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13-Aug-2002

Mission Network News reports these incidents of believers suffering for their faith.

Maldives:

An island nation, south of India, oppresses Christians.

Alarming incidents of persecution are coming to the forefront inMaldives. Voice of the Martyrs’ Glenn Penner says the country claims to be100% Muslim and denies the existence of any non-Muslim in this tinynation. Christians who are "caught" evangelizing there are vanishing. "Itis illegal to propagate any religion apart from Islam; it is illegal toconvert to any other religion. It is very similar the type of thing whichused to happen in the former communist world, in the Soviet Union, inAlbania; people would just disappear." Penner says church leaders insoutheast Asia are asking for prayer support as they continue to share thehope of Christ. "When they are discovered, they are pressured to denytheir faith, to reconvert to Islam. Pray for those that are believers inMaldives, that they will show wisdom in how to share their faith in thiscountry. And pray for the protection of those who have been arrested, thatGod would deliver them."

Uganda:

Rebel threats in northern Uganda have many aid groups on edge.

The Lords Resistance Army has threatened attacks on aid groups ifthey don’t leave the area. Food for the Hungry’s Keith Wright says manyfamilies have been victimized by the LRA. "Abducting children and youth.That’s how he recruits. Several thousand children have been abducted overthe years. We’ve been working in Northern Uganda with child developmentprograms and child sponsorship because the area has tremendous need. Lastweek, unfortunately, two of our sponsored children were abducted." Wrightsays because there are more than a half-million displaced people, their26-dollar a month child sponsorship program is desperately needed. He saysFood for the Hungry is working with churches. "We see our roll as workingwith churches so that they can perform the roll that God has for them intheir country...kind of helping them to reach out in their communities andmake a difference. So, we partner with churches in every community wherewe work."

Indonesia:

Violence against Christians is spreading.

there have been increasing reports of Jihadterrorist strikes against Christians throughout Indonesia. While theviolence has largely been centred around Poso and other nearby areas, itmay be spreading. That troubles AMG International’s Harold Lovestrand. "Weare certainly concerned because if it does spread, that could be very badeventually for the churches that we work with. But, we’re working in thesouth and very removed from that area, so I don’t think it will affect ourchurches, at least not immediately." AMG’s Paul Jenks echoes thosethoughts, but says most of the believers they work with are taking thetragedy as a call to missions. "These tensions are just going to get morepointed and more difficult if Jesus isn’t brought to these people and theyknow Him as Lord and Saviour. So, we can pray specifically for that—thatevangelism and outreach will be refocused and emphasized in Indonesia andthroughout the whole Muslim world."

India:

Believers experience attacks in the north.

Christian Aid Mission reports that harassment appears to begrowing in Northern India. Over the last few days, there have been reportsof indigenous missionaries being beaten and threatened. Police in one areatook a missionary and four other church members into custody on apparentfalse accusations. In another area, a missionary and his family wereattacked and beaten by a tribal group with whom they had been sharing theGospel.

Pakistan:

Missionaries attacked by fundamentalists.

News reports indicatesix Pakistanis were killed and at least three people wounded when maskedmen burst into the compound of a Christian missionary school nearIslamabad and opened fire. Open Doors’ Terry Madison says this is evidenceof open aggression against believers. "Muslims see Christianity as awestern religion. Because of the volatility of Pakistan and the Afghansituation, and because of the number of radical Islamic leaders inPakistan, there have been a number of attacks on Christian facilities." Madison says as far as their outreach in the country, it will continue,but believers need support. "Because of the volatility of the situationthere, this is not a problem that I see that will go away quickly. It justmeans that we just need to keep showing up, as we do with open doors, andstand alongside the church and stand with them in prayer."

Sri Lanka:

A call for prayer for imprisoned Christians in Saudi Arabia.

The Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka, The EvangelicalFellowship of Asia, and The Voice of the Martyrs are calling uponbelievers from around the world to remember two Sri Lankan Christians whohave been held since April by Saudi religious police. The prisoners arebeing pressured to reveal the identities of other Christians. Please prayfor their safe release, and that God would encourage them during thistime. Pray too, that Sri Lankan authorities would intervene on theirbehalf.

Please check http://www.mnnonline.org for more information regarding these stories, missions news, and a weekday audio broadcast.

The Voice Of The Martyrs reports these persecution incidents.

Ethiopia

Evangelical Pastor Killed by Mob.

A mob of Ethiopian Orthodox Church members led by priests attacked and killed an evangelical Christian pastor in his home in Merawi, a town in northwestern Ethiopia, several hours after requesting police protection for his church’s new property and its members. According to a report from Compass Direct, when the congregation of Merawi’s Full Gospel Church started fencing their new property on July 15, the local Orthodox leaders strongly opposed it and a mob tore down the fence. After applying for police protection, they rebuilt the fence the next day, but on July 17 a larger mob tore down the fence and a storeroom. When gunshots were heard, church members tried to contact the police, but no one was at the police station. Around 9:30 p.m. a mob surrounded the home of the pastor, Brother Dantew, and began destroying it. His wife managed to escape after a stone hit her in the head. Their two teenage sons and a servant hid under a bed. When the mob found them, the priest instructed that they be left alone, saying, "We want only the main leader." Dantew was beaten and left with a gaping wound from an axe blow to the head. The attackers then ransacked the house, stealing or smashing everything and left guards behind to prevent anyone from rescuing Dantew, including a doctor who wanted to treat his wounds. When the guards left the next morning, he was taken to a hospital but died on the way. That same night, the homes of eight other evangelicals were attacked and one man, Melkamu, was injured. The police did not intervene until the next morning, saying that it was "beyond their capacity." After the Full Gospel Church called for an investigation, 40 Ethiopian Orthodox Church members were arrested, including six priests.

China, Sudan, Pakistan:

News Updates.

When possible, The Voice of the Martyrs tries to provide updates to news stories as they become available. The following updates have come to our attention this week:

Report on China Gospel Fellowship Kidnapping.

Urgent prayers were raised in April as cult members kidnapped many of the leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship. The CGF has recently released a full report of the incident in English. To read the report, go to http://www.chinaforjesus.com.

Aid Workers Released in Sudan.

Last week it was reported that three aid workers with World Vision in Sudan had been abducted and one was killed by what a UN source identified as government-backed forces. In the past week, all of the workers have been safely returned; one on August 1 and the others on August 3. The kidnappers belong to the South Sudanese Liberation Movement under the leadership of Simon Gatwich (50), who has frequently changed sides in the conflict between the Islamic government of Sudan and the rebel forces in the south.

Massacre Suspects Killed in Pakistan.

Last week’s Persecution and Prayer Alert reported that there had been four arrests in the massacre on a church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Following the arrests, however, the four suspects were killed when four gunmen who were apparently linked to the suspects ambushed a police convoy transporting the prisoners. In the gun battle that ensued, all of the suspects were killed as well as two of the gunmen. Nine police officers were injured. With the death of these suspects, authorities are fearful that the truth about the church attack may never be known.

Please go to http://www.persecution.net to learn more about these stories plus what can be done to help those believers who suffer for their faith.

Keston News Service reports these incidents of persecution.

Belarus:

Criminal charges against Autocephalous priest?

Fears are mounting that the Autocephalous Orthodox priest whose church was bulldozed by the authorities on 1 August (see KNS 2 August 2002) might face criminal charges. "I have been forced to go into hiding," Father Yan Spasyuk told Keston News Service on 7 August from an undisclosed location in Belarus. He reported that his lawyer is also under pressure from the authorities. A local journalist ‘ one of those detained by border troops on 1 August when they arrived to report on the church demolition and fined the next day for "having crossed a frontier zone" - told Keston that the police would not confirm reports of criminal charges against Fr Spasyuk. "All they will say is that they are investigating whether there has been a violation of the law or not."

Belarus:

Moscow Patriarchate priest still refuses to say if he blessed church destroyers.

Despite repeated attempts by Keston News Service to discover from Father Sergei Shelest whether he blessed those sent to destroy the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Pahranichny on 26 July, he again refused to confirm or deny it. A spokesman for the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate told Keston that the Bishop of Hrodna had issued an instruction a month earlier to all his clergy not to participate in anything to do with Father Spasyuk’s parish, and so Father Sergei could not have blessed the demolition workers. Witnesses who have spoken to the people on the bus insist, however, that Father Sergei did give his blessing to the demolition.

Russia:

Independent baptist church still beleaguered.

The independent Baptist church in the Pacific port of Vanino is still without re-registration, its founder, missionary Dan Pollard, told Keston News Service from the United States on 19 July. Pollard himself has been denied a visa to enter the Russian Federation since April 1999 - despite several local court decisions in his favour. The latest court hearing in the long-running legal battle to have the church re-registered was due on 15 July but was postponed. Last November Russian president Vladimir Putin, in a radio interview during his visit to the United States, said in response to a listener’s question about discrimination against Western Protestant missionaries that his job was "to create an environment where it will be possible to profess religions freely," and encouraged anyone experiencing problems in this area to write to his office. Pollard told Keston that both he and his church wrote to President Putin six months ago, but have had "no response whatsoever to date."

Russia:

Salvation army not yet liquidated and battle continues.

The Moscow branch of the Salvation Army still faces another lower court hearing to consider the Moscow justice department’s appeal that it be liquidated and the branch has not been re-registered by the justice department, even though the application is nearly four years old. However on 1 August an earlier court ruling by which the Moscow branch was deemed to be liquidated. The earlier decision to liquidate was not enacted due to the efforts of the church’s lawyers. No date has been set for a new hearing on the Salvation Army’s status. The Salvation Army’s lawyer has told Keston News Service that the Moscow Corps would again be seeking re-registration from the justice department.

Russia:

Yet another Catholic priest, and now Protestants too denied. visas.

Following the stripping of visas from both Catholic Bishop Jerzy Mazur (see KNS 22 April 2002) and Fr Stefano Caprio (see KNS 11 April 2002), on 2 August yet another Catholic priest working in Russia has been refused visa renewal. Fr Stanislav Krajnak, a Slovak, has worked for the past two years in the town of Yaroslavl, 280 kilometres (175 miles) north east of Moscow. Still serving in his parish at present, Fr Krajnak will have to leave Russia by the end of August, when his current visa expires. Also some Protestants from the USA, who have worked in Russia for several years, have been told that their visa renewal was refused "for reasons of the security of the State."

Ukraine:

Authorities halt "jews for Jesus" mission.

The regional authorities in the city of Dnepropetrovsk have banned a street evangelism campaign organised by the mission organization Jews for Jesus and a local Protestant church, claiming that the campaign had failed to get the necessary prior approval. The church’s pastor told Keston News Service he did not think that handing out leaflets and speaking to individual passers-by was a "mass event" requiring official approval. A Jews for Jesus representative told Keston that mission members had been detained by police (and released without charge) and that the authorities had banned one of the mission’s films. Opposition from the local Jewish community to the street campaign resulted in some violence, which each side reported that the other provoked. Condemnation of the campaign by a Dnepropetrovsk rabbi was aired on local television, and even gained national television coverage. Still insisting that the campaign was lawful, Jews for Jesus halted it on 22 July, for fear of doing harm to the church.

Please go to http://www.keston.org to learn more about religious persecution in communist and post-communist lands.

ASSIST Ministries has this interesting story.

Sudan:

New CD highlights the suffering of Christians.

"Make Me Your Voice" is a 501©3 organization dedicated to making high quality music CD’s and using the proceeds to help the Persecuted Church as well as church mission departments and any faith-based organization which can benefit from what they have to offer. "Make Me Your Voice" took two years to produce and includes the work of Andrae Crouch, Charlie Peacock and the nation’s largest church’s worship leaders.

About three years ago, Christian Solidarity Worldwide with Lady Caroline Cox came to speak at music and film producer Ken Tamplin’s church. "It was there I learned about the wholesale slaughter of Christians in Sudan. Over 2 million people have been killed at the hand of the Islamic extremist government of Sudan," Tamplin told ASSIST News Service (ANS).

"I felt that God had directed me to that presentation. As a music producer, I felt God wanted me to make a CD and donate one-hundred percent of all the artist and producer royalties to go toward Sudan aid. So I did. That CD is ‘Make Me Your Voice,’ " Tamplin said.

"Even though there are really no references to the Sudan on the CD, as it is an uplifting Praise and Worship CD, I believe that this is what the Saints in Sudan would prefer. I found it interesting that during the Sudan presentation, the persecuted Christians weren’t whining about welfare, they weren’t embittered about "their plight" they weren’t even asking for our money or food, even though they are literally starving to death. They simply asked us to pray for them," said Tamplin.

"Well, for me, faith without works is dead, I cannot in good conscience say ‘Be warmed and fed,’ and do nothing myself. I decided to put legs to my words. That action is ‘Make Me Your Voice,’ " he said.

For those who may know Tamplin and might remember groups he has sung and played guitar for, such as SHOUT, MAGDALLAN, etc., Tamplin said:"I was building my own kingdom and asking God to come along for the ride. I’m not interested in building Ken Tamplin’s kingdom—I am interested in building God’s kingdom. I believe ‘Make Me Your Voice’ has that heart."

Please check http://www.assist-ministries.org for more interesting articles.

Yours,

Bruce Atchison.

ve6xtc@telusplanet.net

http://gideon.www2.50megs.com

http://help-for-you.com

   

email: ve6xtc@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca