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Today’s Headlines

ONCE-JAILED NEPALI CHRISTIANS CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES CHRISTIAN RADIO UNINTERRUPTED AS TYPHOON DEVASTATES SOUTH KOREA CANADIAN MINISTRY OBJECTS TO PROPOSED LEGISLATION LATVIAN PARLIAMENT PROPOSES DISCUSSION ON RELIGION LAW CHANGES CHURCHES IN RUSSIA BRING MORE THAN PHYSICAL AID TO ORPHANS TEMPORARY CHRISTIAN STATION TO AIR PROGRAMS IN U.K. THIS WINTER

Today’s News Stories

ONCE-JAILED NEPALI CHRISTIANS CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES Three Nepali workers who were jailed for more than four months on charges of proselytizing were cleared of all charges on Sept. 11. A gospel worker and two fellow-believers were apprehended by police and jailed in February because Bibles and Christian literature were found in their bags. Christian leaders in Nepal attempted to make appeals on behalf of the three and once tried to submit a letter to the king, but were turned away by the secretary, who promised to phone the judges to authorize them to set the Christians free. The Christians remained in jail until June 20 when they were released on probation by a higher court pending final resolution of the case. The court decision on Sept. 11 found no evidence that the brothers were preaching or attempting to convert others to Christianity. (Missions Insider)

CHRISTIAN RADIO UNINTERRUPTED AS TYPHOON DEVASTATES SOUTH KOREA Called the “typhoon of the century,” the storm that roared through South Korea last weekend threatened to slow the country’s economic recovery. The typhoon left a trail of wreckage that caused more than $1 billion worth of damage, but Far East Broadcasting Company’s Gregg Harris said the ministry’s radio stations weathered the storm well. “We maintain 10 local stations throughout the country. Five of them were affected, in that they lost power, but we were glad to report that we actually were able to stay on the air by using generated power overnight, so we didn’t lose any airtime.” Harris says the ministry is expected to continue as the population recovers from the storm. “Each station will be able to respond, from a programming standpoint, to the needs of the listeners. They’ll be able to work with the local churches in rallying support, in making announcements that are going to be pertinent to people who need help. So, there’s a great deal that we can do with these wonderful tools that God has put in our hands.” (Mission Network News)

CANADIAN MINISTRY OBJECTS TO PROPOSED LEGISLATION The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is disturbed that newly passed legislation in the country adds “sexual orientation” to the prohibited groups in the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code. “We do not condone, in any way, the promotion of hatred against anyone or any group,” said EFC President Bruce Clemenger. “However, the ambiguity of what this bill will capture may well silence what otherwise would be legitimate public comment on issues of sexual morality.” Thousands of Canadians wrote to their members of parliament expressing concerns that religious freedom was not adequately protected in the new legislation. Many politicians pacified their constituents by indicating that there is a defense allowing people to make “good faith statements on a religious subject.” However, in the two legal cases where an accused person tried to use this defense, the courts ruled that if a statement incites hatred, it cannot be considered a good faith statement on a religious subject. This makes the defenses totally inadequate in protecting religious freedom. “It is a very serious matter to criminalize expression on a particular subject,” says Janet Epp Buckingham, director of law and public policy for the EFC. “We are concerned that the defenses regarding religious freedom are not adequate protection. The timing of this legislation certainly makes it look as though it is intended to muzzle opposition to same-sex marriage.” The bill will now move to the Senate. (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)

LATVIAN PARLIAMENT PROPOSES DISCUSSION ON RELIGION LAW CHANGES Ringolds Balodis of the Latvian Justice Ministry has formally proposed removing from Latvia’s religion law a clause banning registration of more than one association of any one denomination. The Saeima (Latvia’s parliament) may decide the issue within the next two months. Balodis’ proposal has been welcomed by leaders of some religious minorities as full state registration grants rights such as being able to conduct officially-recognized marriages or teach religion in state schools. But Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Aleksandr Kudryashov of Riga opposes the proposal and wants it to apply only to churches such as the Lutherans and the Catholics, as the proposal would allow full state registration of other churches with the title Orthodox. (Forum 18 News)

* HCJB World Radio worked with Latvian Christian Radio in 1995 to help establish FM outlets in three cities, Liepaja, Riga and Talsi.

CHURCHES IN RUSSIA BRING MORE THAN PHYSICAL AID TO ORPHANS Evangelical churches in Russia are being allowed to reach out to children in orphanages. Michael Johnson of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) says this type of ministry is desperately needed because orphans in this country face a difficult future. “Statistics show that when these children are let out of these orphanages apart from hearing and responding to the gospel these kids will end up as drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes. They’ll be recruited by the local Mafia, and many of them will in fact commit suicide.” As a result, SGA has started “Orphans Reborn” — an effort to help fund this outreach opportunity. “We’ve equipped workers with things such as Bibles, Christian literature, discipleship materials and humanitarian aid,” he said. “We go into these orphanages every week to do evangelism and disciple these children.” (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across Russia with a variety of radio ministries. The mission has been sending gospel broadcasts across the country via shortwave since 1941, first from Quito, Ecuador, and now from the U.K. In the early 1990s the ministry began “planting” local radio ministries in Russia and now works with partners in more than a dozen cities. In 2000 HCJB World Radio helped launch the first Christian Russian radio satellite network (operated by Christian Radio for Russia), reaching across Euro-Asia. Downlinks have been installed with more than 26 partners in Russia alone.

TEMPORARY CHRISTIAN STATION TO AIR PROGRAMS IN U.K. THIS WINTER London-based Premier Christian Radio hopes a temporary Christian radio station approved for Birmingham this winter will lead to permission to open a full-time station in the British Midlands. Following a similar project in Manchester this summer, Premier FM will be a Restricted Service License broadcast, allowed under Radio Authority provision. It will bring locally relevant Christian radio to the Birmingham area. The style and approach of these broadcasts are similar to the way in which Premier has reflected the work and witness of the Christian community in the London region, but the content will be geared to the context of Birmingham. The purpose of this temporary radio station is to promote the possibility of a full-time regional Christian radio station for the West Midlands. Premier is looking for experienced radio presenters, contributors, researchers, administrators and technical staff. (Assist News Service)

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

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