CHURCH IN INDIA SURVIVES FOURTH ATTACK THIS YEAR

UZBEKISTAN CHURCH RAIDED, SIX ARRESTED

ASIA EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP CELEBRATES 45 YEARS

URBAN OUTREACH SEES LIVES CHANGED AND RENEWED

PASTORS WORLDWIDE URGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF PERSECUTED CHURCH

Today’s Top Stories:

CHURCH IN INDIA SURVIVES FOURTH ATTACK THIS YEAR Gospel for Asia’s K.P. Yohannan says yet another devastating attack hit the partially constructed Believers’ Church in Manipur. This was the fourth attempt to destroy the building this year, but this one included a hail of bullets. No one was hurt. In earlier attempts mobs had dismantled the construction site and set ablaze the missionaries’ temporary living quarters, burning their belongings to ashes. Yohannan observes that as the severity of the attacks grow, so too does the determination of the church body. “They are just about to put the roof on it, because they were building it 24 hours non-stop — all the believers, kids, wives, everybody there. They are determined to put the roof on and have the dedication of the church, within a week, no matter what happens. That’s what they told me.” In the meantime, local Christian organizations have appealed to the governor for protection from such attacks. (Mission Network News)

UZBEKISTAN CHURCH RAIDED, SIX ARRESTED In a raid on an Uzbekistan church last Sunday during the worship service at Bethany Church in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, two pastors and four church members were arrested. According to a news release from the Barnabas Fund, “The police searched the church building for a collection box and literature, while continuing to threaten and intimidate the church members, taking the names and addresses of all present. The police were also looking for children, as they claimed that it was illegal for children to be present at church services. Thankfully the children were in a separate group meeting at the time, apparently disappointing the police and making them increasingly angry with the church members.” Pastors Nikolai Shevchenko and Sergei Khripunov were taken for interrogation, along with the four others. All six were eventually released that evening. Police demanded that the pastors return to the police station the next day “to sign papers.” However, the Barnabas Fund news release reports, “the fear is that if they (return to the police) station, they will once again be detained. The pastors have now gone into hiding until the court hearing which has been scheduled for Friday, June 17, to avoid being arrested again.” The country’s law states that being arrested for the same offense three times results in a prison sentence, not just a fine. (ASSIST News Service)

ASIA EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP CELEBRATES 45 YEARS Asia Evangelistic Fellowship (AEF) will celebrate its 45th Anniversary this year with plans for a multi-level gospel thrust throughout Asia. Jonathan James, the ministry’s International Director recalls that AEF’s founder, the late Dr. G. D. James, was in a hospital bed in Singapore in 1960 when God challenged him to go forward in faith to launch AEF. AEF is launching seven major Gospel and ministry thrusts over a period of 12 months, from September 2005 to September 2006. These will include a gospel literature saturation project, radio broadcasts, a commemorative CD, three strategic seminars, a Good News Festival, Love Sydney Mission and the publication of a new book by AEF’s president, Dr. Met Castillo. (Asia Evangelistic Fellowship)

URBAN OUTREACH SEES LIVES CHANGED AND RENEWED The urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, “Here’s Life Inner City” (HLIC), is allowing volunteers to share Christ’s love and hope with urban communities in a practical way. The ministry provides supplies and clothing for the homeless and also supplies full dinners known as “Boxes of Love” for the needy during Thanksgiving. The ministry also helps local churches set up clothing distribution programs, after-school programs, and career help. Ted Gandy, National Director for HLIC, says the ministry seeks to combine both the Great Commission and the great commandment in its outreach efforts, and urban areas are major mission fields. “Our purpose is to serve and mobilize the church to live out God’s heart for the poor,” Gandy says. But, the ministry has diverse projects for meeting a variety of needs, the director adds, noting, “We do a lot of things. We’re helping churches set up after-school programs, and we’re doing quite a bit in the area of life skills and job training.” (Agape Press)

PASTORS WORLDWIDE URGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF PERSECUTED CHURCH Veteran journalist Dan Wooding, founder of the Assist News Service based in Garden Grove, Calif., has suggested that pastors appoint a correspondent from their church to bring regular live updates about the persecuted church during their weekend worship services. “I believe it is vital that Christians become aware of what is happening to their brothers and sisters around the world so that they can pray for them and also get involved in helping them in a practical way,” said Wooding who provides regular updates about the persecuted church. “If pastors would appoint someone from their church to present these updates, I believe the congregations would then become informed about the fact that we are part of a worldwide body of believers, and that many of those Christians are paying a huge price for their faith. They need to know that we are standing with them in these troubled times.” Wooding says up to 200 million Christians in more than 60 countries that face persecution on a daily basis. (Assist News Service) * * * * * * * * * * * * * Harold Goerzen HCJB World Radio E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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