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Today’s Headlines:

DESCENDANTS OF FIJI’S CANNIBALS APOLOGIZE FOR EATING MISSIONARY ANOTHER CHINESE CHRISTIAN ARRESTED AMID CRACKDOWN LAOS CONTINUES BRUTAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST HMONG CHRISTIANS CHRISTIAN BROADCASTS GIVE ‘PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVE’ TO IRAN’S REGIME PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS HIS FAITH ‘MATTERS A LOT’ * VETERAN HCJB WORLD RADIO ENGINEER DIES OF CANCER AT AGE 67

Today’s News Stories:

DESCENDANTS OF FIJI’S CANNIBALS APOLOGIZE FOR EATING MISSIONARY Villagers in Fiji whose ancestors killed and ate a British missionary 136 years ago are to offer a traditional apology to his descendants. An article by Nick Squires in the London Daily Telegraph said Rev. Thomas Baker of the Wesleyan Methodist Church was killed in the remote mountain community of Navatusila in 1867, possibly after he took a comb out of a chief’s hair. “Touching the head of a chief was taboo in Fiji, once known as the Cannibal Isles,” Squires wrote. “The people of Navatusila want to atone for the sins of their ancestors because they believe they have been cursed by Mr. Baker’s death with their village suffering a string of misfortunes.” The chief of the village on the island of Viti Levu has invited the missionary’s descendants in Britain to attend next month’s ceremony, the Pacific Islands News Association reported. Lance Martin, an archivist at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said the story about the comb may be a myth. “It seems Baker got caught up in some sort of inter-tribal feuding relating to his right to travel across the island,” Martin said. “He was ambushed as he and his companions were leaving a village one morning. He was cut up on a flat rock at the base of a ravine. His body was anointed and then eaten.” Baker, from Playden, East Sussex, is the only European to have been cooked and eaten in Fiji; however, accounts of cannibalism in the South Pacific in the last 200 years were not unusual. A contemporary account of the 35-year-old churchman’s grisly death quoted villagers as saying, “We ate everything but his boots.” One of those boots is on display in the national museum in the capital, Suva. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio worked with partner EBM International to establish FM radio stations in two cities of Fiji, Pacific Harbour (in 1996) and Suva (in 1999). Both stations air programs in English and Fijian.

ANOTHER CHINESE CHRISTIAN ARRESTED AMID CRACKDOWN Another Beijing house-church Christian has been arrested as Chinese authorities continue a wide spread crackdown against rapidly expanding congregations. Voice of the Martyrs reported that Liu Feng Guang was arrested last week by Public Security Bureau (PSB) authorities in China’s Zhejiang province. Guang was arrested after traveling to meet with underground church leaders, including some recently released after almost two months in custody. Zhejiang PSB officers and Beijing police, “searched Liu’s apartment in Beijing and confiscated 36 items, including two computers, his address book, cameras, and documents.” His wife, Bi Yu-xia, was told that her husband was facing serious charges for “leaking national secrets” to those outside of China. His arrest came on the heels of the detention of three prominent house church members last month. The latest developments have underscored international concern about the persecution of Christians throughout China, many of whom are held in prisons and labor camps for many years. Scholars and human rights workers have linked the measures to concern among Communist authorities about the growing number of Christians in China which is said to experience the largest church growth in the world. (Assist News Service/Voice of the Martyrs)

LAOS CONTINUES BRUTAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST HMONG CHRISTIANS The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission reported that the Lao government is conducting a “relentless war” against Christianity. The Hmong, a people group living in several countries of Southeast Asia, are major — though not exclusive — targets. Large numbers of them have turned to Christ, and they are considered spies of the West, enemies of the state, and fit for “extermination.” Lao believers are beaten, imprisoned, tortured and forced from their lands for refusing to renounce their faith. “The government wants us to go back and worship evil spirits,” wrote a local believer. Villagers are encouraged to report any Christians to authorities so they can be arrested or “eliminated.” Early in September WEA interviewed a Lao observer who said that many Hmong groups are hiding in the jungle. “The army is attacking in three ways: with ground troops, bombs from aircraft, and chemical weapons,” the observer said. “The government uses helicopters, and they spray out something that looks like yellow rain. It causes headaches, diarrhea and blindness and makes their teeth fall out. Within three weeks people die. Others die from disease and starvation, and some have been captured and killed.” (Religion Today)

CHRISTIAN BROADCASTS GIVE ‘PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVE’ TO IRAN’S REGIME Due to tight restrictions on any evangelism effort in Iran and the cessation of Bible translation there, the best way to deliver the gospel message currently is by radio. Words of Hope radio broadcasts in Farsi, a language spoken in Afghanistan and Iran. Spokesperson Lee DeYoung says, “The Iranian people who are hearing the gospel and growing in faith are eager to reach their own people. But, at the same time, they are wise enough to realize that is best done with a low profile.” Christians comprise less than 1 percent of the population. Christian radio broadcasts have offered a peaceful alternative to the Islamic regime that has been in place for more than 20 years. Iranians are seeking the alternative of peace and hope that only the love of Jesus could provide. The Words of Hope programs have been effective to both individual and small house church groups. DeYoung says that while there are concerns for those living in extreme Muslim areas, the future is bright. “Some of the restrictions and concerns and risks and dangers are notably increasing and yet, at the same time, the hunger and the openness on the part of some people in these populations is growing. I would say, as a general rule, the underground church is on the rise.” (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio, in cooperation with FEBA Radio, broadcasts weekly Christian programs to Iran via shortwave in the Luri language. There are less than 100 known believers among the 4 million Luri speakers.

PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS HIS FAITH ‘MATTERS A LOT’ U.S. President George W. Bush says his faith is helping him deal with the challenges of the presidency, and he credits the Bible with inspiring him to push for federal funding to fight AIDS. In an interview appearing next week in the October issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, Bush says it is possible to function in the presidency without believing in God, and probably some of his predecessors did not believe in God, but he finds that Christianity helps. “When you realize that there is an Almighty God on whom you can rely, it provides great comfort,” says Bush, who was interviewed with first lady Laura Bush. “That’s why I read every morning, the Bible and Scriptures and Charles Stanley devotionals,” he adds. “It matters a lot to me personally.” Stanley, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is a TV and radio evangelist. Bush, a Methodist, often refers to his faith in public remarks but does not link it to government policy. “You shouldn’t fear a religious person,” Bush says. “The Bible talks about love and compassion. That’s really a lot behind my passion on AIDS policy, for example.” Bush surprised some conservatives in January when he asked Congress to raise the five-year budget on fighting AIDS in Africa to $15 billion from $5 billion. (Charisma News Service)

* VETERAN HCJB WORLD RADIO ENGINEER DIES OF CANCER AT AGE 67 HCJB World Radio engineer Sam Rowley of Elkhart, Ind., went to be with the Lord the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 18, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 67.

Born in Loveland, Colo., on May 5, 1936, Sam had served with HCJB World Radio since 1963. When he and his wife, Grace, received their 40-year service award in September, Sam praised God for extending his life, giving him extra time to spend with his family and work on key projects, such as helping start a partner station in Papua New Guinea. “It was 11/2 years ago that doctors told me I had two months to live,” Sam said. “The Lord has been so good to us. We can’t thank Him enough.”

In presenting the award, Senior Vice President Jim Allen explained that when local radio partners in Papua New Guinea heard about Sam’s prognosis they said, “You’re not allowed to die, because you’re work isn’t yet finished!”

HCJB World Radio President Dave Johnson added that Sam was an exemplary missionary along with Grace. “They always had a deep love for the people with whom they worked, and they had a great willingness to adapt to whatever situation they faced. For me it was a privilege to spend time with the Rowleys in Papua New Guinea this summer and see how the people loved and honored Sam in deep appreciation for his help in the local radio ministry.”

Sam committed his life to the Lord during his teen years, and from that time on his goal was to become a missionary. With that in mind, he attended Sterling College in Kansas where he graduated in physics in 1958, then majored in missionary radio and communications at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill., graduating in 1961. Sam and Grace received Sterling College’s Alumni Citation Award in 1980.

Sam and Grace married in 1958, and Sam was an instructor at DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. He also taught at Wheaton Christian Grammar School in Wheaton, Ill., before joining HCJB World Radio in 1963.

Their first assignment was in Papallacta, Ecuador, where Sam worked in power line construction. After hours, Sam taught Sunday school with Grace in Pifo, helped start churches in Puembo and Tumbaco, and took part in evangelistic outreaches to remote areas of the country. He also helped in the medical ministry in Pifo, driving expectant mothers to the clinic to have their babies.

In 1968 the Rowleys were transferred to Quito where Sam concentrated on the FM and AM transmitters on Mt. Pichincha which overlooks the city. He also helped build HCJB-2, the FM station in Guayaquil, and worked on various studios and antennas. He also sang in the HCJB World Radio choir, took part in street evangelism and taught Sunday school at English Fellowship Church in Quito.

Sam was director of engineering for seven years (1972-79). Many projects were initiated during this time such as the expansion of the hydroelectric plant in Papallacta, the steerable antenna, Program Automated Control System (PACS) and the 500,000-watt transmitter.

In 1988 the Rowleys were transferred to the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., where he concentrated on “radio planting,” working with local partners to establish Christian radio ministries, especially in Latin America and on islands of the South Pacific.

Sam was known for his consistent walk with the Lord, preciseness in work and friendly personality. In his spare time his favorite hobby was amateur radio.

He leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Grace, and four children, Carol Sue Burrill of Loveland, Colo.; Samuel Rowley Jr. of St. Charles, Mo.; Stephen Rowley of Cary, Ill., and Sheryl Rowley of Aurora, Ill., along with five grandchildren.

Viewing will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Westbrook-Metz and Clouse Funeral Home in Elkhart at 1129 Prairie St. Tom Fulghum from Colorado Springs, Colo., will officiate at the funeral set for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at First Baptist Church, 2626 Prairie St., Elkhart. Interment will follow on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at St. Charles Memorial Gardens in St. Charles, Mo. Notes and cards may be sent to Grace at 60397 Pembrook Ln., Elkhart, IN 46517. (HCJB World Radio)

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