Today’s Headlines:

ASSASSINATION OF KEY LEADER IN SRI LANKA AFFECTS MISSION WORK

OPEN DOORS OFFERS RELIEF TO PERSECUTED NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS

THREE NEW CHRISTIAN RADIO STATIONS GO ON THE AIR IN ROMANIA

FORMER BUSINESSMAN, PASTOR NAMED CEO OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

NEW MINISTRY CELEBRATES, ENCOURAGES MARITAL FIDELITY

Today’s Top Stories:

ASSASSINATION OF KEY LEADER IN SRI LANKA AFFECTS MISSION WORK

Tensions are running high in Sri Lanka since the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The government declared a state of emergency after Kadirgamar, an ethnic Tamil Christian, was killed in a gun attack on Friday, Aug. 12. A ministry leader with Gospel for Asia says the situation is having an impact on Christian ministries in the country. “The biggest problem for our ministry is in the Batticaloa area, in the eastern area of the country controlled by the Tamil Tigers,” he said. “This area was hard hit by the tsunami, and we have a lot of relief and children’s work there. Our work there has been affected by these events.” Glenn Penner of Voice of the Martyrs is urging Christian workers to exercise caution. “Pray for continued stability in Sri Lanka. Christians go right across the ethnic boundaries. There are Tamil Christians and Sinhalese Christians who work side by side in the same organizations. This makes things really difficult for them sometimes as they have family members on either side, and Christians are sometimes seen as being disloyal to both sides.” Penner is also concerned about the potential approval of pending anti-conversion laws in the country. “They may pass the laws if for no other reason as they think that it might calm things down. There’s this idea among the Buddhists, particularly, that if they outlaw conversion, that it will stop, that it will go away. They might see this as a means of diminishing violence in rural areas.” (Religion Today/Gospel for Asia/Mission Network News)

OPEN DOORS OFFERS RELIEF TO PERSECUTED NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS

Open Doors, an international Christian ministry that supports and strengthens persecuted believers, is helping Nigerian Christians who can face severe persecution from Islamic fundamentalists, especially in the northern part of the country. Open Doors is delivering relief aid, offering trauma counseling, providing Bibles and rebuilding churches for suffering Christians as well as mobilizing churches in Nigeria to assist the persecuted believers. “People were desperate for encouragement and for teaching from the Bible,” said one team member. Hundreds of Islamic mercenaries were recruited from the neighboring republics of Niger and Chad to invade Christian towns and villages. Army uniforms were sold to fundamentalists and they were given motorbikes while the mobs were provided with knives and machetes. Sharia (Islamic law) has been implemented in 12 northern states, and Islamic forces are seeking to institute the law nationwide. (Open Doors USA)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs to Nigeria in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003 weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages, Yoruba and Hausa. HCJB World Radio also has helped with radio ministries in six cities with more in the planning stages.

THREE NEW CHRISTIAN RADIO STATIONS GO ON THE AIR IN ROMANIA

More people in and around Romania can hear Christian programs on local stations for the first time as a result of work by Little Samaritan Mission. “We opened one in Piatra Neamt, one in Nirlau and one in [Negresti] which covers parts of northwestern Romania, Ukraine and Hungary,” said ministry spokesman Florin Pindicblaj. The combined potential audience of the three stations is more than 500,000. He said that thousands are coming to Christ as a result of the radio outreach. The ministry plans to open more stations as funds and licenses become available. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel locally in eight Romanian cities via partner ministry Radio Voice of the Gospel. The network is a cooperative effort with the Evangelical Alliance of Romania and the Romanian Missionary Society.

FORMER BUSINESSMAN, PASTOR NAMED CEO OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors has named Jonathan T.M. Reckford to serve as the global home-building ministry’s chief executive officer. Reckford, 42, served as executive pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church of Edina, Minn., the last two years. Before joining the church, Reckford was president of stores for the Musicland division of Best Buy, senior vice president of corporate planning and communications for Circuit City, and director of strategic planning for Disney Design and Development. Rey Ramsey, board chair for Habitat for Humanity International, said the board unanimously selected Reckford based upon his track record of redirecting and leading complex organizations and for his personal commitment to heed Christ’s call to serve the poor and forgotten. (Religion Today/Religion News Service/Habitat for Humanity)

NEW MINISTRY CELEBRATES, ENCOURAGES MARITAL FIDELITY

Stand F.I.R.M. is a new ministry with its roots in the love song, “It’s You,” written and recorded by former Motown and RCA recording artist Troy Johnson. His song celebrates marital fidelity, the basis for the F.I.R.M. acronym which stands for Fidelity Initiative – Restore Marriage. “We believe this movement is going to spark a fidelity reformation in this country,” said Mark Molzen of SA Entertainment, a company in Scottsdale, Ariz., committed to producing music with a positive message. Johnson’s desire to be involved in ministry led him to be a co-founder of Stand F.I.R.M. The ministry’s kick-off event occurred last week in Little Rock, Ark., featuring music by Johnson along with popular contemporary artists the Katinas. In addition, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, basketball stars A.C. Green and Allan Houston, and football greats Steve Young and Darryl Green were on hand to address the crowd. (Religion Today/AFA Journal/Agape Press)