Thanks for choosing to receive e-mail from HCJB World Radio. Please add to your e-mail address book or safe sender list to ensure that you receive these e-mails.

Today’s Headlines:

GROUP OF BAPTIST MISSIONARIES EVACUATE HAITI AFTER RECEIVING THREATS AFGHAN CHRISTIANS TAKE WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE FOLLOWING ELECTION RELIGIOUS FIGHTING IN NIGERIAN STATE KILLS 53,000+ PEOPLE IN 3 YEARS TV PROGRAM ON CHRIST’S LIFE TO AIR ON NATIONAL NETWORK IN INDIA SIM OPENS CENTER FOR HIV/AIDS PATIENTS IN ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA CALLS FOR LEGALIZATION OF GAY MARRIAGE

Today’s News Stories:

GROUP OF BAPTIST MISSIONARIES EVACUATE HAITI AFTER RECEIVING THREATS The American Embassy and the Haitian government are taking seriously threats from the thugs of exiled president Jean Bertrand Aristide to kidnap and harm foreigners in Haiti. On Sunday, Oct. 10, a specific threat was made against a Baptist mission in Haiti, and the U.S. embassy urged the Baptist missionaries to leave immediately. They reportedly left after church services that day. Recently there has been a renewed wave of violence in Haiti’s capital carried out by thugs loyal to Aristide’s political party. The violence resumed last week while U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police turned their attention to the catastrophic flooding in Gonaives and surrounding areas that left some 3,000 people dead more than 300,000 homeless. Last week the thugs — following the example of Iraqi insurgents — kidnapped three Haitian police officers. They were later found beheaded. Another nine police officers were killed when they searched a slum that is home to many of the bandits. CNN reported that a Brazilian peacekeeper was also injured during the offensive when he was shot in the foot. Those leading the protesters and inciting the violence have called their actions, “Operation Baghdad.” Christian leaders in Haiti say the underlying cause of the political, economic and environmental crisis in Haiti is “spiritual warfare.” Mission leaders are urging believers to pray for the safety of foreign missionaries and all Haitian Christians. (Assist News Service)

* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., are working with OMS International to establish a satellite radio network based at 4VEH outside the city of Cap-Haitien that will deliver programs to FM stations nationwide. Downlinks have been installed in Tortue Island, Pignon and Beaumont, and at least two more are planned. HCJB World Radio also helped partner World Gospel Mission with a small station in Port-au-Prince.

AFGHAN CHRISTIANS TAKE WAIT-AND-SEE ATTITUDE FOLLOWING ELECTION The Free and Fair Election Foundations of Afghanistan (FEFA) reported Sunday, Oct. 10, that Afghanistan’s first democratic ballot since the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001 was “free and fair.” FEFA, comprising 13 local non-governmental organizations, said it was encouraged by the “democratic process” surrounding the vote, which was widely expected to have been won by Hamid Karzai, the U.S.-backed interim president. Representatives of Christians, who make up less than 1 percent of Afghanistan’s close to 29 million people, made clear that regardless of who takes over Afghanistan, their situation may not improve under the controversial constitution. Human rights watchers say that Islamic law will still be the supreme law of the land and that the provisions of Islam are undefined in the constitution, giving hard-line Islamic judges and jurists too much power to maneuver against Christians. There is now hope that Karzai, if elected, will address the religious and human rights situation, although analysts warn that attacks by remnants of the Taliban regime could undermine these efforts. (BosNewsLife)

* HCJB World Radio is bringing words of hope and encouragement to people across Afghanistan via radio. Together with partners, Christian broadcasts go out via AM in three of the country’s major languages, Turkmen, Uzbek and Southern Uzbek.

RELIGIOUS FIGHTING IN NIGERIAN STATE KILLS 53,000+ PEOPLE IN 3 YEARS Violence between Christians and Muslims in the last three years has left more than 53,000 people dead in a central Nigerian state, officials said. A government-appointed committee said 53,787 people had died in Plateau state between September 2001 and May 2004 when the government declared a state of emergency after a massacre that left hundreds dead in the town of Yelwa. It was the first official death toll from sectarian violence in the region. The tallies were based on figures gathered from family members who said they have lost relatives, said Thomas Kagnaan, chairman of the Committee on Rehabilitation and Reconciliation of Internally Displaced People. Among the dead were 17,459 children, 17,397 women and 18,931 men. Some 281,164 people were also displaced during the violence. Plateau state has been plagued by ethnic and religious fighting since skirmishes erupted in September 2001. (WorldWide Religious News/Associated Press)

TV PROGRAM ON CHRIST’S LIFE TO AIR ON NATIONAL NETWORK IN INDIA Hindu extremism in India isn’t getting in the way of an unprecedented opportunity to the story of Christ. Book of Hope International’s Rob Hoskins recently returned from India where the country’s national television network signed a letter of intent to air the ministry’s “God Man” special. “What we’re talking about is the potential viewing audience of 1.4 billion people because it’s not just the nation of India, but the entire subcontinent. It’ll be a simultaneous broadcast to all of India as well as Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. . . . It’s the most evangelistic presentation of the life of Christ ever in that part of the world.” The professional animated production is geared primarily for children and young people. Plans are to translate it into 14 languages spoken in the region as funds become available. (Mission Network News)

SIM OPENS CENTER FOR HIV/AIDS PATIENTS IN ETHIOPIAN CAPITAL SIM opened the Medan Addis Ababa Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center for HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Friday, 8. “This center is the culmination of years of hard work, prayer and giving by many people,” said SIM missionary Dr. Tim Teusink. “SIM and the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (which relates to the ministry in Ethiopia) view the opening as a huge step forward in the struggle against the AIDS epidemic in this, the largest city in the Horn of Africa. The center’s impact on this community and country will be transformational.” The center was officially opened by the doctor who heads the Addis Ababa City Health Department in the presence of government, community and church leaders. The celebration included a drama performed by a local group, speeches, singing, prayers, tours and a feast of Ethiopian food. In addition to counseling and testing, the center will be the focal point of education programs held through anti-AIDS youth clubs that focus on behavioral change. It will also be used for community-based home care and support for people living with AIDS, care of orphans and other vulnerable children, and a clinic for AIDS patients. In addition, it will be a center for income-generating activities for impoverished families that have been affected by the disease. This is the fifth such center that the Kale Heywet Church has opened in Ethiopia in conjunction with SIM. (SIM)

UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA CALLS FOR LEGALIZATION OF GAY MARRIAGE One of Canada’s major Protestant denominations is calling on the nation’s highest court to legalize homosexual “marriage.” The United Church of Canada, an amalgamation of Presbyterian and Methodist congregations, is arguably one of the most liberal denominations in North America. The denomination was one of the first to ordain homosexual pastors and has now joined with those calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. Lawyers for the Canadian government have, along with several other groups, gone before the Supreme Court of Canada to get its blessing on a draft bill that redefines marriage to include same-sex couples before bringing the bill before the parliament. Those who oppose homosexual marriage are making their arguments before the court also. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that one of the questions the Supreme Court justices are considering is whether the nation’s churches will remain free to refuse to marry same-sex couples. (Religion Today/AgapePress)

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

Editor’s Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports. _______________________________________________ HCJBDaily mailing list

with subscribe in the subject line.

__________ NOD32 1.891 (20041011) Information __________

This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.nod32.com