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Today’s Headlines:

TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS DOUBLE FINES ON HOUSE CHURCH CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED BELIEVERS IN IRAQ FACE ‘CRITICAL TIME’ 2 PASTORS FORM MINISTRY AIMED AT ENDING RELIGIOUS HATRED WORLDWIDE 1,000 EXPECTED TO ATTEND CHRISTIAN HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN U.K. ISLAMIC INSTITUTE: EUROPE’S MUSLIM POPULATION SURPASSES 52 MILLION 3,000 COME TO CHRIST IN CAMEROON FOLLOWING ‘EVANGELISTIC BOOT CAMP’

Today’s News Stories:

TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS DOUBLE FINES ON HOUSE CHURCH CHRISTIANS Already fined 250,000 manats (US$48) for participating in “illegal religious meetings” earlier this summer, authorities in Balkanabad, Turkmenistan, have doubled the fines imposed on members of a local unregistered Baptist church. “The authorities in Balkanabad are prohibiting us from meeting for worship,” said a church spokesman. “And they have increased the level of fines to 500,000 manats.” Local officials refused to explain why they handed down such heavy fines simply for worshiping in private homes. Church members have seen a wave of raids since last spring. The fines in July and August came amid increased police action. Following a raid of a service on Sunday, Aug. 24, all those present were taken to the 6th division of the regional police department — the division that combats terrorism and religious extremism — and fined. Church members were threatened with additional fines every time they meet for worship. (Forum 18 News Service)

* HCJB World Radio works in partnership with Back to the Bible to air Christian Turkmen programs. Twice-weekly broadcasts began airing from an undisclosed site outside of Turkmenistan in 2001 and moved to daily programming earlier this year.

PERSECUTED BELIEVERS IN IRAQ FACE ‘CRITICAL TIME’ A spokesman for a ministry to the persecuted church describes the situation in Iraq as a time of “strategic importance for Christians” in the war-torn Middle Eastern nation. Jerry Dykstra, a spokesman for Open Doors International, says although now is a time of difficulty and instability for the church in post-Saddam Iraq, it is also an “open door” of opportunity for Western Christians to reach out to fellow believers who face many dangers and uncertainties. “During the Saddam era, there was a degree of stability — even though it was a torturous time — but now there is much uncertainty,” Dykstra said. He noted that many Iraqi Christians are wondering, “What’s going to happen tomorrow, and whether they can attend church in freedom, so there are a lot of concerns there. This is why we must seize the opportunity now.” Open Doors is working in Iraq, providing meals to more than 1,500 Christian families that have been displaced by the war. Dykstra urges believers in the U.S. and elsewhere to pray that the food, medicine and materials being distributed would reach the neediest families, and that “Muslim extremists in Iraq would not take control of that country.” (Religion Today/Agape Press)

2 PASTORS FORM MINISTRY AIMED AT ENDING RELIGIOUS HATRED WORLDWIDE An American and an Arab pastor have joined together to issue an urgent appeal for “people of faith” to help “rid the world of religious hatred.” Pastors Garry Ansdell of Hosanna Chapel in Bellflower, Calif., and Ameal Haddad of the Bellflower Church of God have co-founded Ambassadors for Peace in a bid to get people from around the world to sign on to resolution calling for the end of religious hate. “We have drafted a resolution for people of goodwill to sign, and by so doing they are say that they will no longer allow this unbridled religious hatred to continue unabated,” said Ansdell. “This is not about politics or ecumenical movements. It is about the divine right for all people to make choices and stand up for what they believe without fear of reprisal. We want the ability to share our faith no matter what.” Haddad, originally from Jordan, added, “Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Christians must be free — whether in Saudi Arabia, Asia, the U.S., Syria or Sudan — to share their beliefs. We can no longer be silent. We seek freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom to debate. Let everyone quote from their own book the whole truth from it without hiding or covering parts of it regardless of its offence.” (Assist News Service)

1,000 EXPECTED TO ATTEND CHRISTIAN HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN U.K. Britain’s largest-ever International Christian Human Rights Conference, set for London Nov. 15, is expected to attract more than 1,000 believers. The conference, co-hosted by Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Release International in association with Premier Christian Radio, will feature presentations by persecuted Christians from around the world. Delegates will be urged to respond by praying and writing postcards in support of the persecuted church. Key speakers will come from Sudan, Peru, India, U.K. and the Middle East. “[This will be] one of the few environments in which the Christian public can obtain up-to-date, factually correct and well-researched information presented in a way that will inspire and lead to direct action,” said Eddie Lyle, executive director of Release International. “This conference will be the biggest of its kind in the world.” (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

ISLAMIC INSTITUTE: EUROPE’S MUSLIM POPULATION SURPASSES 52 MILLION More than 52 million Muslims live in Europe, reports the Central Islam Institute in Soest, Germany. Some 25 million live in Russia and the southeastern part of the continent. The European regions of Turkey have 5.7 million, Albania 2.1 million and Bosnia Herzegovina 1.9 million. Owing to migration from North Africa, Turkey and the Middle East there are 11.8 million Muslims in Western Europe. This includes 5 million in France, 3.1 million in Germany, 2 million in the U.K. and the rest in other countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The institute added that 1.7 million Muslims live in southern Europe and 152,000 in Scandinavia. The number of Muslims in Germany dropped by 338,000 last year because many refugees returned to Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina. Europe has 727 million inhabitants with 269 million Catholics and 107 million Protestants. (IDEA)

3,000 COME TO CHRIST IN CAMEROON FOLLOWING ‘EVANGELISTIC BOOT CAMP’ More than 3,000 young people in Cameroon turned to Christ this summer after 16 young evangelists from the U.S. and Canada trained nationals in witnessing techniques. Tom Maher of Teen Missions International said the North Americans went to Cameroon to hold “evangelistic boot camps” for 122 nationals. “We had five teams of about 25 on each team,” he said. “They did some training with the national young people in drama, puppets and music. After their summer boot camp ended, they went out and did door-to-door evangelism and saw more than 3,000 people come to know Christ.” Maher says the national teens were especially effective in sharing the gospel with people from their own age group. Sixty percent of Cameroon’s population is under the age of 18. Mahler says the ministry is preparing to run a Bible school in Cameroon next year. “Hopefully we’ll have a dozen or so students from our boot camp who are willing to serve the Lord as missionaries,” he said. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio signed a partnership agreement Eternal Life Mission in 2002 to plant a Christian radio station in Bamenda, Cameroon.

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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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