NewsBytes - May/June 2012

1. KIDNAPPED SWISS CHRISTIAN FREED IN MALI
2. SUDAN’S NUBA MOUNTAINS CRISIS
3. AZERBAIJAN: SAVING GRACE
4. KUWAITIS MAY FACE DEATH FOR INSULTING ISLAM
5. IRAN TIGHTENS THE SCREWS
6. OPERATION JOSHUA: GOD’S WORD FOR GREECE
7. PALAU PARAGUAY FESTIVAL
8. DALAI LAMA RECEIVES MAJOR AWARD
9. NO RESPITE FOR BURMA’S CHRISTIANS
10. HEALING PRAYERS LEAD TO VIETNAM EVICTIONS
11. 62% OF PASTORS HAVE NO TRAINING (INTERNATIONAL)
12. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CRITICIZED
13. NETHERLANDS: DEATH ON DELIVERY
14. NEW INUIT BIBLE (CANADA)
15. UK: DISTRIBUTING GOLD ON THE DIAMOND JUBILEE
16. WORLD PRAYER ASSEMBLY HELD IN INDONESIA
17. THE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME BIBLE (INTERNATIONAL)
18. IN FACT: COMPANY CATALOG VS BIBLE PUBLISHING
19. RESOURCES:
    * For Third Culture Kids * Missionary Care Sites * “Reach the Light” video * Free film from Voice of the Martyrs * Trans World Radio Media
     

1. KIDNAPPED SWISS CHRISTIAN FREED IN MALI

Separatist Islamist rebels released a Swiss Christian woman kidnapped by a private militia on April 15 amid political turmoil in Timbuktu, Mali, according to a Swiss foreign ministry statement. Beatric Stockly, a Christian social worker in her 40s, had refused to leave Timbuktu, 439 miles northeast of the capital, when it fell to Tuareg rebels and Islamist extremists. Rebels now control two-thirds of Mali and neighbouring countries have imposed foreign asset freezes and travel bans. [CHRISTIAN TODAY, 28 April]

2. SUDAN’S NUBA MOUNTAINS CRISIS

Pastors and church members have been forced to flee their homes and walk for days to reach the safety of refugee camps. Said the pastor of a Sudan Interior Church (SIC), "It took us 9 days to get here and we felt so bad having to leave all our things behind." More than 20 SIC churches have had to close their doors and their members make up some of the 120,000 people who have now fled the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile state. Samaritan’s Purse staff are working long hours helping to feed 90,000 refugees who are also in need of water, shelter and healthcare. In the Nuba Mountains, the charity is running a child protection centre for over 500 unaccompanied girls. Despite the upheaval, Christians in the camps continue to meet for worship and study. [CHRISTIAN TODAY, 12 May]

3. AZERBAIJAN: SAVING GRACE

As Baku basks in the excitement of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on 26 May, members of at least one church in the Azerbaijan capital will find it hard to join in the celebrations. On 25 April, a court in Baku ordered Greater Grace Church to be liquidated – the first known closure of a religious community under the controversial Law on Freedom of Religion passed in 2009. This law requires the compulsory re-registration of all religious communities in Azerbaijan. Greater Grace Protestant Church was registered in 1983, and contends it received no formal notice. They will appeal the decision. Christians in this mainly Muslim South Caucasian nation fear the judge’s decision could set a worrying precedent for other churches. [RELEASE INTERNATIONAL, 7 May]

4. KUWAITIS MAY FACE DEATH FOR INSULTING ISLAM

Kuwait's parliament has approved the death sentence for Muslims who insult Allah, the Qu’ran, Muslim prophets, or Muhammad’s wives. Christians and other non-Muslim minorities will be given a minimum prison sentence of 10 years. The bill still needs approval by Kuwait's ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, before becoming law. Many Kuwaitis are facing trial for remarks that have offended Shiite Muslims on social networks or other sites, and if the law is passed they could be executed. Legislation was also introduced in February to prohibit the construction of churches and other non-Islamic places of worship. [ASSIST NEWS SERVICE, 9 May]

5. IRAN TIGHTENS THE SCREWS

Prominent human rights advocate and attorney Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, who represents imprisoned pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, has reportedly been sentenced to 9 years in jail for allegedly "acting against national security." Dadkhah was also the attorney for 12 Christians who stood trial on Easter Sunday. Also,Mohabat News reports that police in Tehran are conducting a new crackdown on women wearing mandatory headscarves improperly or in "vulgar" dress. said the city's police chief. Typically, such women are fined or detained in police stations until relatives collect them with more modest clothing. Companies importing "illegal clothes" that do not comply with Islamic dress standards will be given a warning or closed. [ASSIST, 8 May]

6. OPERATION JOSHUA: GOD’S WORD FOR GREECE

Following two successful Bible distribution projects to deliver 80,000 New Testaments to Greece’s 80 inhabited islands, Hellenic Ministries is facilitating a distribution programme throughout the entire nation of Greece. Operation Joshua aims to deliver one million New Testaments in modern Greek to every home within the next few years. This summer the outreach is slated for 550 villages in northern Greece. Church groups are urged to “adopt” a village. See www.operationjoshua.net.

7. PALAU PARAGUAY FESTIVAL

Joining with hundreds of local churches, world evangelists Luis and Andrew Palau hosted an evangelistic campaign in the two Paraguayan cities of Asunción and Ciudad del Este on 23-28 April. More than 80,000 people attended the final event on Saturday evening and Luis Palau’s message was geared particularly toward the under 25s who comprised over half the audience. The festival in Ciudad del Este with Andrew Palau led more than 1,770 people in public decisions for Jesus Christ and connected them to a local partnering church. The elder Palau also met with the country’s vice president and other top ministers, and he became the first public figure to be allowed to speak to the National Congress while it was in session. [ASSIST, 30 April]

8. DALAI LAMA RECEIVES MAJOR AWARD

On 14 May the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, received the £1.1m Templeton Prize, the world’s largest award given to someone who has made exceptional contributions to advancing the world’s understanding of spirituality. After accepting the award at St Paul’s Cathedral he plans to announce the person or organisation he will give it to. [THE TELEGRAPH, 10 May]

9. NO RESPITE FOR BURMA’S CHRISTIANS

Amid global euphoria over reforms in Burman-majority parts of Burma, life has changed little for more than 3 million Christians and other minorities left to suffer from one of the world’s longest running civil wars. Life is still about landmine blasts, gun and mortar attacks for the 150,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) living in eastern Karen state’s 4,000 IDP camps. Most of Burma’s Christians are from the ethnic minority groups of Karen, Karenni, Kachin and Chin and are predominantly Baptist. “And Christians are targeted simply because their [government troops’] religion is Buddhist,” said Saw Htee Ler, a rebel leader with the Karen National Liberation Army. [COMPASS DIRECT, 4 May]

10. HEALING PRAYERS LEAD TO VIETNAM EVICTIONS

Voice of the Martyrs Canada reports that 3 families were expelled from their village in northern Vietnam because of their recent confession of Christ. Each family came to faith after a Hmong Christian worker prayed for an ill family member, and the family member was healed. The families, which include a total of 13 people, were forced to find a new place to live because officials will not allow Christians in their village. A similar thing happened to another family in a different village. Last year Hmong Christians saw 28 of their own killed by security forces and scores go missing in the midst of a religious freedom and land reforms protest. Hmong believers have been stigmatized ever since they aided Americans during the Vietnam conflict. [CHARISMA NEWS, 14 May]

11. 62% OF PASTORS HAVE NO TRAINING (INTERNATIONAL)

The new president of Global Action, Phil Long, says, "62% of the world's pastors have no formal training and will probably never get any formal training from Bible school. A lot of these pastors have less than a 6th-grade education." Global Action has designed a 10-month basic seminary training called GLOMOS—Global Module Studies--to address this need. So far they have successfully taken GLOMOS to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Latin America, and they hope to begin programming in Africa as well. Many former students are now planting new churches. [MISSION NETWORK NEWS, 15 May]

12. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH CRITICIZED

The Russian Orthodox Church claims 100 million Russians in its flock — more than three-quarters of the nation's population — though polls suggest that less than 5 per cent of them are devout churchgoers. For more than a millennium, the church helped cement Russia's identity and culture in times of upheaval. Under the atheist Soviet regime the church suffered persecution, with tens of thousands of its faithful purged, jailed or executed, although many other leaders became KGB agents. Critics now say the church has sold out to Vladimir Putin, becoming an arm of his regime more interested in gold than souls. The church has acknowledged that it ran businesses dealing in alcohol, tobacco and oil, and operated jewellery stores and organic farms, to raise money. Evangelicals number only about 1.6 million according to Operation World. [OPERATION WORLD, SEATTLE TIMES, 13 May]

13. NETHERLANDS: DEATH ON DELIVERY

Roving euthanasia teams have been launched in the Netherlands, helping the terminally ill to die in their own homes free of charge. The scheme is run by the Dutch Association for a Voluntary End to Life since some doctors are unable or unwilling to help their patients die. The Netherlands became the first country to legalise euthanasia in 2002, and an estimated 3,000 assisted suicides are carried out each year. According to Operation World, 47% of the population are non-religious, and although an equal number claim to be Christians less than 20% of Dutch people attend a church regularly.  [THE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE/EVANGELICALS NOW, May]

14. NEW INUIT BIBLE (CANADA)

After 34 years, a small band of translators have finally completed and delivered an Inuit-language Bible for the 33,000 residents of Canada’s Northwest Territories and northern Quebec who were formerly called Eskimos. Most Inuktitut speakers are Christian and 5 Inuit Anglican ministers led the project. The 1.7 million dollar joint project of the Canadian Bible Society and the Anglican Church is set to be launched on 3 June in a ceremony at the igloo-shaped St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral in Iqaluit. According to the Canadian Bible Society, it is the first time in Canada that the entire translation was done by mother tongue speakers of the language rather than by missionaries. [CHRISTIAN POST WORLD REPORT, 14 May]

15. UK: DISTRIBUTING GOLD ON THE DIAMOND JUBILEE

Further reaching than any party or parade, Queen Elizabeth has adopted a Bible distribution project to celebrate her 60-year Diamond Jubilee. She is specifically interested in distributing New Testaments through churches and schools. Biblica was approached and was happy to accept the job, creating a special edition with notes and visuals. At least 450,000 New Testaments will be handed out at the end of May and the beginning of June. [PRAYER ALERT, 10 May]

16. WORLD PRAYER ASSEMBLY HELD IN INDONESIA

The World Prayer Assembly this 14-18 May 2012, with 5000-6000 Christian leaders from up to 220 nations, takes place in the largest Muslim country in the world. The assembly is being arranged and co-hosted by leaders of the Indonesian and Korean prayer movements, two of the most powerful prayer forces in the world. The goal is that these leaders will join with the Lord and each other through united prayer, leading to Spirit-inspired action to transform our world. Check out the website for more details: http://www.wpa2012.org [PRAYER ALERT, 26 April]

17. THE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME BIBLE (INTERNATIONAL)

Fifty million people around the globe have installed the Bible App by YouVersion on their mobile device, enabling them to read the best-selling book of all time, anywhere at any time. Since its creation, the YouVersion community has spent more than 22 billion minutes on the Bible App, creating more than 100 million bookmarks, and highlighting more than 80 million verses. The Bible App offers 294 versions of the Bible in 144 languages and allows users to bookmark verses; share Scripture through email, Twitter, and Facebook; journal their thoughts; and more. [www.youversion.com, CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE, 10 May]

18. IN FACT:  

IKEA printed 280 million store catalogues last year; in comparison, approximately 50 million Bibles were published. [NEWSWATCH]

19. RESOURCES:

• A website that is designed by a third-culture kid (TCK) who is now a parent of TCK’s to help such kids thrive: http://www.ptck.org
• The Missionary Care website, http://www.missionarycare.com, offers a variety of resources, including brochures and 12 downloadable e-books on helpful topics. Another rich resource is TWR’s media ministry for cross cultural workers, http://www.membercaremedia.com.
• “Reach the Light” is a well-produced 2 minute, 15 second music-only video by gemission that introduces audiences to the diverse religious orientation of Europeans. Downloadable. View at http://vimeo.com/27935302.
• Free 90-minute animated film from Voice of the Martyrs to all USA churches, called “Jesus: He Lived Among Us”.  http://www.freejesusmovie.com/
• Trans World Radio offers some free and low-cost media on their website at http://www.twr.org/resources/catalog.html.

*NewsBytes is compiled monthly by Debbie Meroff of Operation Mobilisation (OM International), based in London, England. HTML version and back copies available from http://news.om.org/newsbytes. 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 .

OM’s role in the Church is to mobilise people to share the knowledge of Jesus and His love with every generation in every nation. OM pioneers and leads initiatives to redeem lives, rebuild communities and restore hope in over 110 countries.