News headlines for June 24th 2003

(Iran)–Iran headlines today’s news as it’s the focus of an unprecedented evangelistic outreach. Evangelist Sammy Tippit[1] says he’s hoping to beam evangelistic messages into the country via satellite television. Tippit says the country’s is already primed for this kind of change. “You have a people uprising taking place in Iran. This could be very close to what happened in Romania and Eastern Europe. We have been training leaders inside Iran and they feel like things are very close. We believe they ought to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel, because right now people are responding, they’re looking, they’re searching.” Tippit says satellite television will be an affective way to reach Iranians with the Gospel. “80-percent of the population in Iran have satellite dishes, even though it’s illegal. Not only that, 70-percent of the population is under 30.” Funding is quickly being raised to get the programming on the air.

(Laos/Vietnam)–Meanwhile, as tribal people groups in Laos and Vietnam turn to Christ, governments of both countries aren’t happy about their conversions. That’s the word from the President of Far East Broadcasting Company[2] , Jim Bowman. FEBC broadcasts Christian programming to the Hmong and other people groups. “The Hmong themselves have never been very friendly to the national governments and a lot of these Hmong groups are still rather active, so therefore when many of these became Christians the communist view of that was that this was actually a subversive movement to undermine a revolution through the Hmong.” FEBC has been key in this evangelism effort, but Bowman says that part of the ministry is in need. He says the sudden death of their Hmong broadcaster in December has left a big hole. “He was a Hmong raised in Laos, as a matter of fact. Finding leadership to take his roll in the radio broadcasting, I think is our greatest burden right now. “

(International)–Despite word of Kazakhstan’s resistance to the Gospel, the irony is that an evangelistic ministry plans to grow from that country. Global Advance’s[3] .” Further, the expansion is a logical step, Shibley says, given the spiritual atmosphere. “I believe that as the volatile situation in the world becomes ever more dangerous, that we look at more creative ways to continue to partner with our brothers and sisters on the frontlines of the advance of the Gospel around the world.”

(China)–Next, Voice Of The Martyr’s[4] says the Chinese Embassy has shut down their public e-mail account. Authorities say it has been overloaded with massive amount of email in recent weeks. VOM believes the surge in web activity is largely due to the Christian outcry on behalf of Pastor Gong Shengliang’s imprisonment and failing condition. Chinese authorities are still regularly cracking down on the house church movement, creating difficulties for those involved with unregistered evangelistic work.

(International)–And, the Association of Christian Schools International[5] reports success in their first annual united day of prayer and giving. The challenge was to set aside one day in the spring to teach students about prayer and financial support of ACSI’s evangelistic education work. In response, 146 schools took part in ACSI’s first Annual Day of Hope, contributing nearly 30-thousand dollars in support of Christian schooling for children in over 100 countries.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=STM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FEBC [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GAM [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=VOM [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=ACSI ———————————————————————

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