In This Issue: China, South Africa, Iran, and More
- CHINA – Bookstore Owner Sentenced to Three Years
- SOUTH AFRICA – Ex-apartheid Policeman Washes Feet of Former Subordinates
- IRAN – Five New Christian Converts Arrested
- SOUTH PACIFIC – Remote Villagers Waited for “Precious Gift”
- NEPAL – 400 Nepali Christians Suffer Church Bombing
Missions Catalyst is a free, weekly electronic digest of mission news and resources designed to inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry. Use it to fuel your prayers, find tips and opportunities, and stay in touch with how God is building his kingdom all over the world. Please forward it freely!
World News Briefs, edited by Pat Noble, are published twice a month.
CHINA – Bookstore Owner Sentenced to Three Years
Source: Compass Direct, June 10, 2009
A Beijing court [has] found Christian bookstore owner Shi Weihan guilty of “illegal business operation” and sentenced him to three years in prison and a 150,000 yuan (US$21,975) fine.
Sources said Shi’s store operated legally and sold only books for which he had obtained government permission, and that his Holy Spirit Trading Co. printed Bibles and Christian literature without authorization but only for free distribution to local house churches.
The 38-year-old Shi had been released on January 4, 2008 due to insufficient evidence for the same vague charge of “illegal business operation,” but he was arrested again two month later, on March 19, and held virtually incommunicado.
Contrary to Chinese law, authorities have denied all but a few visits from his lawyer and family, held him without charges for most of his time in jail, and initially withheld medication for his diabetes.
>> Full story with picture.
Editor’s note: See also the story of a Uygher Christian who may be secretly sentenced to three years of “re-education”
SOUTH AFRICA – Ex-apartheid Policeman Washes Feet of Former Subordinates
Source: Ecumenical News International, June 2, 2009
A former minister of police in South Africa’s apartheid regime has washed the feet of people he says he wronged while head of one of the most feared arms of the state.
The foot-washing took place during a “men’s evening” arranged as a follow-up to lay preacher Angus Buchan’s “mighty men” gathering in May, which had been attended by about 140,000 people.
Adriaan Vlok asked about 500 people at the men’s evening if there were any former police officers or soldiers in the audience “who stood in the trenches for the apartheid regime” and whom he could ask for forgiveness.
“It was very emotional. There were tears in their eyes and the last man was deeply touched. They forgave me,” Vlok said later at his house in Pretoria.
“Apartheid’s policies were based on lovelessness. They hurt a lot of people.”
>> Full story.
Editor’s note: A new movie, “Faith Like Potatoes,” is based on Angus Buchan’s story (also told in the book of the same name). See the trailer.
IRAN – Five New Christian Converts Arrested
Source: The Christian Post, May 28, 2009
Security officers in Iran recently arrested five newly converted Christians and the leader of the house church they were meeting in, reported a Farsi Christian news agency.
The authorities were in plain clothes when they raided the house church located in the northern city of Karaj. According to [FCNN’s] sources, no arrest or search warrant was given by the security officers to the house church leader when they invaded his house.
Several Bibles and New Testaments were confiscated during the raid. The newly converted Christians and house church leader have been taken to an undisclosed location. Authorities have refused to reveal to the detainees’ family members where they have taken them.
“Iran should refrain from invading Christian houses, arresting converts and confiscating their properties,” said Jonathan Racho, regional manager for Africa and the Middle East at International Christian Concern. “Iran must allow its citizens to choose what religion to follow.”
>> Full story.
Editor’s note: Please keep Iran’s Christians in your prayers at this sensitive time. See also Iran’s Unrest May Signal Good News for Christians.
SOUTH PACIFIC – Remote Villagers Waited for “Precious Gift”
Source: Baptist Press News, May 29, 2009
No one knows when the legend began. But generations of Sayang* have waited for its promise to be fulfilled.
For more than five centuries they have eked out their existence on a remote South Pacific island, virtually cut off from the outside world. Here, the Sayang have survived as farmers, growing crops on rocky soil nearly too poor to farm. Rain has been the only source of fresh water. They’ve had no electricity or phone service, not even a doctor.
Twice government troops have tried to force the village of 10,000 to relocate – once at gunpoint. But the Sayang refuse to leave because they are bound by the legend’s promise – the arrival of a foreigner bearing a precious gift.
Agus* vividly remembers Martin’s arrival in Yang Jauh. His father had taught him the legend as a boy, and it was his father’s voice that echoed in Agus’ mind as he hurried to the house where village elders had gathered to receive their latest visitor.
“I was afraid something got lost in translation – this was too good to be true,” Martin remembers. “I know a lot of people probably would have jumped on that and laid out the plan of salvation. But I wanted to learn more about this story and the culture. Their worldview, their mindset, is very different from ours.”
* names changed.
>> Full story with pictures.
NEPAL – 400 Nepali Christians Suffer Church Bombing
Source: Mission Network News, June 1, 2009
Friday [May 29] marked Nepal’s first Republic Day since [last year’s] abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. The new Prime Minister is forging ahead with the peace process, and President Ram Baran Yadav called for the strengthening of democracy.
While these are encouraging messages, Christians are still on the waiting end for the religious freedom that democracy offers. According to a report from Voice of the Martyrs Canada, 400 Christians were at Assumption Catholic Church in Kathmandu when a bomb exploded inside [on May 23].
One 15-year-old girl died immediately in the blast. A 30-year-old woman was critically injured and died at the hospital. A pamphlet from the National Defense Army was later found at the church. They are a terrorist group who wants Hinduism restored as the state religion. Until May of 2006, Nepal was the only country in the world whose official religion was Hinduism.
>> Full story with prayer points.
See also these updates: Nepal Detains Suspect in Deadly Church Blast (Worthy News) and Man Who Suffers Most Considers Bomb Blast a “Blessing” (Union of Catholic Asian News)
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