Today’s Headlines:

U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ DISPLAY HUNGER FOR GOD’S WORD

VIETNAMESE POLICE EXERT FORCE AFTER CHURCH BUILDING VIOLATION

ERITREAN CHRISTIAN MOTHER ARRESTED WHILE SICK CHILD DIES

PENTECOSTAL PASTOR FINED FOR WORSHIPING IN BELARUS

ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ASKS FOR CHURCH HELP WITH NATION’S CHALLENGES

Today’s Top Stories:

U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ DISPLAY HUNGER FOR GOD’S WORD

U.S. soldiers on the battlefield in Iraq are hungry for God’s Word, according to soldier Brad Blauser. He began soliciting Bibles year ago after starting a class for new Christians and realizing the need. Family and friends and members of Sunday school classes, Bible studies and churches have answered his request. Blauser has given away more than 600 of the Starting Point Study Bible, published by the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association and Youth with a Mission. It contains useful tools for both evangelism and in-depth Bible study. Blauser hopes to give away 6,000 Bibles this year. “Right now when they arrive, the Bibles never last more than 10 minutes on the shelf. Usually after chapel service I just turn to those sitting around me and offer them, and they are snatched up with other soldiers standing around looking at me as if they were left out. I honestly can’t get enough of these to meet the demand of soldiers who want to know more,” Blauser said. (Assist News Service)

VIETNAMESE POLICE EXERT FORCE AFTER CHURCH BUILDING VIOLATION

In a show of overbearing force, about 50 Vietnamese police officers and officials raided the Vietnam Mennonite Church on Monday, May 22, in the Binh Khanh ward in district 2. The alleged building permit violation in the church offices and residence of Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang was addressed by kicking in doors to access the building, demolishing new construction and attacking workers with nightsticks and electric cattle prods. As a result of international advocacy, Quang was released from prison last August after serving 15 months of a three-year sentence for “interfering” with police officers. Quang’s peers speculate the excessive force was used in an attempt to provoke him. During his 15-month captivity, police raided Quang’s residence/church more than 80 times, sometimes in the middle of the night, terrorizing his wife and three young children. (Compass Direct)

ERITREAN CHRISTIAN MOTHER ARRESTED WHILE SICK CHILD DIES

The 6-month-old baby of Eritrean mother Ghenet Gebremariam died while she was under arrest for her involvement with the outlawed Full Gospel Church in the town of Nefasit in the East African country of Eritrea. Gebremariam, along with two other mothers of young children were arrested on Monday, May 8, and detained on charges of “actively witnessing about Christ.” All three mothers were forced to leave their young children behind in their homes. Gebremariam’s baby died of unknown causes two days later. Police then released her on bail while the other two mothers remain in custody, separated from their young children. Since May 2002 the Eritrean government has banned all Christian churches independent of the Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran communities. Hundreds of violators have been imprisoned and mistreated in attempts to get followers to recant their Protestant beliefs. (Compass Direct)

PENTECOSTAL PASTOR FINED FOR WORSHIPING IN BELARUS

A Pentecostal pastor in Belarus was fined for leading worship without state sanction. Pastor Ilya Radkevich remarked “Divine Freedom is given to us by God, but state freedom you have to pay for.” The pastor, in a long string of penalties from his religious activities, was fined the equivalent of about US$72. A 2002 religious law bans all unregistered church activity in Belarus. Other Baptist, Pentecostal and independent Orthodox congregations have been fined as well. A regional assistant Pentecostal bishop reported that more fines would be enacted if worship in private homes did not take place discreetly. The 2002 law undermines international human rights commitments made by Belarus in the past. Radkevich is refusing to pay the fine until official documentation is delivered. (Forum 18 News Service)

ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ASKS FOR CHURCH HELP WITH NATION’S CHALLENGES

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe asked for church leaders to “come forward with solutions” to the increasingly difficult social and economic problems the country faces. In a long-awaited meeting with a delegation of church leaders, Mugabe called for open discussion and criticism between the government and the churches “for our own benefit, so we can mend our ways where things have got to be mended.” Head of the religious delegation, Peter Nemapare was excited about the results of the discussion involving how the church can help to get “this country out of this muck which we are in. It has been one of the most wonderful meetings that I have ever attended with the president,” he told state television. (WorldWide Religious News)

* HCJB World Radio signed a partnership agreement with the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe in 2001.