News headlines for June 12th 2003

(Bangladesh)–A kidnapping in Bangladesh headlines today’s news. But, this time, it’s good news. Last week Mission Network News reported that Pastor Moses, with Gospel For Asia[1] , was kidnapped and was being held for a large ransom. However, GFA’s KP Yohannan says God worked a miracle. “Eight people (guarded) him. That night, these eight people they all fell into a deep sleep. There’s nothing else we can say, other than God did it. And, our brother was able to walk away and he got to a village and they gave him shelter.” Pastor Moses has planted five churches in the region. Yohannan believes this incident could be great for his outreach. “I think those believers and unbelievers who hear this, what God has done, definitely this is going to increase faith for those who belong to the Lord. And, I think God is going to use it to bring a lot more people to Him.”

(International)–Elsewhere, a shortfall in contributions has forced the Southern Baptist International Mission Board[2] to cut 61 jobs, a week after the agency said it was limiting the number of new missionaries it will send overseas through next year. IMB spokesman Mark Kelly calls it a difficult time for the staff. “It’s painful to be reducing staff and holding back missionaries when there are so many missions opportunities around the world, doors that have opened that, a few years ago, we would have never have dreamed would be opened-God moving in some really dramatic ways in many places.” Many mission groups are hurting financially. Kelly says they’re proceeding prayerfully. “We’re going to use this challenge to assess our ministries and services, try to see what’s really most essential to our task. We’ll be trying to refine our overseas strategies and methods. We’re going to try to practice better stewardship and give more emphasis to ensuring that the new missionaries we are able to send out are going to the most strategic assignments.”

(Middle East)–Prayer, funding and personnel. Those are the three things the Evangelical Free Church of America[3] needs in order to see success as they reach out to Muslims around the world. EFCA’s Daryl Anderson says the resurgence of radical Islam is make ministry to Muslims more effective. “The Lord has used this to causing more moderate Muslims to take a new look at what they really believe. And, this has opened the door for our workers among Muslims to take new opportunities to discuss the person of Jesus Christ and peace that can be found in Him.” But, Anderson says it’s also having a negative impact. “Christians have thought that they should draw back or have greater concerns. The main reason that we’re not seeing more Muslims come to know the Lord is because they don’t have the opportunity to heard what the Lord Jesus Christ has to offer them.” Pray for additional funding and more workers to help in the harvest.

(Ivory Coast)–Next, Ivory Coast rebels restore an uneasy order in the country even as neighboring Liberia sends thousands of refugees over the border. A team of area Bible translators, meanwhile, continue their progress despite the unrest. So far, The Seed Company’s[4] translation efforts have yielded portions of 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, and the first draft of the book of Esther. Testing is underway for 2 Kings in the villages; revisions are slated for the next couple months. Please pray for the safety of the team.

(Mexico)–And, YUGO Ministries[5] recently partnered with Billy Graham’s Mission San Diego, Operation Starting Line and Prison Fellowship for two evangelistic campaigns in Tijuana’s La Mesa Prison and Tecate’s El Hongo Prison. In the first the meeting, nearly 350 inmates accepted the Lord. In the second, many of the inmates were already believers, and the meetings encouraged them to renew their faith in Christ. YUGO ministries looks forward to seeing more fruit from the evangelism and discipleship partnering ministry.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GFA [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=IMB [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=EFCA [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=TSC [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=YUGO ——————————————————————— http://www.MNNonline.org