Religious Liberty Prayer List – No. 163 – Wed 10 Apr 2002

——————————————————— COLOMBIA: CHRISTIAN WORKERS IN DANGER; plus PRAISE EXTRAS ———————————————————

The 38-year-old conflict in Colombia claims around 3,500 lives each year. Peace talks between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) collapsed on 19 February 2002 after FARC hijacked a national airliner and kidnapped a senator and the head of the country’s peace commission. Violence has since escalated dramatically, with a presidential election due on 26 May. FARC has said it will not cease-fire until it shares power with the Government.

On 16 March, the Archbishop of Cali, Isaias Duarte Cancino (63), was assassinated, shot by unidentified hit men as he left Buen Pastor church in a working-class district of Cali where he had just conducted a wedding. The Archbishop had been a bold advocate of peace and ‘clean’ politics, criticising guerrilla and paramilitary forces for the violence they inflict on civilians, and criticising corrupt politicians who use drug money to fund their campaigns. Colombia is a dangerous place for Christians to make a public stand for righteousness, justice and peace.

According to police, about a dozen priests and bishops have received death threats. On Sunday 7 April, Catholic priest Juan Ramon Nunez was giving communion in Huila, south of Bogota, when gunmen burst into the church and shot him four times in front of a large congregation. A churchgoer also later died of bullet wounds. No one has claimed responsibility for the assassination, but FARC has been active in the Huila region for many years.

Pastors, evangelists and missionaries infuriate guerrilla leaders and drug lords because they stand against violence, drugs and corruption, often leading corrupt politicians, guerrillas and criminals out of darkness ‘into the kingdom of God’s Son’. The US Embassy in Bogota has warned evangelical missionaries and churches in rural Colombia that the guerrillas may target them. The president of the Commission on Human Rights and Peace of the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL), Pastor Hector Pardo, confirms that FARC commanders consider evangelical groups to be legitimate military targets because of their alleged political involvement. However, the evangelicals oppose war and are actively engaged in pursuing peace through dialogue.

Since its formation, CEDECOL has mobilised prayer for the nation and organised ‘Prayer Summits’. Pastor Pardo (president also of the Latin America Council of Evangelicals) says, ‘The only thing that is going to help Colombia is divine intervention. Plan Colombia, the peace talks – these things are not going to do that. Only God has the power to change the situation, to change us, our hearts.’

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* courageous pastors, evangelists and missionaries in Colombia to be empowered by the Spirit so that the Church will continue its phenomenal growth and be a source of hope for a crushed people.

* God to keep raising up evangelists with supernatural Spirit-given courage who will be used to bring guerrillas and drug dealers to Christ.

* divine protection for Christian workers who have incurred the wrath of guerrilla commanders and drug lords, who target them because of their stand against violence, drugs and corruption.

‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!’ Isaiah 52:7(NLT)

SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ——————————————————————- CHRISTIAN WORKERS IN DANGER IN COLOMBIA

The 38-year-old civil conflict in Colombia claims around 3,500 lives each year. Since peace talks broke down in February, violence has escalated dramatically. On 16 March, Archbishop Isaias Duarte Cancino was assassinated as he left Buen Pastor church in a working- class district of Cali. On 7 April, a priest also was assassinated in front of a large congregation in Huila, south of Bogota. About a dozen priests and bishops are reported to have received death threats. Due to their stand against violence, drugs and corruption, evangelical Christian workers too have incurred the wrath of guerrilla commanders and drug lords, who have declared them to be legitimate military targets because of this alleged political involvement. As Bogota Pastor Hector Pardo says, ‘The only thing that is going to help Colombia is divine intervention.’

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* PRAISE EXTRA #1 – Process paused in Kazakhstan:

Last week (RLP 162) we prayed about the highly restrictive religion law that was being reviewed by Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council after being passed by both houses of parliament and labelled urgent by President Nazarbayev. Breaking news from Keston Institute reports that the Council has deemed some elements of this proposed law as ‘unconstitutional’ and it will report more fully shortly. Thank God for this pause in the process and continue to pray for Kazakhstan and the religion law – the President has Constitutional authority to veto parliamentary legislation. It is not over yet.

* PRAISE EXTRA #2 – Philippines rescue:

On Monday 8 April, Italian priest Father Giuseppe Pierantoni (45)

was rescued when his captors came under intense military pressure. A Muslim separatist rebel group known as ‘The Pentagon’ had kidnapped him in Dimataling in October 2001. Praise God and please continue to pray for Martin & Gracia Burnham and Ediborah Yap, captives of the Abu Sayyaf in Southern Philippines since May 2001. US backed military operations for their release are continuing.

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