RENEWED ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IS REPORTED IN SRI LANKA.

PERSECUTION MEMO SENT TO NIGERIA’S REFORM CONFERENCE

ANGOLA SEES FIRST PUBLIC CHRISTIAN EVENT

RUSSIAN BELIEVERS GET FIVE DAYS IN PRISON FOR DEMANDING THEIR RIGHTS

WORLD RELIEF EXPANDS REACH OF HIV/AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM

Today’s Top Stories:

RENEWED ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IS REPORTED IN SRI LANKA. Reports of renewed anti-Christian violence in Sri-Lanka, including attacks on at least five churches, have surfaced in the days since the last reading of an anti-conversion bill in Parliament. These recent reports are in addition to the spike in attacks seen over the past two years. According to persecution watchdog groups, at least 170 churches have been attacked and 140 closed down due to intimidation and threats. Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s Glenn Penner says it’s an obvious attempt to stamp out evangelism. “In the last month, we have seen an escalation of violence against Christians in Sri Lanka.” A vote on one bill may be coming this month. Penner believes the government is taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. If the current bill fails, he adds, there’s another one waiting in the wings. Sri Lanka’s Parliament is haggling over a ban on “unethical” or “forced” conversions. But the loosely defined terms make the law open to interpretation. Penner says, while they’re deeply concerned at the latest developments, they won’t be intimidated. “Voice of the Martyrs works very closely with the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. We’re also training church leaders in that area to be courageous witnesses for Jesus in this country. We just encourage Christians to continue to uphold these brothers and sisters in prayer. They’re wanting to take the gospel throughout the country, and they’re prepared to do it, despite all of this violence.” (Mission Network News)

PERSECUTION MEMO SENT TO NIGERIA’S REFORM CONFERENCE Leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) submitted a memorandum to the nation’s National Political Reform Conference on Thursday, June 9, cataloguing cases of persecution and discrimination against Christians. The leaders claim that while the Nigerian constitution professes a secular status for the nation, state governments in northern Nigeria are Islamic institutions whose main tasks are to promote and propagate Islam using public funds. Twelve northern states have implemented Islamic law. The memorandum alleges discriminatory religious policies, including confiscating mission schools, hiring Islamic religious teachers, and denying land for church buildings. The reform conference is expected to draft a revised constitution that will then be presented to President Olusegun Obasanjo. (Compass)

ANGOLA SEES FIRST PUBLIC CHRISTIAN EVENT Nearly 47,000 people gathered in Angola for the historic Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham, the first event of its kind in that country. “In a country that was once torn apart, we thank God for peace now that the war has ended,” said Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Now that there is peace in the land we have an opportunity to bring this festival and spiritual peace to these people’s hearts.” The Festival, held in Lubango’s soccer stadium June 10-12, was the first time nearly all of the city’s churches united for one purpose – 90 of the 95 churches helped organize the event. Many people walked several miles because of the lack of public transportation in the sprawling city. By the final night, 13,496 responded to the invitation to put their faith in Jesus Christ. Crowds heard Graham’s message of hope, along with music by local and international artists Dennis Agajanian and the Tommy Coomes Band. The 1,400-voice choir was one of the largest in the history of Graham’s festivals, which have been held in more than 100 cities in 20 countries around the world. (Mission Network News)

RUSSIAN BELIEVERS GET FIVE DAYS IN PRISON FOR DEMANDING THEIR RIGHTS Three members of Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Moscow, Russia were sentenced last week to five days imprisonment for taking part in a demonstration in support of believers’ rights. The Protestant church members said they were protesting against the general discrimination they are facing, and specifically the Moscow authorities’ refusal to allow their church to build or acquire a building in the Russian capital. In what lawyer Vladimir Ryakhovsky described to Forum 18 News Service as “a parody of justice,” church administrator Yuri Popov and pastors Ilya Astafyev and Aleksandr Purshaga were sentenced to five days in temporary detention cells in central Moscow. Judge Aleksandra Kovalevskaya also fined other believers who took part in the demonstration. (Forum 18)

WORLD RELIEF EXPANDS REACH OF HIV/AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM World Relief has completed its first-year rapid scale-up of youth-focused HIV/AIDS prevention programs supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Mobilizing Youth for Life (MYFL), World Relief’s abstinence and behavior change program mobilized thousands of indigenous churches and local volunteers over the last year and greatly expanded the reach of its existing programs. World Relief reached 447,523 youth in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda and Haiti with abstinence and behavior change messages in the first year. MYFL is well on track to reach its target of involving 1.8 million youth by the end of the five-year project period. For nearly 60 years, World Relief has worked with local churches to create sustainable solutions that help the desperately poor. Operating in more than 20 countries and in 26 cities in the U.S., World Relief’s programs include disaster relief, refugee assistance, AIDS ministries, community health, agricultural development and community banking. (World Relief) * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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