RELIGION TODAY

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Megachurches Offer Relational Approach with Multiple Sites
Robert Wayne


September 25, 2009

Rick Moore and his growing church hope to implement their big plans in a small way. The pastor and his congregation are part of an emerging shift away from single-location megachurches toward multiple site churches that hope to bring a best-of-both-worlds approach to ministry.

These multi-site churches, also known as campus or satellite churches, typically consist of a central worship service from which the sermon is transmitted or streamed to smaller congregations that can be right next door or on the other side of the world.

The core concept is to provide as many people as possible with a strong sermon message while moving away from the impersonal, humongous single-site church - such as Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, where 44,000 people meet each Sunday in a former NBA arena.

"It's almost like me starting a church plant with 150 people, but with a paid staff and resources of a 1,000-person church," said Moore, who is the satellite pastor at Community Christian Church in southwest Ohio. His congregation meets at a high school about 12 miles from the "mother church" location. Unlike many multi-site situations, that close proximity allows the two churches to stagger their start time so the sermon can be delivered live at both sites.

"When we started the second campus (in 2008 ) it was a smaller church of about 50 or 60 members," Moore said. "Now we're averaging over 150."

That growth spurt fits with a new report appearing in the October issue of Outreach magazine that lists the 100 largest U.S. churches based on attendance figures compiled by Lifeway Research in Nashville. Lakewood leads the list, as it did in 2008, but the next 10 largest all are multiple sites.

"Multiple sites are the new normal for fast-growing and large churches. Lakewood is the exception. The next 10 all have multiple sites," says Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay. "They're contemporary, aggressively evangelistic and evangelical and they're moving beyond the 'big box' megachurch model."

Several factors contribute to the growth increase of the multi-site churches, said Scott Thumma, a sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary and co-author of "Not Who You Think They Are: The Real Story of People Who Attend America's Megachurches."

"Most likely it is the medium-sized megachurches that are saying, 'We need to grow ... but because of the financial state we're in we can't just build from a 2,000-seat building to one that is 5,000 or 10,000 seats,' " Thumma said. "So instead they're opting for the multi-site thing which has satellite campuses in a theater here or a high school there. Then they are either linked by direct feeds or you run the earlier service over on a DVD.

No two multi-site churches operate the same, but often each satellite campus will have its own service wrapped around the televised message.

"The have their own praise band and often their own campus pastor," Thumma said.

Moore, for instance, handles pastoral care at his campus, while also giving the broadcasted sermon once a month in place of the senior pastor.

"Anyone who comes to our Trenton campus, I'm the one they see and talk to," he said.

Moore said the church plan is to increase from one campus to two next year by touting the benefits of convenience.

"What we've said is, it's one thing for you to come to church and like it so much that you're willing to drive 30 minutes," he said. "It's another to get your next-door neighbor to load their kids and come. So we want to produce the same quality stuff at our campus so you can drive 10 minutes instead of 30. As we reach out to the county we want to move to them, not be a church that expects them to come to us."

Thumma said similar techniques seem to be working nationwide.

"On one hand, it's a great sort of growth strategy," he said. "Even in our 2008 survey of megachurches, those with satellite churches had significantly larger attendance than those without."

Satellite churches don't have to pile on building debt and are good for volunteerism, Thumma said, explaining that each additional campus means that many more people can be plugged in as greeters, worship team members and ministry leaders.

"It gives people a place to use their callings," Thumma said. "The (single-site) megachurch limits that."

An estimated five million Americans a week attend about 1,300 megachurches. A megachurch usually is defined as having weekly attendance of 2,000 or more, but even a church of 800 like Community Christian Church ranks in the top 2 percent of U.S. church attendance, Thumma said.

The satellite system may seem too radical for some, especially older church-goers more comfortable with the traditional format of a pastor speaking on the stage in front of them instead of a screen overhead. But multi-site growth shows that expectations are changing.

"In our increasingly technologically-advanced society, people are quite familiar with looking at screens and seeing a visual representation of a person and thinking of that as reality," Thumma said. "So we're developing people who can see an image on a screen and not think of it as only two-dimensional. That is increasingly the way people communicate with each other. You see an icon on Facebook and it's, 'Yeah, I know that's a real person.' "

There may be some drawbacks to the megachurch/multi-church method. Megachurch-goers volunteer less and give less money, according to a survey conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary and Leadership Network. The survey of nearly 25,000 people who attend 12 U.S. megachurches was conducted from January through August 2008.

"Studying the date on megachurch attenders, if there is a difference between people at satellites vs. those in single-location churches, my initial sense is there would perhaps be fewer mechanisms at satellites for commitment to supporting the overall church," Thumma said. "They don't have a commitment to that entity but to the small group."

Those concerns aside, Thumma thinks megachurches are meeting a need not met in more mainline churches, at least for those age 45 and under. The Hartford study found that almost two-thirds (62 percent) of adults who attend Protestant megachurches are younger than 45, compared to 35 percent of U.S. Protestant congregations overall.

"I believe (multi-site churches) can be a good thing for those who want to have intimacy in a smaller group or for people who want the experience of a small church-type worship where you know everybody's name, but who also want the quality and giftedness of a large congregation where there's a famous pastor and great choirs," he said.

And growth numbers involving megachurches seem to show they are relatively healthy in comparison to churches as a whole.

The third edition of the Faith Communities Today Study of 2,527 U.S. congregations, released last week, finds the nation's Catholic, Protestant and other  world religions suffering. Only 19 percent reported they are in excellent financial health, down from 31 percent in 2000. Less than half (48 percent) could report at least 2 percent growth in worship attendance, down from 58 percent in 2005.

It's a different story at Moore's church.

"We haven't taken that next step yet (to add campuses), but it is the plan," he said.

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 25, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Kenya Drought Leaves 4Million Needing Handouts
    * PC(USA) Panel Reaches No Agreement on Gay Relationships
    * Saddleback Church to Host Civil Forum on Reconciliation
    * Russian Orthodox Visit to Rome Signals a Thaw

Kenya Drought Leaves 4Million Needing Handouts

UK Telegraph reports that a three-year drought in Kenya has left up to four million Kenyans dependent on food and water aid. As crops have failed and the water shortage as worsened, food prices in some places have more than doubled. The drought has now spread to neighboring Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti, jeopardizing the delicate political structure of the region. "We've not seen a food crisis of this magnitude and severity in many years, and it is children who will suffer the most if the world fails to respond quickly," Ned Olney, Save the Children's vice president for global humanitarian response, said in a statement Tuesday. The Telegraph reports that near the town of Elwak in northern Kenya, where water tankers arrive only every four of five days and provide families with a few liters apiece, the need for water has sometimes resulted in fights and injuries.

PC(USA) Panel Reaches No Agreement on Gay Relationships

The Christian Post reports that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) publicly acknowledged the "honest and sincere disagreements" over homosexuality in the church in a new draft report. The denomination, however, stopped short of allowing each church to determine its approach to the question, as the Evangelical Lutheran Church moved last month. "What is the place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community? The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cannot agree," the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Unions and Christian Marriage said in its September report. "The question before us is not what issue will define us at any given moment, but whether then Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can acknowledge that our unity in Christ supersedes any other claim or argument clamoring for our attention," the special committee stated, calling Presbyterians to listen to one another with openness and respect.

Saddleback Church to Host Civil Forum on Reconciliation

Rick Warren's Saddleback Church will host its next civil forum tonight, focusing on reconciliation. The event features Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, and Croatia-native Dr. Miroslav Volf, Yale professor; both will share how the transformational power of reconciliation reunified their peoples after debilitating genocides. "These two men share a love for their native countries, and a desire to bring peace and prosperity through the revolutionary power of reconciliation to rebuild," said Warren, founding pastor of the Orange County, Calif. mega church and author of the best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life." "They have seen first-hand the influence that forgiveness and non-violence have had on Rwanda and Croatia - countries that were nearly destroyed and are now in the process of being unified, which should be an example to all of us."

Russian Orthodox Visit to Rome Signals a Thaw

Religion News Service reports that a Russian Orthodox official's five-day visit to Rome, including a meeting with the pope, is being seen as a sign of thawed relations between the two churches. Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion, who chairs external church relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, met with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (Sept. 18 ) at Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence. He also took part in a service at the Catacombs of St. Callixtus and spoke of the martyrdom of the early Christians in Rome. "Now, when the Orthodox and Catholic churches are not in Eucharistic communion, and when many Protestant denominations have deviated from the fundamental principles of Christianity, we must understand clearly that division is a sin that tears apart the body of the church and weakens the strength of Christian witness before the secular world," Hilarion said. Relations between the two churches have been more friendly since the ascension of new Russian Russian Patriarch Kirill I.

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Christian Convert Couple Wins Right to Asylum in U.K.
Michael Ireland


September 28, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian man who married a Muslim woman who converted to Christianity has won the right for the couple to secure asylum in the United Kingdom.

The couple was helped by the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), the international affiliate of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

The ECLJ, in collaboration with Gillman-Smith Lee Solicitors and Barrister Mark Mullins, recently convinced the U.K.'s Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to permit an appeal by the persecuted couple to move forward and to issue a ruling on behalf of the couple.

"This represents a critical victory in the ongoing challenge to protect those who take great risk in proclaiming their Christian faith," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ECLJ and ACLJ.

"At a time when so many Christian converts face real persecution-including the threat of death-it's encouraging that this couple can now stay in the U.K. We're delighted we were able to provide assistance in this very important case," he said.

According to the ELCJ and ALCJ, the couple faced persecution from the woman's family because of their marriage and Christian faith. The woman's uncle, who is Muslim, attacked the couple in their home. He then detained them in his house for several months, beat them, and forced them to recant their faith. The uncle also sought the services of a Muslim cleric to teach the couple about Islam.

The two justice groups say that although current Pakistani law neither prohibits nor allows religious conversion, conversion from Islam to Christianity subjects converts to Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws that often results in beatings and death.

The couple, whose identity is being withheld for their safety, made several attempts to flee before finally escaping. They received a visa to the U.K. and applied for asylum there. The U.K. Border Agency denied their asylum claim, but the couple was given the go-ahead to appeal that decision.

The ECLJ & ACLJ provided a critical report urging that the appeal be permitted and the couple be granted asylum in the U.K.

The report included an in-depth look at the danger facing interfaith couples and Christian converts in Pakistan. The U.K. Asylum and Immigration Tribunal allowed the asylum appeal on September 2, 2009, deciding that the couple prevailed on their asylum claim and should not be removed from the U.K.

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 28, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Motive Sought for Slaying of Church Worker in Bangladesh
    * Iran Leader 'Potential Hitler,' Says SBC Leader
    * British Methodists Laud Fiji Church in Face of Persecution
    * 'Designated Giving' an Option for Lutherans, Activist Says

Motive Sought for Slaying of Church Worker in Bangladesh

Compass Direct News reports that Authorities are investigating possible motives for the vicious killing of a church worker by students at Dhaka University. A management student at the university and his friends are accused of torturing and killing Swapan Mondol, 35, on Sept. 12 in a park adjacent to the university. Mondol, a convert from Hinduism, was supervisor of youth mission for Free Christian Church of Bangladesh. Friends of the primary suspect, Mohammed Rajon, claim they came to his aid after Mondol stole his cell phone, a scenario that Mondol's wife and police doubt. His wife, Lucky Mondol, told Compass that when she arrived at the hospital she found her husband's body smeared in congealed blood and with two holes in his head. "The students said they caught him red-handed, so why didn't they just hand him over to us?" local police inspector Rezaul Karim said. "If he had snatched anything from them, we would have recovered it from him."

Iran Leader 'Potential Hitler,' Says SBC Leader

Baptist Press reports that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has demonstrated again why he is "the potential Hitler of the 21st century," Southern Baptist ethics leader Richard Land said. Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, Ahmadinejad repeated his attacks on Israel, saying the Jewish state is guilty of "inhuman policies" in its occupation of Palestinian territories. He said the Palestinians were victims of "genocide" at the hands of the Israelis. "If he lived in a civilized nation, he would be institutionalized," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "Unfortunately, he lives in a country where he runs a barbaric dictatorship that clearly, clearly does not have the support of the majority of the Iranian people."

British Methodists Laud Fiji Church in Face of Persecution

Christian Today reports that Methodist Church leaders in Fiji continue to face close government monitoring, setting them apart from any other faith group. "The Methodist Church is the only faith group in Fiji to receive this treatment, but it remains committed to playing its necessary role in building a renewed and just society in Fiji," said Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator of the Methodist Church in Britain. The Church's President, the Rev. Ame Tugaue, and General Secretary, the Rev. Tuikilakila Waqairatu, were released on bail but still face trial in November for "breaching public emergency regulations." The church has called the country's military government "illegitimate" since they took power in a 2006 coup. "This is intimidation and we applaud the Church in Fiji for its continuing attempts at dialogue rather than confrontation." Pearce said.

'Designated Giving' an Option for Lutherans, Activist Says

OneNewsNow reports that conservatives in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America say they don't want church members to withhold funds after the denomination's approval of gay clergy. They simply urge congregants to carefully designate their tithes and offerings to "solid ministries" within the denomination. "...[T]here shouldn't be just general support for the churchwide organization because it's clear that they're up to no good," Mark Chavez, director of the conservative ELCA group Lutheran CORE, said in August. He clarified that statement this week. "They would designate in their gifts to their congregations -- and congregations should start designating in their gifts that they send to their synods and so forth," he suggests. "And if the synods won't work with them to honor those requests, they unfortunately are just going to have to send the money directly to independent Lutheran ministries, or some of the good ministries within the ELCA or their synods."

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One in 5 Americans May Be Secular by 2030
Angela Abbamonte


September 29, 2009

(RNS) -- The number of American adults who do not identify with a particular religion is growing and may comprise more than 20 percent of the population in two decades, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers at Trinity College, the study, entitled "American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population," showed that people who profess no religion, or "Nones," are similar to the general public in marital status, education, racial and ethnic makeup and income.

According to the study, it is possible that one in five Americans will put themselves in the "None" category by 2030.

"We are here. We are like everybody else. We are part of the community." said Jesse Galef, communications associate at the Secular Coalition for America.

Galef hopes that this trend will dispel stereotypes that Nones have no morals because of their lack of religion and help them gain a political voice.

The study indicated that a large percentage of Nones also decline to identify with a political party. More than 40 percent call themselves independents; 34 percent say they're Democrats; and 13 percent Republican.

"If the Republican Party wants these votes back, they can't be dominated by the religious right," said Galef.

Barry Kosmin, head researcher for the study, said that the spread of the Nones is a national and historical phenomenon. He cited examples from the Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson's version of the Bible, in which he cut out reference to Jesus' divinity.

The most notable difference between Nones and the religious population is the gender gap. Only 12 percent of American women are Nones while 19 percent of American men claim no religion. According to the study, women who grew up in non-religious homes are less likely to stay non-religious. Women are also less likely to switch out of religion.

"Why, now, I have no clue," said Kosmin. "(The study) raises as many questions as answers."

Most Nones would not consider themselves atheists. More than 50 percent believe in either a higher being or a personal God, while only 7 percent are self-proclaimed atheists. One in three say they "definitely" believe that humans developed from earlier species of animals.

Of "converted" Nones, 35 percent identified as Catholics until the age of twelve. William D'Antonio of Catholic University says this finding accords with his research, and that other studies have shown that Catholics often leave the church because they view it as overly dogmatic.

Kerry Robinson, executive director of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management (NLRCM), has been working to keep Catholics involved in the church by asking them to give of their talents in service.

"When you invite someone to give what they do best," said Robinson, "they become more invested in the church."

NLRCM is partnering with St. Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University to bring this concept to students who are excited about being a part of the Catholic Church. They are planning a pilot program that will span several campuses, bringing students together to be trained for church leadership after graduation.

Most of these students will be graduating with degrees in subjects like accounting and communication. This program hopes to "bring them and their service to the church and its temporal needs."

While this and other initiatives to keep people involved in religion develop, Nones are still growing in number and continue to look more like the general population.

In the conclusion of the Trinity study, researchers say Nones are the "invisible minority" in the U.S. "because their social characteristics are very similar to the majority." The shift to secularism in the 1990s largely happened "under the radar," the researchers said.

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 29, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Relief Groups Respond Quickly to Philippines' 'Katrina'
    * One in Three Americans Giving Less to Charity
    * India: Pastor Seriously Wounded by Suspected Extremists
    * Court Dismisses Judgment against Anti-Gay Protestors

Relief Groups Respond Quickly to Philippines' 'Katrina'

The Christian Post reports that aid agencies have jumped into action after the capital city of the Philippines was swamped by a tropical storm. Typhoon Ketsana killed at least 140 people and forced 100,000 to evacuate Manila. "Thousands of people have lost all they owned - their food, their clothing, bedding, school items, and kitchen equipment. But their immediate needs are for food and water," reported World Vision Philippines Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director Boy Bersales. "Many have gone without either for hours and hours and the children are especially vulnerable having been trapped in flooded conditions for several days. The city is only now waking up to the massive extent of the devastation." The storm's impact has been compared to America's Hurricane Katrina.

One in Three Americans Giving Less to Charity

Christian Newswire reports that one-third of U.S. adults say the current economic climate has resulted in their decreased giving to charities, according to a new survey released by World Vision. The international Christian relief and development organization has seen a modest increase in sponsorships this year (3 percent), but private cash donations are down 3 percent from 2008. The survey marks a shift from the charitable mood Americans were in around Christmas of 2008. At that time, seven out of 10 Americans said they would probably spend less on holiday shopping, but half said they were more inclined to give or receive a charitable gift for the holidays. Although giving is slightly down, most polled say faith-based organizations (67%) and non-profit foundations (63%) should bear responsibility for helping the world's poor.

India: Pastor Seriously Wounded by Suspected Extremists

Compass Direct News reports that suspected Hindu extremists beat a pastor on his way home from church on Sept. 20, leaving his unconscious and profusely bleeding on a village road. Pastor Vanamali Parishudham, 35, says the three men jumped him from behind and struck him in the head with sharp-edged metal rods. Nirmala Desai, deputy nursing superintendent at the Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in Narketpalli village, told Compass that Pastor Parishudham sustained "a lot of blood loss" from the head injury. She said someone from the village called an emergency number for an ambulance. The pastor says he could not identify the men, who are suspected members of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Court Dismisses Judgment against Anti-Gay Protestors

Religion News Service reports that members of Westboro Baptist Church, the anti-gay church that protests military funerals, will not have to pay a $5 million judgment against them. The father of a Marine who was killed in Iraq in 2006 sued Westboro pastor Fred Phelps and members of his Topeka, Kan., church after they protested his son's funeral with signs that said "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates America." Judge Robert B. King of the 4th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., writing in the majority opinion, said the signs were "utterly distasteful" but addressed "matters of public concern." Rejecting the privacy arguments of Albert Snyder of York, Pa., King upheld the church's free speech rights. "Notwithstanding the distasteful and repugnant nature of the words being challenged in these proceedings, we are constrained to conclude that the defendants' signs and (statements on the church's Web site) are constitutionally protected," King said.

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In Kenya, Drought Starves Hearts and Stomachs
Caroline Anderson


September 30, 2009

SAMBURU, Kenya (BP) -- Charlie Daniels is in mid-sermon when an elderly woman faints. It isn't the Kenyan heat that's the culprit -- it's hunger. She has not eaten in four days.

"Is there any food?" the woman's son asks. "Please, anything," he pleads. No one volunteers.

Daniels stops his sermon and retrieves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from his truck. Village women slowly feed the elderly woman tiny pieces of the sandwich.

Daniels asks why no one answered the son's plea for food.

"There's no food here," the people respond.

It's been three days -- or more -- since any of them have eaten.

Daniels, a Southern Baptist missionary in Kenya, heads to a nearby town in search of food in a country that's already skeletal from famine.

Drought and famine are close cousins in the Samburu district in central Kenya. Crops have shriveled from the lack of water. Daniels' wife, Sandra, says there has not been sufficient rain since last November and livestock is dying.

In January, the Kenyan government reported more than 10 million people could be facing starvation. The Kenya Food Security Steering Group, which acts as an advisory board on issues of drought management and food security, reported in September that 3.8 million people in several districts, including Samburu, are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance.

When Daniels drives to the town of Kisima to buy beans and maize meal for the villagers, he uses World Hunger Funds to pay for the supplies.

As he returns to the village, the crowd has swelled from 25 to 50 as word spreads that someone is bringing food. The two 200-pound sacks of beans and maize meal will feed the families for another week.

"Thank you for bringing the food when you did," a Samburu man later tells the Daniels. "I would not be here today if you had not come with the food."

Everywhere Charlie and Sandra travel in the region, they are met with food requests. There also is a great need for medicine, rides to hospitals and money for hospital bills.

The Danielses have formed a plan with Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization, to help alleviate the hunger needs they are witnessing.

Mark and Susan Hatfield, who direct work in sub-Saharan Africa for Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization, helped the Danielses design a relief project to feed 4,800 people a month for the equivalent of $5.11 per person. The money, $24,528 in total, is coming from Southern Baptists through their World Hunger Fund.

Despite the drought, the Danielses are seeing God at work in great ways. Almost 300 Samburu have been baptized this year. One Samburu leader has been instrumental in starting 10 new churches since January.

BAPTIST PRESS NOTE: Oct. 11 is World Hunger Sunday for Southern Baptist churches across North America. Since 1974, Southern Baptists have fought the problem of hunger through their World Hunger Fund. One hundred percent of every dollar given to the fund is used to provide food to undernourished people all over the world -- 80 percent through the International Mission Board and 20 percent through the North American Mission Board. For more information on the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund, including resources for promotion of World Hunger Sunday in your church, go to worldhungerfund.com.

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Religion Today Summaries - Sept. 30, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Lutheran Conservatives Delay Decision to Leave ELCA
    * Indonesian Church Wins Legal Battle for Worship Building
    * Pope: Fall of Communism Proved Man Needs God
    * Samaritan's Purse Launches Operation 'Give Christmas Away'

Lutheran Conservatives Delay Decision to Leave ELCA

Religion News Service reports that conservatives Lutherans will not leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for at least a year, despite the denomination's decision to allow non-celibate gay clergy. Conservatives meeting in Indianapolis this weekend voted instead to create a free-standing synod and study for a year whether to leave the denomination. "Basically, what we're saying is that a year from now, we're going to have a proposal of some form," said the Rev. David Baer of Whitewood, S.D., a member of Lutheran CORE, which hosted the meeting of 1,200 conservatives last weekend. The group approved a constitution for CORE and asked a steering committee to return in a year with recommendations on whether to leave the ELCA, merge with another Lutheran denomination, or start their own.

Indonesian Church Wins Legal Battle for Worship Building

Compass Direct News reports that Christians have won a court battle restoring the right to worship in their building in Depok City, West Java. Depok Mayor Nur Mahmudi Ismail had revoked the building permit for a multipurpose building and house of worship for Gereja Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP) church in March, when Muslims protested the construction. A Bandung court rescinded his order on Sept. 17, paving the way for congregants to resume worship there. Head Judge A. Syaifullah read the decision of the three-judge panel, which found the mayor's reasoning for canceling the building permit inadequate. "These objections by the local residents should have been raised when the building permit was going through the approval process, not protesting afterwards," said Syaifullah. "In this case, the revocation of the building permit was based upon the objections of one group in the community without considering those from the church," he said.

Pope: Fall of Communism Proved Man Needs God

Ending his first trip to the Czech Republic, Pope Benedict XVI declared Monday that communism's end was "proof that God cannot be excluded from public life," Reuters reports. The country celebrated the 20th anniversary of Velvet Revolution, which ended decades of communist rule, during the pope's visit. The pope reminded the crowd of 50,000 young people "of powerful figures who had apparently risen to almost unattainable heights" but suddenly "found themselves stripped of their power." Speaking on St. Wenceslas's feast day, a national holiday, he continued, "Today there is a need for believers with credibility, who are ready to spread in every area of society the Christian principles and ideals by which their action is inspired." The country has one of the lowest proportions of religious people in the world, according to Reuters.

Samaritan's Purse Launches Operation 'Give Christmas Away'

Christian Today reports that Christmas charities are already ramping up efforts for this year. Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, has launched an awareness campaign reminding Christians that the recession exists overseas as well. "Circumstances are worrying for many people in this country right now, but it is an awful lot worse for the vulnerable children and families we work with overseas," says Simon Barrington, executive director of Samaritan's Purse UK. "Many have seen their conditions worsen as a result of the global recession. These are the very people that we should be showing compassion to right now." The group is encouraging Christians to "give Christmas away" by filling a Christmas shoebox for a child overseas, and participate in their Facebook group to share ideas on ministry at home. National collection week is November 16-23.

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Prison Terms Upheld for Two Christians in Ethiopia
Simba Tian


October 1, 2009

NAIROBI, Kenya (CDN) -- An Ethiopian court on Sept. 21 threw out an appeal by two evangelists said to be falsely accused of offering money and gifts to people to convert to Christianity, thus upholding their six-month prison sentences.

Temesgen Alemayehu and Tigist Welde Amanuel of Wengel Lealem church in Addis Ababa went to Debiretabor, Amhara state, to plant a church in July. After a week in the area, according to area Christian sources, their proclamation of Christ led several people to confess their sins and receive Him as Savior.

On July 19, however, some passersby began to question the two evangelists, and Christian sources said a heated argument led to a group attack on the two evangelists, wounding Alemayehu. Amanuel sustained minor injuries, the sources said, but managed to escape to a nearby home; the mob followed her into the compound, demanding she be handed over to them.

The homeowners refused, saying they would not cooperate with criminals and would instead hand her over to police. "I would not allow any attack against the woman," the unidentified owner of the home said, according to one church leader.

Police arrived at the scene of the attack and protected Alemayehu from the violent band, made up of members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), and took him into custody. The attacking group accused Alemayehu and Amanuel of insulting their religion.

Christian sources said a group within the EOC called "Mahibere Kidusan" ("Fellowship of Saints") had incited members to attack the two evangelists as they were proclaiming Christ on the roadside. The increasingly powerful group's purpose is to counter all reform movements within the EOC and shield the denomination from outside threats.

In time the EOC attackers fabricated accusations of offering money or gifts to make converts, Christian sources said, but under police questioning Alemayehu and Amanuel said they had only shared their faith to interested people without making such offers. They also tried to explain to police that it was their constitutional right to do so.

Police, however, submitted the attackers' false statements to the district prosecutor, Christian sources said.

False Testimony

On July 22, Alemayehu and Amanuel appeared at district court in Debiretabor to hear charges against them. A charge sheet claimed that they were caught offering money and gifts to people to change their religion, and Christian sources said witnesses falsely testified to that effect.

The next day, the court delivered a guilty verdict. Alemayehu stated that his only sin was telling of his faith in Christ to interested persons, and that he had a constitutional right to do so. The judge sentenced him and Amanuel to six months of prison.

Police immediately transferred both Christians to Debiretabor prison.

"There is an open conspiracy between judges, police and prison officers," the church leader said. "Police speeded up the investigation and brought it to the district prosecutor's attention within a day. Witnesses were organized to falsely testify at court. The judges passed the sentence refusing the right to defense."

Debiretabor is the seat for south Gondar Zone administration in Amhara state. As in the rest of Amhara, Debiretabor's population is predominantly EOC with hostile attitudes towards evangelicals, Christian sources said. They added that churches already operating in Debiretabor and surrounding areas meet with continued EOC resistance.

In some cases, the sources said, EOC priests have urged attacks against Christians, and government authorities influenced by Mahibere Kidusan have infringed on Christians' rights. It was unknown if the judge and police officers in Alemayehu and Amanuel's case were under the influence of Mahibere Kidusan, but the local church leader said there were signs of bias in the case.

"Prison officials are handling both believers with harsh treatments, and after all these, no one is questioned for either the process or its result," the church leader said. "We are waiting for God's intervention on all this."

In the rejection of the appeal, the high court judge said that he found "no mistake of law interpretation" to change the verdict of the lower court, a Christian source said.

"That means now the two believers have to serve the six-month sentence unless they appeal and achieve something at the regional State Supreme Court," he said. "We heard that the two are thinking of appealing at the regional State Supreme Court in Bahirdar soon."

Amanuel is assigned to a cell where criminals including serial killers are serving their terms, a source said, and they have threatened her. Both she and Alemayehu continue to share their faith in Christ with other inmates, in spite of insults from the prisoners.

Church leaders in Debiretabor said they brought the case to the attention of the regional state vice president, and that he sent his representative to visit Alemayehu and Amanuel in prison. The representative discussed the situation with the district court and with police. Sources said the visits, however, only exacerbated conditions for the two Christians by upsetting prison officers.

Starting on Aug. 26, prison officials forbade visits to Amanuel and Alemayehu for at least 15 days. They also stopped food from being brought them, a common practice among all prisoners whose relatives are able to help them.

"I went on Aug. 20 to meet them in prison, but officers at the gate told me that they have an order to stop any visitor," the church leader in Debiretabor said. "I think our report to the regional authorities made some contribution to this decision."

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Oct. 1, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Triad of Disasters Hit Pacific Islands
    * Supreme Court to Consider Fate of Mojave Cross
    * Sudanese Bishop Offers Desperate Prayers
    * Report: Over 350 Public Schools Teaching the Bible

Triad of Disasters Hit Pacific Islands

The extent of damage inflicted by a typhoon, earthquake, and tsunami has relief groups scrambling to react. Up to half a million people remain displaced after a tropical storm hit the capital city of Manila in the Philippines on Sept. 26. Officials reported that 80 percent of the city was underwater on Saturday afternoon. American Samoa was then struck by an earthquake-induced tsunami on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of people missing and several villages obliterated. Relief group World Vision, already active in the Philippines, had not yet sent a response team by Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, on Wednesday another major earthquake with a 7.6 magnitude rocked Indonesia, completing the string of disasters. "The situation is quite devastating," Amelia Merrick, the operations director for World Vision Indonesia, told CNN. "Bridges have gone down, phone lines are in total disrepair; it's difficult for us to assess the situation," she said. At least 75 people have been confirmed dead.

Supreme Court to Consider Fate of Mojave Cross

Religion News Service reports that the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the fate of a cross-shaped World War I memorial that sits in California's Mojave National Preserve when it hears arguments on the matter next Wednesday (Oct. 7). The case has landed in the high court's hands eight years after Frank Buono, a former assistant superintendent of the preserve, first filed suit, saying he was offended that other religions beyond his own Christian faith were not represented near the memorial site. As Buono's case wound its way through the courts, Congress passed laws preventing the cross' removal, naming it a national memorial and, lastly, calling for a transfer of the surrounding property to the private ownership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who first erected it in 1934. An appeals court ruled that that transfer did not solve the church-state problems at the heart of the case.

Sudanese Bishop Offers Desperate Prayers

World Magazine reports that increased attacks on civilians in South Sudan have residents pleading for international help. Sudanese Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala says his congregations have faced more frequent attacks by the vicious Lord's Resistance Army, whose rampages across the border of Uganda have killed women and children. "People kept coming to me with such suffering in their eyes, begging me to do something about the situation--to get back their children and grandchildren who have disappeared," Hiiboro told the Catholic aid agency Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). In August, a band of LRA soldiers assaulted a congregation, kidnapping 17 people. Three of them returned safely, but one body was found mutilated and tied to a tree. Thirteen remain missing. "What happened in August was a huge shock to us. It was hard to take in the fact that we were exposed to such a risk," Hiiboro said.

Report: Over 350 Public Schools Teaching the Bible

The Christian Post reports that Bible has returned to more than 350 schools in 43 states this school year, at least as an academic study. According to the Bible Literacy Project, which publishes "The Bible and Its Influence" textbook, more than 50 of those schools are in Texas. The state mandated Bible literacy in 2007, but the vague requirement just took effect for the 2009-2010 school year. Georgia, California and Indiana also include courses on the Bible using the textbook. Outside of Texas, however, less than 10 percent of these states' schools offer an elective course, though their popularity is rising. "Increasing knowledge about the Bible is part of a good education; but teaching what to believe belongs in the home," the Bible Literacy Project states. "We advocate providing a well-rounded, thorough education that includes the basic information students need to fully understand literature, as well as art, music, history and culture."

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Islamic Extremists in Somalia Trap, Kill Church Leader
Compass Direct News


October 2, 2009

Islamic militants in Somalia this week killed a woman who led an underground Christian movement in the war-torn country.

Sources told Compass that a leader of Islamic extremist al Shabaab militia in Lower Juba identified only as Sheikh Arbow shot to death 46-year-old Mariam Muhina Hussein on Monday (Sept. 28 ) in Marerey village after discovering she had six Bibles. Marerey is eight kilometers (five miles) from Jilib, part of the neighboring Middle Juba region.

Local sources said that on Sunday (Sept. 27) Arbow sent his wife to the house of Hussein, a Somali Bantu, to confirm the presence of the Bibles. Pretending to be interested in Christianity, the militia leader's wife confirmed the existence of the Bibles.

The sources said Hussein readily agreed to discuss Christianity with Arbow's wife and read parts of the Bible with her. When Arbow's wife requested one of the Bibles, however, Hussein demurred.

"She told her that it might not be safe for her, preferring instead that she could visit her regularly for discussions," said one source. "She then left and promised to visit again soon."

The next day, Arbow arrived at Hussein's house with other men and, in a friendly manner, claimed that he wanted to check something in the Bible. Knowing only that Arbow was a fellow ethnic Somali Bantu and having met his wife the previous day, Hussein innocently gave one to him, sources said.

"Immediately, Arbow told her that their mission was to look for Christians who have defiled the Islamic religion," a source said. "There and then she lacked words to say. She was ordered to get the other Bibles out, and she did."

Upon receiving the Bibles, sources said, Arbow fired three bullets at Hussein, who died instantly.

The Bibles were published in Swahili; besides this East African lingua franca, Bantus in Lower Juba also speak Kiswahili.

Compass has confirmed the killing with various sources in Nairobi and Somalia who cannot be identified for security reasons.

Hussein's death comes a few weeks after the rebel militants killed another one of the leaders of Somalia's Christian movement for distributing Bibles. Al shabaab militants shot 69-year-old Omar Khalafe on Sept. 15 at a checkpoint they controlled 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Merca, a Christian source told Compass.


Al Shabaab, said to have links with al Qaeda terrorists, controls much of southern parts of Somalia, as well as other areas of the nation. Besides striving to topple President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu, the militants also seek to impose sharia (Islamic law).

In August al Shabaab extremists seeking evidence that a Somali man had converted from Islam to Christianity shot him dead near the Somali border with Kenya, sources said. The rebels killed 41-year-old Ahmed Matan in Bulahawa, Somalia on Aug. 18.

In Mahadday Weyne, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al Shabaab Islamists on July 20 shot to death another convert from Islam, Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman, at 7 a.m., eyewitnesses told Compass. The militants also reportedly beheaded seven Christians on July 10. Reuters reported that they were killed in Baidoa for being Christians and "spies."

On Feb. 21 al shabaab militants beheaded two young boys in Somalia because their Christian father refused to divulge information about a church leader, according to Musa Mohammed Yusuf, the 55-year-old father who was living in a Kenya refugee camp when he spoke with Compass.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Oct. 2, 2009

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Death Toll Rises in Indonesian Quake, American Samoa
    * Chinese Officials Kidnap Protesting Church Leaders
    * Makeshift Church Collapses, Kill 23 in Nepal
    * Religious Ornaments Not Allowed for Capitol Christmas Tree

Death Toll Rises in Indonesian Quake, American Samoa

The Los Angeles Times reports that the death toll from back-to-back earthquakes in Indonesia is still climbing sharply. At least 777 people have been confirmed dead. "Let's be prepared for the worst," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in the capital, Jakarta, before boarding a flight for Padang, where powerful earthquakes hit on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, Baptist Press reports that North American Mission Board relief efforts in American Samoa have been delayed since the group's base on the islands was washed away. The islands suffered four devastating waves from an earthquake-induced tsunami. At least 100 people were killed by the 15 to 20 feet high waves. "We're looking at setting up the kitchen and a disaster response staging area at a school near Pago Pago," NAMB disaster relief coordinator Bruce Poss.

Chinese Officials Kidnap Protesting Church Leaders

ASSIST News Service reports that nine Fushan Church leaders were kidnapped on Sept. 25 by Chinese Shanxi Province Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers. The men were traveling to Beijing to petition the central government for justice concerning the local authorities' brutal attack on Sept. 13. According to ChinaAid, the leaders were illegally seized without warrant, and have not been heard from since Friday night. "After the arrests, local authorities forcibly confiscated all computers, TVs and other church-owned valuables, calling them 'illegal materials.' Remaining church leaders and active members were placed under house arrest and are now under constant surveillance," a ChinaAid news release reported. State police also blocked church members from gathering for worship inside the main Fushan Church in Linfen city.

Makeshift Church Collapses, Kill 23 in Nepal

Voice of America reports that 23 people were killed and at least 60 others injured when a makeshift church collapsed on a large Christian gathering in Nepal. About 1,500 minority Christians from Nepal and India had gathered in Dharan for the week-long convention while the country's religious majority Hindus celebrated their biggest annual festival. According to reports, hundreds of people were in the multi-floor, tent-like structure when it collapsed Tuesday evening (Sept. 29). Most of those killed were crushed as they slept on the ground floor. The religious minority endured a violent church bombing in June, when a bomb killed two Christians and injured 14 others.

Religious Ornaments Not Allowed for Capitol Christmas Tree

Religion News Service reports that Arizona schoolchildren are busy making 5,000 ornaments to decorate the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree, but have been told by federal officials that the ornaments "may not reflect religious or political themes." That restriction has resulted in the threat of legal action by a conservative Christian law firm if the rules are not relaxed by Sunday (Oct. 4), the day before the deadline to submit the ornaments. "Banning Christmas from the Capitol Christmas tree is just absurd," said Jonathan Scruggs, litigation staff counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). For 39 years, the U.S. Forest Service has chosen a different state each year to provide a fresh Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol. This year, Arizona was selected to donate and decorate the tree with the theme "Arizona's Gift from the Grand Canyon State."

[nChrist]

Christians Concerned over Acquittals in Orissa, India Violence
Vishal Arora

October 5, 2009

NEW DELHI (CDN) -- Only 24 people have been convicted a year after anti-Christian mayhem took place in India's Orissa state, while the number of acquittals has risen to 95, compounding the sense of helplessness and frustration among surviving Christians.

Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, called the trials "a travesty of justice."

Last month a non-profit group, the Peoples Initiative for Justice and Peace (PIJP), reportedly found that as many as 2,500 complaints were filed with police following the violence in August-September 2008 in the eastern state's Kandhamal district. The violence killed at least 100 people and burned more than 4,500 houses and over 250 churches and 13 educational institutions. It also rendered 50,000 people, mostly Christian, homeless.

Police, however, registered only 827 complaints and arrested fewer than 700 people, even though 11,000 people were named as attackers in those complaints, according to a PIJP survey.

"The manner of the judicial processes in the Kandhamal fast-track courts is tragic where all too many people have managed to escape conviction for crimes as serious as conspiracy for brutal, premeditated murder and deliberate arson," Dayal told Compass.

Among those acquitted was Manoj Pradhan, who allegedly led mobs that killed Christians and burned their houses a few months before he became a state legislator from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Facing charges in five cases of murder and six of arson, Pradhan has been acquitted in three cases.

On Thursday (Sept. 24), the judge of Fast Track Court-II, C.R. Das, acquitted Pradhan and another suspect, Mantu Nayak, on charges of killing Khageswar Digal for refusing to "reconvert" to Hinduism, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). Digal was a 60-year-old Catholic and resident of Shankarakhol area in Chakapada Block in Kandhamal.

"The court acquitted the BJP MLA [Member of Legislative Assembly] and Nayak due to lack of proper evidence against them," Special Public Prosecutor Pratap Patra told PTI.

The Rev. Ajay Singh, an activist from the Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, said Digal's son testified in court that he was witness to the killing of his father and knew the killers, and yet the accused were acquitted.

"It was a brutal murder, possibly a case of human sacrifice," Singh said.

Digal was dragged from a vehicle before being killed on Sept. 24 last year - one month after the assassination of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati by Maoists (extreme Marxists), which triggered the violence as Hindu extremists wrongly blamed Christians.

Singh spoke to the son of the deceased Digal, Rajendra Digal, who said his parents left their village after the violence and took shelter in the state capital, Bhubaneswar.

The elder Digal, who owned a grocery shop and 35 goats, returned to his village to see his house and livestock. After selling some of the goats, he boarded a public bus to Phulbani, Kandhamal district headquarters, to start his journey back to Bhubaneswar around noon on Sept. 24. As the bus started, however, some assailants allegedly led by Pradhan stopped the bus and dragged Digal out. They also broke his leg.

The attackers were said to have taken Digal to his village, where they looted his shop. Then they allegedly took him and eight of his goats to a nearby forest, where they feasted on the goat meat throughout the night.

When Rajendra Digal heard about it, he informed police, who allegedly took no interest in the complaint. Twelve days later, his father's body, naked and burned with acid, was found 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the village. His genitals had also been chopped off.

Rajendra Digal said he believes his father may have been the victim of human sacrifice involving ritual feasting and torture.

Shoddy Probe, Lack of Evidence

A representative of the Christian Legal Association (CLA) said the police had been conducting investigations improperly.

The CLA source pointed out that in another Fast-Track Court-I case in which Pradhan was one of the accused, police had wrongly recorded the age of the informant, Bhutia Digal.

"The court observed that if the police could not cite the age of the informant correctly, how could they have investigated the case properly?" said the source, adding that such discrepancies were found in far too many cases.

During the violence in August-September 2008, the BJP was part of the ruling coalition with a local party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The latter recently broke ties with the Hindu nationalist BJP, blaming it for violence in March, a month before the state assembly election.

The BJP lost the April-May election, and the BJD emerged as the stand-alone ruling party. It is believed that the state administration began taking action against the assailants only after the coalition split in March - six months too late, which possibly provided enough time for suspects to remove evidence and threaten witnesses.

Witnesses are still being threatened or bribed, according to rights groups.

On Thursday (Sept. 24), the day the BJP legislator was acquitted, the fast-track court also released five others accused of arson in the Tikabali area of Kandhamal in a separate case, reported the PTI.

Singh said the witnesses were either intimidated or bribed and therefore turned hostile to prosecutors in court. Friends of the accused took the witnesses to the court in their vehicle, he pointed out.

Dayal said the Orissa High Court should have taken notice of the increasing number of acquittals.

"A man now an MLA seems to be beyond the law," he said. "I would demand a high-powered judicial review by the High Court of Orissa itself, or failing that, by civil society, which should set up an independent commission of retired judges and senior lawyers."

Singh said police investigations and prosecutions were a "sham." There is also "a pressing need for witness protection," he said.

He added that there were reports of witnesses being intimidated and threatened in various villages, such as Dodingia, K. Nuagam, Phiringia and Solesoru. "Police are not entertaining complaints of the threat to the witnesses," Singh said.

Dayal highlighted three essential problems: The quality of the charge-sheets prepared by police; the role of the public prosecutor in pressing the charges as prepared by police; and the circumstances under which eyewitnesses, "often sons and daughters of those killed, cannot attest to the truth or are forced into silence," he said.

"India does not have a witness-protection program, and surely Kandhamal has none at all," Dayal said. "Witnesses have to pass through an aggressive environment which affectively silences them. They are human beings and fear future violence, having seen brutal violence in the past."

Singh and Dayal demanded that the cases be heard outside Kandhamal, preferably outside Orissa state.

SIDEBAR

First Life Sentences Handed Down for Orissa, India Killing

NEW DELHI, September 30 (Compass Direct News) - A fast-track court in Orissa state on Sept. 23 delivered its first life sentences for those convicted of murder in 2008 violence in Kandhamal district, sentencing five people to life imprisonment for their involvement in the killing of Pastor Akbar Digal.

Digal, 40, pastor of a Baptist church in Tatamaha village under Raikia police jurisdiction in Kandhamal district, was killed on Aug. 26, 2008 after refusing the slayers' demand that he forsake Christianity and convert to Hinduism. His body was reportedly cut to pieces and then burned.

He is survived by his wife, Ludhia Digal, and five children.

Additional Sessions Judge Sobhan Kumar Das of Fast Track Court-I at Phulbani district headquarters sentenced Sabita Pradhan, 30; Papu Pradhan, 30; Abinash Pradhan, 29; Dharmaraj Pradhan, 32; and Mania Pradhan, 28, to life in prison and a fine of 5,000 rupees (US$104). The five were arrested after Pastor Digal's wife filed a First Information Report on Aug. 29, 2008.

Previous to these sentences, two fast-track courts had sentenced 12 people to prison for terms ranging only from four to six years. The government set up the two fast-track courts to try nearly 900 cases related to anti-Christian violence that erupted in August 2008. The first conviction was determined on June 30.

The special Phulbani court also sentenced six others to three years' rigorous imprisonment on Sept. 22 for an arson attack on a journalist's house in Kandhamal's Phiringia village on Dec. 12, 2007.

Police had arrested 11 people in this case, but the court acquitted five for "lack of evidence." Convicted were Ganpati Kanhar, Rabindra Kanhar, Parmeshwar Kanhar, Daleswar Kanhar, Tuba Kanhar and Vijay Kanhar, whose ages range from 25 to 40 years. They were also fined 4,000 rupees (US$83) each.

[nChrist]

Religion Today Summaries - Oct. 5, 2009
Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

    * Aviation Ministry Responds to Indonesian Earthquakes
    * Azerbaijan: Police 'Deport' Local-Born Baptist
    * Capitol Christmas Tree Will Have Religious Ornaments
    * Hindu Festivals Are Time for Christians to Intercede

Aviation Ministry Responds to Indonesian Earthquakes

Christian Newswire reports that Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has flown in an assessment team to the devastated city of Padang, Indonesia, to help respond to the massive earthquake damage. The quake hit Sept. 30, destroying hundreds of buildings and homes, triggering landslides, knocking out power and cutting off roads into the city of approximately 900,000 people. Amid the fires and flooding, thousands will probably die.  Relief agencies are relying on MAF and other groups in a desperate race against time. MAF currently has two aircraft and three expatriate pilots in Sumatra, and is basing operations from Pekan Baru to the epicenter. The group is coordinating efforts with operation Blessing International (OBI) and flying in OBI relief teams. "We are working primarily with OBI," said Stan Unruh, the MAF country director in Sumatra, "but the phone is ringing off the hook with requests from the Red Cross and others."

Azerbaijan: Police 'Deport' Local-Born Baptist

ASSIST News Service reports that an Azerbaijani Christian has been cut off from his wife, father and children in his native village after being "deported" to Russia on Wednesday (Sept. 30). Local Baptist Javid Shingarov was reportedly fined and given a deportation order for holding religious worship services in his home near Yalama village. However, Yalama Police Chief Gazanfar Huseinov has refused to tell news services why he did not give his verdict in writing and why the Migration Service was apparently not involved. Human rights activists say these failures violate Azerbaijan's law. The Christian books confiscated from Shingarov and others during raids on Sept. 9 have not been returned, while a Baptist whose home was among those raided was pressured to resign from his job as a school director.

Capitol Christmas Tree Will Have Religious Ornaments

World Magazine reports that government officials have decided to allow religious ornaments on the Capitol Christmas Tree after all. Children in Arizona, who will make the decorations, had previously been told their ornaments "may not reflect religious or political themes." On Thursday, shortly after the Alliance Defense Fund threatened a lawsuit on the matter, that guideline was removed. According to a spokeswoman for the Architect of the Capitol, the group that oversees the Capitol tree (among other things), that was "old information," and "is no longer the position of the agency." The Christmas tree ornaments must be submitted Monday, however, meaning the guideline may have already ruled out some religious decorations. For 39 years, the U.S. Forest Service has chosen a different state each year to provide a fresh Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol. This year, Arizona was selected to donate and decorate the tree with the theme "Arizona's Gift from the Grand Canyon State."

Hindu Festivals Are Time for Christians to Intercede

Baptist Press reports that Southern Baptist workers are urging Christians to pray for Hindus in October as they celebrate a month full of festivals and celebration. "Many times at the end of these festivals, the area resembles the state fairgrounds once all the rides have gone," Gene Yaussy, who is stationed in southern Asia, said. "It is at this time that I am asking you to pray specifically for the people who have enjoyed many days of festivity and are now returning to normal life," Yaussy urges, directing his words to Southern Baptists and other evangelicals who yearn for the Gospel to spread across India. The revelers "are now facing the true emptiness of their faith as these many days of celebration have ended without any response from their gods."

[nChrist]

Typhoons, Tsunamis Devastate on Developing Countries
Ginny McCabe


October 6, 2009

Typhoons and tsunamis sent relief groups scrambling in different directions as disasters hit the Philippines and American Samoa last week. Massive flooding in both countries has displaced millions, forcing native governments to rely on ministries and relief groups to help their people. Relief groups have divided their efforts - and joined forces with some unexpected partners - to aid the nearly 4 million people affected by the crises.

Two Storms in Two Weekends in the Philippines

In the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana, which left about 300 dead in the Philippines after it hit Manila last weekend, and this weekend's Typhoon Parma causing further damage, Christian relief aid organizations are in full force, trying to help the nearly 4 million Filippino people who have been affected.

The first typhoon, Ketsana, caused massive flooding in metro Manila, the country's capitol. According to Jeff Wright, World Vision's emergency response director for Asia, the typhoon "brought one month's rain to Manila in less than seven hours. Five days after the storm, some villages remain submerged in water and are difficult to access with relief supplies." And that was before the second typhoon, Parma, struck this weekend.

Wright said a conservative estimate of the damage to infrastructure and agricultural losses is at about $100 million in United States currency. And as more evacuees reach designated shelters, the numbers of those affected continues to rise. To date, nearly 4 million people have been affected.

Relief a 'Matter of Life and Death'

"We are trying to help people in their time of suffering. Typhoon Ketsana has left a lot of people in great need, and Typhoon Parma caused damage as well. We are trying to live out our faith by helping people in their distress," said Wright. "(Our) focus now is on meeting basic human needs: shelter, food, water and safety (especially for children). Not to be over dramatic, but this is literally a matter of life-and-death for some. Initial response is about guarantying people's survival."

Food and non-food items distributed by World Vision have already reached 1,619 families or 8,095 people. World Vision's initial response is planned for three months and is expected to reach 100,000 people. World Vision also set up Child-Friendly Spaces for about 500 children. But actual need still dwarfs the available response.

"Typhoon Parma actually affected a different part of Luzon than Typhoon Ketsana, so while some people may have been twice affected, more than anything else we're seeing just a substantial increase in the overall number of people affected, who have lost everything," Wright said.

Churches in the country have been on the front lines of the disaster relief.

"Really, what happened last weekend when Typhoon Ketsana struck was the church leapt into action," said Mark Hanlon, senior vice president Compassion USA, Compassion International. "They started working with local government initiatives and interventions in order to see what they could do to supply relief activities, specifically to the children that are registered in Compassion projects and to their families. But, since the church is doing this, they are also going out into the entire community."

Compassion works with about 50,000 children in the Philippines, all through about 200 Compassion church partnerships.

"Of those 50,000 children, about 5,000 of them are in the area that has been impacted and 1,300 or 1,400 of them have been pre-acutely impacted," Hanlon said.

Relief aid efforts have included supplying those affected with clean water and blankets as well as relocating people. Many have lost their homes and some of the local church partners have lost their buildings.

Compassion International estimates show that the initial relief aid efforts will cost at least $200,000, which only covers relocation and making sure that people have food, shelter and clothing.

"I would expect that (financial) number to go up as we are provided with better information. They are still trying to assess the situation. It also depends on the impact of Typhoon Parma," Hanlon said.

Music Group Springs into Action for Native Samoa

Victims of another disaster are also gaining relief from an unorthodox source: a Christian music group.

The Katinas, a group of five Samoan brothers is organizing another initiative in the United States, a benefit concert called "Hope for Samoa." The concert will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville.

The Katinas, who claim Samoa as their homeland, personally felt the impact from the effects of the 8.2 magnitude earthquake and corresponding tsunami waves. The 15 to 20 foot high walls of water ravaged the coastline last week and the brothers lost both friends and family in the disaster.

GMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie Grant and American Idol's Melinda Doolittle will join The Katinas in their efforts, with additional artists participating as well. Radio personalities Doug and Kim, from Salem Broadcasting's "Doug and Kim in the Morning", will emcee the event.

For the brothers, organizing the benefit was just a natural response.

"We feel responsible to do it," Joe Katina said. "Being of Samoan descent and having family members that have been directly affected, it seemed like the obvious thing to do."

"It's simply a response to the greatest commandment. 'Love the Lord your God. Love your neighbor as yourself.' There are still so many that don't even know about Samoa. We feel the responsibility to bring an awareness of what's happened and what is happening to our people."

The group will put the funds raised into action in November, when they plan to return to the island with volunteer construction teams and doctors.

A Greater Impact than Hurricane Katrina

When comparing the disaster like the one in the Philippines to those that occur in the United States, Hanlon said it is a tough comparison.

"When natural disasters hit us in the United States, they're difficult and I don't want to downplay that impact. But, we have a strong government and social infrastructure to help support that pretty quickly. That doesn't minimize the devastation and the impact, but it does allow us to respond and to get back on our feet, quicker.

"It seems when developing world countries get hit, a lot like the Philippines, the recovery time is long, the impact is deep and because there is just so much poverty in that area, it's hard sometimes to get a good grasp of the true impact. Like a lot of things in life, when disaster strikes, the poor seem to feel it more acutely around the world," Hanlon said.

Wright echoed that when disaster occurs abroad there is a long recovery time and rebuilding can take years. He also noted that there could be some similarities.

"Hurricane Katrina is actually a really good point of reference for emergency response, early recovery and long-term recovery. It helps people in the United States understand in a more direct way the kind of time and effort involved in recovery - those activities that can take years, long after we've stopped seeing coverage of the hurricane on the news. There are a great many parallels that can be drawn between the relief and recovery efforts in Louisiana and those that take places in other parts of the world, including the Philippines," Wright said.

Joe Katina is hopeful that those impacted would receive the help they need.

"Hopefully, the relief that is needed will continue to get to the islands. Sometimes, 'Out of sight, out of mind' can happen. Especially, when it's a place like Samoa, a small island in the middle of nowhere. We're trusting that our people will be able to move on and heal in a healthy way. It will take some time, but it will happen," he said.