[This magazine has been jointly edited by CHRISTIAN TODAY and Torch Trust for the Blind. All the articles were first published on the CHRISTIAN TODAY website christiantoday.com over the last three months.]
From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
Be Peace Makers not Peace Lovers
Mission Challenges Young Christians
The Church Must S-T-O-P HIV/AIDS
YouTube Blasphemy is challenged
Christians Attack Manchester Supercasino
Persecuted Churches in Sudan Growing
Gold Industry must clean up its Act
Youth hungry to hear about Religion
We thank all of you who have sent us such appreciative comments about Christian Today Digest. Please keep your comments coming - favourable or otherwise.
Have you booked a holiday yet? Here are a few ideas.
Away in May - doesn’t that have a lovely ring to it? Well, it could be you - if you fancy booking in for Torch’s book week from May 21st-25th. It’s just one of many opportunities to spoil yourself at Torch Holiday and Retreat Centre, where you will receive great food for body, mind and spirit. For queries about the book week, call Lydia Tebbutt on 01858 438274 or email lydiat@torchtrust.org. To ask about the Centre, phone 01273 832282 or email torchhrc@torchtrust.org.
French Spring Harvest: September 2nd-11th - at the Spring Harvest holiday park on the west coast of France: A great chance for a refreshing holiday with the added bonus of visiting another country. But don’t worry: English is used throughout, and if you’ve already been to Spring Harvest in the UK, the French holiday is much more leisurely! For details, contact Torch House (details at the beginning of the magazine) or email Mike Townsend: miket@torchtrust.org
Israel holiday: September 15th-26th - based by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Enjoy the wonders of the land where Jesus walked. Contact Janet Stafford on 01858 438270 or email JanetS@torchtrust.org
And now, as they say, for something quite different - but very exciting for DAISY users.
At last! An audio New Testament read by real people and easily accessible by book, chapter and verse.
Today’s New International Version Holy Bible (TNIV) is a fresh, contemporary translation of the Bible. It reflects the very latest biblical scholarship and keeps pace with subtle shifts in use and understanding of the English language. The DAISY version has been produced in conjunction with the Royal National Institute of the Blind and Hodder & Stoughton publishers, and is read by Tyler Butterworth and Susan Sheridan. On one structured CD, it lasts 21 hours. It has four levels of navigation to indicate the start of each book, chapter and groups of verses, with phrase level navigating a verse at a time. DAISY books can only be read using a DAISY Talking Book player or DAISY software on a PC. NB: Due to the amount of navigation levels that this DAISY book utilises, it will not work very well with the smaller portable DAISY players such as the Victor Reader Vibe or the Scholar DAISY talking book player.
This DAISY book is taken from the print edition published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2004. DAISY Publication Date: 2006.
Available from Torch or RNIB at £3.99.
Sheila Armstrong
by Maria Mackay
The woman at the centre of the BA faith row was finally able to return to work at the start of February, after nearly five months of unpaid leave and the intervention of 14 bishops, as well as the Prime Minister and numerous Cabinet ministers.
Nadia Eweida, 55, returned to her job as a check-in worker two weeks after the airline did a U-turn on its uniform policy to allow employees to wear Christian symbols openly.
“I’m pleased but apprehensive,” she said in The Times. “It’s been very strange being off work for so long and it’s hard going back when you’ve been off like this. I have had high blood pressure and lots of nosebleeds, probably through the stress. But I’ve spoken to colleagues - 257 of them signed a petition to support me - so I think it’ll be fine.”
But the battle is not over. Now Ms Eweida is fighting for BA to pay out thousands of pounds in back pay, while she also wants the airline to donate £100,000 to the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and include a Christian element in its in-flight entertainment.
An employment tribunal in Reading will set a date to hear her claim that BA “violated her dignity” and discriminated against her on the basis of her Christian faith unless her grievances are “resolved satisfactorily”.
One complaint is directed against the absence of any teaching on Christianity in BA’s diversity training. Muslims get time off to pray, while Christians do not and Ms Eweida wants to see that changed.
A further focus is the possibility of Christian programming in the in-flight entertainment system.
“Prior to 9/11, BA had Muslim entertainment on board, listening to the holy Koran,” she said. “I’ve been asking for a Christian counterpart. I’m going to ask them to provide a Christian entertainment channel on the aircraft.”
BA’s reluctant policy switch followed a public furore in which Cabinet members even threatened to boycott the airline if it did not alter its uniform policy to allow staff to wear symbols of Christianity. The airline came to the decision after an extensive consultation with its own staff and religious groups including representatives from the Church of England, the Catholic Church and the Muslim Council of Britain.
by Maria Mackay and Kevin Donovan
The Archbishop of York has called on Christians to be peace makers and not simply peace lovers, as he spoke of the power of the gospel to bring peace to difficult places at the 40th anniversary of the Christian International Peace Service (CHIPS) at the end of last year.
Dr John Sentamu was guest speaker at the celebration in London together with the former President of Nigeria, General Dr Yakubu Gowon. In his speech, the Archbishop appealed to Christians to play their part in being active peace makers rather than simply passive peace lovers and build communities based on the love of Christ. He said that a “great challenge” remained for those pursuing peace but assured that the “gospel has the power to do it”.
“Christians must struggle to find ways to create communities which transcend tribalism, where we strive to love one another as God has loved us in Jesus,” said Dr Sentamu.
He added, “The time has come, it seems to me, [for] this man of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, [to be] deeply lived out in small communities. [Then] we can actually become the channel in which, instead of caste, deception and death, the world finds the way, the truth and the life.”
In his CHIPS anniversary speech, the Archbishop of York also warned of “militarism out of control”, calling for the UN to be given a central role in mediating global conflicts.
“A scant regard for international law carries a high price, not only in terms of political uncertainty but more importantly in the body count which daily increases in those places where unilateral military action has proved so costly. In the short term such actions lead to quick victories, which make for great headlines. But the hard work of reconciliation, the hard labour of peacemaking ... never made it to the drawing board of those planning the invasion. We only have to look at the mounting daily death toll in Iraq to see the effects of military action without a concerted UN backing, where the consequences of militarist solutions play out against escalating sectarian and anti-western unrest ...”
The CHIPS anniversary also saw the organisation’s founder and director for the last 40 years, Roy Calvocoressi, pass the leadership baton onto his successor, Mark Cuthbert.
Cuthbert laid out his vision for the coming years when he announced CHIPS’ plans to expand its operations to even more countries, including a new reconciliation project in West Africa and possibly in the UK.
“I invite us all to reflect on what part we can play in making this dream become a reality,” he said at the celebration, hosted by longstanding CHIPS supporter, Lord Donald Anderson of Swansea.
Earlier in the year, the Archbishop of York camped in a tent at York Minster where he fasted for one week for international peace in response to the televised pictures of the war in Lebanon. He shared his hope last night that the effort would encourage people to feel that there is something they can do to help.
Meanwhile, Dr Sentamu has dismissed as “tosh” suggestions that he is an Archbishop of Canterbury in waiting. He told an interviewer at BBC Radio York: “Rowan is a very close friend of mine. The Archbishop of Canterbury is unbreakable and from where I stand I can’t have a better colleague than him ... The media are trying to do another Blair and Brown story but my response is: ‘Sorry mate, it ain’t like that; it just won’t work.’”
by Maria Mackay
A BMS volunteer couple in France are challenging a group of young Christians to go deeper in their faith as they work together to transform a church basement into a personal space for the young Christians.
Amy and John Harper are currently spending six months with the youth group at Massy Baptist Church, ten miles outside central Paris and the placement in France forms part of Amy’s language degree. But they are not only improving their French with regular lessons; they are also developing meaningful relationships with the young people.
The youth group is currently involved in a project that will transform the church’s basement into a special area space just for them, a BMS report says.
Amy explains, “There are no real hangout areas that are more glamorous than a street corner in Massy so it will definitely be meeting a need. It is a huge project and a brave step for the church. For us it is also an opportunity to spend more time with the young people and to get stuck into something practical. We are encouraging them to be involved as far as possible to increase their ownership of the place and its future.”
Alongside the two local youth leaders, Sabrina and Raphaël, Amy and John have also been involved in “spiritual stuff” with the young people - including a weekly group at their apartment based on Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life and a discipleship/Bible study for three girls.
Just two months into the experience and Amy and John are already immersed in French life. John has joined the local football team and coaches an under-ten’s team. Amy is in the church’s worship group and is giving English language lessons to a local French woman. They also both attend a church home group.
John says, “We have been made to feel very welcome here and it appears that we are here as a result of many people’s prayers, which is exciting if a little daunting!”
When John and Amy leave Massy next March, another BMS volunteer, Christopher Tolley, also on a language placement, will follow on from them.
There are opportunities for those on language and medical electives.
Please pray for:
· The development of the church basement for future youth work and outreach.
· Young people to grow in their faith through studies and small groups.
· Amy and John in learning French, and in their relationships with local people.
by Anne Thomas
The interdenominational forum, Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking Across Europe (CHASTE) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s determination to combat human trafficking and decision to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The Government has long been urged to sign the Convention by the lobby group, which requires states to address trafficking and to support victims.
The “time for a rest” campaign launched by CHASTE in September sent out over 35,000 postcards to supporters who then lobbied MPs and House of Lords members in their thousands.
CEO of CHASTE, Rev Dr Carrie Pemberton said, “We are delighted to receive this outcome from the Government expressing the desire to protect the victims of the horrendous crime of trafficking in all its forms - particularly for those caught in sexual exploitation. With the churches now providing two-fifths of the safe housing available to those who have been trafficked, we would urge the government to see partnership funding for these pioneering projects - so that more provision can be swiftly brought into place. We shall now move forward addressing the issues of demand which seem to constantly slip from the attention of media and public alike.”
The issues will be introduced to the wider community with a new initiative, “Not for Sale Sunday” on 20th May. CHASTE is encouraged by this positive move by the Government to realise its pledge during the G8 and EU presidency to shift the agenda forward on trafficking.
In addition to lobbying and spearheading campaigns, CHASTE works closely with a wide spectrum of other anti-slavery societies and government agencies. The largest co-ordinated policing operation this country has ever seen was Operation Pentameter which rescued 84 trafficked women. CHASTE participated at a strategic level and now works with the newly formed UK Human Trafficking Centre, the Government’s central co-ordination for its operations against trafficking.
by Elizabeth Kwon, Christian Today US Correspondent
AIDS is the leading cause of death and the fastest spreading pandemic in history. And to date, there is still no cure. While much of the global efforts against AIDS are focused on slowing the disease, megachurch pastor, Rick Warren, of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California, wants to stop it and says the church is an essential ingredient in doing so.
“Tell me what you want to do with this pandemic - slow it down, which is a whole lot easier to do and does not require behavioural change, or do you want to stop it? I am not interested in just slowing it - [although] I do want to slow it - but more than slowing it, I want to stop it,” said Warren at a recent US Christian student conference, Urbana 06.
While there are secular approaches to the prevention of the disease, Warren says there is a component that only the church can deal with. “If you want to stop it now, you have to bring in the church,” he said.
Warren said that popular methods such as supplying condoms, limiting the number of partners and not offering needle exchange will slow the pandemic but will not stop it.
The church, on the other hand, has the ability to stop the disease that 69 million people around the world have been infected with, Warren claims. The author of the best-selling novel, Purpose Driven Life, highlighted four key factors that the church adds to the AIDS prevention equation, which he listed together using the acronym, S-T-O-P.
They are:
· Save sex for marriage
· Teach men to respect women and children
· Offer treatment through churches
· Pledge yourself to one partner for life
Warren said that if the world follows moral teachings on these four aspects, the widely-spread disease will inevitably, over time, come to a stop.
However, as World Vision Vice President Steve Haas had noted prior to Warren’s speech, churches hardly ever mention the word HIV/AIDS.
“We’re still dealing with the stigma and ignorance in this country and it’s got to be erased,” he said, alluding to the current situation of churches in America on the disease. Commenting on the urgency of church involvement, Haas said, “It is a killer if it does not have the appropriate social nets and the appropriate care that could be provided by the community.”
Warren said this was precisely the reason he had come to the convention. “This is what we are praying: for second reformation of the church,” he told Christian Today, identifying the students at Urbana as part of the reformation generation.
“God’s timing is perfect. I see a spiritual hunger, I see a spiritual readiness, the willingness to commit, and a willingness to sacrifice; and all of these things coming in together ... has created a kairos moment - the right time for a reformation to take place.”
Kay Warren, Rick Warren’s wife, stressed the importance of students picking up the task of reformation. “We are handing the next generation - these students, these 22,000 students who are sitting here - a pandemic we have failed to stop,” she said at the press conference. It is the most thrilling thing I can imagine - to know that they are going to get it, and they are going to care, and they are going to do something.”
Rick and Kay Warren were recently joined by world-renowned AIDS experts and key leaders at the “2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church” hosted by the Warrens’ megachurch in California. During the November 30th-December 1st gathering, themed “Race Against Time”, Christians were urged to take hold of the opportunity to stop history’s greatest health crisis.
by Lillian Kwon, Christian Today US Correspondent
[YouTube is a chat website.]
More than a month ago, atheists began to blaspheme the existence of God on the popular YouTube network. Today, Christians are turning the tables and taking up the challenge to stand up to their faith in Jesus Christ publicly.
“I’d like to personally praise the Lord for all He does for me,” said one young participant in the newly launched Praise the Lord Challenge on YouTube. “He’s done so much for me and I’ve only known him a few years.”
The Praise the Lord Challenge counters a $25,000 (£13,000) campaign launched before Christmas in which atheists, many of whom are young students, videotape their blasphemy, denying the existence of the Trinity. “The Blasphemy Challenge” is giving away 1,001 DVDs of the documentary, “The God Who Wasn’t There” to participants. The only price, the campaign states, is “your soul”.
One respondent departed from religion six years ago, he said in his YouTube taping. His grandfather is a preacher and everyone he is related to is “very Christian”. Yet ever since his “freedom from religion”, he has not looked back, he said, as he renounced his belief in God.
With YouTube drawing millions of teens and young adults, the Blasphemy Challenge - launched initially as part of the Rational Response Squad’s war on Christmas - is aimed at young people. The main target audience is the same for the campaign’s opposing side.
Mid-January, Michael Mickey launched his own war against the Blasphemy Challenge on YouTube. Mickey’s campaign is appropriately called The Challenge Blasphemy Project and under it, the Praise the Lord Challenge.
“What happens when we take a stand for the Lord?” Mickey said on YouTube, encouraging believers to videotape their love for Christ. “The Word of God will bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. When we fail to stand,” he added, “no good thing comes.” Mickey called on Christians to take a stand for the Word of God.
A number of Christians have already posted their testimonies in the few weeks since the Praise the Lord Challenge was launched, most of them young students.
“I believe every word that’s in [the Bible],” said one young respondent as she held the Bible up close to the camera. “Praise God.”
“Blasphemy Challenge has seemed to reach a lot of young people, so our hope is we can get youth leaders and pastors ... to try to get young people [particularly] to reach out to that young audience that visits YouTube and demonstrate their faith in the Lord Jesus,” said Mickey, according to One News Now.
And the young Christians say they want to make an impact with their message.
“My purpose is to spread the Word and worship Him with every part of me,” said one Praise the Lord Challenge respondent. “I’ve given Him my life, my heart, my very soul. I will never deny my Lord, my Father, my very reason to live.”
by Maria Mackay
Christians have condemned Manchester’s victory in the supercasino race, announced at the end of January by the Government’s Casino Advisory Panel.
The Manchester-based Christian charity, Church Action on Poverty (CAP), warned that it is likely to create “crippling debts and undermine efforts to tackle child poverty in the city”.
CAP further condemned the Government’s decision to host the UK’s first and only supercasino in Manchester as a “threat to worsen the city’s already poor record on debt and child poverty”.
Niall Cooper, national coordinator of Church Action on Poverty, and vice-chair of the Debt on our Doorstep network, said: “Only last week Save the Children reported that Manchester has one of the worst records for child poverty in the country. Locating the UK’s first supercasino in east Manchester - one of the poorest areas of the city - runs the risk of worsening the city’s already poor record on tackling child poverty.
“Many families across the city are already struggling to make ends meet - the supercasino is likely to tip many over the edge into crippling and unsustainable debt.”
CAP also rejected reassurances from supporters that the supercasino would support regeneration in the area.
“Far from stimulating the regeneration of the area, a supercasino in east Manchester could create a rise in debt, gambling addicts, crime, and homelessness. Recent research from Australia suggests that relaxing gambling laws has led to an increase in homelessness, problem gambling and other social problems. The council talks about it bringing jobs and tourism but regeneration is not to be welcomed at any cost.”
Meanwhile, Anthea Cox, Co-ordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice at the Methodist Church, has called for a proper three-year evaluation period to be set by the Government to assess the impact of the large casino on the local community. While the Methodist Church expressed its relief that the Government had allowed only one regional casino, Ms Cox said that big property benefits from the supercasino were “dubious”. She called instead for the Government evaluation to assess not only the positive but also the negative effects.
“We want to make sure the full range of that impact is measured,” she told Christian Today.
Ms Cox also called on the Government to use money made through the supercasino to address some of the potentially negative social and economic effects, which include an increase in gambling addictions and excessive personal debt.
“There needs to be investment in addressing those issues, and as there are going to be some people in the gambling industry and in the Government making some very large profits from this announcement [of the Manchester supercasino], some of this has to be ploughed back into dealing with the problems that will cause,” she said.
by Daniel Blake
More than 1,000 people in 350 locations have pledged to back Soul Survivor’s HOPE08, a trans-denominational mission movement for 2008. Supporters have said that they will “make Hope happen where they live” - even before the initiative is presented to the nation this month in a high-profile tour. So far, more than 1,000 have signed up to promote and plan for Hope08 - touted as a year of united mission for every denomination across the UK.
“We’re excited about the number who’ve registered their interest so far,” said chairman, Steve Clifford. “But we invite everyone else who wants to see God’s kingdom spread across the UK - to also make Hope happen where they live.”
This new initiative will be highlighted during the Soul Survivor Tour 2007 - at five major cities in the Midlands and Southern England. The programme of activities is being taken to Oxford, Nottingham, Bristol, London and Cambridge.
Participants will hear about the plans from Soul Survivor leader, Mike Pilavachi, and Andy Hawthorne from The Message or Roy Crowne of Youth for Christ. The day will include lunch for “advocates”, a reception for church leaders and an evening event featuring the popular Soul Survivor mix of worship and teaching.
The tour will run from 19th-24th February and will go on to visit Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff and Belfast in the October half-term week.
“Hope in 2008 provides an amazing opportunity for all Christians to work together and make a huge impact on this nation,” said Mike Pilavachi. “My hope and prayer is that through representing Jesus in words and in deeds, we can see lives transformed and bring lasting change.”
Andy Hawthorne has described this year of holistic mission as “the most exciting thing I’ve ever been involved in”. He added, “I honestly believe Hope in 2008 is an opportunity, perhaps like we’ve never had before, for every denomination, stream, conference and movement to play to their strengths - and together make a huge impact on this nation.”
by Gretta Curtis
Churches in northern Sudan are experiencing continuous growth despite persecution, a local bishop has said. The Sudanese capital now boasts 121 priests ministering to 900,000 Christians.
Aid to the Church in Need said that figures released by Bishop Daniel Marco Kur Adwok, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum, indicate a huge increase in which the number of parishes has risen from four to 30 in just over 25 years.
Bishop Adwok said Aid to the Church in Need, the charity for persecuted Christians, had been crucial to the growth of the church in such difficult circumstances. He said: “The position of our archdiocese is strong mainly due to the support we received from Aid to the Church in Need over the past few years.”
His comments, made in Sudan during a recent interview with Aid to the Church in Need, came after the charity gave a grant of over $360,000 (£183,061) to support Christian children in displacement camps outside Khartoum to help with much-needed education programs.
The “Save the Saveable” scheme now provides for 33,000 young people supported by 1,050 teachers.
Support from the charity also lies behind Bishop Adwok’s plans for St Paul’s Seminary, Khartoum, which he announced during the interview. The bishop said he expected that within a year, the seminary’s philosophy section, which makes up a significant proportion of the seminary’s 72 students for the priesthood, will be moved to their new base in Juba, the regional capital in the south of the country.
by Maria Mackay
The gold industry must clean up its act or risk losing new customers after a new YouGov poll for CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, has found that consumers are now keener than ever to ensure that the gold jewellery products available from catalogues and high street stores have been ethically sourced.
According to the YouGov poll, the consumer shift towards ethical products is now extending to the gold jewellery industry with more than one in four people, or 28 per cent of those polled, claiming they would buy Fairtrade gold, even if it meant paying more.
A considerable one in three people surveyed, or 35 per cent, also agreed that they would choose to shop at stores that were concerned about how their gold is produced.
Sonya Maldar, CAFOD’s extractives analyst, said: “The poll results send a clear message to jewellery retailers that they can’t afford to ignore their customers’ wishes for clean gold.
“It’s now up to the retailers to work within the industry to ensure that the gold they sell is produced without harming people and devastating the environment.”
Research undertaken by CAFOD has revealed that gold mining all too often causes substantial damage to the surrounding population and environment, often playing a major role in social conflict. Communities in Honduras have seen their water supplies become contaminated with cyanide and arsenic as a result of gold mining. In the Democratic Republic of Congo meanwhile, a massive 1,200 people die every day as a result of conflict-related disease, hunger and violence, in places where war has been fuelled by the struggle for gold and other minerals, CAFOD reports.
CAFOD criticised gold mining companies for failing to consult local communities about their future plans which, it said, risks inflaming social tensions and causing further conflict.
But UK consumers are all too often unaware of these problems, CAFOD warned. Half the population (49 per cent) admitted they hadn’t really thought about where the gold in their jewellery comes from. Two out of three people (65 per cent), meanwhile, said that gold mining companies should be responsible for limiting any environmental damage caused by their operations.
CAFOD has launched the Unearth Justice campaign to highlight the huge social and environmental costs of gold mining with the call going out to the mining companies and UK jewellers to clean up the industry.
A massive 80 per cent of gold mined each year ends up in jewellery. Now CAFOD believes that retailers can play a key role in raising standards within the industry. As a first step towards this, jewellery retailers and mining companies are being urged to adopt an industry standard based on the No Dirty Gold campaign’s “Golden Rules”. These include respect for human rights and free, prior and informed consent for affected communities. So far only a small number of UK retailers have formally signed up to the Golden Rules.
Maldar said: “Consumers are now increasingly savvy when it comes to ethical standards, which is why companies need to show they are serious about change. We hope that the UK’s leading jewellery retailers will not only sign up to the Golden Rules but work actively with their suppliers and mining companies to set new and robust standards for the gold industry. Growing understanding of these issues means it’s in their best interests to take action now.”
by Jennifer Gold
Christians from all over the world will gather together in London for the Global Day of Prayer 2007 in May. Thousands of Christians of all denominations are due to gather in East London to pray for the capital and its future.
“London is a world class city; it contains people from every nation of the world, and many people around the world look at London as an iconic city,” the Bishop of Barking, the Rt Rev David Hawkins, has said. “I couldn’t imagine a better place to host the 2007 Global Day of Prayer.”
He went on to share that the Global Day of Prayer has reached over 400 million Christians worldwide from 198 countries since its conception five years ago.
“We are asking Christians to pray for London, for East London in particular ... where the Global Day of Prayer is to be held this year,” said Pastor Jonathan Oloyede of Glory House.
Among other subjects, Christians will be focusing on the spiritual, physical and economic growth of east London ahead of the Olympic Games in 2012.
“Churches from almost every borough in London are getting involved in this year’s Global Day of Prayer,” Peter Kerridge of Premier Christian Radio said. “Premier are particularly excited as we have a very strong radio audience based across the whole of London and we’re hoping many of them will turn out for this internationally recognised event.”
The Global Day of Prayer will gather up to 30,000 Christians from all denominations and networks on 27th May - Pentecost Sunday - from 2pm at Upton Park, West Ham Football Club.
by Maria Mackay
North Korea has once again topped the Open Doors’ “World Watch List”, the annual blacklist of the world’s 50 worst persecutors announced in early February by Open Doors USA.
The reclusive communist nation of North Korea tops the list for the fifth year in a row, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia and Maldives. The five worst countries are unchanged from last year’s World Watch List. Yemen (No 8 last year), Bhutan (No 6 last year), Vietnam (No 7 last year), Laos (same) and Afghanistan (No 11 last year) hold spots six to 10.
The annual list is compiled on the basis of answers to 50 questions covering various aspects of religious freedom from Open Doors’ indigenous contacts, field workers and persecuted believers.
Media attention was focused on North Korea in 2006, but nothing has changed for the North Korean people. The North Korean regime launched missiles and tested nuclear weapons in 2006, but, according to Open Doors, this has only meant increased pressure for Christians.
The persecution watchdog said it had uncovered information indicating that more Christians were arrested in North Korea in 2006 than in 2005 and that between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians there are currently suffering in prison camps - many of them experiencing torture. Others are still putting their lives at risk by trying to flee to China.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, public non-Muslim worship is prohibited and conversion to Christianity can be punished with death. In Iran, there were at least eight incidents in 2006 where Muslims who converted were arrested and held for several weeks.
Islam is the majority religion in six of the top 10 countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia, Maldives, Yemen and Afghanistan. Three countries have communist governments: North Korea, Vietnam and Laos. Bhutan is the only Buddhist country in the top 10.
Dr Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors USA, says: “It is certainly no surprise that North Korea remains No 1. There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner. Open Doors is sponsoring a Prayer Campaign for North Korea.”
Meanwhile, the conditions for Christians deteriorated in 2006 in countries like Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Comoros, Iraq, northern Nigeria, Algeria, Mauritania, Turkey, Ethiopia and northeast Kenya. Iraq came in at No 21 where there were reports of increased violence specifically targeted at Christians in addition to the daily violence. Iraq’s Christian population is estimated to have dropped below 450,000, half the size in 1991.
There were also some positive developments. Christians fared better in 2006 in Morocco (from No 20 to 33), Nepal (No 34 to 48) and Tunisia (No 32 to 46).
An estimated 200 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with another 200 to 400 million facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world’s most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers.
by Jennifer Gold
A new survey has revealed that people aged between 18 and 24 are more open to taking part in faith-based dialogue than any other age group. The survey, conducted by London-based Premier Radio, found that Christians came out at the top of the poll, with 74 per cent of 18-24 year-olds willing to listen to Christians talk about their own faith.
Results also revealed 63 per cent of young adults were willing to listen to Jews and despite recent political unrest, 62 per cent were willing to listen to Muslims talk about their religion. Hindus also registered positively in the poll, at 61 per cent. In addition, 71 per cent of young adults were willing to listen to agnostics, only 56 per cent were willing to listen to atheists, the lowest rating in the survey alongside Buddhists.
Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive of Premier, believes the lack of young adults interested in discussing atheism can be attributed to a change in cultural awareness and acceptance of major religions in the media.
“From footballers to reality TV contestants, people are talking openly and positively about their faith in the media,” Kerridge commented. “The result of this includes young adults being more open to explore their own faith as well as being willing to share new found beliefs with others.”
Kerridge, himself a Baptist minister, credited the interest of young adults in Christianity to steadily growing home mission projects across the church: “We have seen that spirituality and faith still play an important part in British culture.
“Within the Christian community, you need only to look at initiatives like the Alpha Course and Soul Survivor to know that young adults are reaching out and finding resources and support in the church.”
by Gretta Curtis
Share Jesus International has announced plans for a Pentecost Festival, a huge Christian event which will take place throughout major focal areas of London in 2008. Over recent months, festival plans were discussed amongst more than 100 Christian leaders representing a full range of denominations, new church streams and organisations, culminating in four receptions which were held on HMS President on the River Thames at the end of January.
Rob Frost of SJI explains: “The call to launch this new project came after I felt God was saying ‘Create something that I would like to come to!’ That’s what’s driving this, a call to create a completely new style of event quite unlike anything on the Christian scene today ... and to do something which will put Pentecost back into the national calendar!
“The more we have explored this idea of an event given over completely to God, the more radical it has become! We felt that Jesus would want to be at the heart of things, where the politicians, artists and opinion formers of our age are to be found. That’s why we’re taking it to the heart of London!”
Pentecost Festival is intended to be multi-cultural, representing the richness and diversity of Christian expression across the world. The team behind Easter People will be working on the festival, with hopes that different ethnic groups will bring their distinctive cultural contributions to the table.
“We are appealing to different Christian organisations and church leaders to lay down any sense of competition, and instead to work collaboratively in putting the Pentecost Festival together in the belief that God would bless what expresses Christian unity in action,” explains Frost. “Already, about 80 groups have made some kind of commitment towards working on Pentecost Festival.”
Other key elements of the Festival will include its ‘all age reach’, bringing the different generations together to sample the best of Christian ministry, creativity and communication which is on offer.
Share Jesus is working in partnership with two major initiatives in the capital: Soul in the City of London and the Global Day of Prayer - the Festival will prominently feature community action and justice and prayer initiatives over the Pentecost 2008 weekend.
Andy Frost, the youth director of Share Jesus International said: “Above all we felt that anything which Jesus came to would be great fun! There would be art ... music ... dance and food, and a kind of creativity and community that the world would take notice of. That’s why we’ll be investing so much time and energy in making it an unmissable event in the Christian calendar!”
The Pentecost Festival will be held in Central London from 9-11 May, 2008. Further details will be available at Rob and Andy Frost’s seminar, repeated every afternoon in the Renaissance room (in the Spanish Suite), over the coming months.
Further information is also available at www.pentecostfestival.com.
By Anne Thomas
A William Wilberforce walk has been unveiled, inviting walkers who want to trace the life of the anti-slavery campaigner. The 35-mile route will open in May, to commemorate the bicentenary of the emancipation of slaves, achieved by Wilberforce shortly before he died.
The walk, which will link his Hull birthplace with Pocklington where he was educated and wrote his first letter of protest against the African slave trade, has been developed by the East Riding Community Cohesion Forum and the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum. It will take in historical points of interest including Beverley Minster, a renowned place of pilgrimage, and the Wilberforce House Museum in Hull.
East Riding councillor, Rowan Blake-James, a member of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum, said: “I feel privileged to be part of such an important and exciting collaborative initiative. It is a wonderful idea to commemorate the abiding work and principles of William Wilberforce in this permanent way. The walk will continue to provide pleasure and freedom long after this centenary year has passed.”
In other news, an upcoming film based on Wilberforce and his slave abolition movement, Amazing Grace, will release in the UK on 23rd March.
Local church leaders will be invited to free previews of the Hollywood film throughout February.
by Andy Flannagan
To say that an event was a “life-changing experience” is a potentially dangerous and over-used phrase in our instant culture, but recently I’ve started to wonder whether or not I should be embracing it slightly more. I think something in our proud “seen it all before” selves stops us admitting that we are affected by the people we meet and communicate with. I think I am resolving to let every encounter that God brings my way be a “life-changing experience”, as I’ll be better and softer for it.
Myself and my band had the privilege of being part of Merseyfest in August. The memories that stick out are not playing on the main stage as 25,000 people streamed through the park or entertaining the campers late at night, but the small gigs we were part of on the weekday evenings with local churches. Phenomenal local church folks had been busting their guts for weeks and months to let their local communities know that they were loved. You didn’t have to be there for long to realise how much prayer and elbow grease had gone into these events. Whether it was bouncy castles or beautifully decorated tables there was much evidence of folks going the extra mile.
Our first night was at Wirral Christian Centre which, along with Wirral Youth For Christ, serves some pretty deprived areas on that side of the Mersey. I really struggled while telling some of the emotive stories that I normally tell during a gig as I could just feel this wave of brokenness coming at me from the folks assembled - single mums, homeless folks, people who had just wandered in straight off the street, rowdy 8-year-old Everton and Liverpool fans proclaiming their allegiances with face paints (sitting side by side!), and scared-looking 80-year-olds. Quite a crew for an andyflan gig, but a very real crew. We had some banter during the early sections with some of the kids coming up on stage to sing “You’re beautiful” at the top of their voices. The prize for the first person on stage was a CD, but all the kids that piled up decided that they deserved a CD, so my pile was quickly disposed of! What can you do when you have a guitar hung round your neck, and are stuck behind a mic stand?
It felt as if we had really connected, as people began to hang on every word, spoken or sung, and you just knew God was communicating with people. It felt as if healing was flowing to people in abundance. The song that has had most impact on folks in the last 9 months is one called “Why does life have to be this fragile?” that I wrote about some kids we met in India who died in the Tsunami. That night it hit home especially powerfully. There were plenty of tears in eyes as folks met a God who knew of their own personal suffering and actually chose to suffer on their behalf.
One lady came up to me afterwards and explained that my song about the prodigal son had hit very close to home. She had had no contact whatsoever with her son for many years. She had been praying and praying that her son would come home for Christmas. I won’t explain all the heart-breaking details, but there was God ministering right into the midst of a pain that I couldn’t even guess at.
Some folks became Christians, but to be honest the numbers weren’t important. I will never forget sitting on the empty stage with the band after all the people and gear had gone, praying and crying for these beautiful, but broken people.
The next morning we had the privilege of singing to all the campers at the tent city who were involved in all the community projects. Each morning they got together for worship, teaching and inspiration for the day ahead. We had intended to just sing the prodigal son song, but as I was explaining to the speaker, Bishop James Jones of Liverpool, what kind of song would be preceding his talk, the presenter on stage mentioned that the theme of the morning was redeeming God’s creation. I stopped for a moment and said “Actually perhaps it would be better to sing my song about the stars.” I went on to explain to him the content of the song, and the bishop’s eyes lit up. He said “Yes. Do it. In fact do both.”
I don’t normally need an excuse to sing extra songs, but when a bishop is telling you to do it, you kind of feel you’d better! So we did sing “See the stars” with the accompanying visuals, and he preached a blinder and I spent the next 72 hours talking to an army of people whose passion for God’s creation had been re-awoken. There was much lying out by tents staring upward apparently. I could almost feel God smiling. It highlighted for me the vital role of the minstrel that I feel is being lost from our gatherings at the moment. All music at present seems to be reserved for worship. Music is such a powerful tool for communicating truth to people in a way that words cannot. Musicians can be teachers and preachers as well as worship leaders. I’ll happily travel 100 miles just to sing one song in a worship gathering or church service. Single songs can be like little depth charges that explode in people’s minds and often more importantly their hearts.
That night we headed for All Saints’ church, Childwall, which couldn’t have provided more of a contrast to the previous night. This was leafy suburbia! The folks from the church had put on a supper for inviting friends. It felt much harder work than on the previous night, as if we were really having to fight something, so much so that the band disappeared into the backstage room to pray at every opportunity.
In the second half, a crowd of “lads” whom some of the team had met during the work project that afternoon landed in and made themselves at home. This involved plenty of noise, aggro and general attention-seeking behaviour! But they sat and listened to most of our 2nd set, and I went to sit near them when Roy Crowne (Youth For Christ’s national director) got up to speak. I just sat praying that they would stay. It felt like any moment they would get up and leave, and as had already happened once, once the “main man” got up to leave, everyone else would too. (A bit like Bagpuss!) They were looking around at each other constantly, obviously uncomfortable at Roy’s challenging words, but somehow drawn to them as well.
The “main man” got up. I thought, “Nightmare. Here we go.” But they didn’t all leave. Some did, but crucially not all of them. And not only did they stay, but they prayed and became Christians in that place, right then and there. The rest of their mates at this point were busy getting away from the Police who had arrived because they had smashed a window in the pub across the road for good measure on departure. The younger lads weren’t the only ones who made commitments either.
The folks from the church were really emotional, and actually (I’m sure they wouldn’t mind me saying this) a bit shocked. They were stunned that God had taken them at their word and moved into their neighbourhood and done something miraculous. Two separate members came up to me afterwards and with tears in their eyes said “Tonight has changed our church forever.” Phew ...
I like my job.
We met another beautiful young girl called Mary that night. We all commented to each other afterwards that something had broken our hearts for her especially, while she had been chatting to us before and after the gig. There are nights when I sing the prodigal song and you just know that powerful stuff is happening, but I’m not one of those hyper-spiritually-sensitive people that know exactly what! There were big hugs on departure, and then we got this email a few days later.
“Your songs just speak the truth and about a year ago I didn’t want to know about God; I hated him for taking my dad in the cruellest way. He hanged himself but God stayed by me when I was tempted by suicide myself and Merseyfest just blew my mind completely.
I just wanted him to leave me alone but he kept his arms around me and stopped me doing a lot of stupid stuff. Your song, Open Arms just reminded me of the fact that I’ve returned to him and I’ve been accepted so much so that I’m about to be baptised. I can’t wait.”
I like my job. What a privilege to be around when God is so busy.
Sometimes we just need reminding that the good news of Jesus really does work. Sometimes we just need reminding that it really is good. Merseyfest did that for me.
[Andy Flannagan is Christian Today Columnist]