News Archive 2008

In a number of towns in Iran new Christian believers from a Muslim background are being summoned to the offices of the secret police where they are forced to sign documents stating that they will not meet together to celebrate Christmas. It is also reported that in at least three provinces leaders of house fellowships have been accused of being foreign spies and threatened with serious consequences if they have any further dealing with other Christian leaders, either inside or outside of Iran. This Christmas Iranian Christians request our prayers for those threatened with legal action, the leaders of house fellowship and all officials involved in judging these difficult cases.

The Mor Gabriel monastery is one of the oldest active Christian monasteries worldwide. It was founded in the year 397 AD and is located in the Tur Abdin region in southeast Turkey. The monastery belongs to the Syriac Orthodox Church and is headed by Archbishop Timotheos Samuel Aktas. About 60 monks, nuns and boarding school students, who attend the surrounding schools, live in the monastery. Around 70,000 pilgrims visit the monastery every year. Since this summer there have been reports of the occupation of land which belongs to the monastery by Kurdish and Arab villagers in the neighbourhood and court cases are due this month.The Conference of European Churches (CEC) has asked the European institutions to protect the Syriac Orthodox Mor Gabriel monastery in Turkey and urged the Turkish government to prevent the expropriation of the monastery and its land and to respect the right to freely practice the Christian religion within the monastery. CEC further criticizes the lack of legal protection of Christian churches in Turkey which leads to their continued deprivation.

The specialist mission relief agency Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) whose planes fly aid, missionaries and development workers to thousands of remote spots around the world, has received a £1 million gift from a software company. MAF recently took delivery of a brand new Kodiak 100 aircraft when Isle of Man-based AFD Software Ltd chose to make the donation as their way of celebrating 25 years in business. The aircraft will transport people in and out of Kalimantan, Indonesia, giving access to healthcare, education and Christian ministry in a region of rain forests and mountain ranges.

A leader who is passionate about mission and has ministered until recently in the informal settlements of Kibera, Nairobi, has been appointed as the next General Secretary of Church Army, Africa, in succession to Steve Maina who moves to New Zealand to lead NZCMS in the new year. Richard Mayabi, an ordained Church Army captain, currently serves on the staff of Nairobi Cathedral and holds an MA in Mission Studies from Carlile College. Richard is keen to see holistic transformation of communities, especially those in the margins. He is married to Patience Wanzala and they have two children. Richard will take up his new post as from 1 January 2009.

The Christian charity Middle East Concern have reissued their call to prayer for a believer from a Muslim background (BMB) and his family. This brother was detained in April and has not been seen since. Prayer is requestd for the Lord's protection for this brother, his wife and their two children, and that all the local officials involved will to be challenged to act justly, mercifully and respond to God's love for them.

Writing today in the British newspaper, The Observer, the Ugandan-born Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has called for Robert Mugabe to be removed and put on trial at the Hague. He writes, "The time has come for Robert Mugabe to answer for his crimes against humanity, against his countrymen and women and for justice to be done. The winds of change that once brought hope to Zimbabwe and its neighbours have become a hurricane of destruction, with the outbreak of cholera, destitution, starvation and systemic abuse of power by the state. ... As a country cries out for justice, we can no longer be inactive to their call. Robert Mugabe and his henchmen must now take their rightful place in the Hague and answer for their actions. The time to remove them from power has come." Faith2Share member agency Crosslinks has worked in Zimbabwe for many years and continues to call for support for Christians and all who suffer in this imploding nation. To support their work go to the Crosslinks website.

Patriarch Alexy II of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) who died on Friday has led his church through a major revival of spiritual life in the post-communist period in Russia. Having worked with the KGB this outspoken cleric went on in 1990 to lead the world's largest Orthodox church, which claims as members almost two-thirds of Russia's population of 142 million. Alexy II was also a past president of the Conference of European Churches and led the tense theological debate between Orthodox churches and the World Council of Churches. As the church gained new freedoms in the early 1990s, Alexy II encouraged the establishment of a missions department within the ROC, and a new policy for mission. Whilst vehemently opposed to proselytism the ROC, under Alexy II's leadership has been very active in mission within Russia as well as establishing new mission activity in places as far away as the Philippines. The new head of the church will be elected at the next Synod on 1st February 2009.

The Anglican Archbishop of Jos has today issued a statement questioning reports of 300 Muslims killed in recent violence. He writes, "We have heard foreign media report that about three hundred Muslims were killed by Christians, this is an old propaganda tactic against Christians. ... The government has reported an arrest of about 500 persons with dangerous weapons, some of them dressed in police and military uniforms. The government further confirmed that these people did not have to be provoked: the attacks began at the same time throughout the city of Jos and by 6am on Friday damage had been done to a lot of Christian businesses, homes, lives and Churches. ... I was to be in Trinity Church Naraguta today, to dedicate their new instruments and bless the youth group; all that is gone as the Church is razed to the ground and my priest David barely escaped. Another of my priests Rapha also escaped but lost his house to Muslim arsonists."

In the worst violence since 2004, the central Nigerian city of Jos is once again the scene of violence between Christians and Muslims.Two days of rioting have following a disputed election in the city which the mostly Christian-backed governing party, the People's Democratic Party, was declared to have won. The result was contested by the opposition All Nigeria People's Party, which has support from Muslims. Violence started on Thursday night as groups of angry youths burnt tyres on the roads over reports of election rigging. From the Muslim Hausa community over 300 bodies were brought into the central mosque on Saturday. The number killed in the Christian community is not yet clear. 10,000 are reported to have fled their homes. CMS (Britain) Mission Partner, Susan Essam, working with Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Jos, reported Saturday night, "Bishop and family safe so far, also me. We are out of centre of town. But please pray. Only God can stop this. Town is bad."

Japan has always been a difficult place for Christian missionaries. The number of those responding to the gospel remains small and churches struggle for viability. However, this past week 80 pastors, all graduates of the Asian Access pastor training program, met to discuss "missional church" in Japan. The Chief Executive Officer of Asian Access, Joe Handley, stressed that "At the end of the day we were talking about reaching Japan for Christ and taking what we've learned in Japan and exporting it to the rest of Asia." Those attending the conference were excited by the stories they heard and by the responsibility they have to discover what it really means to be a follower of Jesus Christ in modern Japan. Speakers suggested that what is being learnt in living Christian lives in Japan may have a lot to teach others wrestling with post-Christian cultures elsewhere in the world.

As a new tragedy unwinds in Mumbai, Indian Christians continue to bring relief to the suffering in Orissa.The indigenous mission, Friends Missionary Prayer Band, working through its missionaries and local prayer partners has so far offered help to 283 families in the Ramagiri and Rayagada refugee camps. As well as supplying rice, blankets, clothes and medical care, they have also run a temporary hostel for school age children. Registered users of this site can read a report of the FMPB work in Orissa here.

In Mumbai today Rev. Enos Pradhan, General Secretary of the Church of North India, said "The Indian Church is shocked and disturbed by the events of the bomb blasts, killing innocent people and taking tourists as hostages." Recognising that the terrorists tried to "bring an international dimension to their activity by keeping foreign nationals as hostages." he suggested that getting to the root of the problem will require changing the mindset of people involved in such crimes. An official with the National Council of Churches in India called on "Churches and Christians in the country to join hands, to shed tears for the people of this nation. For peace and stability to prevail."

Many people who have no Christian faith buy and use advent calendars. The Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) now offers a paperless alternative. Last year this attracted over 160,000 visits from around the world. Instead of chocolates and religious pictures the BRF advent calendar offers a pithy thought-provoking video each day. You can visit the calendar here after 30 November. This year BRF have also produced a CD-Rom version of the advent calendar with links to a wealth of further resources - discussion starters, ideas for school assemblies, word searches, etc. If you are interested in using this inovative mission tool you can order the CD Rom here.

Anglican Frontier Mission has just launched a new International Advisory Council at their meeting in Singapore. Several Anglican bishops and mission leaders met with AFM Founder, Tad de Bordenave, and AFM Director, Julian Linnell at the Anglican Cathedral in Singapore to initiate a wider movement for frontier missions among Anglicans. AFM is dedicated to seeing churches rooted, established, and multiplied among the 25 largest least evangelized peoples on earth. Focusing on Jesus' promise to his disciples that, with the Holy Spirit's empowerment, they would be His witnesses not just locally, but "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) AFM are currently inviting others to join them in a month of prayer for the Qashqa'i people of Iran.

A delegation of church leaders from Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has set out to meet the presidents of the latter two countries to convey them a strong message in favour of peace. The 5-strong ecumenical delegation gathered Tuesday in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, where they expected to meet with President Joseph Kabila before travelling in the coming weeks to Kigali to meet the Rwandan President Paul Kagame. "The aim is to transmit them a message of peace," said Rev. Dr André Karamaga. Read full story here.

Following the surprise mid-October publication of a list of 56 centralised religious organisations scheduled for liquidation, apparently for not submitting correct accounts, Russia's Justice Ministry has refused to reveal what stage any plans for liquidation are at and precisely why the 56 organisations are on the list. Old Believer, Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Protestant, Nestorian, Muslim and Buddhist organisations are among those listed. The list includes several mission agencies such as Youth with a Mission and the Roman Catholic humanitarian organisation Charitas. The Justice Ministry website state show that 309 of 562 centralised religious organisations in Russia belong to the Moscow Patriarchate but none of these were on the list. It appears that the Justice Ministry compiled a separate, internal list of Moscow Patriarchate organisations with accounting errors to which individual letters were sent warning what should be put right regarding their documentation. Other organisations are now asking why they did not also receive prior warning before being put on this public list.

The bishop of Kurunagula has challenged his church, living in times of crisis and conflict, to experimentation and creativity in mission. 2008 has seen increased civil conflict in Sri Lanka and the needs of internally displaced people are addressed in the bishop's pastoral letter. He goes on to say, "In view of such challenges that we have experienced in the past and the opportunities that have been identified, I would like to emphasize the need for a creative response to this situation as individual parishes, and as a Diocese. ... As individuals it is also necessary for us to be willing to take the risks of experimentation and innovation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our willingness and ability to allow ourselves to be changed will be the beginning of a new era and a fruitful mission for the Church and especially the Diocese." The bishop himself has suffered ill health this past year but expresses his conviction "In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me." Faith2Share members can read the full text of Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe's address, "The Nation and the Ethnic Conflict" here.

A Christian founded hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, has been one of the first institutions to respond to the needs of the visctims of the lastest Pakistan earthquake. The quake in Baluchistan province has made 15,000 people homeless, killing at least 217, in this impoverished region. Pakistan is no stranger to natural disasters, but the quake comes at an especially precarious time for the Muslim country, with the civilian government battling al-Qaida and Taliban attacks while grappling with a punishing economic crisis. Hospitals were flooded with dead and injured. One patient at Quetta Hospital said, "I rushed out but the roof of my own room collapsed and the main iron support hit me. That thing broke my back and I am in severe pain, but thank God my children and relatives are safe."

Reporting from Burundi, Simon Guillebaud, tells of 325 local young people going out to share Christ in 26 of the least reached areas of the country with amazing results. "At Mukabira", he reports, a powerful witchdoctor was converted. On the spot he became an evangelist, and invited the team to join him in addressing six other witchdoctors. Those six duly gave their lives to Christ. They brought out all their charms, idols and spells, and had a public burning session, at which point the local craftsmen who had made the idols were in uproar (remember Ephesus!). They complained: 'How dare these people come from outside and introduce strange ideas which take away our business?'." Simon asks for prayer for all those who have started a new life of Christian discipleship.

Speaking at the Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance in Pattaya, Thailand, this week, Dr. Joel Edwards called Evangelical Christians around the world to become culturally credible. Addressing Christian leaders from every continent, Edwards said, "We must present an undomesticated Christ". He went on to say that Jesus would not have been easily identified with the moralising agendas of many evangelicals and that we would be more likely to find Jesus fighting poverty or taking on the moral degeneracy of financial institutions than engaging in a campaign over sexual orientation or criticising a prostitute (of which there are many in Pattaya). Dr. Edwards, the former director of the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, is now the International Director of Micah Challenge. Faith2Share members can download the full text of Joel's address here.

Meeting with the leaders of the Faith2Share member agencies in Bangkok, Thailand, this week, leaders of some of the newest mission movements in Asia challenged older missions to also think of themselves as 'emerging'. The gathering, which was initially conceived as a meeting of older established missions with new emerging missions, was soon energised by talk of the need to constantly re-emerge into new contexts in mission, enlivened by the Spirit of God. Leaders from young mission movements in nations such as Nepal, Indonesia, and North East India expressed a deep commitment to partner together for effective mission in some of the most challenging mission contexts of the 21st, century. One Orthodox priest, actively planting churches in Indonesia, issued a 'Macedonian call' to sisters and brothers across Asia to 'come over and help us'.

Leading the opening Bible Study at the 2008 Faith2Share Leadership Consultation in Bangkok (20-25 October) Rev. Yee Ching Wah challenged mission leaders not to think in terms of 'Money2Give', or even 'People2Send' or 'Work2Do' but rather Faith2Share'. This, Yee said, was the heart of the mission of God. In his meditation on St. Paul's ministry in Philippi he also reminded leaders that although Paul's life was reflective he was not prone to too much introspection but felt free to press on with his ministry confident that his imperfect attempts to live for Christ would be fulfilled by the Spirit. The leaders of the 15 Faith2Share mission agencies met in Bangkok for a week to reflect on their practership in mission and to share their strategic planning. Rev Yee Ching Wah leads the Thai congegation at Christ Church, Bangkok

About half of the Christians in Iraq's northern town of Mosul, nearly 10,000 people, have fled in the past week after attacks and threats, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday 17 October. "The displaced population would represent about half of the Christians in the Mosul area," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva. Most Christian Iraqis had decided to leave Mosul following "direct as well as indirect threats and intimidation," he said. Printed threats had been received on the university campus, in homes and on text messages sent to mobile phones. There is no clear indication as to where the threats are coming from. Most of the Christians who fled Mosul are staying with relatives in surrounding areas, while some have gone as far as Dahuk and Arbil.

Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia the leaders of Asian Outreach International (AOI) have committed themselves to serving their partners and mission personnel. Washing the feet of his six regional leaders, Francis Tsui, the CEO of AOI, told them that he wanted to be their servant, meeting their needs in ministry wherever they serve in Asia. AOI is an alliance of ministries serving across Asia in six regions. With a focus on discipleship they are engaged in ministries of service, through Action Love, the training of Christian leaders, through Great Commission Institute, and evangelism and church planting, through Asian Outreach. Many of the workers and partners of AOI met in Jakarta for fellowship, prayer and strategic planning 6-10 October.

This is the claim made by Zhao Xiao, a former Communist Party official and convert to Christianity, as reported in the Economist this week. Zhao believes there are up to 130 million Christians in China. This is far larger than previous estimates. The Chinese government claims there are just 21 million whereas the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity, USA, put the number at about 70 million. But Zhao is not alone in his reckoning. Several Christian research sources also quote figures between 90 and 130 million. Not only would this mean that there are more Christians in China than any other country worldwide, but there would also be more Christians than Communists in China! Party membership now stands at 74 million. In 1949, when the Communists took power, less than 1% of the population had been baptised, most of them Catholics. Now the largest, fastest-growing number of Christians belong to Protestant “house churches” which are notoriously difficult to count.

The Economist article also refers to the association between Christian faith, modernity, business and citizenship in China. Aspiring middle class Chinese families want to explore Christian faith. “Christians are willing to stay within the system,” says Zhao. “Christianity is also the basis for good citizenship in China.” “If you want to know what China will be like in the future,” he concludes, “you have to consider the future of Christianity in China.”

In what appeared to be the largest congregation in recent times, tens of thousands of Mizo Christians took to the streets in Aizawl, NE India, on 29 September to condemn the increasing violence against Christians in Orissa and other parts of India. As the Mizoram government declared a state holiday, the Peace Rally, spearheaded by the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute (church leaders) Committee (MKHC), witnessed a grand success. Chief Minister Zoramthanga, a few ministers and MLAs, Chief Secretary Haukhum Hauzel and a number of high government officials were seen participating at the rally. Notably, hundreds from Muslim community and Mizo Jews also took part in the rally. The participants coming from southern and northern points of Aizawl converged at the Assam Rifles where they prayed for their fellow persecuted Christians and asked for God’s forgiveness for those who attacked them. Aizawl streets were deserted when the procession gathered for prayer.

A longstanding effort to replace a church with a mosque in Kenya's northern town of Garissa culminated in an attack by 50 Muslim youths this month that left the worship building in ruins. Compass Direct reports the gang stormed the building of Redeemed Gospel Church and pelted the congregation with stones, sending many Christians fleeing. Jonathan Racho with International Christian Concern says anti-Christians violence is growing in Northern Kenya. "It's a part of Kenya where Muslims make up the majority, so there is a growing hostility against Christians in these parts and this is partly because of the growth and influence of Islam elements inside Somalia." Tensions between Christians and the Muslim-majority population in the semi-desert town of 20,000 people began simmering after Muslims built a mosque next to the church in June 2007.

The law passed this week in Iran calls for a mandatory death sentence for apostates, or those who leave Islam. Members of the parliament, citing Sharia law called for the death sentence for men abjuring Islam and a life sentence for women. Other clauses of the new law state that 'extrasensory individuals', fortune-tellers and homosexuals will also be sentenced to death. 196 parliamentarians voted for the law with 7 against nand 2 abstaining. Christian missionary organizations have condemned the decision of the Iranian parliament. Two men who converted to Christianity were arrested in Shiraz in May this year and the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Iran has demanded the death sentence for them.

From September 8-12 thirty-five disaster management specialists and leaders from evangelical agencies in 22 countries came together for a “strategic conversation” in Bangkok to discuss improved capacity building, coordination and response in the face of disasters. Hosted by the Micah Network, the meeting involved Integral Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) - three significant evangelical bodies committed to working together to ensure better responses from evangelicals to global disasters, through relief and development agencies and local churches. Further information from Micah Network.

At the Dharna (sit-up) held on 21 September to express solidarity with the Orissa Christians more than 30 thousand Christians representing different denomination and churches came together with their hearts joined in prayer for the Orissa Christians. Bishops of all mainline churches, CSI, ECI, Catholic, and leaders of many other churches called for a ban on Hindu fanatic groups and asked the Government for tough measures against this hooliganism that has been perpetrated in the name of God. On 30 September all the clergy will be fasting and praying in front of Government Guest House, Chepauk.

On Tuesday 23 September more than 1,000 people, mostly women, surrounded a police station in Raikia town, about 280 km from Bhubaneswar, demanding the release of two people who had been arrested the previous day on charges of rioting. The mob threw stones and police and soldiers responded with batons and then opened fire. One person was killed and 25, including police, were injured. After the incident, mobs blocked roads with huge wooden logs. This has made it impossible for police reinforcements to reach the areas.

Faith2Share members have a report from the Bishop of Amritsar and a link to 77 pictures. Click here.

The coordinator of the Myanmar Christian Coalition for Cyclon Relief, Rev. Aung Thet Nyunt, reports that, "The Lord has opened up doors and ways to reach out to these people in desperate need not only materially but also spiritually during the last four months. Relationships with the Christians and non-believers have been established through relief and rehabilitation of their livelihood in the delta. We have experienced a spiritual breakthrough in many churches and many non-Christian villages. The wall of racism and denotionalism has been broken down in many of the churches.

After our relief work and evaluation of this work there we are launching the Spiritual Movement and Church Planting Movement to take place in delta started from Laputta and Myaung Mya townships."

Revd. Dr. Jules Gomes has just joined the faculty of the London School of Theology (LST) as their MA course leader. Dr. Gomes, from India, received a jont CMS-Langham scholarship a few years ago for his doctoral studies in Cambridge. The new director of the Centre for Islam Studies at LST is Revd. Dr. John Azumah. Dr. Azumah was a CMS Australia missionary from Ghana to India teaching at the Henry Martyn Institute and then UBS Pune. John also worked on the African version of the 'Cross and Crescent' Course for Christians seeking to engage with Muslims. (Copies of this course available from Faith to Faith.)

After weeks of protest Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, officially became Thailand's new prime minister today. While political unrest is still in the air, it isn't stopping the work of New Life Church in Nong Khai, along the Laos border. For this church ministry among children is a priority. In a new programme Church members take a copy of The Godman , a 3D animated film on the life of Christ, to each home they visit, invite the families to watch, and then come back a few weeks later to talk about what they thought of the movie. All of a sudden, the children are becoming a part of the conversation. The Christian church in Thailand represents less than one percent of the population so tremendous challenges face this church. A church leader said, "It's tough -- tough work. It's slow, and it requires a great deal of diligence. You sow the seed and you wait. You keep waiting and watering at it."

The All India Christian Council (AICC) plan a Protest Rally on Saturday 20 September at the Gymkhana Grounds, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Protestors will request the state governments to arrest and convict the people behind the anti-Christian violence across India. Over 25,000 attendees are expected. Several political parties have confirmed their participation and Sikhs, Buddhists, progressive Hindus, and Muslims – including members of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of India’s largest Muslim organisations – will join the demonstration.

India is reeling under unprecedented attacks on Christians. Since August 23 over one hundred churches have been burned and thousands of Christians attacked in six states across India. On 18 September India’s central government implemented Article 355 of the Indian Constitution to halt the spread of violence, specifically in Orissa and Karnataka states. This Article gives the federal government the power to call in the army and other resources to contain “internal disturbance”. AICC will ask the Central government to extend Article 355 to Madhya Pradesh due to the lack of response by state government officials.

On Sunday 7 September at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, Kenya iServe Africa was formally launched by Pastor Luke Jaoko of Karen Community Church. He charged the 14 apprentices to be faithful and teachable during the year as they serve in various churches. He will be having two of the apprentices in his own church and envisages the year ahead as a unique opportunity for host pastors to work with the apprentices in developing five aspects/areas of their ministry: calling, character, competence, capacity to multi-task and chemistry. iServe Africa is a discipleship programme which links churches with fresh graduates in an apprenticeship model where the volunteers spend time for one or two years serving local churches as they are mentored in various aspects of ministry. Enquiries to Mission Together Africa or visit iServe Africa

On Sunday 7 September a group of 200 outsiders entered the villages of Bhudainjal, Orrisa stopping the worship service at 10.00. The believers were told to flee and two volunteers were physically attacked and then abducted. At the panachayat of local Hindus they were asked why, within 6 month, 600-800 people had been baptized. The same miscreants later looted provisions intended for childrens' ministry. Tents and a mission hut were burned to the ground and the home of one local woman who helps in teaching the children was partly destroyed. Terrorized new believers are still in hide-outs longing for safety, peace, and food.

On the same day Barthlomew Protestant Church in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh was burnt to ashes when some unidentified people set fire to the church. This 90 year old stone walled church is now a heap of burnt furniture. These are just two of a whole serie of recent attacks.

Faced with one of the most challenging contemporary mission contexts, churches in Europe are taking a 20 year view. It has just been announced that on 10-12 September 2009 one hundred European church leaders will meet in Lyon, France for a "Future Conference" considering their tasks in mission and ministry together between now and 2029.

Two monasteries of Georgian Orthodox monks and nuns in the Upper Kodori Gorge, captured by Abkhaz forces from Georgian forces in mid-August, are being pressured by the Abkhaz Orthodox Church to change their jurisdiction. "They must submit to the authority of our Church or leave Abkhazia," the head of the Abkhaz Orthodox Church, Fr Vissarion Aplia, who visited the onks and nuns within days of the fighting, told Forum 18 News Service. Asked who had given him the right to pressure members of a different religious jurisdiction to submit to his authority, Fr Aplia responded angrily: "It's not your business. It's our territory." Since the expulsion of a Georgian Orthodox priest in April, the two monasteries are the only remaining Georgian Orthodox institutions left in Abkhazia.

Thousands of people, most of them Christians, have sought shelter in makeshift government camps in eastern India, driven from their homes by religious violence that has killed at least 13 people this week. In the state of Orissa Hindu mobs burnt more than a dozen churches and attacked Christians after a Hindu leader was killed.

Thirty armed and masked men attacked Vishwa Hindu Parishad Leader Swami Laxmanananda Sarswati’s Ashram. They indiscriminately shot at the gathering on the eve of Krishna Jayanti, the birthday of Krishna, killing the aged leader and four of his followers. A Maoist group named, the People’s Liberation Revolutionary Group, has claimed responsibility for the killings but Hindu leaders say Christian groups are behind the attack in the district.

These attacks follow the murder of Father Thomas Pandippallyil, the Catholic priest whose body was found in Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh the previous Sunday. (Faith2Share members can read a report from Pastor Purna Sagar Nag here)

With the death of three TEAM mission workers in Chad this month mission leaders are again emphasising the need for caution in road travel. Although personal attacks and kidnap attract media attention the most significant killer of mission personnel continues to be road accidents. Ironically one of those killed in Chad this month had only just returned to his normal work after nearly six months as a translator for the team which successfully won the release of another TEAM missionary, Steve Godbold, who was taken hostage last year. Rudiger Nöh, Kathrin Wilkins and Sandra Smetak, all of German origin, were killed in a two-vehicle collision in Chad.

Christian leaders and leaders of other faith communities are making a major contribution to the International, UN sponsored, HIV/AIDS Conference taking place in Mexico this week. Lutheran bishop, Mark Hanson, began his presentation by washing the feet of a woman suffering from HIV/AIDS. As well as recognising the lead given by churches in fighting AIDS internationally there is also some criticism of religious groups who have issued confused messages regarding safe sexual practice. To see full reports of the conference as they are posted each day click here.

The Revd. Dr. Richard Howell has recently been appointed as the new General Secretary of the Asia Evangelical Alliance. Dr. Howell, who is also the General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), takes over from Rev. Godfrey Yogarajah, who served as General Secretary of the alliance for seven years. Yogarajah commented, "Richard has a strong record of visionary and effective leadership. He has a real ability to build strategic partnerships for ministry impact. This is exactly what is needed in this large, complex and growingly influential region of the world.”

The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) has announced the release of Cash Stephen Godbold, a missionary held captive in northern Chad for more than nine months. Godbold was released by his captors in Chad on July 24th. near the town of Bardai in northern Chad, and is presently a guest of local officials in Bardai.
Godbold was captured on October 10, 2007 in Zoumri in the Tibesti region of Northern Chad. He was assisting a Chadian non-governmental organization transporting water well drilling equipment into the Tibesti in order to provide clean and safe water to residents of the region.

North Korea has recently agreed to allow a partnership of World Vision, Mercy Corps, Samaritan's Purse, Global Resource Services and Christian Friends of Korea to deliver food aid to its people, who are experiencing a severe crop shortage caused by devastating flooding last August. Sixteen representatives from the five partnering organizations will be living in North Korea to monitor the food distribution. The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided the funding for this food, which will eventually reach more than 5 million people.

The World Evangelical Alliance have appointed Commissioner Christine MacMillan of the Salvation Army in Canada as its spokesperson on human trafficking. Christine has spent much of her life providing social services, particularly to women and children. She said on her appointment, “We need to be advocates. We need to stand up and be counted so that ways in which certain people are forced to live doesn’t continue. A spokesperson can contribute to bringing light into the darkness and to alleviating suffering."

Go forth 2008, taking place in Singapore during July, is not only a missions conference. Participants will be equipped and sent to outreach placement in 400 locations in 18 Asian nations. From Singapore alone 3000 Christians will join the special 4-day training, after which they will be deployed to serve in the outreach location of their choice.

Jesus Christ is the centre of Christian theology and, as such, also the centre of any Christian Theology of Religions. This is the conviction of Protestant and Orthodox churches meeting under the auspices of the Conference of European Churches in Pallach last week. They go on to state that attempts to replace the christocentric approach of theology by a theocentric one are problematical. Faith2Share members can read here their full statement and communique on Inter-faith Dialogue in Europe.

Meeting in Jordan and Jerusalem at the Global Anglican Future Pilgrimage (GAFCON) these past ten days orthodox Anglicans have chosen a difficult road - a road of unity and truth - "for the benefit of the Church and the furtherance of its mission". Their full statement, including The Jerusalem Declaration is available to download here for Faith2Share members as well as through the GAFCON website.

Meeting at Tabalia in the Solomon Islands, headquartes of the Melanesian Brotherhood, during June, Melanesian church workers reaffirmed the central place of evangelism within the life of the church. Their communique says, "We believe that evangelism is sharing or proclaiming of the good news of God’s love through Christ to effect personal commitment to Christ. We embrace the Catholic, Evangelical and Charismatic strands of the Anglican Church and encourage them in the way forward for the evangelism ministry of the Church." Read their full statement here.

To download a copy of the "The way, the truth and the Life", the key text for the Global Anglican Future Conference, which was releaed today, click here (members only).

As two of the key leaders of the Global South fail to get to Jordan the 100 leaders gathered for the first stage of the Global Anglican Future Conference have decided to leave Jordan and try to continue their meeting in Jerusalem. Archbishop Peter Akinola was refused entry to Jordan by the authorities and Presiding Bishop Greg Venables is absent because of his wife's illness. Those who made it to Jordan have enjoyed fellowship, time to network and visits to holy sites, but the business of GAFCON will now have to be squeezed in to two days in Jerusalem before the major GAFCON pilgrimage with over 1,000 participants begins on Sunday.

Bibles and Scripture booklets will be available to athletes in the Olympic village in Beijing this summer, despite rumours that Bibles would be banned at the games. In a major breakthrough, Chinese authorities have given the go-ahead for the printing and distribution of 50,000 booklets with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in Chinese and English, 10,000 Chinese-English Bibles and 30,000 Chinese-English New Testaments.

The Rev. Joel Edwards, currently General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance UK, has been appointed as International Director of Micah Challenge from January 2009. Micah Challenge International is the global advocacy campaign which is a joint venture between the Micah Network and the World Evangelical Alliance. The aims of Micah Challenge are to deepen Christian engagement with impoverished and marginalized communities through prayer and action, and to encourage leaders of rich and poor countries to fulfill their promise to halve absolute poverty by 2015 through the Millennium Development Goals.

The death was announced yesterday, 11 June, of Professor Kwame Bediako, one of Africa's foremost missiologists. Bediako was the Executive Director of the Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology, Akropong, Ghana, a founder secretary of the Africa Theological Fraternity and author of many books and articles. Two of his key texts are "Christianity in Africa: The renewal of a non-Western religion" and the more recent, "Jesus and the Gospel in Africa: History and Experience". His thinking has been formative of much recent missiological thinking not only in Africa but internationally. He has also mentored many who now serve in mission and in theological formation. To read an appreciation by Dr. Chris Wright click here.

Church leaders have welcomed the peace talks which followed the return from exile of key rebel leader in Burundi. Agathon Rwasa, leader of the Palipehutu returned to Bujubura from exile in Tanzania on 30 May. "It is time to look forward and build lasting peace and stability in Burundi," he told cheering supporters at Bujumbura airport. "We are ready to lay down our weapons and bring our combatants to assembly areas." Since Rwasa's return, the guns have been silent and there are hopes that many of the 330,000 Burundian refugees in neighbouring countries, and an estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), could be encouraged to go back home. Church leaders stand ready to engage in ministries of reconciliation. To read full story click here.

“Seeing the light; and hearing the voice, that hearts be touched and comforted.” This is what was on the mind of the first group of Christians from the Third Church of Chengdu as they moved into the quake zone right after the catastrophic Sichuan earthquake; rescuing people and leaving behind not only flashlights and short-wave radios, but words of comfort and love. Christians from more than ten cities subsequently joined the stream of volunteers mobilized for the relief effort. Within one week, they have organized themselves under the banner of China Christians ActionLove, turning an impromptu mercy mission into a sustained effort of sharing the love and hope that only the eternal loving Father can give.

Azerbaijan : Baptist pastor arrested
Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov was arrested on 20 June after police claimed finding an illegal weapon in his home. Pastor Shabanov is the second Baptist pastor in the remote village of Aliabad to face imprisonment on what local Baptists insist are trumped-up charges. His arrest comes three months after Pastor Zaur Balaev was freed from prison following international publicity.

Finnish mission Fides and others are reporting that aid sent to the newly formed Myanmar Christian Coalition for Cyclone Relief (MCCCR) is now reaching the victims. For more information on MCCCR and their contact email click here and to read their project proposal for relief work click here.

Jeff Sikabwe and Buingo' Mateene of Samaritan Strategy Africa report that a successful Vision Conference has taken place in Mbuji Mayi. Fifty two Anglican clergy from eastern and western Kasai in Congo were able to attend. So eager were they to hear the message of transformation that some of them rode on their bicycles for a distance of 200 miles (2 days journey) just to get to the conference. CMS Africa supported the running of this conference.

As all international NGOs are ordered to cease opperations in Zimbabwe and hundreds of thousands are left without food many are turning to churches for help - churches which themselves are under pressure. To read the pastoral letter issued by the bishops of Southen Africa on 3 June click here.

It has today been announced that the Archbishop of Canterbury's Secretary for International, Ecumenical and Anglican Communion Affairs, Canon Andrew Norman, is to be the next Principal of Ridley Hall Theological College in Cambridge, UK.

Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who preached the CMS Britain Annual Sermon in 1996, has issued a strong call to European churches to end human trafficking saying "no one has the right to turn humans into objects of profit."

“By 2020 as many as three million Christian initiatives for children could be found, most of them run by WEA related church bodies” states Patrick McDonald, Chief Executive of Viva. In July 2008 Viva, whom several Faith2Share members partner, will host a major consultation for 300 ministry leaders working amongst children. For further information on this Cutting Edge consultation near Chicago contact ismith@viva.org, +44 1865 811671.

The death, in late May, has been announced of Archbishop Wambugu, the former General Secretary of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (http://www.oaic.org/). Archbishop Wambugu was well known in Kenya and internationally, championing theological education and partnership between AICs and other churches. During the recent violence in Nairobi his was one of the voices calling for reconciliation.

Raids, fines and literature confiscations against religious minorities across Uzbekistan are continuing. Recently one church raid investigated by Forum 18 was justified by a court as "anti-terrorist activity," although the police officer concerned was unable to specify to Forum 18 what threat the raid was supposed to stop. There are also reports of Protestant services in Uzbek being barred and of a Protestant higher-education student being threatened with expulsion, unless he renounces his faith.

The Andrew F Walls Centre was opened on 23 May at Liverpool Hope Univesity (www.hope.ac.uk). Leading academics from around the world were invited to a two-day colloquium to consider the significance of Asian and African Christianity in the 21st. century. The first Director of the Centre is Professor Daniel Jeyaraj, a noted Indian Christian historian.

In his inaugural lecture for the university, Professor Andrew F Walls, Professor of the History of Missions, explored African and Asian dimensions of Christian history. He said: "More people now profess the Christian faith in Africa, Asia and Latin America than in Europe and North America combined; and this proportion is rising year on year. Christianity is increasingly a non-Western rather than a Western religion and I aim to trace this development."

Professor Mary Mills at Liverpool Hope University said: "We very much welcome this new initiative in the area of world Christianity. Professor Walls has a long and eminent career in the global study of Christianity and it is a great honour for the University to host, this weekend, the opening of the Professor Walls Centre, accompanied by such a notable gathering of world specialists in this field."

The colloquium was attended by delegates from universities in Hong Kong, the USA, Canada, Korea, Ghana, Nigeria, Singapore and across Europe.

Cheryl Webster, CMS Australia Associate, reports from Addis Ababa. "There are problems here, and famine is again rearing its ugly head, as the rains haven’t materialised and crops are failing. One organisation in the south is caring for 10,000 children – many of whom they watch die. My church has been sending money and clothes to the areas affected, and raising money to send 40 Grade 11 students to summer school to help them get a university place at the end of Grade 12. The Church here has to be about working out people’s faith practically as well as through the word!

I just heard last night about more who are starving here. Inflation is rising and many can’t afford to buy food – for example, tef, which is the staple grain here, has gone from 60 birr a bag to 100 birr in a few months!"

Information on St. Matthew's (Anglican) Addis Ababa, or to offer help, click here.

CMS Africa Director, Dennis Tongoi, reports that an International Call to Prayer was issued on 1 June for Africa's longest running war in Northern Uganda and surrounding regions. Prayer is requested for the freeing of captives, the welfare of children, peace in the region, the leaders of each faction and the healing of the land of Northern Uganda. For more background information click here.

The formation of a new Episcopal Area in North Africa and the appointment of the Rev. Canon Dr. Bill Musk as Area Bishop for North Africa as well as Rector of St. George’s, Tunis was announced this week. Bishop Mouneer Anis wrote, "With the growth of the Church in this area and increasing demands for discipleship, community service and interfaith dialogue, we felt that the time has come to create this new Episcopal Area. We are sure that Canon Bill Musk has a lot to contribute to the churches in this area."

Bill and Hilary Musk have lived and worked in the region for many years. He was also on the staff of CMS in London. Bill is a well-known Islamicist and the author of several books: The Unseen Face of Islam, Touching the Soul of Islam, Holy War, Kissing Cousins? and The Certainty Trap.

Over 1,700 leading pastors, business and Christian institutional leaders from 39 countries gathered May 20-22, to create The PEACE Coalition, a new international alliance of churches, businesses, ministries, universities, and other institutions. The P.E.A.C.E. Plan is a massive, long range effort to mobilize one billion Christians in local churches around the world to copy Jesus' model of ministry.

P.E.A.C.E. is an acronym for Promote reconciliation/Plant Churches; Equip servant leaders; Assist the poor; Care for the sick; and Educate the next generation. Coalition members see these actions as Jesus' antidote to five "global giants," - problems that affect billions of people worldwide: spiritual emptiness, self-centered leadership, poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy.

In the wake of the recent civil disturbances in Kenya, CMS Africa are today (27 May) jointly sponsoring a seminar on Hans Nielson Hauge (1771-1824), the Norwegian Lutheran preacher and businessman credited with transforming the nation and laying the foundations for modern Norway. To read an article on Hauge, whose Christian faith was key to his transformation of society, Click here

Faith2Share potential member agency, Asian Outreach International, was immediately involved in responding to the situation in China. AOI President, Francis Tsui, reports, "We were working closely with the urban church leaders on the ground within 24 hours after the earthquake. These leaders from most major cities united and formed a China Christians’ ActionLove responding to the rescue effort. I am personally engaged with our coworkers in China on a daily basis as well as monitoring the development regularly. Our roles include collecting offerings to donating materials, shipping to distributing necessities, rescuing to comforting the unfortunate, supporting inside or outside of the disaster areas, all parts are functioning together with the local
believers as one body."

For a full report and details of how funds can be sent to AOI click here. For a report from Friends of China click here (access to registered users only).

Bible Society reports indicate the fatalities in the Myanmar cyclone include at least 7,000 who were Christians, among them ten church pastors. In addition, more than 300 church buildings were destroyed. Bible Society’s Volunteer Recruitment and Development Officer, Mike Freeman, is in Bangkok, Thailand making his assessment from there.

World Vision report that conditions are worsening in Myanmar as the death toll continues to rise and survivors suffer from the lack of essential supplies such as clean water, food, and shelter. The spread of disease is an immediate threat as hundreds of thousands of people struggle to cope with living in camps, schools, monasteries and in damaged homes without enough food and in unsanitary conditions. Children are especially vulnerable as they face emotional trauma after seeing families and communities torn apart by the cyclone.

In Yangon, World Vision has been distributing rice, drinking water and diesel fuel to allow generators’ pumps to continue to pump water. Clothing, blankets and tarpaulins have also been distributed to people living in and around Yangon.

Assessment teams have also been deployed to five areas in the hardest-hit delta Ayerarwaddy Division to determine the most urgent needs, including Bogalay, where more than 10,000 people are thought to have died.

It has just been announced that 212 of the 220 countries in the world will be joining in the Global Day of Prayer on Sunday 11 May - Pentecost Sunday. For more details of events visit http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/

CMS Africa held a very successful day conference in mid-April to bring together their strategic partners and set the agenda for their first period as an autonomous mission movement. Speaking at the Conference, Dennis Tongoi, CMS Africa's CEO, stressed the fact that the mission of CMS Africa is international, mobilising the resources of African churches for mission in Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as within the continent. Serah Wambua, CMS staff member for East Africa shared her vision for community transformation as the gospel impacts every aspect of life. Serah has provided the lead in CMS Africa for the development of Business as Mission.

Bishop Hassan was appointed in 1963 as the first Iranian bishop of Iran and served in that country during the revolution, suffering with his church. He lived in retirement in the UK where he died yesterday (29 April).

A group of Christian leader have made a strong call for peace in Israel/Palestine on the occasion of 60th Birthday of the state of Israel. Several Faith2Share related leaders are amongst the signatories. To read the statement and related materials click here.

The UN have just published their report on progress made in the work to combat HIV/AIDS. This report still shows Africa to be the continent of major concern but it also shows some areas of encouraging progress. The report which might be of interest to some mission personnel is available here.

The new Global Use of Internet and Digital Evangelism (Guide) Network is an informal networking resource to encourage evangelistic outreach via the Internet, mobilephone, and other digital devices.

Visiting key church leaders in Ho Chi Minh City recently, Geoff Tunnicliffe of th World Evangelical Alliance discovered that they were benefiting from Vietnams’ laws and regulations on religious freedom reportedly liberalized since 2005. Thankfully, in the last three years, government-sponsored programs to force Christians to recant their faith have virtually stopped.

The first Protestant church since the liberalization, the Danang-based Christian Mission Church, received full legal recognition in late 2007. Other have followed by many others are in no hurry to register, having observed the problems of those who did. They say that registration has sometimes been used as a means of government control and interference into internal church affairs.

Church leaders presented Tunnicliffe with an unprecedented world-wide appeal for prayer for a change in government treatment of their organization and members. The letter appeals for prayer for (1) action on the churches longstanding request for action on the 265 church properties confiscated at the communist takeover, (2) for blatant government interference into internal church affairs, and (3) for redress for the physical abuse in 2007 of a pastor and his congregation in a Mekong Delta town in full view of government officials.

“It seems clear that there is a way to go yet before Vietnam’s believers enjoy world-class religious freedom. Vietnam could gain more confidence from religious believers that things were really changing if it would just consistently implement its regulations,” observed Tunnicliffe.

Church leaders noted that their strong confidence in God came from experiencing His keeping power in very dark times.

Mr. S. Titus Kadappai Chamy, the CEO of India Church Growth Mission based in Madurai was killed with four others in a road accident near Ooty, Tamil Nadu, in the early hours of Tuesday 29 April 2008.

Titus, a first generation follower of Christ, was just 47 and a prominent young leader in Indian missions. He was filled with enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and achieve great things for God's glory. The Indian Missions Association (IMA) have expressed their loss at his death and that of the four friends who also died, praying for God's peace and comfort for their families.

The World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions (WOCATI) holds its fourth world congress from 31st May until 7th of June in Thessaloniki, Greece. WOCATI was inaugurated in a global conference in June 1989 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in cooperation with the ETE programme of WCC. The world forum of associations and accrediting organizations of theological schools from all over the world will discuss key issues of the future of ecumenical theological education in the 21st century under the theme "Theological Education – A Radical Reappraisal". The congress will bring together more then 50 participants from Asia, Africa, Pacific, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the US. For the first time also the Chinese Christian Council is represented. Key speakers for the congress will be (Prof. Dr. Ulrich Duchrow, University of Heidelberg; Prof. Dr. Isabel Phiri, University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg South Africa, Prof. Dr. Huan Po Ho, Chan Jung Christian University Tainan and Prof. Ioan Sauca, Ecumenical Institute of Bossey). During the conference also the 50th anniversary of the programme on Ecumenical Theological Education of the WCC which was founded as Theological Education Fund (TEF) at the world missions conference of the International Missionary Council in Accra, Ghana 1957/1958 will be commemorated. Several former staff members like Prof. Dr. Ross Kinsler and Prof. Dr. John Pobee will address the conference at this occasion. The conference is expected to set new priorities for international cooperation and dialogue for ecumenical theological education, for promoting funding in theological education as well as for WOCATI as an umbrella organization. The conference is also seen as a strategic contribution for the Edinburgh 2010 process which in one of its focal areas aims at bringing together new perspectives for theological education in the 21st century.

2008 MISSION NEWS ARCHIVE