Mission on the agenda as WEA meets WCC
Mission and Evangelism were near the top of the agenda when the leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) met in Geneva on 3 March. Rev. Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe (left of picture), International Director of the WEA, had previously met Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit (right of picture), General Secretary of the WCC, in 2007 at the Global Christian Forum. Tunnicliffe said: "This important meeting was helpful in building bridges of understanding in regards to evangelism, religious liberty and caring for the vulnerable. We look forward to ongoing conversations with the WCC." The two leaders also affirmed the continued support of the WCC and WEA for the Global Christian Forum as a platform providing opportunities for encounters and dialogue between Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal and the African Instituted Churches.
Mudslides still threaten 500,000 in Uganda
One young survivor of mudslides in eastern Uganda was sitting in church when a wall of mud hit the building. "All of a sudden the church collapsed. Mud covered the whole place. Five people seated next to me died. I only survived because my head was above the mud," said James Kasawi now in hospital in Bududa recovering from a broken leg and arm. So far, a total of 83 bodies have been recovered though it is feared as many as 300 may have died when their homes, schools and villages on the slopes of Mt. Elgon, near the Kenyan border, were swallowed by fast-moving walls of mud. Catholic Relief Services and other Christian agencies already have teams in the area bringing relief but the government now plans to move up to half a million residents who are still considered to be at risk. A spokesman for the Uganda Land Alliance, however, claimed the plans were not very realistic, saying, "In the Uganda of today it is very difficult to find land that is not owned, so this is going to pose a challenge for government."
Hundeds die as more violence hits Jos, Nigeria
Bishop Ben Kwashi, Anglican Archbishop of Jos, has reported further bloodshed in northern Nigeria. He writes, “News broke on Sunday 7 March that two other villages plus Dogo na Hauwa had been attacked by Muslim Fulani from about 3a.m. to 5a.m.. Some of these communities may never again be recognised in history because generations have been wiped out. Hundreds of corpses of men, women, children and grandchildren littered the burnt houses, roads, bush paths, farm areas and hiding places. Tears and endless wailings until voices croaked and words are no more.” Following similar violence in January this year reconciliation forums have been held in Jos for Christian and Muslim community members. The bishop concludes his letter by saying, “I urge believers to clean and clear their minds of any form of bitterness, resentment or even any thought of vengeance against one another from within the fellowship, and then we can see clearly how to respond in times of difficulty such as this one.”
International Women's Day
Church World Service, the Christian relief and development agency, has joined many other Christian groups around the world in celebrating International Women's Day, March 8, by renewing the call for increased efforts to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women. They claim that, “Substantial progress has been made in decreasing the marginalization of women throughout the world as recognition is taking hold that investment in women is investment in the well-being of families, communities and society as a whole.” The agency supports programs such as the one in Pakistan that has made it possible for young widowed mothers to go from wondering how they can feed their children to generating enough income to care for them all, and still have money to save. International Women’s Day follows a few days after the Women’s World Day of Prayer which this year used materials prepared by women in Cameroon.
Children the focus of mission in India
The international 4/14 Window movement, which focuses on the place of children in the mission of God is growing fast. The next Global Summit takes place in New York in August but in the meantime major gatherings have taken place around the world, in Argentina, Cameroon and most recently in India. The recently concluded Festival of Hope Crusade hosted by Kids' Kingdom Ministries in Chennai, India, focused on reaching out to young children. Organiser Charles Chandran said over 20,000 children gathered at this special program during the Crusade week where the Gospel was preached and several hundred children came to Christ. The day-long event had several programs exclusively for the children of Chennai. Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse was a special guest speaker.
Morality review welcomed by South African churches
At the recent National Church Leaders’ Consultation, South African churches gave a cautious welcome to President Zuma’s call for a national dialogue on morality. In a statement they said President Zuma’s proposal to examine the soul of South Africa was ‘timely’. The ‘common values and principles’ that formed the country under the leadership of President Mandela had been ‘substantially squandered’, the leaders said. The president’s recent fathering of an illegitimate child provoked strong criticism and was seen as a sign of the country’s declining moral standards. President Zuma told South Africa’s Sunday Times there was a need to agree the ‘values that define a common South African identity’. South Africa’s church leaders are keen to clarify this and establish the ‘sacred’ and ‘inviolable’ value of all human life, regardless of ‘race, class, nationality, religion and political persuasion’
Muslim terrorists are "enemies of Islam" says scholar
A leading Islamic scholar has issued a fatwa in Britain condemning "terrorists" as the enemies of Islam, in a bid to deter young Muslims from extremism. Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (left), head of the Minhaj ul-Quran religious and educational organisation, said suicide bombers were destined for hell as he released his 600-page edict in London this week. "They can't claim that their suicide bombings are martyrdom operations and that they become the heroes of the Muslim Umma, no, they become heroes of hellfire, and they are leading towards hellfire," he said. "There is no place for any martyrdom and their act is never, ever to be considered Jihad," he said. Ul-Qadri claims that this is the first and most comprehensive fatwa on the subject of terrorism ever written. The Minhaj-ul-Quran movement, founded in Pakistan in 1980, works around the globe to promote peace and interfaith dialogue.