News headlines for February 20th 2003

(Venezuela) — Headlining today’s news, in spite of economic troubles, social unrest and political instability, Venezuelan Christians are using these troubled times for ministry. Latin America Mission[1] ‘s Ken MacHarg reports. “Tension continues in Venezuela despite the unresolved end of a three month general strike. LAM missionary Laura Smith reports that a couple who are seminary professors had been praying for their community, but had not been able to get to know their neighbors. In civil defense planning meetings, neighborhood leaders found they were pastors, and now the couple is visiting, counseling and presenting the Gospel. In another church, Christians are ministering to people in long lines at gasoline stations, distributing water and sharing the Gospel. On weekends, people line up overnight waiting for the arrival of gasoline in the morning. Church members are there with coffee and friendship evangelism. For Mission Network News, I’m Ken MacHarg”

(Inda) — Next, increasing amounts of antagonism toward Christians isn’t stopping the spread of the Gospel. Pastor John Meador just returned from Andra Predesh, traveling with AMG International[2] . Meador says equipping national pastors was the original focus. “When we got there we discovered that they had also expanded it to a Gospel meeting kind of format. A total of about 8,000 people came to hear the Gospel. We spent lots of time trying to dissuade them from making a decision if they were not ready to forsake all other gods.” One thousand people made professions of faith. Meador says prayer is needed for pastors and evangelists. “One night we had about 400 evangelists in a meeting and we polled them to find out how many of them of them actually had suffered any kind of physical persecution. And, I would says that 25-percent or 30-percent of those pastors said, ‘yes, I’ve got scars. I’ve had actual bloodshed take place because I’m preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.’”

(South America) — The Southern Baptist International Mission Board[3] is looking for adventurous men between the ages of 21 and 30 who are willing to evangelize isolated groups living in remote areas of western South America. The “Xtreme teams” will help start church-planting movements among 76 people groups that have never been exposed to the gospel. The teams will hike in humid jungles and at high altitudes to do basic evangelism and saturate an area with the gospel. Team training will begin this fall.

(USA) — Next, an organization is calling men and women of all ages to get involved in the Great Commission. Nelson Malwitz with the Finishers Project[4] is encouraging people to think about full-time Christian ministry because the Great Commission isn’t finished yet. “We attract people that are interested in coming along side and joining the Lord from 25 to 75. We are not limited in age. When the Lord said go and make disciples of all nations He didn’t state what age he was looking for. Because the Lord said – His final assignment was to make disciples of all nations and that’s what we’re all about.” Malwitz says short-term volunteers dropped because of the treat of terrorism and a poor economy, but… “Now it’s sort of returning and people are more interested in making a life transition, particularly as Baby Boomers are coming out of the turnstiles of the workplace and they’re far more interested in how they might use these remaining healthy and productive years in the Lord’s service.” A Finishers Forum is being held March 7th and 8th in Phoenix, Arizona.

(Kenya) — And finally, thousands responded to the Gospel in Nairobi, Kenya recently. According to evangelist Sammy Tippit[5] nine-thousand people made professions of faith, while another six thousand believers recommitted their hearts to Christ. It was all part of an evangelistic effort that saw 50 team members fan out across the city. Team members spoke in hospitals, orphanages, prisons, schools, and lunch meetings. Tippit is now in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he’s speaking today in a rebel controlled area.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LAM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=AMG [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IMB [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FNP [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=STM ———————————————————————

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