Church leader beaten in Ethiopia
A Somali church leader who was forced to flee his home and in Somalia and live in hiding in Ethiopia was this week discovered by his pursuers and severely beaten. Mohamed Ali Garas, a prominent Somali church leader and convert from Islam, fled to Addis Ababa five years ago and now pastors a church there. On the night he was attacked, he was walking home when he heard two men calling his name. He turned to see what they wanted, and they attacked, fleeing only when a neighbor arrived on the scene. Although the beating was severe, Garas survived. Somali Christians living in Ethiopia have come under increased attacks from Somali Muslims in recent months. International Christian Concern report that another Somali pastor in Addis Ababa described this latest attack as "an apparent attempt to scare the Somali Christian community in Addis Ababa who considers Ethiopia a safe haven from religious persecution."
Christians pray for Washington Middle East talks
As Middle East peace negotiators assemble today in Washington, Christians in the region, and across the world, are meeting to pray. With emigration from the region continuing to be a major concern, the Christian churches of the Middle East are declining but still have a vital ministry in reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian factions. On a visit to the region this week the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, said yesterday, “Now is the time for a just peace. The Christians here pray for that; all peoples here need it desperately. The time of occupation and violence must end." His message also talks about the need for the final negotiations on the status of Jerusalem to involve the heads of the local churches. He also says the Christians in Jerusalem are "very much concerned by the discourse about religious identity of states in this region, which they fear will marginalize not only their presence and witness but also that of all Christians elsewhere in the region."
Young people invited to steward WCC events in 2011
Young Christians from different Christian traditions was been invited to apply for the World Council of Churches (WCC) stewards programme for one of two 'hands-on learning experiences' at major ecumenical meetings during 2011. The WCC Central Committee meeting on 8-24 February and the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation on 12-26 May are both looking for applicants who must be between the age of 18 and 30 years. More information available at the WCC website.
Jesus comes to Bollywood
Plans have been announced by India's Aditya Productions for a $US30M two hour epic on the life of Jesus which will be shot in the Holy Land. Not only is this the first Bollywood film about Jesus but it will also be unique in having mainly child actors, although one unspecified role has been reserved for Pawan Kalyan (left), the megastar "darling of millions". Summing up the appeal of the story, which will be "a very faithful representation of the life of Jesus" from "birth to his crucifixion" with particular emphasis on his youth, the producer, Konda Krishnam Raju, said: "It is remarkable that this man who started his mission from a small village became within a short span of three years a force that influenced mankind for over 2,000 years and is worshiped by millions of people." The film will be available in English, Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam by late 2011. Although fewer than 3% of Indians are Christians, Kalyan, explained: "There are millions of people in India who follow Christianity. It is a great faith, a great religion”.
Ailing Western Church debated by African bishops
Having celebrated the growth of the church in Africa and focused on some of the key issues for their own churches – health, youth, training, etc. – it was inevitable that the African Anglican bishops meeting in Uganda last week would eventually turn their attention to the ‘failing church of the West’. Archbishop Ian Ernest of the Indian Ocean (left), chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, told journalists in Kampala "Today, the West is lacking obedience to the word of God. It is for us (Africans) to redress the situation," adding that he has severed all ties to the Episcopalian churches in Canada and the US. The conference host, the Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Orombi, said African leaders were pleased to welcome Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury so that they could voice their concerns about the "ailing church". He said "Homosexuality is incompatible with the word of God. It is good that Archbishop Rowan is here. We are going to express to him where we stand. We are going to explain where our pains are."
Mission frontiers not just geographical says Lausanne
Interviewed by Christianity Today, Lindsay Brown (left), International Director of Lausanne, spoke of one of the hoped for outcomes of this year’s congress being, “a fresh call to the Church to bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teaching in all of the world - not only geographically, but in the sphere of ideas, business, education, governance, the sciences” He went on to say “We face many key challenges as we seek to bear witness to Christ today. Some are straightforward, like the advance of other faiths. But there are areas the Church has only just begun to reflect on, like care of creation, genetic manipulation or how to approach end of life issues. These need to be identified. People working in the same sphere, like politicians or evangelists, will meet in small groups and begin grappling with issues which bear on their spheres.” The Lausanne III Congress takes place in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2010.