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Today’s News Headlines:

OFFICIALS CONTINUE RAIDING HOUSE CHURCHES IN CHINESE CITY AID AGENCIES JOIN FORCES AS FOOD CRISIS WORSENS IN ETHIOPIA RECORD FLOODING IN SRI LANKA LEADS TO EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES ECUMENICAL EVENT IN GERMANY UNITES 200,000 PROTESTANTS, CATHOLICS HOSTILE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN GAMBIA OPENS TO CHRISTIANITY INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA ONLY HELPS SPREAD GOSPEL

Today’s News Stories:

OFFICIALS CONTINUE RAIDING HOUSE CHURCHES IN CHINESE CITY On Sunday, May 11, a house church in Anshan in Liaoning province of China was raided by officials of the Public Service Bureau who detained about 40 Christians, tied them up and recorded their names. While all were released later that night, the church has received a formal announcement of closure of their “illegal gathering.” Government spokesman Jin Xiangdong confirmed the raid of an “illegal religious gathering site” because it was a “disturbance of social order.” He said that any religious gathering not part of the official churches is illegal and should be closed. Xiangdong estimates that 20 to 30 such closures occur every year in Anshan. This is one of many similar situations in China in recent months. Another ministry, China for Jesus, reported that 120 Christians were arrested during a meeting on April 23. All were eventually released, but not before being forced to pay fines. (Voice of the Martyrs)

AID AGENCIES JOIN FORCES AS FOOD CRISIS WORSENS IN ETHIOPIA While much of the world’s attention is focused on Iraq and the Middle East, millions of lives are in jeopardy in Ethiopia. Years of drought, failed crops, and population growth have left fully 12 million Ethiopians in danger of starvation — an increase of 1 million since the last hunger assessment in November 2002. The food shortage is the worst the country has faced since the 1984-1985 famine when 1 million Ethiopians died. For many villages, the last harvest was in November 2001. Hundreds of thousands of families are relying on food donated by the international community and distributed by humanitarian organizations. However, donations have fallen short of pledges, and food reserves are running out, putting lives in jeopardy. Ethiopia’s government has also decreased ration sizes to feed as many people as possible. Adding to the danger is the lack of clean water, greatly increasing the likelihood of illness, along with the growing threat of HIV/AIDS, affecting 2 million adults and children in Ethiopia. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is one of the agencies responding to this crisis, distributing food, medicine and water to people in need. CRS is the lead agency in the Joint Emergency Operation Plan, a consortium of humanitarian aid organizations providing food to nearly 4 million people. To help with a long-term recovery, the organizations are also distributing seeds to farmers and rehabilitating clean water sources. (Catholic Relief Services)

* Staff members at HCJB World Radio-Australia’s studios record Oromo language programs that are aired to 28 million speakers in Ethiopia and Kenya via shortwave.

RECORD FLOODING IN SRI LANKA LEADS TO EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITIES The death toll continues to rise in Sri Lanka where nearly 1 million people are homeless in the country’s worst floods in 50 years. The government is having trouble finding ways to get drinking water, food and medicine to those in cut-off areas. With few contingency plans in place for floods, landslides or other catastrophes, response time is slow, says World Vision’s Jayanth Vincent. “We were really astounded by the number of landslides that we saw. People are slowly clearing up the area,” he says. “The government is working at clearing up the areas. World Vision was able to give food and other essential items, such as blankets and clothes, to about 2,000 families in the last three or four days. We made sure that we got into the most affected areas that access would allow.” Vincent says the organization’s relief work is reaching areas with the hope of the gospel. “Basically, this gives us a very good chance to show people the love of Christ and the fact that we are doing this as examples of our Lord and Savior, sharing with them the love that we have for other people.” (Mission Network News)

ECUMENICAL EVENT IN GERMANY UNITES 200,000 PROTESTANTS, CATHOLICS Tens of thousands of Christians from Germany and beyond are gathering for a five-day event in Germany that started May 28 in what organizers believe to be the biggest ecumenical gathering ever to have taken place in Europe. About 200,000 people were expected for the event, called the Ecumenical Kirchentag, or church congress, sponsored by Germany’s Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations, each with about 26 million members. “We had never anticipated participation on such a huge scale,” the Kirchentag’s Protestant co-president, Elisabeth Raiser, told journalists in Berlin. “This is a sign of just how much Christians are looking for what unites them. People are obviously fascinated by the idea of helping to shape ecumenism and not simply leaving it to theologians and church leaders.” The gathering will culminate with an ecumenical service on Sunday, June 1, in front of the Reichstag, the seat of Germany’s parliament. In between, more than 3,000 events are planned, including Bible studies, debates on issues such as religion and violence, and cultural activities. Among those speaking during the conference will be German President Johannes Rau. This is the first time that Germany’s Protestants and Roman Catholics have jointly organized an event on such a large scale. A controversial aspect of the gathering is whether Roman Catholics and Protestants will share in the Holy Communion. (Episcopal News Service)

HOSTILE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN GAMBIA OPENS TO CHRISTIANITY An African missionary in the Gambia is encouraged by openness to the gospel in his predominantly Muslim community. Though Gambia is 89 percent Muslim, the missionary experienced relative receptivity when he led his congregation in a neighborhood witnessing outreach recently. “Our usually hostile community, antagonistic because of Islam, has become quite open,” he said. “Many of the residents discussed religion freely with us and are open for more sharing from the Word.” The missionary said 10 people prayed to accept Christ as their Savior, but have not yet started coming to church meetings. In another village, Christians donated educational materials to the schools and then hosted a dinner with town leaders. The chairman of the area council commended them for bettering the future of local children and promised to support the missionaries’ work however they could. One man, originally from Tanzania, was zealous for Islam, but the missionary has been able to engage him in a series of debates. “Pray that like Saul of Tarsus his eyes would be opened,” the missionary said. (Missions Insider)

INCREASED PERSECUTION IN INDIA ONLY HELPS SPREAD GOSPEL Increased persecution against Christians is having a positive impact on evangelism in India, says BCM International India Director Sthyabal Vallab. “It is a blessing in disguise for us because it helps us to keep the church awake. The persecution is bringing the people to the realization that we need to know the Lord more seriously.” Vallab says as government leaders harass Christians, people are becoming more curious. Many are asking Christians about their faith. He says the violence isn’t stopping their Bible club program. “There are about 14,000 Bible clubs. We have about 25 to 30 percent of the children coming to Christ. We definitely need a lot of support to keep going so that their ministry would be a blessing without having to concentrate on their financial struggles.” (Mission Network News)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. A five-hour block of English programs also beams across India from HCJB World Radio-Australia’s new shortwave site in Kununurra, Australia.

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