News headlines for January 1st 2004

Haiti’s bicentennial marred by uncertainty and violence. Haiti (MNN)–Topping the news, as Haiti celebrates its bicentennial today, many plan to rededicate the country to Satan. Riots are also accompanying their entry into the third century. Evangelist Sammy Tippit[1] believes the situation may get more intense for believers. “I think the closer you see them get to this anniversary time in January, the more clashes you’re going to see because this is a strategic moment in the history of the country. It’s a time, really, of remembering where they’ve come from, and so there’s probably a lot of political action taking place. In the midst of that, Christians want to say, ‘Hey, we want to give our country to the Lord.'” Tippit says they laid the groundwork in the fall for a ministry support project. “We are partnering with the Center for Evangelism and Leadership Training there, and we are hoping to have all of our leadership training material and resources translated into Creole and into French as well, to help raise up a new generation of leaders. We would ask people to be praying for us in that.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5522

More trouble for Christians in India India (MNN) — Meanwhile, a missionary in India’s Orissa state has been arrested. Gospel For Asia’s[2] KP Yohannan says the radical Hindu group VHP is responsible. “We have a significant number of missionaries in that state and just recently one of our missionaries was arrested and put in jail for 10-days for baptizing a non-Christian. He’s now released on bail and now the case will go to the court. Another 10 missionaries, they’re waiting for trial because they baptized non-Christians.” Yohannan says India requires converts to sign documents of conversion, but.. “You do all the paperwork, the local police and the authorities still create problems for us. I’m told that the VHP, they have agents appointed in every district of the state just to monitor the Christian activities and the missionaries who are doing the work.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5523 [3]

World’s largest teens mission conference closes with communion. USA (MNN) — The largest teen missions conference in the world, Urbana ’03, has come to an end in the United States. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s[4] Urbana ’03 concluded on New Years Eve with a traditional midnight communion. But, Doctor Soong Chan Rah who presided hopes students will see it as more than a ceremony. “That the challenge of I Corinthians chapter 12, to not take communion in a unworthy manner, and to be able to do that as a diverse body of Christ. That’s a wonderful gift. And, I think there is something very unifying about us coming as broken people before God and taking communion before God and taking communion together and being unified in that act.” Following the five days of seminars on cross cultural ministry and evangelism, Alex Hill, President of Intervarsity, hopes students go back to their college campuses with a renewed sense of their role in the kingdom. “For the younger ones, I would hope that they would just commit to the Lordship of Christ and that they would be open to whatever the Lord would lead them in the next step. For those who are in the 21, 23, 25 year old range, I would hope that they’re already through those first couple of levels and they’re looking for a specific sense of calling to a specific task, whether that’s in the marketplace or in Mongolia.” The 19,000 students also collected some 1.1 million dollars to be divided among some 11 different mission agencies to help provide relief to the poor around the world. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5525

A Christian school in Nicaragua looks to growth in 2004. Nicaragua (MNN)–And, the Association of Christian Schools International[5] is urging prayer for the Nicaragua Christian Academy. The NCA is making plans to build a ‘daughter’ school. Both would have the goal of graduating bi-lingual students with a Christian worldview. However, ACSI officials hope the new school will allow them to cut tuition costs. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5524

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=STM [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=GFA [3]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/01-01-04KPYohannan.rm [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=ICF [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=ACSI ——————————————————————— Mission Network News Daily, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Questions: (800) 284-9361 or

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