Zprávy HCJB 4.11.2007 - 10.11.2007

	Soud s vrahy 3 křesťanů v Turecku
	Turecký Třetí trestní soud v Malatya zahájil v pátek 23. října soudní řízení s muži, kteří se přiznali k vraždám tureckých křesťanů Necati Aydin a Ugur Yuksel a německého věřícího Tilmana Geske. Nové zprávy o události jsou zaujaté, straní obžalovaným, ospravedlňují souzené zločiny a publikují nepravděpodobná obvinění pachatelů vůči obětem. Tři protestantští křesťané byli mučeni a nakonec podřezáni 18. dubna v kanceláři nakladatelství Zirve v jižní provincii Malatya. „Z postojů obžalovaných je zřejmé, že za nimi stojí nějaká mocná skupina,“ řekl mluvčí Sdružení protestantských církví Turecka Isa Karatas. „Tito lidé chtějí turecké protestanty vykreslit jako nepřátele národa.“ Vyšetřovatelé v Malatya vznesli proti pěti vrahům obžalobu v pondělí 15. října a požadují pro ně za jejich zločiny trojnásobný trest doživotí. Pěti vrahům je mezi 19 a 20 lety. Po křesťanských obětech zůstaly dvě vdovy, pět nezletilých dětí a snoubenka. Zdroj: Compass Direct News
	Křesťané jsou v souvislosti s vyhlášením výjimečného stavu v Pákistánu ostražití
	Pakistánští křesťané se připravují na vlnu násilí, neboť prezident Mušaraf pozastavil platnost ústavy a v hlavním městě rozmístil vojáky s tím, že růst islámského extrémizmu jej k nutí k mimořádným ochranným opatřením. Podle listu The Pakistan Christian Post úřady začaly zatýkat opoziční politiky přes varování z Washingtonu a z dalších západních zemí, aby nebyla přijímána autoritářská opatření. USA Mušarafa vyzvaly, aby obnovil demokracii. Nicméně Pentagon oznámil, že vyhlášení výjimečného stavu neovlivní americkou vojenskou pomoc Pákistánu a jeho úsilí ve válce proti terorizmu. Británie vyjádřila hluboké znepokojení. „Extrémisté berou moc do vlastních rukou a ještě k tomu vnucují své zaostalé ideje umírněným obyvatelům,“ píše list. Mušaraf ve svém projevu k národu v sobotu 3. listopadu ve státní televizi řekl, že vyměnil vedení nejvyššího soudu dřív, než tento soud mohl přijmout zásadní rozhodnutí ve věci jeho prezidentské funkce. Přitom obvinil některé soudce, že „pracují s rozporu s výkonnou mocí“ a že „oslabují rozhodnutí vlády“ v boji s terorizmem. Zdroj: BosNewsLife, Assist News Service *HCJB Global Hands poslal po zemětřesení 8. října 2005 do Pákistánu z Ecuadoru dva lékařské týmy. Jejich členové se zapojili do záchranných akcí po boku SIM International. Zemětřesení zahubilo desítky tisíc lidí, tisíce dalších lidí bylo tehdy zraněno anebo bez přístřeší.
	6 populárních teleevangelistů v USA čelí finančnímu senátnímu vyšetřování
	Informace o kazatelích vozících se v Rolls Roycech a kupujících konferenční stůl za 30 tisíc dolarů v úterý vedly k oznámení republikánského senátora Chucka Grassley z Iowy, nejvlivnějšího republikána v senátním výboru pro finance, že zahájil vyšetřování finanční situace šesti dobře známých teleevangelistů. Zkoumáni jsou uzdravovač Benny Hinn, pastor megasboru v Georgii Creflo Dollar, Kenneth a Gloria Copelandovi, biskup Eddie Long z Misijního baptistického sboru Znovuzrození ve městě Lithonia v Georgii a jedna z nejznámějších kazatelek Joyce Meyer. Dříve v tomto týdnu Grassley poslal mediálním misiím dopis žádající do čtvrtka 6. prosince odpověď na otázky týkající se jejich výdajů, náhrad a komfortních služeb včetně používání luxusních vozů a soukromých tryskových letadel. Ve svém vyjádření Grassley uvedl, že tak činí na základě stížností veřejnosti a novinových zpráv o těchto organizacích. „Nechci činit předčasný závěr, že něco není v pořádku,“ řekl tento kongresman. „Ale cítím závazek vůči dárcům a plátcům daní tuto věc prozkoumat. Lidé, kteří poskytují dary mají právo, aby tyto částky byly použity v souladu s daňovými předpisy.“ Misie, které se zabývají kázáním různých forem „evangelia prosperity“ odpověděly, že při vyšetřování budou spolupracovat. Zdroj: Assist News Service
	Křesťanský manželský pár v Iránu zbičován za odpadnutí od islámu
	Iránský křesťanský pár byl potrestán za „odpadlictví,“ což podle skupiny kolem Barnabášova Fondu prohloubilo znepokojení z obecného pronásledování křesťanů v Iránu. Šest úředníků převážně se státní „náboženské policie“ navštívilo v září oba manžele v jejich domě a vykonali trest. Jména manželů nebyla z bezpečnostních důvodů zveřejněna. „Manžel skutečně býval muslimem a před mnoha lety se stal křesťanem, zatímco jeho manželka se narodila v asyrské křesťanské rodině a nikdy muslimkou nebyla,“ oznámil Barnabášův Fond. Před sedmi lety se vzali podle islámských zákonů, protože nenašli křesťanský sbor, který by byl ochoten je oddat – pro jejich rozdílný původ. Ale iránský soud oznámil, že „když se nemuslimové berou podle islámského práva, má se za to, že se stali muslimy.“ V roce 2005 byli oba manželé ve skupině křesťanů uvězněných za bohoslužebné shromáždění v jednom domě severozápadně od Teheránu. Když se případ obou manželů dostal letos v červenci před soud, otevřeně připustili, že jsou křesťany. „Protože však podle zákona jsou muslimy, soud vynesl rozsudek za odpadnutí od islámu a odsoudil je k brutálnímu trestu,“ hlásí Barnabášův Fond. Zdroj: BosNewsLife, Barnabas Fund
	2 velké misie zvýšily spolupráci při pomoci chudé Africe
	Compassion International a Opportunity International v úterý 6. listopadu oznámily velké rozšíření jejich spolupráce, která začala během minulého roku v Ugandě, aby se prohloubila „udržitelná společenská proměna ve prospěch chudých v celé Africe.“ Compassion investuje do Opportunity během nejbližších 5 let pět milionů dolarů, což této misii pomůže k financování drobných operací ve prospěch chudých pracujících. Partnerství také Opportunity pomůže rozšířit svou činnost i do Ghany, Keni a Rwandy, kde bude nabízet drobné půjčky, spoření, pojištění a výuku základů obchodu rodinám s dětmi, které sponzoruje Compassion a dalším lidem. „Jde o strategický svazek dvou křesťanských aktivit zaměřených na obdobnou misijní práci – zvrátit bludný kruh chudoby žijících v chudobě,“ řekl prezident Compassion Wess Stafford. „Misie jako Compassion může poskytnout mnohem více ve spojení myšlenek i zdrojů s jinými křesťanskými skupinami, než sama. Naše křesťanská komunita takový způsob práce očekává. Věříme, že nadcházející působení společně s Opportunity bude pokračovat v oboustranně prospěšných výsledcích pomáhajících dětem, rodinám a skupinám, kterým obě organizace slouží. Zdroj: Evangelical News
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	4-MONTH RADIO CAMPAIGN PROVIDES 220,000+ BIBLES TO CHINA Source: Bible League Radio stations across the U.S. partnered with the Bible League for the “Don’t Make Them Wait” radio campaign in a four-month effort to provide Bibles to China. A total of 220,993 Bibles were provided for people in China through this campaign. “In a land soon to exceed 1.4 billion people, it’s hard to imagine placing Bibles in the hands of each and every person who needs one,” said Scott Thunder, the Bible League’s media specialist. “But an impact is being made, and that is exciting to be a part of!” Evelyn Lemly, the ministry’s executive vice president of development, added, “One of the stations that really took off through this campaign was KWVE in Los Angeles. They surpassed their goals and expectations by providing 67,020 Bibles for China.” More than 80 percent of China’s population lives in rural areas. “Brave Christians place God’s Word cautiously and discreetly due to the risk of persecution,” Lemly said. “But reports of the smiles on the faces of new believers confirm the impact. Many receive a Bible for the very first time and are forever changed by the love of Jesus Christ.” * HCJB Global-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra broadcasts 25.5 hours of Mandarin programming each week. UPDATE: TRIAL SET FOLLOWING MURDERS OF 3 CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY Source: Compass Direct News Turkey’s Third Criminal Court in Malatya has set Friday, Nov. 23, to open the trial of the confessed murderers of Turkish Christians Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel and a German believer, Tilmann Geske. Biased new reports in Turkey sided with the defendants, justifying the crimes and publishing farfetched allegations that perpetrators made against the victims. The three Protestant Christians were tortured and killed by having their throats cut on April 18 in the Zirve Publishing Company’s office in the southern province of Malatya. “It is clear from these statements of the suspects that there is some group of powerful influence behind them,” said spokesperson Isa Karatas of the Alliance of Protestant Churches in Turkey. “These people want to portray Turkey’s Protestants as enemies of the nation.” Criminal prosecutors in Malatya filed formal charges against the five accused killers on Monday, Oct. 15, demanding that they serve three consecutive life sentences in prison for their crimes. The five killers are between the ages of 19 and 20. The Christian victims left behind two widows, five fatherless children and a fiancée. MURMURS EMERGE OF A HARSHER NEW RELIGION LAW IN UZBEKISTAN Source: Forum 18 News Service Uzbekistan appears to be planning changes to its harsh Religion Law, but it is unclear how far the process has reached. Local sources said the issue is under discussion in the state Religious Affairs Committee. It is unclear whether the country’s parliament has produced a draft law. It is also not clear how extensive the changes will be to what is already a highly repressive law. Some religious leaders said they know nothing about any plans to amend the Religion Law, and others refused to discuss the issue. Since the current Religion Law and changes to the criminal and administrative codes were introduced in 1998, later changes to other laws and regulations have imposed even tighter restrictions on freedom of thought, conscience and belief. LUTHERANS ORGANIZE ‘BLITZ’ FOR ONGOING KATRINA CLEANUP Source: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America More than two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the Gulf Coast, the area shows a few signs of healing with cleanup and rebuilding expected to take years to complete. Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) extending from Port Arthur, Texas, to Ocean Springs, Miss., organized a “blitz” to attract volunteers in November and December. “Things are still pretty desperate on the coast,” said Suzie Harvey, manager of Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Miss. “We have 700 people on a waiting list to get their houses rebuilt, and that’s just for our camp.” In the past year Camp Victor has restored 100 homes, Harvey said, pointing out that her waiting list has about seven years of projects. “This blitz is very important, but is not the end all to our recovery. It is the signal to say there is work to be done for years,” Philpot said. “Our greatest fear right now is that we will be forgotten, and there is still a lot of work yet to be done. There is much to be done in helping people rebuild not only their homes but their lives.” INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED SET FOR SUNDAY Sources: Christian Newswire, Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs are calling on Christians to pray for more than 200 million suffering Christians during the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on Sunday, Nov. 11. During that day churches around the U.S. will focus on prayer and support for Christians being persecuted for their faith in Christ. IDOP is one of the largest prayer events in the world and has heightened awareness of persecuted Christians since its inception in 1996. This year’s IDOP will focus on Muslim-background believers who convert from Islam to Christianity. “The IDOP 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 Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, North Korea and many more,” said Open Doors USA President Carl Moeller. “Persecuted believers have asked us who live in freedom to pray for them -- always their No. 1 request. And on Nov. 11 we have the opportunity to collectively lift our petitions to the Lord on their behalf.” © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	AGENCIES RUSH AID TO FLOOD-AFFECTED AREAS OF SOUTHERN MEXICO Sources: Mission Network News, Christian Post Intense heavy rains in Mexico have caused massive flooding across the country’s southern Chiapas and Tabasco states. Millions have been affected. Christian aid agencies are already reaching out to the flood victims in Jesus’ name as the flood waters remain high. “This is actually the worst natural disaster that our country has suffered within the last 15 or 20 years,” said David Muńoz, World Vision’s communication specialist in Tabasco’s capital city of Villahermosa. “In Chiapas there are 250,000 people who have lost their homes. But here in the state of Tabasco there are 1 million people that have been affected. I have seen people living on the main roads. I have seen people who are living on the roofs of their houses.” Muńoz said water isn’t the people’s only concern. “This flooding has brought snakes into the water and crocodiles, so people are scared and desperate. There’s also a major concern about waterborne diseases such as dengue fever and cholera and mosquito-borne diseases.” Mexican President Felipe Calderón called the natural disaster one of the worst in Mexico’s history, reported Reuters. Officials added that Tabasco has lost all of its banana and other crops, and four-fifths of the state is under water. Experts say it will take weeks for the water to recede. Tabasco is one of the poorest areas of Mexico, and the long-term rebuilding effort is expected to be a major operation, according to local aid agency Caritas Mexico. The agency has set up 14 centers in Mexico City to start collecting aid to help the people of Tabasco. Meanwhile, World Vision plans to send some 40 metric tons of soap, shampoo, sanitary towels, sanitary paper rolls, powdered detergent and liquid cleaner to Villahermosa as soon as roads are cleared and arrangements can be made. Convoy of Hope, the compassion ministry affiliated with the Assemblies of God, is also preparing to respond to the massive flooding. * HCJB Global Voice has helped with training and Spanish programming for a pair of partner stations in Chihuahua and provides five hours of weekly programs for a station in Cuauhtemoc. CHRISTIANS WARY AS PAKISTANI PRESIDENT DECLARES EMERGENCY Sources: BosNewsLife, Assist News Service Pakistani Christians braced themselves for more violence as President Pervez Musharraf suspended the country’s constitution and deployed troops in the capital, claiming that rising Islamic extremism forced him to take the emergency measures. According to The Pakistan Christian Post, authorities began rounding up opposition politicians despite calls from Washington and other Western allies not to take authoritarian measures. The U.S. called for Musharraf to restore democracy. However, the Pentagon said the emergency declaration does not affect U.S. military support for Pakistan and its efforts in the war on terrorism. Britain said it was deeply concerned. “The extremists are taking the writ of the government in their own hands, and even worse they are imposing their obsolete ideas on moderates,” the newspaper reported. Musharraf said in an address to the nation late Saturday, Nov. 3, on state-run television that he had replaced the chief justice of the Supreme Court before the court could make a crucial ruling on his future as president. His emergency order accused some judges of “working at cross purposes with the executive” and “weakening the government’s resolve” to fight terrorism. * 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. EVANGELICAL PASTOR FLEES WEST BANK AFTER DEATH THREAT Source: Assist News Service A Palestinian-American evangelical pastor fled the unofficial Palestinian capital of Ramallah in Israel’s West Bank for the safety of nearby Jerusalem this week following increasingly hostile threats. Born in the U.S., Isa Bajalia returned to his parents’ hometown of Ramallah more than 16 years ago to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Arabs and spread the gospel. Bajalia’s increasingly bold missionary activity and his refusal to allow Muslim elements to encroach on his family’s property -- a common abuse suffered by Palestinian Christians -- resulted in a death threat. Israel Today reported that a Ramallah municipal official who is also a member of the Tanzim terrorist wing of Abbas’ Fatah movement threatened to cripple and murder Bajalia. Last month’s brutal murder of a fellow Christian in the Gaza Strip for his sharing the gospel has caused Bajalia to take the threats seriously. He first turned to the Palestinian Authority for protection, but was told they would only help him if he first paid $30,000. Bajalia has since filed a complaint with the American consulate in an effort to pressure the Palestinian Authority to provide security to all its citizens. FALLING DOLLAR HURTS SUPPORT OF U.S. MISSIONARIES WORLDWIDE Source: Baptist Press As the U.S. dollar continues its steep fall in value against overseas currencies, finance officials with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) said it must meet its $165-million goal for the yearly Lottie Moon Christmas just to just to sustain its ministry budgets. When the dollar is strong against other currencies, missionaries have extra buying power. “Unlike most U.S. exporters who benefit from a weak dollar that makes their goods cheaper on international markets, our export is our missionaries who are spending U.S. dollars,” explained David Steverson, IMB treasurer and vice president for finance. “The costs for both the IMB and each missionary have increased in direct proportion to the weakening of the dollar.” In a typical year on 160 selected mission fields, dollar values change an average of 240 times -- with half reflecting rises in the dollar’s value against local currencies and half showing decreases. However, so far this year rates have changed 400 times with 387 of them hurting the dollar’s buying power. “There is no supplement to adjust those budgets for loss in value of the dollar,” said Steverson. “Our missionaries simply have fewer funds to work with.” SURVEY: WEALTHIER NATIONS LESS LIKELY TO BE RELIGIOUS Sources: WorldWide Religious News, The New York Times A global survey recently conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that the wealthier you are, the less likely you are to be religious. The survey, conducted as part of the Pew Global Attitudes Project, covers a wide swath of economic matters, including global trade and immigration. Findings showed a “strong relationship between a country’s religiosity and its economic status.” The poorer a country, the more “religion remains central to the lives of individuals, while secular perspectives are more common in richer nations.” The U.S. is the “most notable” exception. Other exceptions are oil-rich, mostly Muslim nations such as Kuwait. There is no simple interpretation of the findings. Perhaps as “people get less religious, they get wealthier,” wrote Kevin Drum of the Washington Monthly’s Political Animal blog. “Or perhaps the other way around. Or perhaps there’s something else behind both trends,” he said, adding that it’s “probably a bit of all three.” © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	6 POPULAR TELEVANGELISTS FACE SENATE INQUIRY INTO FINANCES Sources: WorldWide Religious News, Associated Press Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said on Tuesday that he’s investigating the finances of six well-known televangelists. Those under scrutiny include faith healer Benny Hinn, Georgia megachurch Pastor Creflo Dollar, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., and one of the nation’s best-known female preachers, Joyce Meyer. Grassley sent letters to the media ministries earlier this week, requesting answers by Thursday, Dec. 6, regarding their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including the use of luxury cars and private jets. In a statement, Grassley said he was acting on complaints from the public and news reports about the organizations. “I don’t want to conclude that there’s a problem,” he said. “But I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code.” The ministers, who preach different variations of the “prosperity gospel,” responded that there were cooperating in the investigation. 2 CHRISTIAN DALIT MOTHERS DIE AFTER GIVING BIRTH IN HOSPITAL Source: Assist News Service After giving birth, two Christian Dalit women in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state died when they were thrown out of a government hospital in India because of their inability to pay an additional bribe, reported the Salem Voice News Service. Devorati, 25, who gave birth to a boy the evening of Thursday evening, Nov. 1, was admitted to the government hospital in Kanpur after her husband, Dilip, bribed an official with the equivalent of US$13. This payment occurred despite the fact that admission to hospitals is meant to be free, and women coming to deliver a child whose income is under the poverty level are supposed to receive a government benevolence of about US$37. “Soon after childbirth the medical staff demanded [the equivalent of $26],” said Dilip. “When I said I had no money, they threw out my wife despite the fact that she was bleeding and had not regained consciousness.” The family returned to their village, but Devorati’s condition deteriorated rapidly and she soon died. Three hours later a second woman named Kamla was also thrown out of the same hospital soon after giving birth to a baby girl when her family refused to pay a bribe of $13 and asked for their government allowance. * Radio programs in 17 languages air to Asia and Southeast Asia from HCJB Global-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra. Most of the programs are produced at the ministry’s studios in New Delhi, India. INDIA EVANGELIST MURDERED, SACRIFICED TO HINDU ‘GODDESS’ Source: BosNewsLife The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that 27-year-old evangelist Vipin Mandloi was shot dead near Aamkut, a village in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state, by Hindu priests who were seeking human sacrifices for a “goddess.” Mandloi, who also worked as a shepherd, had reportedly been missing since Sunday, Oct. 14, when he left his house to graze his goats and sheep near a new Hindu temple. Three Hindu priests then emerged from the temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali, and shot him with a pistol. GCIC President Sajan George said he believed it was “his decision of accepting Christ” that prompted priests to “give him as a sacrifice to this goddess.” Although investigations revealed his body was dumped in a lake, there was “blood all over the temple,” George said. “It is presumed that the blood would have been smeared from the gunshot wound before dumping him in the water.” It was not clear if there was also blood of other missing persons in the temple, but police investigations continue. The priests reportedly admitted their involvement in the murder, saying the evangelist had been “stealing coconuts and money that was offered at the temple of Kali.” BILLY GRAHAM EXPRESSES DEEP GRIEF ON HIS 89TH BIRTHDAY Sources: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Religion Today, Assist News Service As evangelist Billy Graham turns 89 today (Wednesday, Nov. 7) he expressed gratitude for his health, his family and the ongoing hope of being reunited with his late wife, Ruth, in heaven. According to a release by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), since the passing of his marriage and ministry partner of nearly 64 years on June 14, Graham has been surprised at the depth of his grief, but simultaneously encouraged by the magnitude of God’s grace. “At times I feel as if part of me has been ripped out, and in a sense that’s what has happened because Ruth was such an important part of my life,” he said. “But my faith gives me great comfort, and I can’t imagine going through something like this without strength that only the Lord can provide.” Thousands of visitors have toured the new Billy Graham Library since it opened on May 31. Graham remains involved in active ministry as his heath allows, working on several writing projects and maintaining an interest in the BGEA. MEGACHURCH PASTOR: FUTURE CHURCHES ‘DENOMINATIONLESS’ Sources: Religion Today, The Christian Post The Christian Post reported that church is no longer going to be a once-a-week, Sunday-morning experience, according to a megachurch pastor who also believes that titles and affiliations will no longer matter. “I think we’re in a new era in the Church,” said Robert Schuller, senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in California, in an interview with The Christian Post. “And that era is ‘denominationless.’” He said Americans are demonstrating an increasing thirst for something less institutional, something closer to a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. So what’s church going to look like in the near future? “I think the church is actually going to reflect what Jesus Christ has envisioned the church being since day one -- a body of believers, not necessarily congregated in a specific location, but those who have a sincere faith and a heart and love for Jesus Christ, who are committed to him and worship God and worship the tri-nature of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ in unique ways that are yet to be determined,” said Schuller. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	TWR PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE APRIL 2008 Source: Trans World Radio Sensing that the time is opportune for a leadership transition, David Tucker has announced his intention to step down from his role as chief executive officer of international Christian broadcaster Trans World Radio (TWR). The ministry’s board of directors accepted Tucker’s decision and appointed a search committee to help find a new leader. Tucker will retain the title of president through April 30, 2008, and will assume the role of providing counsel to the board throughout the course of the transition. “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to David for his 11 years of dedicated service to TWR, first as chief operating officer and then in the combined role of chief executive officer and president for the last five years,” noted Board Chairman Thomas Lowell. “As we look to the future, TWR will be seeking an individual who can continue to build on our organization’s strong foundation of ministry while crafting a path that will ensure sustained growth and impact around the world for many years to come.” Tucker, 63, is only the third person to hold TWR’s top leadership post in the organization’s 53-year history. CHINA DENIES BANNING BIBLES AT OLYMPIC GAMES IN BEIJING Sources: Assist News Service, Christian Post, Religion Today, Evangelical News China reacted angrily today (Thursday, Nov. 8) to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, saying it couldn’t possibly be true. According to a Reuters story, the reports, one of which appeared in Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, were picked up by the Catholic News Agency and spread to U.S. media sites. “The facts show that this news is a total rumor,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference as reported by Reuters. “The Chinese government has not come up with any such rule. China’s religious affairs authorities and the Olympic organizers have not -- and could not -- issue a rule banning the Bible in the Olympic village.” The Bible was rumored to be on a list that also includes video cameras and cups -- all of which are prohibited at the event. Christian athletes were reportedly not to have access to Bibles in their Olympic village housing. The country also allegedly banned all religious symbols at the Olympic facilities in Beijing and warning visitors to not bring more than one copy of the Bible with them to China. * HCJB Global-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra broadcasts 25.5 hours of Mandarin programming each week. 3,000 ATTENDING WORLD’S LARGEST MEDICAL MISSIONS CONFERENCE Sources: Assist News Service, Evangelical News The Global Missions Health Conference, being held in Louisville, Ky., at the Southeast Christian Church Nov. 8-10, is expecting some 3,000 people to attend. A third of these attendees are students and residents, making this the largest medical missions conference in the world. “Considering that 40 percent of hospital beds in Africa are located in mission facilities, there is a tremendous need for medical missionaries to provide care in that HIV- and war-ravaged continent. This conference provides direction and preparation for those who are just beginning this journey and for missionary veterans who are interested in enhancing their ministry,” said Dr. David Stevens, chief executive officer of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA). “The challenges that medical missionaries face are tremendous -- from providing preventive and curative care to meeting the physical, spiritual and social needs while finding resources, developing partnerships and overcoming barriers. This conference provides solutions for missionaries working in challenging environments.” This year’s speakers include Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint who was martyred by Ecuador’s Auca (Waorani) Indians in 1956, and Eli Catacunga, a Ticuna tribesman from the Amazon rainforest. * Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, has aired 3.5 hours of Waorani programs weekly since 1998. This is one of nine languages aired from HCJB Global Voice’s shortwave station in Ecuador. CHRISTIAN IRANIAN COUPLE WHIPPED FOR LEAVING ISLAM Sources: BosNewsLife, Barnabas Fund An Iranian Christian couple has been punished by committing “apostasy,” underscoring concerns about widespread persecution of Christians in Iran, reported the advocacy group Barnabas Fund. Six officials, presumably from the nation’s “religious police,” visited the couple’s home in September to carry out the punishment. Their names were not released due to security concerns. “The husband is indeed a former Muslim, who became a Christian many years ago, but the wife was born into an Assyrian Christian family and has never been a Muslim,” Barnabas Fund stated. Seven years ago the couple married under Islamic Law because they could not find a church willing to marry them because of their different backgrounds. However, the Iranian court has said that “when non-Muslims marry under Islamic law they are considered to have converted to Islam.” In September 2005 the couple was part of a group of Christians arrested while worshiping in a home northwest of Tehran. When the couple’s case came to court this July, they apparently admitted they were Christians. “Because the law considered them Muslim, this led to the court’s ruling that they were both apostates from Islam, and hence the brutal punishment,” Barnabas Fund reported. 1,760 COME TO CHRIST DURING GREG LAURIE CRUSADE IN NEW ZEALAND Source: Assist News Service The people of Wellington, New Zealand, responded strongly to the call when U.S. evangelist Greg Laurie took to the stage with his hard-hitting gospel message in late October. More than 620 people responded when Laurie gave an invitation for people to make a commitment to Christ. In all, 1,760 made registered decisions to follow Christ. Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena, which normally seats only about 5,500, was at capacity for the three-day event, and overflow space was needed on the final night when many churches chose to suspend their Sunday-evening services. Total attendance in the three nights was 14,300. In addition, 1,510 people watched live via the Internet. “It’s been a real shot in the arm in terms of evangelistic passion,” said Pastor Nick Field, chairman of the organizing committee. The chairman of the Christian Leaders Network in Wellington, Rasik Ranchord, was also delighted with the event. “The success was due to the unity of the churches,” he said. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA
	Všechny zprávy v angličtině
	2 LEADING MINISTRIES EXPAND PARTNERSHIP TO HELP AFRICA’S POOR Source: Evangelical News Compassion International and Opportunity International announced on Tuesday, Nov. 6, a major expansion of their partnership that began last year in Uganda to promote “sustainable, transformational community development for the poor across Africa.” Compassion will invest $5 million in Opportunity during the next five years, helping fund the organization’s microfinance operations to reach more of the working poor. The partnership will enable Opportunity to expand its operations in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, offering microloans, savings accounts, insurance and business training to the families of Compassion-sponsored children and other community members. “This relationship is a strategic alliance between two Christian operations focused on the same mission -- to reverse the cycle of poverty in the lives of the poor,” said Compassion President Wess Stafford. “Ministries such as Compassion can deliver far greater outcomes by sharing ideas and resources with other Christian groups than we could on our own. Our Christian community expects this type of engagement. We believe our ongoing effort with Opportunity will continue to produce mutually beneficial results for the children, families and communities that both organizations serve.” * HCJB Global represents the voice and hands of Jesus in a growing number of nations in Sub-Saharan Africa from its regional headquarters in Accra, Ghana. EGYPTIAN AUTHORITIES FREE 2 CHRISTIAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS Sources: Compass Direct News, BosNewsLife Egyptian police this week released two Christian rights activists who had been detained for three months. A host of journalists, lawyers, clergyman, family and friends gathered at the home of Adel Fawzy Faltas in Cairo the night of Tuesday, Nov. 6, to celebrate the acquittal and release of the two men the day before. Faltas, 61, the Egyptian head of the Middle East Christian Association, and his colleague, Peter Ezzat, 25, had been held on unsubstantiated charges of insulting Islam and tarnishing Egypt’s reputation abroad. Faltas had conducted an online interview with a controversial convert from Islam to Christianity only days before his arrest at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 8 as about 30 State Security Investigation (SSI) officers and plainclothes policemen raided his house. Speaking in his at his eighth-floor apartment, Faltas seemed unbothered that his clothes and other confiscated personal possessions had not yet arrived. “I was always a free man,” he said. “When you respect yourself and what you are doing, then you are free.” He said that the most difficult part of the ordeal was spending the first 14 days in a tiny isolation cell. PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN GIRL RAPED, FORCED TO CONVERT TO ISLAM Source: Voice of the Martyrs An 18-year-old Pakistani Christian woman named Raiza was recently abducted for 10 days by a Muslim man who repeatedly raped her and forced her to convert to Islam. According to a report from AsiaNews, Raiza went missing after visiting her aunt in Faisalabad on Sunday, Oct. 21. Her family contacted a Muslim man named Sajid who had harassed Raiza in the past but he claimed to know nothing of her whereabouts. On Wednesday, Oct. 31, Raiza returned home and told her parents that Sajid had abducted her, assaulted her and pressured her into converting to Islam. Raiza’s father filed a complaint with the police, but no action has been taken to apprehend her abuser. IRANIAN COURT: WOMAN’S BEATING JUSTIFIED DUE TO EVANGELISM Sources: OneNewsNow.com, Religion Today An Iranian Christian who was beaten and had equipment from her sewing shop destroyed has been told by a judge in that Middle East nation that she has no recourse because she is guilty of evangelism. The woman ran a tailoring business and volunteered to teach three girls how to sew. During their conversations, she talked about her Christian faith and began teaching them about Christianity. But one of the young women was reportedly from a Muslim family who became upset over the incident. Eventually the sewing instructor’s shop was broken into, much of her equipment destroyed, and she was beaten and threatened with death. The woman was then taken to court, and a judge said her persecutors were within their rights to attack her. Todd Nettleton, a spokesman with Voice of the Martyrs, says despite what Iranian leaders may want people to believe, the truth is that the Iranian government does not allow citizens to worship freely. The sewing instructor has had to relocate for her safety, and also to reestablish her business. TURKMENISTAN BAPTIST FREED AFTER RAMADAN AMNESTY GIVEN Source: Forum 18 News Service A month after being granted amnesty, Baptist Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was finally freed from a detention center in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabad, on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 6. Kalataevsky was allowed to join family members who live in the city. “My wife, Valentina, wrote an official statement that I will not violate the law,” Kalataevsky said from Ashgabad. “She took the responsibility on herself.” No restrictions on his movement or other conditions were imposed. “I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to all who supported me and my family during my imprisonment,” he added. Asked about his health following eight months in prison, Kalataevsky responded, “God strengthened me physically.” Kalataevsky was among some 9,000 prisoners pardoned on Tuesday, Oct. 9, during the month-long period of Ramadan. But unlike other prisoners, he was not freed immediately. Instead, he was transferred to a police holding center in Arzuv in northeastern Ashgabad as authorities decided whether to deport him. Of the seven Turkmen believers who have been serving sentences because of their faith this year, five have now been given amnesty. * HCJB Global Voice works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air Christian programs in the Turkmen language. Broadcasts began in 2001 and have been aired daily since 2003. © Copyright 2007 - HCJB Global - Colorado Springs, CO USA

Zpět	Další zprávy: www.prayer.cz