In this edition:
Day: March 20, 2024
China: Hainan, Pearl of the South China Sea
Source: Asia Harvest, March 16, 2024
Hainan is a small tropical island province situated off China’s southern coast. Once nicknamed “The Gateway to Hell,” Hainan had few Christians until the 1990s, when God sent a powerful revival which touched every part of society there. Today, Hainan is home to more than 600,000 vibrant Christians.
Uniquely, the instrument the Lord used to impact the island was not a Chinese church leader, but a humble American Baptist missionary family, who implemented God-given strategies that resulted in a revival so powerful that house church leaders from other parts of China traveled to the island to learn from it.
The growth of the Church in Hainan did not come without intense struggle, with many believers suffering for their faith.
The fire of the Holy Spirit fell here with great power, and subsequently [we have heard] numerous firsthand accounts of “power encounters” against the forces of darkness which transformed entire communities.
Read more about God’s work in Hainan and consider picking up a copy of Paul Hattaway’s new book on the topic, the eighth volume of the China Chronicles, a province-by-province account of what the author calls the greatest revival in history. I (Marti) just got my copy.
See also Christianity in Post-Pandemic China: Navigating the Shifting Landscape (ChinaSource).
In news from another country that’s often a religious battle ground, read Indian State Moves to Criminalize Praying for the Sick (Christianity Today).
Haiti: Sincere Intercession Needed
Source: INcontext, March 6, 2024
On Sunday, March 3, the Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency and night curfew after gangs stormed the country’s two biggest jails and freed more than 3,800 inmates. Before the prison break, gangs already controlled around 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The previous week saw gangs burning down police stations, attacking the main airport, and threatening to seize the national palace.
Observers see little reason for optimism over Haiti’s immediate future. No elections have been held in Haiti in the past seven years, and almost three years ago, the unelected president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated. In addition, it’s been more than a year since the last elected officials left office.
While the most recent crisis can be traced back to the president’s assassination in 2021, the roots of Haiti’s chaos go far deeper. These include its slavery and colonial past, the spiritual impact of the practice of voodoo, and the generational economic impact of the vast “reparations” Haiti was forced to pay to France after independence in 1804, which equates to approximately $20 billion in current monetary terms. Years of occupation under the control of American marines was followed by the 29-year dictatorial father-son rule of François and Jean-Claude Duvalier. The Caribbean nation has also endured frequent natural disasters, including hurricanes and the horrific earthquakes of 2010 and 2021.
Read the whole story. It includes a three-minute prayer video. As you may know, Haiti has been a big mission field for American evangelicals. As of 2020, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimated 1,700 career missionaries were serving in Haiti.
Germany: Jazzed-up Psalms Reaching Berlin’s Heart
Source: Eternity News, March 13, 2024
When we arrived in Berlin nine years ago, we knew that being musicians would unlock the doors of this city to us, as a city that is a hub for artists and musicians from across the world. We have met many people through jam sessions, meeting at performances, and busking on the streets. It made sense, through the support of European Christian Mission, to do a jazz recording, bringing God’s Word though original jazz music.
The Berlin Psalm Project was born out of the desire to write creative music for an established church in the north of Berlin. As often happens, the project grew bigger and bigger. We gathered together a group of local musicians to play the music, going from a group of five to a group of seven, including a three-piece horn section.
Despite the very clear Christian lyrics straight from the Psalms, [local musicians] were very keen to be a part of the project. In Germany, despite the pervasive secular atheism that is normalized here, there is a strong biblical and church music heritage, so we believe it’s a ripe time and place to be performing the Psalms.
Praise God for new life coming from many directions. Also from Europe, read Harnessing the Power of Europe’s Migrant Churches, in which a seminary professor from Sierra Leone shares how African migrants are changing the church in Belgium and beyond (Christianity Today).
Eritrea: Giving Voice to a Forgotten Nation
Source: International Christian Concern, March 6, 2024
After seeing the rise of oppressive governments, ICC’s Africa Regional Team created a comprehensive report on a repressive regime that mainstream media often forgets.
Eritrea is north of Ethiopia and Somalia on the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is often not covered in the news due to its lack of natural resources or strategic location. Despite the lack of interest from many international politicians, Eritrea holds value because of its rich history of Christianity. Tracing back to Semitic tribes living in Eritrea in 1000 BCE, Eritrea was home to some of the world’s first Christians. Through years of conflict and devastation, Eritrea has found itself governed by a dictator who commits egregious crimes against the people of his nation. Under his rule, thousands of people have died during a 30-year war, been imprisoned because of their religious beliefs, and fled the country to escape the oppressive regime.
Conditions in the “North Korea of Africa” have deteriorated with no acceptance of blame from [Ethiopian President Isaias] Afwerki. The report provides a concise yet robust historical and current overview of Christian persecution, two case studies of Christians in Eritrea, and policy recommendations. Through this report, ICC intends to raise awareness of the plight of Christians in Eritrea and recommend ways government leaders can alleviate their suffering.
In another religious liberty news story from East Africa, Christian Solidarity International reports that they helped free 1,500 Christian Sudanese slaves in the last year (Christian Broadcasting Network).
Guatemala: Public Schools Fight Gang Culture With Bible Study
Source: Religion News Service, March 4, 2024
Terra Nueva is a tough area. Potholed roads make journeys difficult. Shops on the main thoroughfares are rundown. Many families have endured poverty and disruption since the time of the nation’s civil war, which lasted nearly four decades and led many rural families to move to the metropolitan area’s relative safety. But the cities have a high level of crime, much of it linked to gangs.
Many children in the Guatemala City metropolitan area leave school at 14. In rural areas it can be as young as eight. For those who do attend, there’s often a shortage of teaching materials, including textbooks and modern reading devices. In Mixco, 650 pupils share just 12 computers.
In response to these challenges, Mixco school administrators have introduced a program created by the Bible Society in the United Kingdom called Open the Book that dramatizes Bible stories, with students singing and dancing along as a way of learning both reading and the Bible.
Read or listen to the whole story. to see how the community is changing.
You might also be interested in another RNS story about iBible, a new animated Bible series aims to reach post-reading generation. Looks like it will launch on Easter.