Today’s Headlines:

IRANIAN POLICE ARREST CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND FAMILY

PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ATTACKED BY POLICEMAN FOR COMMENTS ON ISLAM

HAITI’S RURAL POOR HIT HARD BY MILITARY COUP, FLOODING

TEEN MINISTRY IN UKRAINE HELPS BRING ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS

BILLY GRAHAM’S LOS ANGELES AREA CRUSADE RESCHEDULED

Today’s News Stories:

IRANIAN POLICE ARREST CHRISTIAN PASTOR AND FAMILY Iranian police arrested a Protestant Christian pastor in the northern part of the country this week, jailing him, along with his wife and two teenage children. Pastor Khosroo Yusefi and his wife Nasrin were arrested on May 23 in Chalous, a town along the Caspian Sea coast. Together with their 18-year-old son and a daughter age 15, they remain imprisoned on unknown charges. “The police have found out that people have come to Christ in that city, that’s all,” an Iranian Christian reported. “We don’t know whether somebody was spying on them, or what.” Reportedly, dozens of believers from two of Yusefi’s church groups were jailed in the first week of May and later released. However, Sunday’s arrest marks the first time that the entire family of a Christian leader has been taken into custody. The majority of Christians meeting in secret house-church groups in Iran are former Muslims. (Compass Direct)

PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ATTACKED BY POLICEMAN FOR COMMENTS ON ISLAM International Christian Concern (ICC) has received reports that Samuel X, a Christian man, has been admitted to General Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan as a result of being attacked by a policeman regarding his comments about Islam. It is possible the incident occurred during an interrogation, as Samuel was previously being held at the police station. Samuel is said to be on life support, but not showing signs of life, according to a hospital source. ICC representatives have attempted to gain access to Samuel but are being blocked by the police. (International Christian Concern)

HAITI’S RURAL POOR HIT HARD BY MILITARY COUP, FLOODING The double scourge of military coup and deadly flooding threatens Haiti’s attempts at recovery. In the north, the successful effort to force out President Jean Bertrand Aristide left a trail of devastation in its wake. While some aid came in, it was diverted to meet needs in the south when deadly flooding hit there. The result has been skyrocketing prices and scarce food supplies. Eva DeHart, of For Haiti With Love, says survival and restoration will be a real challenge. “So many things have been destroyed that jobs they used to have simply aren’t there anymore because the buildings that they operated out of aren’t there. This recovery is going to take a long time, and there are going to be a lot of people who die before it gets squared away.” She added that safety is a real concern for those who are lending assistance. “The people who are willing to help don’t feel safe. We need something in place in the way of security and peace so that people feel like they can go down and help and not be in danger.” (Mission Network News)

TEEN MINISTRY IN UKRAINE HELPS BRING ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS Like teens in any other part of the world, Ukrainian youth are searching for answers. Roman Matviyiv, with New Hope International, says his team can talk to teens about important issues through educational programs in their schools. “We teach them about abstinence. We talk about problems from a Biblical perspective. After that, we invite kids to youth clubs. Christian youth clubs are neutral territory. Kids feel free to come because we have fun, we have music, and we do some messages also.” Matviyiv says most teens have tried being self-reliant but times are changing. “They don’t have assurance about the future. They’re not sure about life and there are a lot of questions, a lot of doubts. We have to use that opportunity to share about Christ.” (Mission Network News)

BILLY GRAHAM’S LOS ANGELES AREA CRUSADE RESCHEDULED The Executive Leadership Team of the Greater Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade announced their decision to reschedule the Crusade at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena from July 29-August 1 as originally planned, to new dates of November 18-21, 2004. The change provides the evangelist with additional time to heal and undergo physical therapy to recover from a procedure last week to stabilize a fractured pelvis following a fall in his home on May 14. It will also provide the nearly 750 participating churches representing 77 denominations additional time for planning, preparation and participation for his seventh evangelistic crusade in Southern California. The new dates fall on the 55th anniversary of Graham’s historic 1949 Los Angeles Crusade when his public ministry was launched into national and international prominence. (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

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