Category: News Briefs

Source: WEA Religious Liberty Commission newsletter, May 15, 2017

On May 9, 2017, the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, was convicted on charges of blasphemy against Islam and sentenced to two years in jail by the North Jakarta District Court.

Purnama, Indonesia’s foremost Christian politician, was appointed as governor of Jakarta in 2014. However, in the wake of blasphemy allegations, Purnama lost his bid for re-election last month.

According to reports, prosecutors had recommended a suspended one-year jail sentence on charges of hate speech. The judges, nevertheless, ignored the prosecutors’ demand. Following the verdict, Purnama’s lawyers stated that they would appeal the court’s ruling. The governor, though, is expected to remain imprisoned during the appeal process.

• Pray that the District Court’s decision will be overturned by a higher court.
• Pray for the quick release of Purnama.
• Pray for God’s protection over him during his imprisonment.
• Pray for God’s comforting presence upon his family and loved ones during this time of distress.

» Read full story or subscribe to the WEA newsletters.

» See also a related article Christian Governor in Indonesia Found Guilty of Blasphemy against Islam (New York Times) and read about a further development, Indonesia to Review Anti-blasphemy Laws (Straits Times).

Source: Christian Aid Missions, May 4, 2017

Vietnam’s new law on religion has generated much debate in the human rights community, but church leaders know for certain only that difficult realities will continue—and that they can speak of them only in hushed tones.

The new law passed in November crystallizes previous ordinances on church registration and controls, and little is expected to change when it takes effect on January 1, 2018. Registering with the Communist government will continue to be difficult if not impossible for some churches, and those that do will be hampered by prohibitions on Sunday school classes and taking Communion, especially in rural areas.

Church leaders unwilling to submit their congregations to religious freedom violations accompanying registration then leave themselves open to arrest.

» Full story describes efforts to support those affected.

» From another part of the world, see Ethiopian State Considers Restricting Christian Activity to Church Buildings (World Watch Monitor).

We’ll end this edition of News Briefs on an upbeat note. The Global Christian Worship blog recently highlighted news about a Zimbabwean worship leader whom you may find inspiring:

“Known as the father of gospel music in Zimbabwe and heralded around the world simply as a great musician and songwriter, Machanic Manyeruke’s rise to international fame from humble origins carries profoundly inspiring and telling lessons,” says James Ault, producer of an upcoming documentary of Manyeruke.

» Watch a short video about the project (for which the funding is now complete) and check out Ault’s website to learn about other documentary films exploring world Christianity. They look interesting.

1. WORLD: How Do Christians Respond to Persecution?
2. TAJIKISTAN: Christians Songs and Books Lead to Arrest for Extremism
3. CAMBODIA: The Shepherd Who Goes After His Sheep
4. WORLD: Sign Language Bible Translation Gains New Standards
5. MEXICO: Reaching Tribal Villagers

…and lots of links to more!

The documentary Under Caesar’s Sword documentary reports the findings of the global research project on Christian responses to persecution.

Though global persecution of Christians has been well documented, the response of global Christians to attacks has not been as well researched. Under Caesar’s Sword is “the world’s first systematic global investigation into the responses of Christian communities to persecution,” including country-by-country analysis, global patterns, and recommendations.

» Download the report and related resources from the University of Notre Dame, or read Here’s the Million-Dollar Answer to How Persecuted Christians Persevere (Christianity Today).

Source: Forum 18, April 28, 2017

The NSC secret police in Khujand arrested Protestant pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov on April 10 after raiding his church and seizing Christian literature. Officials claim songbooks and the book More Than a Carpenter are “extremist.” The pastor is being investigated on “extremism” criminal charges.

The NSC secret police asserts that the songs “Praise God, oh the godless country,” “God’s army is marching,” “Our fight is not against flesh and blood,” are “extremist.” Protestants pointed out that the words of these songs are references to texts of the Bible. Officers told church members during interrogations that these songs are “extremist and call on the people to overthrow the government.”

» Read full story.

» See also Tajikistan Opens A New Chapter: No Books Allowed In Or Out Without Approval (Radio Free Europe) and Young Professionals Quietly Transforming Muslim-Majority Central Asia for Christ (Christian Broadcasting Network).

Source: OMF International, April 28, 2017

It was Good Friday and I was driving home after dark with Lai, my house helper, and her four children on our way back from picnicking at a waterfall. Shortly into the drive, on a quiet forested road, I saw a young tribal woman. She was maybe 16 years old, barefooted, and carrying a baby. I stopped the car and asked Lai to approach the girl to see if we could help drive her somewhere.

Through the windows, I saw something like a heated exchange happening, so I got out of the car to see what the problem was. The young girl was hysterical. Through heavy sobs, she was telling Lai how she was fleeing her husband, a drug dealer, who had been beating her. She was trying to get to her parents’ village, but it was so far and she could hardly walk anymore. We told her not to be afraid, but to let us drive her to where she needed to go. She sat in the front of the car with Lai, who held the girl in her arms and told her that Jesus knows all about her suffering and dearly loves her. “I know,” the girl replied. “I was just praying to him. I said to him, ‘If you really love me, Jesus, if you really, really love me, you will not make me walk all this way to my parents’ house.’ Then your car came!”

The girl explained how she had once known Jesus but had left her faith two years ago when she married her husband. “When I was a believer I was happy,” she told us. “Since I left Jesus, my life has been very bad.” Lai lovingly ministered to the girl, giving her advice on what she needed to do to repent and start afresh with God. “Yes,” the girl replied, “I want to start again with God.” We left her in the embrace of her Christian family who thanked us heartily as their daughter, still sobbing, explained how God had heard her prayer and sent us to rescue her.

As I meditated that night on what had happened, it dawned on me that I had just witnessed something like the parable of the lost son unfolding before my eyes. I went to bed that night praising God that though the sheep may wander, the shepherd graciously goes after them.

» Read full story and another from OMF about a former witch doctor and her struggles to walk with God.

» Also pray for Hmong families in neighboring Laos who have been expelled from their village because of their faith (Voice of the Martyrs).

Source: Mission Network News, May 1, 2017

“Hearing organizations have been doing Bible translation for hundreds of years, but it’s only been within the past 20 or 30 years that sign language Bible translation has even been considered, or even begun to take place,” says Rob Myers of DOOR International.

Thanks to the work of DOOR and several other Deaf ministries, “We now have standards for sign language Bible translation that all organizations should be following.”

“[Sign language Bible translation is] probably going to be one of the biggest needs in fulfilling the Great Commission and fulfilling this idea that every people group needs a Bible in their heart language,” Myers notes.

» Read full story and learn about some of the new standards. Another MNN article describes unique struggles Deaf Christians may face.

Source: Christian Aid Mission, April 20, 2017

In an area of southern Mexico that for centuries has shielded itself from all foreign influence, including the Spanish conquest, a tribal villager who decided to follow Jesus quickly met with hostility from family and friends.

The animist villagers in southern Oaxaca State reproached Reynaldo for abandoning the cosmology of his ancestors—a worldview in which trees, rocks, and other elements of nature were imbued with volatile spirits.

“In many cases I didn’t even know why I was doing the animist rituals, except ‘to not anger the spirits,’ and a life full of doing that never fulfilled me,” he said before being baptized recently. “Now I’ve decided to follow the Lord whatever the cost.”

“These are people that have resisted Western influence for 500 years—to reach them, it takes an average of seven to 10 years,” said [Mariano, an indigenous missionary]. “You have to give your life to the work, and eventually you’ll be accepted by the community, and they’ll give you some land to work and a place in their society.”

Oaxaca is said to be the most ethnically diverse entity in the world; in one 36-square mile area of the state, more than 200 languages and dialects are spoken. Half of the indigenous language-speaking people in Oaxaca do not speak Spanish.

» Read full story.

» Readers, have you heard that another ministry that serves among tribal peoples has just changed its name? New Tribes Mission is now Ethnos360.

1. AZERBAIJAN: Dreaming for Muslims to Believe in Christ
2. GAMBIA: No Longer an Islamic Republic
3. MYANMAR: Study Shows High Incidence of Suicide among Refugees
4. TURKEY: The Malatya Murders and Ten Years of Forgiveness

…and lots of links to more!

A group of Iraqi Christians lined up to travel several hours so they could celebrate Easter in their own church, damaged by the fighting. Read their story (Open Doors).

Greetings,

There are some exciting things afoot in the here-but-not-yet Kingdom! Explore how networks are changing the shape of world mission (Mission Frontiers) and read about the once-a-generation gathering of European students to celebrate the Resurrection (Evangelical Focus).

Partner with the Moroccan church by praying for a very timely need: Moroccan Christians sent a letter to their prime minister calling on authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure Christian basic rights like freedom of worship. Pray also for the Church in Turkey; watch the video mentioned in a related story below.

If, like me, you don’t want the Easter holiday to end, learn about Eastertide or join Eastern Christians in observing Pentecostarion. I plan to incorporate the vision of the International Day for the Unreached into these new-to-me holiday seasons. Got ideas on how to do this well? Let me know.

Blessings,
Pat