HIGH-RANKING MONGOLIAN OFFICIAL PRAISES CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION

CHURCH LEADERS IN INDIA FEAR RESURGENCE OF HINDU NATIONALISM

3 ORTHODOX PRIESTS ARRESTED AS PERSECUTION CONTINUES IN ERITREA

ACCURACY IN MEDIA FOUNDER REED IRVINE DIES AT AGE 82

UKRAINIAN CHRISTIANS TRUST GOD IN FACE OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY

MIDDLE EAST CHURCHES KEEP GROWING IN SPITE OF REGIONAL TENSIONS

Today’s News Stories:

HIGH-RANKING MONGOLIAN OFFICIAL PRAISES CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION The Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia publicly praised Christian radio station WIND FM when giving his address to the nation during the country’s recent Independence Day celebrations. The speaker thanked WIND FM for consistently striving to uplift the people of Mongolia with its programming and other off-air activities. The high-ranking government official also expressed his support for the campaign that WIND FM is promoting this year – “the Nine Virtues of the Mongolian” — based on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. On the same day, the station covered the National Prayer Day in which more than 1,000 believers gathered to pray for the nation. WIND FM, affiliated with Far East Broadcasting Co., began broadcasting in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar in 2001. (Religious Media Agency)

CHURCH LEADERS IN INDIA FEAR RESURGENCE OF HINDU NATIONALISM India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in an effort to regain federal power in India, is reverting to its anti-minority political platform of Hindu nationalism. If implemented, Christians and Muslims could face a backlash of Hindu extremism. In a speech last week to BJP leaders, L.K. Advani, who was once subpoenaed by a court for his involvement in the demolition of a mosque, called the party a “chosen instrument of the divine.” He also termed the conversion of tribal peoples to Christianity and Buddhism as “fraudulent.” Hindu orators have unleashed a series of sermons against Christian thought and mission work in rural villages. Church leaders fear that this renewed hate campaign — with the blessing of Advani’s BJP — will lead to more conflict. (Compass)

3 ORTHODOX PRIESTS ARRESTED AS PERSECUTION CONTINUES IN ERITREA Reports indicated that three Orthodox priests in the East African country of Eritrea have been detained since the third week of November. Dr. Futsum Gebrenegus, Eritrea’s only psychiatrist, Dr. Tekeleab, a general practitioner, and Rev. Gebremebhin are all Orthodox priests involved in the renewal movement within the Orthodox Church. Eritrean security forces have raided dozens of homes and have arrested hundreds of Christians, including young children, simply for having a Bible or attending a Christian meeting since the government banned Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches. An estimated 400 Christians remain in prison, many having served more than two years. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

ACCURACY IN MEDIA FOUNDER REED IRVINE DIES AT AGE 82 Reed Irvine, a conservative icon, died in Rockville, Md., Tuesday, Nov. 16, after nearly four decades of activist work in Washington, D.C. He was 82. Cliff Kincaid, who works for the Accuracy in Media think tank, said Irvine left a legacy that changed the media landscape. He called Irvine a defender of truth who was ahead of his time and “took out stock in the major media companies so he could go to the annual meetings and ask the top brass embarrassing questions about their journalists and their coverage.” One of Irvine’s greatest accomplishments was the founding of Accuracy in Media, Kincaid said. “He pursued the truth.” (AgapePress/New York Times)

UKRAINIAN CHRISTIANS TRUST GOD IN FACE OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY While political uncertainty has reigned in Ukraine since the country’s Supreme Court put off the inauguration of a new president until after it has a chance to rule on election corruption charges, Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) says local Christians are trusting God regardless of the results. “Their position is basically that God is sovereign,” he said. “God is in control, and whoever is elected to the presidency, believers will be focused on their main goal — preaching the gospel.” Griffith says it’s important for believers everywhere to keep praying about the political situation in Ukraine. “Things can sometimes change overnight, and that’s why it’s so urgent to support the churches right now in their ministry in getting the gospel out and taking the opportunity that God has given us in this window to be able to do as much as we can to help these churches.” SGA operates a regional ministry center near Kiev. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local churches to establish radio ministries in Kiev and four other cities in Ukraine. Stations in three Ukrainian cities are also affiliated with New Life Radio, a Russian satellite radio network started with HCJB World Radio’s help in 2000. In addition, daily programs air to Ukraine via shortwave.

MIDDLE EAST CHURCHES KEEP GROWING IN SPITE OF REGIONAL TENSIONS As tensions persist in the Middle East following the death of Yasser Arafat, Conservative Baptist International (CBI) continues to train Christian leaders in countries across the region. With theological education centers in Lebanon and Jordan, Christian leaders from many Middle East countries come to learn how to be effective in their ministries and grow their churches. CBI’s Hans Finzel said that while tension is present in the Middle East, there’s also a general sense of calm and a new possibility of progress toward peace in the region. “The few areas that are hotspots are all we hear about in the media,” he said. “One thing that’s interesting in the Middle East is that there are Christians on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. That’s a unique challenge . . . God is growing His church on both sides of that conflict.” (Mission Network News)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 1.936 (20041130) Information __________

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