os.yahoo.com/rlgmediaau”>http://au.photos.yahoo.com/rlgmediaau http://community.webshots.com/user/ramon_williams ——————————————————————- Telling others, what others are doing for the Lord.

A ministry of HCJB World Radio

Today’s News Headlines:

MISSIONARY TO BANGLADESH KIDNAPPED, LIFE THREATENED CHRISTIANS IN INDIA’S HMAR TRIBE FACE GROWING PRESSURES KEY EVANGELICAL LEADER URGES END TO INDIA’S CASTE SYSTEM SUDANESE PRIEST WHO REFUSED TO DESTROY CHURCH, RELEASED FROM JAIL IRAQI RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR AID, SEEK DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION GOES ON THE AIR IN VANUATU

Today’s News Stories:

MISSIONARY TO BANGLADESH KIDNAPPED, LIFE THREATENED Gospel for Asia (GFA) has learned that one of its missionaries from India who serves in Bangladesh was kidnapped about 10 days ago and is being held deep in the jungle. The missionary, whose name is not being released for security reasons, is being held by a terrorist group and is in “great danger,” says John Schwartz, GFA’s web coordinator. His captors are threatening to kill him unless a “huge ransom” is paid. The missionary’s brother left earlier today to talk with members of the terrorist group. “Even from the nearest bus stop to the jungle area, the brother has a four-day walk ahead of him,” says Schwartz, who is urging believers to pray for God’s protection of the kidnapped missionary. “Pray also that God will grant wisdom to our leaders and staff as they deal with this critical situation. We are trying all means possible to secure his release. This incident comes in the midst of God moving mightily in this country.” GFA has two Bible schools and 82 missionaries in Bangladesh. (Gospel for Asia)

CHRISTIANS IN INDIA’S HMAR TRIBE FACE GROWING PRESSURES The ethnic rift widened
last week between the majority Dimasa tribe and the Hmars in northeastern India.
Tribal warfare, triggered by an assassination, led to deadly riots and curfews.
In the process, believers feel the squeeze on all sides, says Bibles for
the World. “The refugees are still coming in from North Cachar into Assam,
Mizoram and Manipur,” he says. “It’s been very, very stressful and difficult
to take care of them because the people are so poor. Yet they come without
their clothes, without their houses, without their Bibles.” In talking to local
church leaders, he outlined their needs this way: “They need their Bibles.
They need them in this hour of crisis. And then, the second thing is food.
There’s not enough food to go around. And then the most precious thing that
they need is a place to worship. We need to build churches. About 20 churches
have been destroyed.” (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.

KEY EVANGELICAL LEADER URGES END TO INDIA’S CASTE SYSTEM Dr. Joseph D’souza, president of the All India Christian Council and international president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, told Dalit leaders meeting in Vancouver, Canada, May 15-19, that he is committed to a “casteless church in India.” Indian-born D’souza has been one of the leading Third World evangelical leaders at the forefront of the human rights struggle of India’s 250 million Dalits — people outside the caste system — and their decision to reject the Hindu caste oppression and begin again with a new socio-spiritual system that gives them access to God and equality and empowerment as human beings made in the image of God.” He began his talk at the conference organized by the Dalit Global Organization by saying, “The All India Christian Council in September of 2001 entered into solidarity with the Dalits. This involved us in an uncompromising commitment not only to a casteless society in India, but also a casteless church, and we stand by that. In India — within and without — we want a casteless society to emerge.” D’souza admitted that the caste system has been so pervasive that it’s evident within the Indian church. “This is an anomaly that we are committed to change,” he said. “The new church in India is absolutely committed to a casteless church, and our commitment to empower the next generation to the programs that the Dalit people have invited us to do.” D’souza urged continued prayer for the Dalits of India as Hindu extremists step up attacks on Christians and Indian states pass anti-conversion laws that appear directed at Dalits.” (Assist News Service)

SUDANESE PRIEST WHO REFUSED TO DESTROY CHURCH, RELEASED FROM JAIL Six weeks after a Sudanese court jailed an Episcopal priest for refusing to tear down his church, Rev. Samuel Dobai Amum has been set free. The legal process was also set in motion for his parish church to obtain official ownership of its land. Amum was sent to Soba Prison on April 7 for an “indefinite sentence” until he either demolished the mud-brick St. Matthew’s Parish on the outskirts of Khartoum or paid 7 million Sudanese dinars (about $2,700) to purchase the land on which he had built it 11 years ago. He was released on the afternoon of May 21, just after the Bahri East Harasic Court in Khartoum accepted full payment for the property on which his congregation has worshiped since 1987. The day before Amum’s release, a small Christian delegation visiting Sudan from the U.S. asked to meet the jailed priest in prison. “We were able to talk freely with him,” said Gary Kusunoki, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Rancho Santa Margarita in southern California. The U.S. delegation arranged to add 4.4 million dinars to funds already raised by local Sudanese Christians and negotiated Amum’s release just hours before leaving the country. Two days after his release, Amum’s congregation packed into St. Matthew’s for Friday worship — a service that lasted five hours. (Compass)

IRAQI RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL FOR AID, SEEK DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT Iraqi religious leaders issued a joint statement Wednesday, May 28, calling for increased international humanitarian assistance and a permanent Iraqi government that protects all religious and ethnic groups. The statement was released at a conference in Amman, Jordan, that was convened by the World Conference on Religion and Peace. More than 20 religious leaders, representing Shiite and Sunni Muslims as well as Christians in Iraq, recommended that international institutions increase their humanitarian assistance by cooperating more with Iraqi religious groups and social institutions that include women’s and youth organizations. They also urged that the “permanent Iraqi government be built on the basis of direct, free democratic elections, a constitution and the rule of law that protects equally all religious, ethnic and national groupings while maintaining Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Their recommendations were endorsed by the full conference, which included 40 other international religious leaders and diplomats and representatives of humanitarian agencies. “Pledging common action to assure a just society in Iraq, these religious leaders demonstrate that religion can be a powerful force for peace and for affirming our common humanity,” said Prince El-Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, moderator of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, in a statement. (Religion Today)

CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION GOES ON THE AIR IN VANUATU A Christian radio station in Port Vila, capital of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, went on the air in April, becoming the nation’s first non-government radio station. Radio 90 Laef is an FM station that airs mainly contemporary Christian music. “The station is going well,” says Broadcast Manager Michael McLennan. “We’ve heard it played in virtually every bus and shop in port Vila at least at one time or another.” The station was birthed through the vision of Jim Moli James from Apostolic Life Ministries in Port Vila with assistance from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. (Vanuatu Christian Broadcasters)

**************************************************************************** ********************** The contents of this email and any attachments are confidential. It is intended for the named recipient(s). If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager or the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to any one or make copies.

** We scanned this email for viruses, vandals and malicious content **

**************************************************************************** **********************

FREE WORLD WALL MAP: Full-color, 22-inch by 34-inch world wall map. To order, e-mail your name and mailing address to or visit http://www.hcjb.org.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Editor’s Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports.

Subscription Management. This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to the mailing list <>. The instructions below will allow you to turn your subscription off while you are traveling, then turn it back on when you return. It also allows you to switch your subscription from one e-mail address to another. Digest and Index subscriptions are available for most of our lists.

Post Archives. Searchable archives are available to subscribers for most of our lists. Access to the archives for this list, if available, requires you to enter both your subscribed email address and a unique confirmation id (which may be obtained by sending email from your subscribed address to <>) at https://mail.pmbx.net:9100/Lists/HCJBDaily.

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).