Department for discriminatory religious legislation. (Agape Press/Religion Today)

* 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.

GREATER EUROPE MISSION PRESIDENT STEPS DOWN AFTER 14 YEARS

Greater Europe Mission (GEM) announced today that longtime President Ted Noble is stepping down. Noble, 61, has served as president since 1992. GEM's International Board is searching for a successor. U.S. Director Jay Butler praised Noble saying, "Greater Europe Mission has a clear focus, excellent leadership, a strong financial base, a strong member development program, and a number of new and mature ministry initiatives." GEM prepares and sends North Americans to help the people of Europe build up churches. A GEM press release declares Europe to be the "least evangelized and most gospel-resistant mega-population on earth." Noble also has served with Food for the Hungry and Campus Crusade for Christ. (Greater Europe Mission)

TEARFUND CELEBRATES PROJECT AMONG BOLIVIA'S QUECHUAS

Tearfund, the U.K.'s leading relief and development agency, is celebrating its ongoing work among Bolivia's Andean Quechua people with a new interactive resource called Glorious Food. Tearfund's Bolivian project in Sucre is called Yanapanakuna which means "let us help ourselves" in Quechua. It has revolutionized the people's nutrition and diet as group members are building greenhouses, planting diverse vegetable and fruit crops and training local families on how to use the new produce. Before the project a diet consisting mainly of wheat and potatoes left poor families malnourished and often sick. The new resource pack presents a variety of information about the Quechuas along with songs, icebreaking activities and recipes all designed to inform about Tearfund and the Yanapanakuna project in a fun, interactive way. (Tearfund)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local radio partners to plant local AM and FM stations in the Bolivian cities of Santa Cruz, Tarija and Tupiza. Four stations with eight transmitters in four cities (La Paz, Caranavi, Santa Cruz and Sucre) are also affiliated with the ALAS, the ministry's Latin American satellite radio network that makes Spanish programs available to local stations 24 hours a day.

UPDATE: 'MILLION-DOLLAR BILL' TRACT PRINTS BIGGEST BATCH EVER

Following news of the U.S. Secret Service's seizure of 8,300 tracts designed to look like a "million-dollar bill," evangelist Ray Comfort's company sold a half a million tracts in one day. In response, Comfort's California-based company called Living Waters is printing more than 1.5 million tracts. Comfort says this is the largest printing ever and adds, "If the Secret Service does show up and seize them, we stand to lose millions." Tongue in cheek, Comfort added, "But this is a Christian ministry, and we render to 'seizures' the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. We will then leave it to the courts to decide what belongs to whom." Comfort also noted the creation of another batch of 100,000 bills that comply with the new demands of federal officials. These bills, 1.5 times the size of a regular bill, have the words "Secret Service Version" on them. "I think they will sell like hotcakes as a collector's item," says Comfort. (Assist News Service)

© Copyright 2007 - HCJB World Radio - Colorado Springs, CO USA