Lausanne World Pulse – News Briefs – June/July News from around the World

June / July 2010

ALGERIA: Christians Stand Firm, Meet in Vandalized Church
Even on an ordinary Sunday, it takes courage for Pastor Mustapha’s church to meet together. As Christians living in Algeria, many face daily pressure from their families and neighbors, as well as the threat of growing surveillance and restriction from authorities. Recently, the church came under direct attack from a mob of local extremists. The gang entered the premises of their Tafat Church in Tizi Ouzou, sixty-two miles east of Algiers, and began destroying the building and its contents. The extremists were interrupted by the police, but later returned, burning everything they could lay their hands on. And yet the Christians are standing firm, even meeting together in their vandalized building. The Sunday after the attack, many of the believers met together as usual, resolving not to be deterred by the extremists. They have requested police protection, but local officials have as yet failed to respond. (Open Doors USA)

AROUND THE WORLD: Project Hannah Addresses Plight of Women
On 26 April 2010, TWR announced the release of a newly revitalized, user-friendly website spotlighting ministry efforts to women around the world. Project Hannah offers compassion, encouragement, and hope to suffering women worldwide through prayer, awareness, and radio programming. Project Hannah’s popular “Women of Hope” broadcast is aired in fifty-six languages globally. “If you ever wondered if you could help change the world, this website offers practical ways to get involved in addressing one of the transcendent injustices in the world today—the brutal treatment of women and female children,” says Project Hannah global ministry director/founder Marli Spieker. “This site provides a powerful account of God’s intervention and restoration in countless women’s journeys from darkness and despair to light and hope.” (TWR)

BANGLADESH: Buddhist Extremists Drive Christians Out of Village
Compass Direct News (CDN) reported that four Christian families in southeastern Bangladesh left their village on 2 May 2010 under mounting pressure by Buddhist extremists to give up their faith in Christ. A group of Buddhists, brandishing sticks and bamboo clubs in Jamindhonpara village, began patrolling streets on 30 April to keep the eleven members of the Lotiban Baptist Church from gathering for their weekly prayer meetings. Christians in Jamindhonpara have since fled, taking shelter in another village. Jamindhonpara is located in the Lotiban area, Panchari sub-district of Khagrachari district. “When they come, they do not listen to us,” said one church member. “They arbitrarily do whatever they like. The situation is indescribable—they hunt us down the same way that one hunts down a mad dog to kill it.” (Assist News Service)

CHINA: World Vision Responds to Devastating Earthquake
Its been reported that more than two thousand people have died as a result of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on 14 April 2010 that rocked Qinghai Province, a remote, mountainous area of western China. Tens of thousands have been left homeless. World Vision aid workers arrived after thirty hours of travel by road. The team has distributed one thousand boxes of noodles, hygiene kits, and child-friendly kits in Jiegu, where more than eighty percent of the buildings have been damaged or destroyed. According to Meimei Leung, who led World Vision’s assessment team into the affected area, adequate shelter and warm clothing for children and families remained a key concern, as average temperatures in the area hovered between -3 to 14 degrees Celsius. (World Vision)

CONGO: Amidst Strife, Gospel Reaches more People
The United Nations plans to begin withdrawal of their peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo in two months time. There are concerns for the civilians in the Congo’s east because of increasing rebel violence. However, Sam Vinton with Grace Ministries International says, “The troubles that have taken place in the Congo, and just the general situation in the country, have made people very open to the gospel.” Their 2-year-old evangelism program, “Reaching Congo Students,” has seen phenomenal response. The team has taken OneHope’s DVD, “The God-Man,” into hundreds of rural villages along with evangelism training. So far, over fourteen thousand people have made a profession of faith in Christ. (Mission Network News)

GREECE: Churches Prepare to Provide Relief in Battered Economy
With difficult times ahead for the people of Greece, churches’ ecumenical officers met in May 2010 at a gathering organized by the World Council of Churches. According to news reports, as a consequence of the “austerity” measures, the Greek economy is forecast to shrink four percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2011. Unemployment has risen to 11.3 percent, a six-year high. “As a church, we need to bring hope to the people,” said Rev. Fr. Gabriel Papanicolaou, an official attending the meeting. “But we also are preparing to supply food, clothes, and other relief items, as well as to care for the needs of the people who lose their jobs and assist them with pastoral and psychological attention.” (World Council of Churches)