Category: News Briefs

Source: Baptist Press, July 3, 2013

Thousands have fled their homes in northern Nigeria amid Islamic extremist attacks on Christians, partly in retaliation for the government’s state of emergency and the destruction of extremist bases.

The violence was attributed to ethnic Fulani Muslims and to the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, indicating the latter has regrouped and retaliated against Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s state of emergency and corresponding destruction in May of Boko Haram bases in the Sambisa Games Reserve in Borno.

Boko Haram is blamed for killing pastor Jacob Kwiza and attacking five Christian communities in Borno’s Mandara Hills area, Morning Star News reported. Fulani Muslims are blamed for killing Toma Vongjen, a Christian in the Wase area of Plateau State, and destroying church buildings in four villages there, the persecution monitor reported.

The thousands who fled their homes had been warned by Boko Haram to flee within a week or face death, area Christians said, the Associated Press reported.

Dinfa Lambda, a pastor in Jos, told Morning Star News whole villages have been displaced in northern Nigeria and that Christian fellowship and evangelistic outreach efforts are no longer possible.

“There are Christian villages that have been completely wiped out by these Muslim terrorists,” Lambda was quoted as saying.

» Read full story, as well as another Baptist Press story making the case that Nigerian Islamic Terrorism Transcends Religion.

» See also, Boko Haram Begs for Forgiveness, Signs Ceasefire Deal (Vanguard News) and Why Nigeria Matters (Julian Linnell, Anglican Frontier Missions).

Source: United Bible Societies, July 5, 2013

Ramez Atallah, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Egypt, asks for prayer during “these momentous days.”

“The real picture of what happened during the demonstrations is radically different from what you imagine. More than 17 million people across the country participated (the largest turnout in our history and possibly a world record, too), but it was mostly peaceful, despite the numbers involved. As I and my family walked through the crowds of people – old, young, men, and women – we felt proud to be Egyptians and to be united with so many of our countrymen – both Christians and Muslims. It was exhilarating to see people’s enthusiasm and love for our great nation.

“It was when Egyptians realized that they could not depend on foreign powers to resolve their crisis that a small group of young people started this grassroots movement designed to force the president’s resignation. The fact that this is truly a movement by and for the people was reflected in the sheer numbers who took part in the protests.

“So rejoice with us for the remarkable events taking place in our country. Pray that the unprecedented unity expressed between all Egyptians who reject the forceful imposition of political Islam will result in a new Egypt where people with different persuasions can live alongside one another in harmony. This is the Egypt I remember from my youth and the Egypt most people yearn for.”

» Read full story.

» See also: Christians and Muslims Come Together to Share Ramadan Meal in Egypt (Christian Post).

Source: ASSIST News, July 12, 2013

“Whom did you cast your vote for?” I asked my tailor, a hardworking man in his early forties who works in his shop in a peaceful locality in Lahore where I have been living for the last 23 years. He stared at me and replied [with anguish], “No one. Our leader told us not to, because we have no rights in the country and we are treated like animals.”

He caught my confusion and added, “I’m an Ahmadi. You might have heard about us?” The hurt on his face left me speechless. It was the first time he revealed his identity, confiding in me knowing well I am a Christian [and therefore also] a minority in Pakistan.

Pakistan is the home to the largest population of Ahmadis in the world and in 1974 became the first and only state to declare Ahmadis “non-Muslims.” In 1984 the Pakistan military dictator further issued an ordinance of imprisoning those Ahmadis calling themselves Muslims, using public prayer rooms, or using traditional Islamic greetings in public.

» Read full story.

» See also: Pakistan’s Ahmadis Face Rising Persecution, Violence (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty).

Source: Barnabas Fund, July 8, 2013

A young Christian man who has turned his home in Belarus into a shelter for the homeless is facing up to two years’ imprisonment after being accused of leading an unregistered religious organization.

Aleksei Shchedrov, 28, is being investigated on criminal charges following police raids on the shelter in the village of Aleksandrovka, Grodno Region, in February and April.

The authorities have taken issue with a prayer room, which is used by residents and local villagers, at the site, but Aleksei insists that he is running a charity, not a religious organization.

He said, “I am a Christian and I help those who are in need. I give them food, a bed, a bath, and clothes, and I pray together with them.”

Aleksei set up the shelter in December 2011 and estimates that he has since helped almost 100 people.

He is being investigated under Criminal Code Article 193-1, which punishes “organization of or participation in activity by an unregistered political party, foundation, civil, or religious organization.” Violators face a fine or up to two years’ imprisonment.

» Read full story.

In This Issue: Praying for celebrity diplomacy and translations that transform

• SIERRA LEONE: Violence Erupts at Orthodox Mission Run by Former Australian Rock Star
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: New, Modern Bible Translation
• VIETNAM: Rare Religious Rights Success
• NEPAL: Tibetan Mother Believes, But Cannot Count Herself a Christian

Greetings!

In February Dennis Rodman visited North Korea. Last month Jennifer Lopez performed in Turkmenistan. Celebrity diplomacy is not new. It’s what Shirley Temple did when she grew up, and Charles Lindbergh and Jane Fonda visited the enemies of their times. Many celebrities get a hefty payout from these wealthy dictators. If stars are going where missionaries are not welcome, how might we pray for these forays?

I almost dismissed this news as having little or nothing to do with God’s kingdom, but then I came across the story of former rock star Themi Adams, who went from being idolized in the seventies to serving and worshiping Jesus in West Africa today. Read some of his story below.

I asked how we might pray. I’ll give it a go. Lord, may you teach celebrities about true worship and somehow use them in the hard places to advance your kingdom.

If celebrity diplomats don’t convince you of globalization’s reach, read Bagpipes Play Up A Storm in Pakistan’s Boom Town. There must be a prayer for this one, no?

blessings,
Pat

Source: ASSIST News, June 29, 2013

A revolt broke out recently against the clergy and mission staff at Waterloo Mission in Freetown, Sierra Leone, which is run by a former Australia rock star who once toured with the Rolling Stones.

Themi Adams, who left the rock world and now heads the [Greek] Orthodox mission in the trouble-torn West African country of Sierra Leone, is accustomed to adversity, and understands very well what could [be] fueling the passion for hostility.

“This community that we are assisting is caught between two ideologies,” said Brother Themi. “They oscillate between peace and violence according to the situation at hand and who is their leader.”

“People do what they know to survive,” said Themi. “If they know ‘bad things’ they will do them. This is what we are here for: to help and get them back on track. And, at times, this can be to our own detriment.”

“There is a tendency to romanticize missionary endeavors. The Orthodox Church and its priests, many here believe are living comfortable lives, but the truth, however, is that the Orthodox Church in Africa is at the frontier, regularly facing life-threatening situations for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Adams says that, since his move to Sierra Leone, his life has been “imminent danger” on at least 50 occasions, but added, “My escape each time was due solely to the grace of God.”

» Read full story. You might also be interested in watching a 2012 video interview with Brother Themi in which he describes his journey “from rock star to reverend” (Vimeo video, InFocus).

Source: United Bible Societies, June 28, 2013

Sunday, June 30 [saw] the dedication of the modern translation of the Sango Bible in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, three months later than planned due to the coup that ousted the country’s president in March.

The country has been wracked by political instability over the last 50 years, leaving both economic and social scars. It is one of the least developed countries in the world and its communities are deeply divided.

Today, around half of its five million people are Christians, while 35 percent hold indigenous beliefs and 15 percent are Muslims. French is the official language, but the lingua franca is Sango (or Sangho).

The first Sango Bible was translated by missionaries and published in 1966. Nearly 15 years later the churches felt the need for a completely new translation using modern Sango [and] taking an easier to understand approach.

“God gave us the Bible to transform us, not just to inform us,” says Bible Society General Secretary Sylvain Ndjendolé. “His Word should transform our heart and not only our intellect.”

His prayer, and that of many others in the country, is that this translation of the Bible will help people understand more clearly than ever before the Bible’s teaching on forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, unity, and treating others with love and respect. Please join them in this prayer.

» Read full story.

» See how the book of Luke in the Chrambo language transformed hearts in Cameroon, enabling them to forgive those who burned their village (YouTube video, Wycliffe Bible Translators) and read about another new African Bible translation, this one in Yoruba (Mission Network News).

Source: Morning Star News, June 27, 2013

Vietnamese authorities in Kontum Province this month resettled four severely persecuted ethnic Sedang Christian families on new land not far from where their homes and farms had been destroyed last February. This is a rare, positive government response to persecution and an important step in the struggle for religious liberty, if it becomes a precedent.

In mid-February, five Sedang minority families who had become Christians about a year earlier suffered nightly raids on their homes and fields by local people, animists who strongly opposed their conversion and tried to force them to recant Christianity.

First their personal and household possessions were wantonly destroyed; next their houses were damaged beyond use; finally, thousands of coffee plants and fruit trees in their fields, ready to yield crops, were cut down and destroyed. During the raids, some members of the families were beaten, and all were terrorized and forced to flee into the forest under threat of death. Four of the five families, 19 people in all, took refuge in the home of a Christian pastor and his wife.

» Read full story.

Source: Asia Stories, June 23, 2013

Chiijik Lhomi has never been a big fan of Christians. Everyone in her community knows it. The 51-year-old woman – who makes and sells rice beer for a living – once loved to poke fun at those who believe in Jesus.

“Then my lost daughter was found,” says Chiijik, whose last name indicates the name of her ethnic Tibetan people group [the Lhomi]. “After that, I started to believe just a little bit.”

That was nearly eight years ago, and in spite of two miraculous healings in her village and countless conversations with other Christians – including Sonam, her runaway daughter who was “found” – Chiijik still isn’t quite sure what it means to be free from sin.

“I believe in my heart about Jesus,” Chiijik says. “But I cannot be baptized.”

A Southern Baptist worker in Kathmandu believes that Chiijik doesn’t want to be baptized because she feels guilty for persecuting those who shared Jesus with her in the past.

“Even though she insists that she believes in Jesus in her heart and is telling her friends and neighbors that Jesus is the one true God, Chiijik does not count herself among the Christians in the community.”

It is difficult for 21-year-old Sonam, now a vibrant, growing Christian, who so badly wants her mother to follow Jesus.

Then a few months ago, Sonam had a dream.

“I had a dream that my mother was sick. I saw my mom’s face and [I knew] she was going to die. I started to cry,” Sonam recalls. “Then [another Christian] said, ‘Why are you crying? Why did you not share with your mom? Now she is going to die.'”

Although Sonam had accompanied countless Christians over the years who had shared their faith with Chiijik, her dream made her realize she had acted only as translator.

“I had never shared Jesus with my mom from my own mouth,” Sonam says. “I knew I needed to share with her.”

» Read full story, then take the Buddhism quiz.

» Has Chiijik, like many Tibetans in Nepal, learned to live with two identities? Read Tibetan Refugees Crying Out For Documentation (IRIN).

In This Issue: New multi-language Bible resource center opens in Bahrain

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! For additional news stories, follow us on Twitter.