Zprávy HCJB 1.7.2007 - 7.7.2007

	Vietnamec – křesťan zemřel následkem poranění utrpěného při mučení.
	Mladý muž z národnostní menšiny Hroi, který odmítl vzdát se křesťanské víry, zemřel následkem zranění utrpěných během vyšetřování vietnamskými úřady. Ve stejné době se vietnamský prezident Nguyen Minh Triet setkal s prezidentem George W. Bushem. K jejich setkání došlo ve Washingtonu v pátek 22. června přes protesty obránců lidských práv. Vin Y Het se stal křesťanem v září 2006, brzy po svých dvacátých narozeninách. Pocházel z okresu Son Hoa v pobřežní povincii Phu Yen v jižní části středního Vietnamu. Brzy po jeho obrácení jej místní úřady začaly nutit, aby podepsal prohlášení, že svou víry odvolává. Když to odmítl, surově ho zbili. Zemřel 20. června a zanechal po sobě těhotnou manželku a dvě malé děti. Než se vietnamský prezident Triet setkal s prezidentem Bushem, sešel se ve čtvrtek 21. června na vietnamském velvyslanectví ve Washingtonu s evangelijními představiteli a vyslechl slova kritiky jak od těchto evangelikálů, tak od zástupců kongresu USA. Pod tlakem obránců lidských práv Vietnam před Trietovou cestou do USA propustil tři disidenty. Podle zpráv Vietnamské Studijní Skupiny bylo od srpna 2006 uvězněno asi 36 disidentů a od 30. března 2007 20 z nich dostalo dohromady 80 let vězení. Zdroj: Compass Direct News
	Informace o pronásledované církvi
	Informace o pronásledované církvi jsou m.j. na www.opendoorsusa.org, www.persecution.org, www.persecution.com/news/index.cfm, www.compassdirect.org, www.forum18.org and www.barnabasfund.org. Tyto zdroje nemusí vždy vyjadřovat pohled HCJB Global.
	Církve v Zimbabwe se spojují k boji s bídou, hladem a AIDS
	Britská křesťanská humanitární organizace Tearfund oznamuje, že místní církve bojují s hladem, chudobou a AIDS. Tyto metly řádí mezi obyvateli Zimbabwe zatímco Tearfund a připojené církve pomáhají naplnit základní každodenní životní potřeby obyvatel. Ale pomoci je třeba ještě mnohem více. Potravy je málo kvůli suchu a neúrodě, zhroucení civilní infrastruktury se dotklo základních životních potřeb. Mezinárodní ředitel Tearfund Peter Grant řekl, že situace je hrozivá zvláště u dětí trpících vysokým stupněm podvýživy. „Lidé umírají. Nejzranitelnější jsou děti, staří lidé a osoby trpící AIDS,“ řekl Grant. „Nedávno jsme slyšeli o jednom vedoucím sboru, který během jediného víkendu musel pohřbít dítě i babičku z jedné rodiny. Po roce pokračujícího nedostatku potravin lze očekávat další zhoršení situace a ještě více mrtvých lidí.“ Inflace přesahuje 4500 procent a tak za peníze není možno pořídit jídlo ani lékařské ošetření. A když se lidi snad do nemocnice přece dostanou, nejsou tam žádné léky. Tearfund podporuje potravinový program pro 9500 sirotků a oslabených dětí a spolupracuje přitom s církvemi a církevními agenturami, aby pomohli některým z nejpotřebnějších.
	Podle MI6 je 200 milionů křesťanů ohroženo pronásledováním.
	Britská tajná služba MI6 zveřejnila v časopisu Sunday Express zprávu, že podle údajů Catholic News Agency (CNA) je asi 200 milionů křesťanů v 60 zemích světa ohroženo pronásledováním. Podle těchto údajů jsou například v Súdánu „tisíce křesťanů masakrovány a fundamentalistická vláda udělala jen velmi málo pro jejich ochranu.“ V Iráku „křesťané nemají vlastní milice ke své ochraně přičemž sunnitské i šíítské skupiny je obviňují ze spolupráce s americkými ‘křižáky.‘“ Podle této studie bylo také jen za loňský rok v Pákistánu zabito 70 křesťanů. Ve středoasijských státech Turkmenistán, Uzbekistán a Tádžikistán muslimští kazatelé pod „vlivem Al-Kájdy“ představují křesťany jako spojence západního kolonialismu a volají po jejich vytlačení. Zpráva také zmiňuje Severní Koreu, Čínu, Etiopii, Nigérii, Ugandu a další země, kde jsou křesťané pronásledováni. „Severní Korea poslala do koncentračních táborů asi 50 000 křesťanů a v Číně připadl stejný úděl asi 40 000 trpících,“ píše se ve zprávě. Zdroj: Assist news Service
	50 států zastoupeno na baptistickém setkání v Ghaně.
	Asi 450 delegátů z 50 zemí světa se ve dnech 2—7. července sešlo v Akře v Ghaně na výročním setkání Baptistické Světové Aliance (BWA). Při setkáních, která zahrnují jednání komisí, výborů a pracovních skupin i členů výkonného výboru BWA a generální rady jde o plánování, společná setkání a diskuse o různých důležitých a pro organizaci zajímavých bodech. Vystoupení se zaměřují na témata od HIV/AIDS či genocidu přes chudobu až po misijní činnost. Tento týden se setkávají i speciální skupiny jako například Síť Nových Vedoucích, která spojuje baptistické vedoucí sborů mladší 35 let z celého světa. Lidé beroucí za službu plat, hlavy jednotlivých denominací, vedoucí misií a ženy ve vedoucím postavení mají svá vlastní setkání. Jedním z důležitých bodů setkání bylo „Shromáždění ke vzpomínce a smíření“ v Hradu Otroků na Cape Cost 5. července. Toto místo bylo význačným shromaždištěm zajatých nebo unesených černochů před jejich transportem do Ameriky v temných dobách otroctví. Shromáždění mělo také připomenout 200leté výročí zrušení otroctví Brity.
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině.
	PASSPORT BACKLOG HAMPERS SHORT-TERM MISSION PLANS Source: Mission Network News The U.S. State Department is swamped with a backlog of millions of passport applications, resulting from a law enacted earlier this year requiring all American citizens to present a U.S. passport upon returning home by air from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean. The delays have snarled many vacation plans and foiled many short-term mission trips. “We have had many people that have just not been able to go on a missions trip because they applied four months ahead, and they did not get their passports,” said E3 Partners’ Tom Doyle says. “If you’re remotely interested in a trip, get a passport. That’s the first thing, because there’s such a backlog.” Doyle says obstacles like these can discourage first-time short-termers. But there’s something greater at stake. “Satan doesn’t want us to spread the gospel. Satan doesn’t want us to be salt and light in the nations. We know that when we sign up there’s going to be this warning sign, ‘danger ahead.’ One of the new developments is just the whole passport thing.” In an effort to tackle the backlog of passport requests, the passport office plans to hire an extra 400 personnel by the end of September. VIETNAMESE ETHNIC CHRISTIAN DIES FROM TORTURE INJURIES Source: Compass Direct News A young Hroi ethnic minority man who refused to recant his Christian faith died from injuries received while being interrogated by Vietnamese authorities. Meanwhile, Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet met with President George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., on Friday, June 22, amid protests regarding human rights violations. The Christian in his early 20s, Vin Y Het, died on April 20, leaving a pregnant wife and two small children. From Son Hoa district in the costal province of Phu Yen in south-central Vietnam, Het became a Christian in September 2006. Soon after that, local government officials pressured him to sign a document denying his faith. When he refused, they had him savagely beaten. Before Triet’s meeting with Bush, he met with evangelical leaders at the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, June 21. Triet met with criticisms from both evangelicals and U.S. congressional leaders. Under pressure on the human rights front, Vietnam released three dissidents in advance of Triet’s U.S. trip. According to a report by the Vietnam Study Group, some 38 dissidents have been arrested since August 2006, and since March 30, 2007, 20 of them have received sentences totaling 80 years. FORCED DEPORTATION IN UZBEKISTAN ADDS PRESSURE TO PROTESTANTS Source: Forum 18 News Service A Tajik Pentecostal who lived in the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan for more than 10 years has been deported to neighboring Tajikistan. Sayora (who asked that her last name not be published) was held in jail for 22 days before her deportation. Other church members arrested and held by the Uzbekistan’s secret police in the same raid include a man who was intimidated by officials and neighbors into moving out of his urban district. In all, five church members were fined, and three were jailed for five days after trial. A registered Full Gospel congregation near Tashkent has failed to persuade authorities to hold anti-terrorist police accountable for making violent threats during a raid on the church. Police claimed the church was “preparing terrorists.” This is the second case in the past few months where members of a Protestant family in Uzbekistan have been forced to leave their home after threats, intimidation and pressure. * HCJB Global Voice airs 2.5 hours of Uzbek programs per week from an AM station outside the country. More than 15 million people speak this language. POLL: CHRISTIANITY IN U.S. IS ‘LAODICEAN CHURCH IN THE MAKING’ Source: OneNewsNow.com After more than 20 years of research, the Barna Group has revealed a disturbing trend among U.S. residents’ spiritual beliefs and behavior -- their commitment to orthodox biblical perspectives is “slipping.” The director of a recent Barna study says the findings reflect a “spiritual profile” among Americans similar to that of the early church at Laodicea -- a church which Jesus admonished for being “neither hot nor cold” and called to repentance. The poll of more than 1,000 adults, conducted in January, indicates that while Americans are remaining spiritually active, the percentage of those who hold orthodox biblical views has fallen to its lowest level in decades. Two-thirds (66 percent) of Americans believe that God is best described as “the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who rules the world today.” That’s down 5 percent from one year ago and represents the lowest percentage in more than 20 years of similar surveys, notes the report. It is evident, Kinnaman observes, that most Americans -- including those who say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ -- do not hold strong and clear beliefs. He notes that “as they go from year to year, as they watch movies, as they interact with people, as they rethink their lives, religious perspectives sometimes get put on the shelf.” * HCJB GLOBAL CELEBRATES LIFE OF KESHA TANN Source: HCJB Global HCJB Global is celebrating the life of Kesha Tann, a staff member who worked for the organization for three years, most recently as senior accountant. Her tragic death the morning of Wednesday, June 27, has made a powerful impact on the HCJB Global staff around the world. Police indicated that she was murdered in the parking lot of the mission’s Ministry Service Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as she arrived for work at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. “We are shocked at this horrible act, and our staff around the world is mourning the loss of our dear friend, Kesha,” said Dick Jacquin, vice president of support ministries. “She was one of those people who put a smile on your face when you saw her, and she had a laugh that was infectious. Her death is a great loss to us as a family and a loss to us as an organization. She was a wonderful staff member and friend to many in her quiet loving way. We will miss her greatly.” Kesha, 42, who lived in Colorado Springs since 1995, was admired for her sincere Christian faith. She was active in her home church, True Spirit Baptist Church, and in the community. Kesha lived with her mother, Agnes Smith, and two daughters, LaKesha, 19, and Aliya, 13. Rev. Orian A. Flournoy said, “She was a faithful member of our church, involved with the women’s ministry, the youth, Bible studies and Sunday school. She was totally supportive of the church as whole.” Before her untimely death, Kesha was working on a citywide effort to bring local African American churches together to talk about what they could do for global missions. “She really had a heart for missions,” said Ralph Moreman of HCJB Global’s advancement department. “She wanted to see what we could do at HCJB Global to engage the African American community and recognize the contributions of African American churches in missions, both abroad and in the local community.” For nearly 10 years Kesha previously attended Good News Church where Pastor Ralph Kelly recalled many fond memories. “She would tell a joke or remember something at the church that happened that was funny,” he explained. “She was just good at embellishing and making it come alive! Sure, we’re going to miss her a lot, but we also know that she’s with the Lord, and that’s a great place to be.” The following are quotes from HCJB Global staff members telling about their friendship with Kesha: Jim Allen, senior vice president: “Kesha was a highly respected, efficient lady who demonstrated helpfulness with a wonderful spirit.” Dan Shedd, chief financial officer: “Kesha was a person so full of life. Earlier this year after a staff member left, Kesha came up to the plate, and she delivered. We began giving her more responsibilities until in February we promoted her to senior accountant. She was delighted. I remember her smile and willingness to help. The times I got to know her best were in our Thursday-morning Bible study. She was very interested in growing in her faith, and it was neat to see that in her. We also enjoyed playing softball with her on the HCJB Global team. This exemplifies who she was—a fun-loving person who loved her Lord and her family. She will truly be missed.” Ryan Roberts, director of ministry partnerships: “Kesha was excited about playing softball. At practice I got to see how much she cherished family and wanted them always involved as she brought her daughter, brother and his kids with her. Her daughter saw her mom as her hero and best friend. At the games, Kesha would always warn me that she loved to hit, but running was not her thing! She was always laughing and smiling, encouraging everyone on the team. She loved this opportunity and excuse to be around family and friends.” Ron Cline, former president: “Kesha was the kind of worker who would do anything for anyone. She was a lifesaver for me in the whole financial area. Her spirit was so joyful!” Donna Williams, former employee and friend: “I appreciated how funny that girl was. She would come visit me in my little office sometimes, and we would laugh till we cried. The sweetest, funniest friend I have ever known.” Lucy Gray, purchasing and shipping manager: “Kesha was a loving, caring woman who was so proud of her girls. She didn’t have earthly wealth but would share what she had. She has left a huge void in our department. She was a great asset to our team and we miss her tremendously.” Coral Diaz, information systems office manager: “Kesha was a loving, wonderful mother and a dear friend. I miss her a lot. I miss her every day. I will miss her smile, her hugs, her sharing about her girls. She will never be forgotten. She confided in me. We could sit and talk about real life. I knew I could call her day or night and she’d be by my side. We could sit and pray together. She was a wonderful Christian woman. She loved God and her family. I want everyone to know that. She was a sister to me. We fought like sisters and loved like sisters. I will miss her.” Derrick Jeffers, corporate controller: “Kesha was a very loving and caring mother who put the lives of her daughters and family above her own. She fixed her hope on Jesus Christ, and she was an encouragement to me each day. I’m proud of Kesha, and we at HCJB Global loved her very much. I looked forward every morning to the opportunity to tell her good morning and see her smile.” The memorial service will be at True Spirit Baptist Church in Colorado Springs at 10 a.m. Friday, July 6. For a video tribute to Kesha’s life, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc1lS7lZCjc © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	ECUADORIAN MISSIONARY ENCOURAGED BY NEW ZEALAND CHURCH Source: Assist News Service Churches in New Zealand are seeking to make the gospel relevant to society and are at the forefront of the emerging church internationally, observed Ecuadorian missionary Josué Olmedo. He is visiting the country during a four-month break with his wife and fellow missionary, New Zealander Ruth Hicks. The couple has been seconded by Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship in New Zealand to work with Community of Christian Students in Ecuador, establishing new groups in universities and training leaders. “New Zealand is right at the forefront of the emerging church looking for fresh ways to ‘do church,’” Olmedo said. “Last time we visited, in 2005, we went to the Parachute music festival, and I was surprised to see the country’s politicians had been invited there to talk about issues. In Ecuador that would be impossible.” The couple has been inspired by the passion of some New Zealand Christians for their faith, stands on social justice and the environment, and emphasis on quality teaching of the Bible. ZIMBABWE CHURCHES UNITE TO FIGHT POVERTY, HUNGER, AIDS Source: Tearfund U.K Christian relief agency Tearfund is reporting that churches are fighting poverty, hunger and HIV/AIDS among Zimbabwe’s decimated communities and helping to meet the basic day-to-day needs. But much more help is needed. There is little food due to drought and poor harvests, and the collapse of civil infrastructure has meant basic services are no longer available. Peter Grant, Tearfund’s international director, says the situation is desperate with children now suffering from high levels of chronic malnutrition. “People are dying. It’s the very young, the very old and those with AIDS who are the most vulnerable,” said Grant. “We heard recently of a church leader who had to bury a grandmother and a baby from the same family on the same weekend. As the year goes on with the continuing food shortages, we can expect the situation to get worse and more people to die.” With inflation exceeding 4,500 percent, currency no longer buys food and medical care. Even if people could afford to go to hospital, there are no longer medical supplies to treat them. Tearfund is funding feeding programs for 9,500 orphans and vulnerable children while working through churches and church-based agencies to relieve some of the immediate suffering. * HCJB Global Voice signed a partnership agreement with the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe in 2001. PAKISTANI CHRISTIANS FOUND LAW COLLEGE TO COMBAT PERSECUTION Source: BosNewsLife Christians in Pakistan recently founded a law college aimed at training church members to better defend themselves against persecution and during controversial “blasphemy” trials. Treated as “second-class citizens,” Pakistani Christians are often “forced” to receive legal training, said Joseph Francis, head of Trinity Law College in Lahore. Speaking at an annual mission meeting for the “suffering church” in Stuttgart, Germany, Francis noted that every year dozens of Christians are prosecuted under Pakistan’s blasphemy legislation for allegedly attacking Islam and its prophet, Mohammed. Conviction can lead to long prison terms and even execution while jailed Christians are often tortured and abused, human rights investigators have said. Pakistani authorities and local police are often reluctant or unwilling to intervene. Pakistani Christians also face revenge attacks after being released from prison, even in cases when they are declared innocent on blasphemy charges. Francis, who also founded the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), a major advocacy group, has invited German lawyers to train students at Trinity Law College. Christians make up less than 3 percent of Pakistan’s mainly Muslim population of 165 million. * HCJB Global Hands sent two medical teams from Ecuador to Pakistan following the Oct. 8, 2005, earthquake that left tens of thousands dead and thousands more injured and homeless. Staff members helped SIM International with relief efforts. IRANIANS COME TO CHRIST VIA SATELLITE, HOUSE CHURCHES EXPAND Source: Open Doors The majority of new Iranian converts come to faith through satellite television, says Stefan De Groot, an Open Doors field worker for the Middle East. “New media is becoming increasingly important in the future to strengthen the church.” A large section of the community longs for contact with the outside world and does not uphold the strict convictions of the regime. “In spite of this pressure, the house church movement has seen spectacular growth,” he added. “The majority of people now come to faith through the multimedia, and especially satellite TV. Nobody can control which programs Iranians watch. However, many reactions and questions are coming in at the stations from the Muslims.” Open Doors is playing its part by producing television programs. “We research in Iran where the need lies,” De Groot said. “Through which programs can we strengthen the Iranian church? It’s not only the evangelization programs that do well. We also give discipleship training and training for pastors. Some cell groups are growing amazingly fast from just one person to 100 people. How can the organizer of such a group, who is usually a believer of just one or two years, possibly know how people should grow in their faith?” SURVEY: MAJORITY OF CHRISTIANS AVOID R-RATED MOVIES Source: Christian Newswire ChristiaNet.com, the world’s largest Christian Internet portal, asked participants in a recent poll, “How often do you watch R-rated movies?” Out of 649 Christians polled, 61 percent responded that they “never” watch R-rated movies. As one participant said, “I’m not interested in anything that does not honor God.” ChristiaNet President Bill Cooper said, “I’m encouraged that the vast majority of Christians seek to put God first when making entertainment choices.” Eighteen percent (the smallest group) reported actively viewing R movies every month. Twenty-one percent of Christians surveyed stated that they only watch rated R movies “a few times a year.” Christians who avoid R movies said they do so because they are not Christ-like, it’s a poor use of their time and talents, or they’re not interested in this type of entertainment. Others feel that watching R movies would fill their minds with bad images that are tempting and eventually lead to sin. Reasons given for frequently watching R shows include being bored, seeking entertainment or preferring action movies that include violence. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
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	NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH CHALLENGED TO TELL ‘HOPE STORIES’ Source: Mission Network News Five days of intense spiritual discipleship for native American youth has concluded with a challenge for teams of native youth to fan out and head back to more than a dozen reservations across the U.S. and Canada. They will be proclaiming freedom from the chains of alcohol, drug and sexual abuse, victory over suicide and the hope of a new age to come. The Ron Hutchcraft Ministries’ Warrior Leadership Summit provided a venue where teens experienced the Holy Spirit’s power in a dramatic way. “We’ve had an amazing spiritual climate here,” said On Eagles Wings Director Craig Smith. “I believe the very presence of God has visited these native young people in a very remarkable way.” In the next month these teens will share their testimonies, or “hope stories,” with other native youth on reservations. These are areas of extreme poverty and sometimes hopelessness. But that doesn’t stop God’s truth from touching the lives of others through young people who have been changed. “Our people are storytellers,” Smith said. “There can be all kinds of sports and noise and events going on, but when one of our team members picks up the microphone and says, ‘I want to tell my story,’ it gets quiet. Our people want to hear those stories.” BLIND PRO-LIFE ADVOCATE BEATEN IN CHINESE JAIL BY INMATES Sources: Jubilee Campaign, Amnesty International, BosNewsLife Amnesty International (AI) reported that Chinese blind pro-life advocate Chen Guangcheng has been beaten in jail by his fellow inmates on orders of the prison guards. According to AI’s report, after refusing to have his head shaved, Chen was pushed to the floor by six other prisoners who were encouraged by the prison guards to “hit and kick him hard.” Chen said he was “being punished for being disobedient” due to his insistence on filing an appeal to the provincial higher court and “refusing water as well as food.” AI concluded that ministry leaders “feared for [Chen’s] life and that he was at further risk of torture and ill treatment.” Chen was first taken into policy custody in September 2005 after exposing China’s brutal population control tactics in Shandong province. For months Chen was held without trial, beaten and denied contact with his lawyer, his wife and other advocates. On Aug. 24, 2006, Chen was formally sentenced to serve four years and three months in prison for “damaging public property and gathering people to block traffic.” Throughout the trial, Chen’s lawyers were denied access to their client, harassed and beaten and key witnesses were blocked from testifying. The trial itself lasted less than two hours. Since that time, Chen has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to appeal his sentence. NIGERIAN PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS CHOKES CHURCH GROWTH Source: Compass Direct News Reports emerging from northwestern Nigeria’s Kebbi state indicate that strong persecution against Christians there is choking the church. Pastor Nuhu Mamman, a Muslim convert to Christ who leads a church of more than 2,000, reports that converts to Christianity continue to face humiliation and stigma. “We are always being forced to transfer former Muslims who have become Christians to other parts of this country in order to shield them from persecution,” he said. In 2003 when a Muslim named Ibrahim Jega from the town of Jega converted to Christianity “his family members and other Muslims threatened to kill him,” Mamman said. “We were forced to take him to Zuru town for safety.” Equally difficult is obtaining places for converts from Islam to worship. “Even if we succeed in getting land to provide such converts with places of worship, Muslims who are in government will not allow us build such churches,” he explained. “Whenever we go to renew our land documents or even pay land rent for our church lands, Muslim government officials usually refuse to accept such payments. But then, this is deliberate, as after a period of time they usually declare our church buildings as illegal structures, just to find reasons to demolish our places of worship.” * HCJB Global Voice, 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 Global Voice also has helped with radio ministries in six cities with more in the planning stages REPORT: 200 MILLION CHRISTIANS AT RISK OF SUFFERING PERSECUTION Source: Assist news Service The British Secret Service, MI6, has published a report in Sunday Express magazine revealing that some 200 million Christians in 60 countries around the world are at risk of suffering persecution, according to a report carried by the Catholic News Agency (CNA) The report reveals that in Sudan, for example, “thousands of Christians have been massacred and the fundamentalist government has done little to protect them.” In Iraq “Christians do not have their own militia to defend them, and Sunni and Shiite factions accuse them of collaborating with the American ‘crusaders.’” The study also reveals that during the last year, at least 70 Christians were killed in Pakistan. In the Central Asian nations of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Muslim preachers “under the influence of al-Qaeda” present Christians as followers of a religion closely associated with Western colonialism, and they call for their expulsion. The report also mentions North Korea, China, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda as other countries where Christians are persecuted. “North Korea has sent some 50,000 Christians to concentration camps while in China some 40,000 have suffered the same fate,” the report stated. POLL: EVOLUTION, CREATION ‘BOTH LIKELY EXPLANATIONS FOR LIFE’ Sources: Wordwide Religious News, USA Today A majority of Americans polled in a new USA Today/Gallup Poll say evolution and creationism are both likely explanations for life on earth, underscoring the complexity of the issue. Two-thirds in the poll said the idea that God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years is definitely or probably true. But more than half (53 percent) said the idea that humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years is definitely or probably true. All told, 25 percent say that both creationism and evolution are definitely or probably true. Geoffrey Layman, a politics and religion expert at the University of Maryland, says people are trying to reconcile science and religion. “They might believe the science, or they might see the science as hard to dismiss, and they don’t necessarily take Genesis to be literal,” he said. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
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	50 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT BAPTIST GATHERING IN GHANA Source: Baptist World Alliance Approximately 450 delegates from more than 50 countries have been meeting in Accra, Ghana, for the annual gathering of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) July 2-7. The meetings, which bring together commissions, committees and workgroups along with members of the BWA executive committee and general council, involve planning, worship, fellowship and discussions on various topics of interest to the organization. Forums focus on issues as diverse as HIV/AIDS, genocide, poverty and missions. Special groups have met this week, including 34 members of the Emerging Leaders Network, a group of mainly under-35 Baptist leaders from around the world. Christian professionals, denominational heads, mission leaders and women in leadership also held separate meetings. One highlight of the gathering was a “Memorial and Reconciliation Service” at the Slave Castle at Cape Coast on Thursday, July 5. This facility was one of the holding areas for captured or kidnapped Africans sent to the Americas during the dark days of the slave trade. The event is being held to help mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slavery by the British. * HCJB Global represents the voice and hands of Jesus in a growing number of nations in Sub-Saharan Africa from its regional office in Accra, Ghana. VEHICLE BREAKDOWN HINDERS LIBERIAN NATIONAL’S MINISTRY Source: Christian Aid Mission James Cuffee, a Liberian national who established Christ Evangelical Fellowship Ministries (CEFM) in 1986 in an effort to bring hope to those trapped in false religions and plagued by Liberia’s many maladies, is facing a new challenge. The van that Christian Aid donated to the ministry in 2004 has broken down, forcing CEFM workers to walk or take public transportation. On many occasions workers have walked four to six hours before reaching villagers to conduct seminars, revival meetings and crusades. Public transportation is expensive, and many taxi drivers refuse to take missionaries across the hazardous interior roads for fear of damaging their vehicles. Cuffee asks that fellow believers join him in praying for a sturdier vehicle that would offer more reliable transportation to continue his outreach, especially in rural areas where roads are poorly maintained. Under Cuffee’s leadership, CEFM’s 24 workers provide care and shelter to more than 100 orphaned and abandoned children along with hundreds of displaced civil war refugees. Through this ministry, 14 churches have been planted. A large majority of Liberia’s population practices animism and idol worship, and there is a growing number of new converts to Islam. * HCJB Global Voice works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA most recently went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. In 2000 HCJB Global Voice provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the entire region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available. BAPTISTS LAUNCH EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN IN FORMER SOVIET UNION Source: OneNewsNow.com The International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention has targeted the former Soviet Union for a major initiative, including evangelism, discipleship and church planting. The campaign, called “Hope 4 Russia,” targets the largest land mass country in the world 13 years after the fall of communism there. Teams of workers and volunteers have been placed throughout Russia in an effort to reach people in the former communist country. Ed Tarleton, the coordinator of the massive effort, says there are many challenges and rewards when it comes to ministering in the former Soviet Union -- especially with the current administration. But Russia is open to the gospel, he says. “On one hand the missionaries are more effective than they’ve ever been -- they know the language better, they know the people better, they know their neighbors better,” said Tarleton. “On the other hand . . . a lot of cynicism [has] crept in . . . just people wondering about the West in general. We need doctors [and other] medically trained people . . . to go into an urban setting.” NEW ORLEANS SEMINARY RETURNING TO NORMAL AFTER KATRINA Source: Religion Today OneNewsNow.com reports that life is returning to normal at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Ken Gabrielse, chairman of the seminary’s church music division, says the school is faring better than many parts of the city. The seminary was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Virtually every building flooded, but volunteers and crews have helped rebuild and refurbish the facility. Students are in residence, and classes resumed last year. Gabrielse says while New Orleans continues to face numerous challenges, people are gradually returning to live and work in the city. CHRISTIAN AVIATION ENTREPRENEUR DIES IN PLANE CRASH Source: Assist News Service Bruce Kennedy, the well-known former chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines, died Thursday, June 28, when the single-engine Cessna 182 that he was flying crashed during a landing at the airport in Cashmere, Wash. He had planned to visit his grandchildren in the area. A folk hero in the aviation industry, Kennedy grew a small, fledgling, airline with revenues of less than $100 million to an admired international carrier with revenues of more than $1 billion during his 12-year tenure as CEO. Kennedy’s Christian faith was openly apparent. He was an elder at his local church and served on the boards of organizations such as Crista Ministries, World Concern and Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). Kennedy was instrumental in expanding the role of MAF in technology and fostered numerous international partnerships. “Kennedy didn’t separate his faith from his professional, civic or personal life,” said MAF President Kevin Swanson. “His spirituality and the rest of his life were integrated, not compartmentalized. He was open about his faith, not forcing it on others, but was bold enough that people knew what -- or more precisely who -- he stood for.” Kennedy’s final pursuit combined his two greatest passions -- his faith and his love of flying -- to design and build the Kodiak airplane which many deem to be the next generation of missionary aviation. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA

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