NewsBytes - June 2009

OM International

AID TO CYCLONE VICTIMS IN BANGLADESH, INDIA
SRI LANKA’S SUFFERING NOT OVER
WORLD REFUGEE SUNDAY
GETTING OUT THE WORD IN DANGEROUS PLACES
ABANDONED CHILDREN OF GUATEMALA
INDIA’S ELECTION GIVES HOPE
BIBLE, CHRISTIAN MEDIA BANNED IN NW UZBEKISTAN
LIBYA RELEASES GHANAIAN CHRISTIAN AFTER 8 YEARS IN JAIL
AID GROUP FREES SLAVES IN SUDAN
BURMA’S ARMY ATTACKS CHRISTIAN ORPHANAGE
FAITH IN CANADA
CONVOY OF HOPE EUROPE
MUSLIM HEADS UP BBC’S RELIGIOUS TV OUTPUT
U.S. DENOMINATIONS GAVE $8.6 BILLION TO WORLD NEEDS
CALL2ALL CONGRESS
TELEPHONE INSPIRATION
IN FACT: World’s Most Dangerous Countries
RESOURCES:
* 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World * Indigitech * Nomadic Peoples’ Forum * Digital Evangelism Speakers * Help for the Road (U.S.)

1. AID TO CYCLONE VICTIMS IN BANGLADESH & INDIA

Mission organisations are rushing aid to southern Bangladesh and eastern India after Cyclone Aila devastated the region on May 25, killing more than 250 and affecting three million Bangladeshis and two million Indians – at least half of them children . Churches were destroyed and at least 1,500 Christians are among the suffering. The West Bengal headquarters of Gospel for Asia (GFA) in India has become a makeshift shelter for victims and Baptist World Aid has sent grants for emergency relief. A Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship spokesman said the greatest need is for drinking water and dry food as all wells are under water or are mixed with saline. A number of survivors are living on boats. The cyclone hit just as the area’s rice paddies were ready for harvest, destroying crops and levelling houses. The death toll continues to climb. [BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE, HCJB, 25 May’09, CHRISTIAN TODAY, 15 June’09]

2. SRI LANKA’S SUFFERING NOT OVER

The aftermath of Sri Lanka’s long conflict has driven more than 300,000 Tamil people from their homes. These include 90,000 children, pregnant mothers and the elderly, plus many traumatized and injured, who are being kept in overcrowded displacement camps in the north and are desperately in need of food, medical assistance and other basic needs. Despite being a small minority, the Christian community is sacrificially giving to meet these needs but plead for international assistance. Aid groups say the camps are ‘an epidemic waiting to happen’ with impending monsoon rains and inadequate sanitation placing tens of thousands of people at risk from disease. It is unclear when the government will allow displaced Sri Lankans to leave the camps and return home. [CHRISTIAN TODAY, 13 June ‘09]

3. WORLD REFUGEE SUNDAY

World Refugee Sunday on June 21 is encouraging churches to focus on refugees and related issues. The event is organised by the Refugee Highway Partnership in cooperation with the World Evangelical Alliance. The goal is to raise awareness and mobilise the global church to pray for the approximately 50 million refugees and internally displaced peoples who, because of war, violence or disaster, are forced from their homes and communities. 75-80% are women and children. For resources see www.refugeehighway.net

4. GETTING OUT THE WORD IN DANGEROUS PLACES

The Bible League [BL] has been working in NIGERIA since 1977, despite violent conflicts between Muslims and Christians. Christian youth and adults are enthusiastically receiving BL’s new youth version of the New Living Translation and the accompanying youth-specific Bible study developed for Nigeria. In HAITI, where being on the streets after 6 p.m. is so dangerous that even the police hide, a volunteer says, “I have shared the gospel with more than 700 people, and 300 are now actively involved in churches. I eat, I sleep, I share the gospel. My calling is to be a filler. I fill churches!” In SRI LANKA, where recent violence has forced more than 200,000 people into camps, BL is supplying refugees with Bibles: “Many non-governmental organisations are being asked to leave the affected areas,” said the national director. “We’re staying. The need for Bibles has never been more urgent.” [BIBLE LEAGUE/HCJB, 11-15 May’09]

5. ABANDONED CHILDREN OF GUATEMALA

A recently published report by the Joint Council on International Children’s Services has revealed that one child is abandoned in Guatemala City every four days – and over three quarters of them are newborn babies. Children are abandoned because of poverty and large family sizes, or because they are physically disabled or having learning difficulties. 20 abandoned children were found dead in the city last year. Christian charity Toybox, which helps to rescue street children in Latin America, and their partners, Viva Latin America, are working to change this with Christian-run projects that help these children to find new homes, and people to care for and love them. Toybox is supporting projects like La Gran Comision which cares for abandoned babies, and Amor del Nino which shelters over 60 abandoned disabled children. [TOYBOX.ORG.UK]

6. INDIA’S ELECTION GIVES HOPE

Christians in India are heaving a sigh of relief after the rout of a Hindu nationalist party in national and state assembly elections in Orissa, a scene of anti-Christian arson and carnage last year. The new federal government, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was sworn in May 22, representing a second term for the United Progressive Alliance, led by the left-of-center Indian National Congress, commonly known as the Congress Party. The embarrassing defeat for the Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came as a surprise. Notes Ebenezer Samuel of Serve India Ministries, “Hundreds of thousands of people across India and the world have been praying. We are so grateful to God for answering our prayers. This will definitely benefit the growth of Christianity in the next 5 years.” [COMPASS, MISSION NETWORK NEWS, 15 June’09]

7. BIBLE, CHRISTIAN MEDIA BANNED IN NW UZBEKISTAN

Nurulla Zhamolov, the senior religious affairs official in Karakalpakstan Region in north-western Uzbekistan, has banned the Bible, the Mel Gibson film, "The Passion of the Christ," and other religious literature including a hymn book, Bible encyclopaedia, Bible dictionary, and a children's Bible. The materials, "banned for import, distribution, or use in teaching," were confiscated during police and NSS secret police raids, and it remains unclear what further activity the authorities may now undertake or how widely the bans will be used. The country has recently seen a rise in militant Islam. [FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, 20 May‘09]

8. LIBYA RELEASES CHRISTIAN AFTER 8 YEARS IN JAIL

Libya has released Ghanaian believer Daniel Baidoo who was sentenced in 2001 to 25 years in prison for importing evangelistic materials, confirmed Middle East Concern (MEC). The man was freed following a plea for clemency by the vice president of Ghana to Libyan leader Gaddafi. 8 years ago Baidoo requested Christian literature from what MEC described as a “media ministry. When our brother went to the post office to collect the materials he was arrested for importing evangelistic materials and imprisoned in the notorious Jedidah Prison.” He apparently continued to evangelise while in prison. [BosNewsLife, May’09]

9. AID GROUP FREES SLAVES IN SUDAN

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) reports that they were able to liberate 232 slaves — black, non-Muslim members of the Dinka tribe — from Arab masters in Darfur and neighboring Kordofan. The released captives were then repatriated to their homeland in Southern Sudan. The enslavement of these Sudanese took place during jihad raids undertaken by Arab militias backed by Sudan’s Islamist government during the late North-South civil war (1983-2005). The liberated slaves reported having been subjected to beatings, death threats, rape, and forced conversion to Islam. Some reported witnessing the execution of fellow captives. CSI states that an estimated 35,000 Black Africans from the Dinka tribe remain enslaved today. [RELIGION TODAY, 8 June’09]

10. BURMA’S ARMY ATTACKS CHRISTIAN ORPHANAGE

A Christian-run orphanage in Burma near the border with Thailand has been attacked by the Burmese army, amid a fresh crackdown on the predominantly Christian Karen people in the area. At least 90 children, including 30 orphans and kids persecuted and traumatized by war were trapped on June 4, and forced to flee in the middle of the night according to Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern which supervises the project. The only way to safety was across the river into Thailand, because there were landmines placed around the camp. Witnesses said the Burmese army first attacked a camp for internally displaced people in Burma this week. Christian Solidarity Worldwide said at least 1,000 people have fled the latest Burmese offensive. [BosNewsLife, 5 June’09]

11. FAITH IN CANADA

13% fewer Canadians believe in God today than in 2000, according to a new survey by Ipsos Reid released in April. The study found that even fewer people believe in the existence of an afterlife; only 20% say they believe in some kind of life after death, and only one in five believes in heaven and hell. While traditional church attendance dwindles, the good news is that the evangelical movement is experiencing double-digit growth, with 10 to 15 per cent of Canadians calling themselves evangelical Christians. The movement is reigniting interest among young people, addressing current issues and making itself accessible online. [RELIGION TODAY, EDMONTON JOURNAL, 24 May’09]

12. CONVOY OF HOPE EUROPE

Since 2004, Convoy of Hope-Europe (COHEU) has provided food, water, vitamins, medical screening, free haircuts and more to poor children and their families in 18 countries. An estimated 3,000 people recently attended an outreach in Bulgaria and 2,500 were attracted to a 3-day event in Macedonia, with 150 families requesting follow-up church visits. To date, 10 churches have been planted through their efforts. There are 250,000 locations in Europe that do not have a Pentecostal or evangelical church. COHEU has begun an initiative to help transform 18 communities in Eastern Europe over the next 18 months. With ministry teams and the financial help of churches in Europe and the U.S., the outreaches will include food distribution, hygiene training, clean-up and reconstruction.The goal is that Europeans will see faith in action which will open doors for local churches to minister on an ongoing basis. [CHRISTIAN NEWS HEADLINES, 11 June’09]

13. MUSLIM HEADS UP BBC’S RELIGIOUS TV OUTPUT

Last year the BBC drew fire by naming Tommy Nagra, a Sikh, as the producer of its weekly Songs Of Praise programme. Now it has given a practicing Muslim the job of head of religious programming. This is the second time in the BBC’s history that a non-Christian has been appointed to the post. Aaqil Ahmed will be the first Islamic believer to take up the role, in spite of the fact that 70% of Britain’s 60 million population still describe themselves as Christian. Stephen Glover of ‘The Mail Online’ writes, ‘...the Corporation has been increasingly pursuing what can only be, at best, described as a non-Christian agenda and, at worst, as an anti-Christian one. Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, recently complained that the BBC World Service has reduced its English-language religious coverage from one hour 45 minutes a week in 2001 to a mere half an hour a week in 2009. [MAIL ONLINE, 15 May’09]

14. U.S. DENOMINATIONS GAVE $8.6 BILLION TO WORLD NEEDS

A national survey of U.S. congregations of all denominations reported giving $8.6 billion to developing countries in 2007. A total of 74% of congregations donated an average of $11,960 to U.S.-based international relief and development organisations. About 89,000 congregations contributed $3.3 billion directly to programmes in foreign countries. Roughly 34% reported that people from their congregation went abroad on short-term mission trips, and about 73% of their churches provided $759 million total support for trips. Another 30% of congregations supported longer term mission trips for relief and development by donating $1.4 billion. Of the total religious giving, 36% percent went to Latin America and the Caribbean, 29% to Asia and the Pacific, 21% to sub-Saharan Africa, 9% to Europe and Central Asia, and 5% went to North Africa and the Middle East. A total of 34% of contributions went to education, 26% to health and medical projects, 22% for disaster relief, 17% for economic development, and ½% to democracy and governance. Results were released in “Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances” published annually by Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Prosperity. [HUDSON INSTITUTE]

15. CALL2ALL CONGRESS

An estimated 3,000 ministry leaders from more than 100 countries gathered in Hong Kong on June 1st for the historic Call2All Congress 2009. President of the Congress Mark Anderson predicted the event will affect missions for years to come, adding that there is a growing sense among Christian leaders that God is calling the Chinese church to take a new place in world missions. Delegates were introduced to one of the largest maps in the world ever printed; all 3,000 attendees were able to walk on the map and pray over 4,000 locations, committing to go wherever God would send them. [EVANGELICAL NEWS, 4 June’09]

16. TELEPHONE INSPIRATION

A new telephone-based Christian service, Theecalling.com, is dedicated to helping people grow daily through God’s Word. Subscribers can choose when to receive uplifting messages through a scheduled daily call, whether it’s a wake-up verse or lunchtime devotional. A portion of profits goes towards supporting churches in need. [HCJB, May’09]

17. IN FACT:

The 15 currently MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES in the world? forbes.com used risk-assessment firms which compiled rankings by categories, including crime rate, police protection, civil unrest, terrorism risk, kidnapping threat and geopolitical stability. From the top: Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Congo, Pakistan, Gaza, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Algeria, Nigeria, and (15) Georgia/North Caucasus, Russia. [FORBES.COM, March’09]

RESOURCES

The annual 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, coinciding with Ramadan, is planned for August 22 to September 20. Booklet guide available in many languages as well as a children’s version. See www.30-days.net
INDIGITECH: Listing of resources (some downloadable), including audio and video, to assist missionaries in cross-cultural and contextual evangelism. (Create International) www.indigitech.net
SPEAKER: Like someone to share about different aspects of digital evangelism in your mission conference or other programme? Speakers available internationally. See:www.internetevangelismday.com/speaker.php
NOMADIC PEOPLES: An advocacy network forum where those working to advance the Kingdom of God amongst the nomadic and semi-nomadic ethnic groups can share what they have learned and encourage one another in this specialized cross cultural ministry. www.nomadicpeoples.net
ON DEPUTATION IN THE U.S.? If you are a pastor, missionary or full time Christian worker and you ever break down on the road anywhere in the US and need assistance call Good Shepherd Baptist Mission at 1-800-226-9391 for no cost assistance with repairs and housing. See http://gsbmministries.org

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS BYTES is compiled monthly by Debbie Meroff of OM International, based in London, England. Material may be freely copied and forwarded. Items do not necessarily reflect OM’s position and questions should be directed to the original news source.
For a free e-mail subscription send a ‘subscribe’ message to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it