Today’s Headlines:

KEY STUDENT MISSIONS ANNIVERSARIES COINCIDE WITH ‘URBANA YEAR’

TAIWAN’S WORKING CLASS PRACTICALLY UNREACHED WITH GOSPEL

CHRISTIANS ENCOURAGED TO VISIT HOLY LAND AS VIOLENCE DECLINES

BUSINESSMAN CONTINUES EVANGELISM FROM INDONESIAN PRISON

Today’s Top Stories:

KEY STUDENT MISSIONS ANNIVERSARIES COINCIDE WITH ‘URBANA YEAR’

This year is an “Urbana year,” referring to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s student missions conference planned for St. Louis Dec. 27-31. Missions expert Paul Bothwick said that a number of important student missions anniversaries coincide with Urbana which began 60 years ago. He pointed to the 50-year anniversary of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador who cultivated their motivation for evangelism while in college. This is also the centennial of the Azusa Street Revival which launched the modern Pentecostal movement. Bothwick also pointed to the 200th anniversary of the Haystack Prayer Meeting at Williams College that led to the modern missions movement in the U.S. (Assist News Service)

Ali Kaboli, 51, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity as a teen, was released on Monday, June 12. He rejoined his family almost six weeks after his arrest on Tuesday, May 2. Reports of a “heavy bail” being paid for his release may indicate that formal charges against him are still pending. Under Iran’s strict apostasy laws, Kaboli could face the death penalty for converting to Christianity 35 years ago. Kaboli also hosted house church meetings (which have been outlawed) and served as an itinerant evangelist. In recent years Kaboli has been arrested, threatened and interrogated numerous times for his Christian activities. (Compass Direct)

TAIWAN’S WORKING CLASS PRACTICALLY UNREACHED WITH GOSPEL

Despite numerous successful Christian churches in Taiwan, missionaries are finding the working class mostly unreached by Christianity. Taiwanese demolition worker A-chong desired to attend but said, “I am too embarrassed to go to church because the people there are so highly educated and high class, and I’m not.” Government statistics indicate that 3.9 percent of the 22.9 million inhabitants of Taiwan are Christians. However, mission agencies estimate that less than 0.5 percent of Taiwan’s working class are Christian. Operation World cites Taiwan’s Han Chinese population that makes up a majority of the working class as “the only Han Chinese population in the world where the spiritual breakthrough has yet to come.” Several mission organizations are stepping up efforts to reach out to the working class with culture and class specific techniques. Despite this, local evangelist and church planter Lincy Tu says, “Some white-collar people in Taiwan hear the gospel five times when working-class people don’t even hear it once. It’s embarrassing.” (Christianity Today)

CHRISTIANS ENCOURAGED TO VISIT HOLY LAND AS VIOLENCE DECLINES

Christians are once again traveling to the Holy Land after a significant drop in the number of terrorist bombings and violence that had kept tourists away. A five-year slump in tourism to Israel is ending as violence declines and security improves. Christians encourage Holy Land visits for spiritual growth and evangelism. Lois Tvberg from En-Gedi Resource Center said, “It definitely gives you a confidence that what you’re defending is a reality and not a fantasy.” Tverberg’s colleague, Bruce Okkema, agrees that touring the Holy Land can be spiritually beneficial, “Yes, [Jesus] was a man who came and walked at a certain time in history at a certain place and experienced religious and political pressures much like we do. And, it just helps build our appreciation and understanding in terms of our own personal application.” Tvberg also encourages increased tourism in Israel. “We’ve seen absolutely nothing in terms of violence . . . people have realized that it is remarkably safe,” he said. (Mission Network News)

BUSINESSMAN CONTINUES EVANGELISM FROM INDONESIAN PRISON

Christian businessman Abraham Bentar recently requested three Bibles to share with his six cellmates with whom he is sharing the gospel while in prison. Bentar converted from Islam in 2000 and has been actively involved in evangelism to Muslims in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia, through his clothing business. On March 7, while talking to his Muslim brothers, three men burst into his home and dragged him outside where a mob joined in severely beating Bentar. He was then charged with trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. At his May trial, his brothers were among those who testified against him. He was sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison. (Voice of the Martyrs)

* HCJB World Radio has worked with local partners to establish more than 14 local Christian radio stations across Indonesia since 2004. Broadcasts from HCJB World Radio-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra also encourage listeners nationwide. In addition, HCJB World Radio has helped with relief efforts since the Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake/tsunami and subsequent quakes that devastated parts of Indonesia. The most recent team traveled to Indonesia from Ecuador on June 5.