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Asia is continent with most violations of religious
freedom 01.11.08
DG
Patram
The international association Aid to the Church in Need
presented its Report on Religious Freedom in the world
this week, noting that in more than 60 countries there
are various degrees of violations of religious liberty,
especially in some Asian nations, The report, presented
in Rome by the president of Aid to the Church in Need,
Father Joaquin Alliende, specifies how in some countries
there are “grave limitations on freedom of religion,”
such as in Bhutan, where “although the law protects
religious freedom, the government de facto limits this
right regarding religions distinct from Buddhism, which
is the religion of the State.”The document also
addresses the grave situation of the last two years in
India, where the constitution recognizes religious
freedom. It states that “in the years 2006 and 2007
anti-conversion laws have been passed, which in general
represent a sort of systematic support by some local
governments and other public officials of the activities
of Hindu nationalists that are contrary to religious
freedom.”ACN hopes its latest report will “provide not
only a specialist readership but also a broader public
with information that is not published by the rulers and
religious leaders of those countries where religious
freedom is restricted or denied, thereby promoting a
growing awareness which, it is hoped, can improve the
lives of millions of people whose most basic right has
been trampled underfoot.” |
Despite unrest, lives continue to be changed for Christ
in India
31.10.08
DG
Patram
While India has been in the spotlight for persecution
and disaster in the past few months, Mission India has
made it clear that God is still working in many lives.
Two young women are proof of God's hand in India,
One young woman named Maneeta had been weaving rugs
since she was six. She kept so busy working for her
father that she missed the opportunity to go to school
and attend classes.
Recently, she discovered a Mission India Adult Literacy
class, which she was able to attend since it met at
night. Unbeknown to her, the class would teach much more
than how to read a book.
Through the course of her classes, Maneeta was taught
about Jesus Christ, and she began to pursue him. Maneeta
now follows the Lord daily and has led every one of her
family members into a relationship with Jesus.
Another young woman, Rekha, joined a Children's Bible
Club in India. Rekha, however, did not attend to better
her education. Instead she was sent as a spy by her
Hindu parents to prove that Christians were perverting
the minds of Hindus.
Amazingly, the program had the opposite effect of what
Rekha's parents had anticipated. Neither she nor her
parents could find any fault with the Club. As Rekha
returned every week for Bible classes, her eyes were
opened to the Gospel, and she came to know Christ as her
Savior. She no longer attends the Bible Club as a spy,
but as a faithful leader.
These two women are encouraging inspirations in the
midst of a large amount of turmoil taking place in
India. Of course, the girls are both at risk now that
they have chosen to follow the Lord. Pray that God would
protect them in the face of violence and continue to
strengthen them in His love. |
 India's
space odess-church to Chandrayan Thiruvananthapuram
24.10.08
DG
Patram
Oct 20: A church as control room, the bishop's house as
office, a humble bicycle as ferry and eyes to track the
smoke trail of a rocket - these were the humble
beginnings when India launched a US-made rocket from
Thumba, near here, in 1963. Nearly 45 years later, the
country is set to launch its first lunar probe Oct
22.The launch of a US-made Nike-Apache Sounding Rocket
from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram, on Nov 21, 1963,
marked the beginning of India's space odyssey that has
now reached a stage when the country launches the
satellites of other countries as a commercial
proposition.Recalling the incident, R. Aravamudan, who
has been associated with the Indian space programme from
the very beginning, says: 'There were no buildings yet
in the range (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
-TERLS). Our first office was in the bishop's house and
the St. Mary Magdalene church building there.'The church
has since become a space museum.'Once the rocket was
launched, there was no telemetry or radar tracking, only
photography from three stations of the vapour cloud. The
orange vapour trail was visible from all over Kerala and
parts of Tamil Nadu. This created great excitement.
Since the common public had never seen such a sight
before, it also gave rise to some hilarious newspaper
reports.''In fact, the Kerala assembly, which was in
session then, apparently adjourned temporarily to take a
good view of the bright vapour trail in the western
sky!,' Aravamudan recalled on Nov 21, 2003, during the
40th anniversary of the first sounding rocket launch.'We
had to make use of public transport as there were no
official vehicles yet and no canteen. So, our day began
with a quick breakfast of idli sambar at the Railway
Station Canteen, which was the only place where we could
get food to our taste. We would then pack some snacks
and lunch from the same canteen and go to the bus stand
to catch a mofussil bus to Kazhakkutam. We would get
down at the bus stand there and walk about a kilometre
or so to the range. The whole trip took about an
hour.'The range (TERLS) was quite large in area and the
only means of transport within the range was by bicycle.
Those like (A.P.J. Abdul) Kalam, who could not cycle,
had to hitch rides with others.' Aravamudan said in a
speech, which was later published in the Oct-Dec 2003
ISRO newsletter 'SPACE india'. Aravamudan retired as
director of ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, and later
served as honorary advisor to ISRO.Recalling the Nov 21,
1963, incident, K. Narayana Kurup, then a first-time
member of the Kerala assembly, told that he had some
recollection of how the proceedings of the house were
stopped in order to view the blastoff of the Apache
rocket from Thumba.'I am turning 81 on Oct 23, and I do
recall that the proceedings of the assembly were
stopped,' said the veteran former minister and deputy
speaker, who retired from electoral politics in 2006.
|
 Resisting
forced conversion to Hinduim risking life in Orissa
24.10.08
DG
Patram
It has just been reported to us on Mr. Sama Singh(48)
with his wife and 4 children, (3 teenage daughters and a
small son) from a village called Nuapur Sashan of
Balasore District has been undergoing severe torture by
a group of 60 Hindutva extremists of their village for
over a week. This man became a Christian 15 years ago.
They have been under attack since 13th October. They
broughtSama Singh forcibly to Balsore town and forced
him to put his thumb impression on an affidavit on
16.10.08, falsely stating that he is willingly is
returning back now from the Christianity he earlier been
allured into accepting, in violation of the OFRA. The
radicals plan to tonsure him and do conduct the
"homecoming" rituals with him, for which he is not
willing. He escaped from his village last night before
the Sunrise to save himself from the dreadful
reconversion process. After taking shelter in a
Christian believer's house contacted GCIC to narrated
his story.
The radicals severely beat him using sticks and fists
many times in front of other villagers after dragging
him from his house and forcing him and his family to
deny Christ together before all the villagers. Still, he
says the reason for him to believe that Jesus Christ is
the real God, is because He alone healed him from a very
serious unknown disease which left him uble to walk, and
all treatment failed. Finally he got healed by a miracle
following a Pastor's prayer. Hence since 15 years he and
his family members are strong believers in Jesus Christ.
GCIC contacted all the concerned Police officers and
found that they are not willing to cooperate with this
case as he has allegdly violated OFRA to change his
religion from Hinduism to Christianity and have taken
baptism. They refused to give him and his family
security further. Meanwhile, we have advised him to go
to a Magistrate through a lawyer and record his
statements in the Court about all the attacks and
forcible proceedings made on him so far under 161 CrPC
today when Police is not accepting his FIR. Some more
points have also been shared to him by us to defend his
cause. GCIC is following up the matter with authorities.
|
 No
grants to rebuild churches: Orissa tells Supreme Court
21.10.08
DGNews
THE Orissa government rejected the Cuttack archbishop’s
demand for Rs.3 crore for the reconstruction of
demolished and damaged churches in the Kandhamal
district. The government, under attack for its inability
to contain anti-Christian violence, said grants to
religious places was against its ‘secular’ ethos.It also
rejected the demand for a CBI investigation into the
rape of a Catholic nun in the state during the peak of
anti-Christian violence.“There are no grounds nor any
need for transfer of the investigation of this case to
CBI,” the Orissa government said. A high-level women
police team had been able to arrest the prime accused
from Kerala despite the unavailability of the victim
(the nun) and the key witness (Father Chellan).State
chief secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra, who filed an
affidavit in the Supreme Court through standing counsel
Jana Ranjan Das, was also critical of Archbishop Raphael
Cheenath’s request for providing central paramilitary
forces to NGOs for distribution of relief among victims
of the communal riots that pounded the missionary
establishments immediately after the killing of Swami
Lakshmananand Saraswati on August 23. He cited alleged
religious conversions as the reason for the worsening of
the ethnic divide between the Pana and the Kandha
tribes.
|
 Hundreds
of Christians in the Indian state of Orissa have been
forced to renounce their religion and become Hindus
after lynch mobs issued them with a stark ultimatum:
21.10.08
DGNews
convert or die. The wave of forced conversions marks a
dramatic escalation in a two-month orgy of sectarian
violence which has left at least 59 people dead, 50,000
homeless and thousands of houses and churches burnt to
the ground. As neighbour has turned on neighbour,
thousands more Christians have sought sanctuary in
refugee camps, unable to return to the wreckage of their
homes unless they, too, agree to abandon their
faith.Last week, in the worst-affected Kandhamal
district, The Observer encountered compelling evidence
of the scale of the violence employed in a conversion
programme apparently sanctioned by members of one of the
most powerful Hindu groups in India, the 6.8-million
member Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - the World Hindu
Council.Standing in the ashes of her neighbour's house
in the village of Sarangagada, Jaspina Naik, 32, spoke
nervously, glancing towards a group of Hindu men
watching her suspiciously. 'My neighbours said, "If you
go on being Christians, we will burn your houses and
your children in front of you, so make up your minds
quickly",' she said. 'I was scared. Christians have no
place in this area now.'On her forehead, she wore a gash
of vermilion denoting a married Hindu woman, placed
there by the priest at the conversion ceremony she had
been obliged to attend a day earlier, along with her
husband and three young children. 'I'm totally broken,'
she said. 'I have always been a Christian. Inside I am
still praying for Jesus to give me peace and to take me
out of this situation.'She and her neighbour, Kumari
Naik, 35, gazed forlornly at the charred remains of the
house. The mob that arrived one evening in the first
week of the violence, armed with swords and axes, had
looted what they wanted before dousing the building with
petrol and setting it alight. Kumari had fled into the
nearby forest with her husband, Umesh, and 14-year-old
son Santosh. A smoke-damaged child's drawing of Mickey
Mouse pinned to one wall was all that remained of their
former lives. Shattered roof tiles crunched underfoot as
the women moved through the blackened rooms. The priest
had given them cow dung to eat during the ceremony, they
said, telling them it would purify them. 'We were doing
that, but we were crying,' Jaspina said. The roads
between the villages are rough and potholed, adding to
the difficulties in accessing what is already a remote
region, a six-hour drive from the state capital,
Bhubaneshwar. The remoteness has undoubtedly played a
part in the continuation of the violence, making it
harder for police to move about quickly, even if they
were minded to do so. Christian leaders, though, have
accused the authorities of dragging their feet, claiming
they are reluctant to antagonise the majority Hindu
community in the run-up to parliamentary elections next
year. Sumani Naik, 18, stands beneath a torn Christian
poster in her fire-damaged house in Kandhamal district
after being forced to convert. Photograph: Gethin
Chamberlain Relations between the Hindu and Christian
communities were already at a low ebb when the killing
of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on 23 August
provided the trigger for the current wave of violence.
The VHP blamed Christians and the mobs descended on the
homes of neighbours and friends. Those who were too slow
to get away were killed. Amid the savagery, two
incidents stood out: a young Hindu woman working in a
Christian orphanage was burnt alive and a nun was gang-raped.Yet
the VHP is unrepentant and appears to be involved, at
least at grassroots level, with the campaign of forced
conversions. One priest who converted 18 Christians in
the village of Sankarakhole last week told The Observer
that he had been approached by local VHP representatives
to carry out the ceremony.'The VHP people came with
letters that said they wanted to be converted, so I
converted them,' said Preti Singh Patra, who is the
brother of a senior VHP official. Crouching on the
ground in front of his temple, set in a small walled
garden beneath a huge banyan tree, he ran through the
details of the ceremony: first some fruit to eat,
followed by a mixture of cow dung and urine mixed with
milk and curd, a dip in water from the Ganges, an hour
of prayers and then the painting of a bindi on the
forehead.Some local men stepped forward to speak to him.
'Don't say too much,' they warned. The priest seemed
unconcerned. The 18 had been the only Christians in the
village, he said. They were happy to convert.Around the
village, the countryside is a sea of green, a beautiful
lush vista that offers, at a distance, no clues to the
turmoil. Yet up close it is a landscape scarred by the
ugly remains of homes and churches which lie shattered
between other houses still inhabited and unscathed,
those belonging to Kandhamal's Hindus. A few miles down
the road from Sankarakhole, in the village of Minia,
Sujata Digal, 38, stood outside her own burnt-out home.
The mob had arrived at 3am, she said. She and her
husband Hari hid in the forest and watched the house
burn. When they came out of the forest, the mob returned
and told them to convert, and it was not a hard
decision.'They said, 'If you don't become Hindu, we'll
burn your houses too and start killing you',' said
Ashish Digal, the former Christian pastor. 'I've been
forced to convert. Everyone is being converted. They
beat us in the fields. I went to the temple. We had to
say that we belonged to the Hindu state of Orissa, and
that from this day we are Hindus.' Soldiers guarding
Christian refugees at a camp in Kandamal district.
Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain Before the violence
started, Christians outnumbered Hindus in Minia: now 115
have converted, roughly half of their original number.
The rest have fled. Burn your Bibles, the men told
Ashish Digal. He told them he had, but hid them instead.
Every couple of days people come to his house to search,
hoping to catch him out. Those people are not strangers;
they are his neighbours.They had been sitting idly in
the main road when The Observer's car pulled up. Now the
young driver, Sudhir, was rushing down the path that led
to what remained of Sujata Digal's house, holding his
head, visibly shaken. 'We must leave now,' he said. He
had been standing by the car when the men closed in
around him. They left the talking to Prashant Digal, a
teacher and organiser for the local VHP youth wing. 'Why
did you bring these people here?', he demanded, punching
Sudhir in the head. 'Take the vehicle and go. Leave them
here for us.' They surrounded him, a young Hindu, and
slapped him around again. No one came to his aid. 'If
you stay, we will burn you with them in the car. You
will all be killed. Just leave them,' they told him. But
he did not, which was a decent thing for a frightened
boy to do. He drove a little way down the road and
parked around a corner, out of sight, and came back to
raise the alarm.Back on the main road, the men were
waiting. 'Put your notebook and your cameras away. You
will take no pictures and record nothing,' the VHP man
said. 'You want to know what is happening? Now I will
tell you why this is happening.' He blamed the
Christians for taking the jobs of Hindus, for the murder
of the Swami. The only solution was for Christians to
convert, he said. 'This is a Hindu community. Everyone
can stay here, as long as they are part of that
community. And now you should go.'
|
Kandhmal tribals caught in conversion crossfire 9.10.08
DGNews
At the infamous Nuagam relief camp near Baliguda, where
a nun was raped on August 25 and where today there are
about 2,000 tribals bunched up around leaky tents and on
ground wet from flooding, Johan Naik and four others
like him stand out as the most wretched. "We are
accursed," says Johan, rubbing his gnarled hand on his
bald head. A month ago, as rampaging Hindu mobs ran
through Kandhmal, looting, burning and pillaging, around
400 men converged at his house in Pirigada, a cluster of
Protestant houses in Nuagam block. There, with swords
unsheathed and drunk on the righteous rage of bigots,
five of them gave Johan a choice. "You either embrace
Hinduism or you die," he was told. Soon, he was dragged
to the nearby Patakhanda temple and made to prostrate
before the statue of a 'devi'. Someone brought a jar of
cowdung and cow's urine and forced him to gulp a bit of
it. That was his purification rite and "return home" to
Hinduism. And before he could actually make sense of
what was happening, a young man whipped out a razor,
doused his head in water and began tonsuring him. "We
know we are not Hindus. We never were, because we are
tribals, worshipping nature and animals before we took
up Christianity when the missionaries came here years
ago," Johan said on Sunday. "But because of forced
conversions, our brothers think we have let them and our
faith down. Now, we are in the middle, nowhere." In the
troubled tribal habitat of Kandhmal, Hindu groups have
let loose a wave of"reconversions", almost always at
gunpoint and knifepoint, shaving helpless heads and
adding them to their list of triumphs. This is an acute
trigger leading to the debilitating battle between
Hindus and Christians. While Sangh Parivar units are
trying to turn tribals, who number roughly 3 lakh here,
into Hindus, the aboriginals are resisting it. There is
fear in intelligence circles and even among the police
that the violence may escalate further because the
Maoists, who have repeated that it was they and not the
Christian tribals who killed Swami Laxmanananda
Saraswati on August 23, have tentatively begun siding
with the natives and have possibly started arming them.
Sangh Parivar groups denied any of their men had ever
attempted to reconvert tribals. "Why should we do it,"
asked Subhash Chouhan, national co-convenor of Bajrang
Dal. "The Christian churches and missionaries have let
them down and the natives are making a conscious choice
to become Hindus. We don't have a single office in
Kandhmal." So what about the "ghar wapsi" (homecoming)
campaign? "What ghar, whose ghar," he boomed. "This is a
reaction of the people against unfairness and excess
perpetrated by the Christians. As I said, we have
nothing to do with it." Dand Naik, another one of the
bald-headed men at Nuagam camp, waved his finger in
anger and desperation. "I can tell you the names of
those who shaved off my hair. Gurunam Patra, Satyaban
Patra, Bhagavan Chaudhary, Subhash Sahu, Upendra Patra..."
he trails off. "How could we have fought them? It was
life versus faith and we chose life." iprayan Digal, 45,
said there were 14 others who were forced to relinquish
their religion. "But they have disappeared after that.
There are five of us here, but many have left Kandhmal
for now, out of fear and shame. Maybe someday, after the
fire has been put off, we can go home and reclaim our
religion and god. Dignity too." As the men turn to go
back to their soggy tents, a CRPF jawan strolling around
shouts it's time to dim the hurricane lamps throwing dim
slivers of brightness on the godforsaken patch. It's
pitch dark suddenly. And all that they can do is wait
patiently for a new morning.
|
Fanatical Mob Mistook Victim For Christian 9.10.08
DGNews.The
Orissa government, already under fire for neglecting to
rein in communal violence, faced further embarrassment
on Saturday following revelations that a Hindu girl had
been brutally raped and burnt alive by fanatics
belonging to the community who presumed that she was a
Christian. The girl lived in a church-run orphanage. The
incident reportedly took place in Bargarh district on
August 25.The state government, drawing severe flak for
reacting late to the nun rape case in Kandhamal, today
admitted that two more rape-related cases had been
reported from the same district.“A complaint about rape
of a 22-year-old has been lodged at Tikabali police
station recently. A case (No. 149/2008) has been
registered and one person has been arrested in this
connection,” state home secretary T.K. Mishra told
reporters here.The attempt to rape case had been lodged
in Phulbani Sadar police station, said the home
secretary, adding that a case had been registered and
investigation was onA Christian priest claimed that
Rajani Majhi, who was burnt alive during the mob
violence at Padampur, had been gangraped before she was
killed. The revelation, which has come just a day after
the state government confirmed the rape of a nun in
Kandhmal, was rubbished by the police.When a mob
attacked the orphanage, Rajani (21) tried to argue with
the attackers. The mob, presuming that she was
Christian, gangraped her before throwing her into the
orphanage which they had set ablaze, procurator of the
Sambalpur diocese T V Peter told TOI. "At about 1.30 pm
on August 25, a mob entered the small orphanage and beat
up Father EdwardSequiera. Thereafter they took the girl
to a room and gangraped her before burning her alive,''
he said.Rajani was a student of Padampur Women's College
and worked at the orphanage to finance her education.
Soon after the carnage, the local administration
cremated Rajani as per Hindu rites.Peter said he was in
Sambalpur, 135 km away, on the fateful day, but on
learning about the violence rushed to Padampur on August
27. Asked why he had kept mum for so long, he said, "I
had told human rights activists who had come here about
it."
|
 Two
Churches near Cochin damaged in Kerala ANGAMALY (Kerala):
Two churches, one of them among the oldest in India,
were vandalised by unidentified people in the early
hours of Sunday at Akapparambu in Nedumbassery panchayat,
about 35 km from Kochi city.A seven-foot statue of
Christ in the cemetery of the 467-year-old Garvasis and
Prothasis Church, belonging to the Syro-Malabar Church,
was broken and knocked off its pedestal. Next door, at
the Mar Sabore Afroth Syrian Cathedral Church, the glass
windows of a chamber that houses the sandalwood cot used
by St. Paulose Mar Athanasius were smashed. The
cathedral, said to have been built in 825 A.D., is one
of the ancient churches of the Jacobites.Fr. Paulose
Arackaparambil, vicar at the cathedral church, told The
Hindu that the glass windows must have been smashed
between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. As soon as a church employee
informed him of the incident, he reported it to the
police and they arrived soon. At the Catholic church,
the destruction of the statue was noticed by early
worshippers and church staff.
While the police and church authorities suspect a
deliberate attempt to instigate communal ire,
Nedumbassery and nearby panchayats, which are home to
scores of churches of various denominations, remained
calm. Coming in the wake of the violence against
Christians in Orissa and attacks on churches in
Karnataka, the Akapparambu attacks immediately raised
concern across Kerala, but no related incident was
reported from anywhere. Church leaders played down the
incident, saying it could be an isolated attack, while
the authorities set up a special team to investigate the
sacrilege.
In few hours after the incident, Home Minister Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan and Fisheries Minister S. Sarma visited the
two churches that stand on adjoining compounds and spoke
to the church functionaries and lay people. Senior
police officers, heads of government agencies, top
functionaries of political parties and religious leaders
also rushed in.
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|
New Indian Bible Draws Fire over Hindu References
,(DG
News.
.18. 09,2008)
A new Indian version of the Bible recently, published by
the Catholic Church, has run into controversy over its
inclusion of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, a form of
Hindu chant, and references to the teachings of Mahatma
Gandhi.An illustration in the new version, New Community
Bible, depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as poor Indian
villagers. Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on
her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth.
According to the 30 Indian biblical scholars who worked
for more than 15 years on the new edition, the Bible
draws on "the rich cultural and religious heritage of
India."
Although approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of
India and published by the Society of St. Paul, the
Bible met the disapproval of Protestants and other
Christian groups, who believe it diverts from biblical
truth.Pastor Vijay Thomas, who heads a Bible college in
Chennai, told Christian Today, "By making it appear
'Indian' with references to Hindu scriptures and great
poets, people will not come to the truth. This is a
complete turn back from the real Bible."Oswald Gracias,
the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, defended the Bible
edition, saying, "I am sure this Bible, made in India
and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to
millions of our people, not only Christians." |
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|
 Bajrangdal
Threatens More attacks The RSS
-(DG
News. .16.
9,2008)
Bajrangdal have carried out attacks against catholic,
protestant and believers churches in Mangalore, Udupi
and other places Sunday morning. The attacks were
carried out by groups of men belonging to these
extremists groups, who entered churches, broke statues,
altars, furniture and created mayhem. The attacks took
place in Udupi, Mangalore, Belthangady, Kodaikal,
Chikmagalore and Koloor, Kundapur, Karkal, Koppa,
Balehonnoor and Moodbidri. After the pre-meditated and
well orchestrated attacks against christian churches,
institutions and property on Sunday in Mangalore, Udupi
and other parts of Karnataka the violence seems to have
abated on Monday. But the tension in Dakshina Kannada is
has not. The authorities have clamped Section 144 for 3
days. There is a ‘Bandh’ call given by the Christian
community and traffic has been hit. We have reports of
chirstians gathering near churches fearing a second wave
of attack today. People have been seen praying in
churches. Many have joined the bandh call by downing
shutters of shops and business establishments. Christian
leaders have given calls for their people to desist from
retaliation against the attackers but also have given
calls for the authorities to do more for protection of
minorities and to solve the menance of anti-christian
violence. Meanwhile Bajrandal have threatened more
violence in the coming days. Police have now provided
additional security near places of worship throughout
DK. |
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|
 Orissa
Christians Unable to Return Home.
(DG
News. .16.
9,2008)
Orissa's Anti-Christian Violence Enters Third Week
Thousands of Christians in India's Orissa state still
can't return to their homes after radical Hindus
attacked their homes and churches.Dozens of churches
have been destroyed and hundreds of Christian homes
burned by the radicals.Gospel for Asia's says the Hindus
want to drive all Christians from the area. "I think
there is an ethnic cleansing going on in the state of
Orissa. Mass killing of Christians by radical,
fundamentalists who hate Christ and the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ," Thousands of Christians like these
are living in relief centers protected by government
troops. |
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Pentecostal Ministry Assists Terminally Ill
(DG
News.
September
12,2008)
Assemblies of God (AG) chaplain Liz Danielsen overcame a
lifetime of obstacles to found Spiritual Care Support
Ministries (SCSM), which was designed to bring hope to
hurting people battered by illness or grief. Serving
several hundred people annually free of charge, the
Warrenton, Va.-based ministry conducts basic bereavement
support groups as well as specialized groups for
parents, spouses, teenagers and the chronically ill.
Beacon of Hope, a children's program, will be added
soon.
Danielsen says God began planting the seeds for her
compassion ministry in her at an early age. Her father
was a heavy drinker who abandoned his family when she
was 4 years old. Her mother turned to alcohol and
drinking binges, leaving Danielsen to care for her
younger brother and sister.
She came to Christ at age 11, after she was invited to
Sunday school. Despite the turmoil in her formative
years she sensed God was leading her into a ministry. "I
know I had a call on my life," she said. At 19 she
married her husband, Arvid, an engineer, and became a
stay-at-home mom. But in 1984, while spending time at
her dying mother's bedside one night, she overheard
hospital patients crying to God. "It broke my heart,"
she said. "There were no chaplains on duty and the
hospital staff did not want to bother local ministers
late at night." Danielsen eventually took a class for
hospice volunteers, then enrolled in a formal chaplaincy
training program. She worked in hospice and in a
hospital before earning AG ministerial credentials and
becoming a health-care chaplain. In 1988 she received a
vision to establish a specialized ministry to help the
sick, dying and bereaved. Sixteen years later, she
opened SCSM (scsm.tv), which operates with a team of
volunteers. Danielsen takes no salary; she says her
reward is seeing people find salvation and healing. "If
God can use me, He can use anybody," she said. "I am
truly a miracle. The devil wanted to destroy my life,
but Jesus redeemed it."
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Who is the real Hindu ?
Karan Thapar speaks for the silent majority Who's the
Real Hindu?
(DG
News
September.10,8)
Does the VHP have the right to speak for you or I? Do
they reflect our views? Do we endorse their behaviour?
They call themselves the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, but who
says they represent all of us? This Sunday morning, I
want to draw a clear line of distinction between them
and everyone else. My hunch is many of you will agree.
Let me start with the question of conversion —
an issue that greatly
exercises the VHP. I imagine there are hundreds of
millions of Hindus who are peaceful, tolerant, devoted
to their faith, but above all, happy to live alongside
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains
and Jews. If any one of us were to change our faith how
does it affect the next man or woman? And even if that
happens with inducements, it can only prove that the
forsaken faith had a tenuous and shallow hold.So why do
the VHP and its unruly storm troopers, the Bajrang Dal,
froth at the mouth if you, I or our neighbours convert?
What is it to do with them? Let me put it bluntly, even
crudely. If I want to sell my soul — and trade in my
present gods for a new lot — why shouldn't I? Even if
the
act diminishes me in your eyes, it's my right to do so.
So if thousands or even millions of Dalits, who have
been despised and ostracised for generations, choose to
become Christian, Buddhist or Muslim, either to escape
the discrimination of their Hindu faith or because some
other has lured them with food and cash, it's their
right. Arguably you may believe you should ask
them to reconsider, although I
would call that interference, but you certainly have no
duty or right to stop them. In fact, I doubt if
you are morally correct in even seeking to place
obstacles in their way. The so-called Freedom of
Religion Acts, which aim to do just that, are, in fact,
tantamount to obstruction of conversion laws and
therefore, at the very least, questionable.
However, what's even worse is how the VHP responds to
this matter.Periodically they resort to violence
including outright murder. What happened to Graham
Staines in Orissa was not unique. Last week it happened
again. Apart from the utter and contemptible criminality
of such behaviour, is this how we Hindus wish to behave?
Is this how we want our faith defended? Is this how we
want to be seen? I have no doubt the answer is no. An
unequivocal, unchanging and ever-lasting NO! The
only problem is it can't be heard. And it needs to be. I
therefore
believe the time has come for the silent majority of
Hindus — both those who ardently practice their faith as
well as those who were born into it but may not be
overtly religious or devout — to speak out. We cannot
accept the desecration of churches, the burning to death
of innocent caretakers of orphanages, the storming of
Christian and Muslim hamlets even if these acts are
allegedly done in defence of our faith. Indeed,
they do not defend but shame Hinduism. That's my central
point.
I'm sorry but when I read that the VHP has ransacked and
killed I'm not just embarrassed, I feel ashamed. Never
of being hindu but of what some Hindus do in our shared
faith's name. This is why its incumbent on Naveen
Patnaik, Orissa's Chief Minister, to take tough,
unremitting action against the VHP and its junior wing,
the Bajrang Dal. This is a test not just of his
governance, but of his character. And I know and accept
this could affect his political survival. But when it's
a struggle between your commitment to your principles
and your political convenience is there room for choice?
For ordinary politicians, possibly, but for the Naveen I
know, very definitely not. So let me end by saying: I'm
waiting, Naveen. In fact, I want to say I'm not alone.
There are hundreds of millions of Hindus, like you and
me, waiting silently — but increasingly impatiently.
Please act for all. |
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Pastor and believers attacked and beaten in Kolar,
Karnataka :(DG
News
September
10, 2008)
A pastor was attacked and beaten up by a group of 30
Hindu radicals.This incident occurred at about 12.30 pm
on September 7 at place called Chikkadoddi,Mulbagal
Taluk, Kolar distrct in Karnataka state.It happened at
about 12.30 pm a group of 30 persons on Tata Sumo and
two wheelers barged into the church A.G. Prayer Hal
where Pastor R. Babu ministers and stopped the worship
service and started to beat up two church lady believers
namely Radha (31), Kumari (21) and Chalepethy (45). The
radicals even tore up Bibles, hymnals, window curtains
of the church.Later they abducted pastor R. Babu in the
vehicle and drove him about 5 km away, tied him to a
tree, beat him up, applied vermilion to him, compelled
him to do pooja and then took him to Mulbagal Police
Station and forced him to give a letter stating not to
go back to the village, or take up any church related
activities.The attacker snatched mobile phone, pastor’s
wife gold chain. They dropped the pastor back to the
church afterwards Pastor R. Babu is from Bangalore,
conducting a prayer fellowship at this place for about
three years. He has 40 church members. Church has its
own building and church is registered, regular worship
is conducted every week. .Please pray for Karnataka
state. |
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 The
'Jesus' film is now available in more than 1,000
languages. (DG
News.
September
9,2008)
It's amazing what God can do through a simple film. But
when you consider the film is the story of Jesus, you
can understand how it's become the most-watched film in
the world,
According to JESUS film statistics, collectively the
JESUS film has now been translated into 1,059 languages.
1,044 for the classic version, 21 languages for
"Magdalena: Released From Shame," 132 languages for "The
Story of Jesus for Children," and 417 for "The Story of
Jesus" in audio.
What's even more shocking is that the film has been seen
by more than 6,050,600,000 people. Obviously some have
seen it more than once.However, the impact the film has
had on people's lives is far beyond what anyone could
have imagined. According to JESUS film data, nearly
226-million people have indicated some kind of decision
for Christ after watching the story of Christ on film.
Right now there are officially 2,864 JESUS Film Project
teams working in 103 countries. Here's just one example
of how effective the JESUS film is today:
Villagers in a French-speaking West African nation
watched the JESUS film scene depicting the healing of
Bartimaeus from blindness. A man from the crowd yelled
out, "It's false!" when he heard Bartimaeus cry, "I can
see!" Bartimaeus exclaimed a second time, "I can see!" A
second time, the man shouted, "It's not true!" The third
time Bartimaeus testified to his healing, the man again
loudly denounced it. Yet, when Bartimaeus said "I can
see" a fourth and final time, the defiant viewer
suddenly trembled in shocked silence. In that
particular culture, if an elder affirms something more
than three times, it is considered undeniably true. If
anyone challenges an elder more than three times, the
villagers believe a deadly curse will come upon the
challenger. At the film's conclusion, the man who
publicly challenged Bartimaeus approached the film team
in terror. He believed Bartimaeus had heard his retorts
and replied four times in order to place a deadly curse
upon him. The film team explained that the people on the
screen were merely actors portraying true events, and he
had not received a deadly curse. They also shared that
Jesus came to free him from the curse of sin and death.
Finally understanding the good news, the man surrendered
his life to Jesus. He said, "Now I know that this is
true, and I will never go back." His entire family
joined him and committed their lives to Christ as well!
This man's transformation greatly affected the entire
village. Reputed for his rebellious attitude and
persistence in challenging others, he became a genuine
follower of Jesus. The Holy Spirit transformed his life.
Now he and his family worship faithfully in a local
church where the pastor disciples him. Numerous other
villagers, formerly enslaved in idol worship and demonic
fetish rituals, surrendered their lives to Christ after
watching the JESUS film and witnessing the man's
transformation. Praise God for bringing salvation to
this village, and opening the spiritually blind eyes of
one man who dared to challenge "Blind Bartimaeus." |
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 Charles
Wesley's 250-Year-Old Journal Finally Deciphered
(September
6, 2008) "The 300,000-word journals of Charles Wesley,
the co-founder of the Methodist movement, have finally
been decoded after a nine-year project to unravel the
hidden messages within his complex personal shorthand."
(Liverpool, England)—Rev Prof Kenneth Newport, pro
vice-chancellor of Liverpool Hope
University, has deciphered more than 1,000 pages of
Charles Wesley's journal written 250
years ago. According to a report in The Telegraph, using
a handwritten transcription of the four Gospels made by
Wesley, Newport deciphered the journals which revealed
his concerns about a schism within the Church of England
and the growth of Islam in the West. |
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 Bible
distribution plans moving forward in Punjab State
(
03.09.08:DG
News
)
Bibles For The World's Mawii Pudaite says the ministry
began a strategic outreach program in
Punjab three years ago, amidst strong resistance to
Christianity. The state is the birthplace of
the Sikh religion and the only state of India with a
Sikh majority,
According to available statistics, only two of the
state's 96 people groups are known to have
any Christians in their communities. Pudaite says,
"Every day in Chandigarh, north India,
national missionaries working door-to-door distribute
more than a thousand Gospels of John.
Every day families come face to face with the Gospel,
perhaps for the very first time."
By 2006, missionaries were reporting an increasing
number weekly cell groups that had begun
meeting for Bible study and discipleship. Pudaite says
one year for Christmas, new believers
gave out 25,000 copies of the Gospel of John to their
neighbors. Since the program began,
missionaries have distributed 250,000 Gospels of John.
That makes their objective clear. There are 66 sectors,
each one home to over 5,000
households. Pudaite urges prayer support and financial
help. To expedite their mission, the
team started collecting funds last year to buy bicycles.
The small team now has five bicycles.
Pudaite is hopeful this growth trend continues. "This
year, our goal is to distribute to 500,000
homes. With the bicycles to speed up their way, our
national missionaries are very much
challenged [sic] to undertake this task. It costs
25-cents a copy." |
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 BIBLE
CONFERENCE ENCOURAGES OUTREACH
(25,08,08::Finny Raju
)
Attendees at a Pacaas Novos Bible conference.
Indigenous believers in Brazil like the Mayorunas are
putting on a huge conference next month.
Sept. 4-7, believers from the Mayoruna, Pacaas Novas and
other tribes will host and enjoy Conplei, a conference
intended to encourage them to reach out to their
neighboring people groups back home.
Conplei is a conference held every two years, but even
though it's a regular thing, this is still a large
undertaking. There will be more than 2,000 attendees:
pastors, leaders and other believers.Please pray for the safety of all who travel to the
event. Pray also for the Brazilian believers to have
their hearts open to wherever the Holy Spirit may lead
them. |
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|
 Bombs
and political questions have Christians uneasy (August
25, 2008.Danial)
Action Packs can be sent to Christian families in
Pakistan to help them with the needs they have
physically, but it also gives them tools to reach out to
their Muslim neighbors (VOM)
Pakistan (MNN) ? Two suicide blasts occurred in
Pakistan, leaving 76 people dead and 110 injured. It is
the second suicide attack within three days in
Pakistan--a sign that the terrorist activities have
reached a new height. This comes following President
Pervez Musharraf's resignation this week. The
uncertainty of who will replace him is creating economic
concern.
Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs says Christians
are uncertain. "The party that is in power is the party
of Benazir Bhutto. Many of the Christians felt like (the
party) would offer more protection to them, more
protection for their churches, more freedom to worship.
So I think the hope is that this party would follow
through on some of [Bhutto's] ideas and ideals."
Nettleton says in at least one part of Pakistan, the
government is weak. "In northwest Pakistan, the area
where al-Qaeda is known to hang out, the government
really does not have control in those areas. And those
are some of the areas where the worst persecution is
taking place."
While uncertainty abounds, Nettleton says Christians
need to get involved. He says prayer is most important.
"Some of the groups that we are working closely with in
Pakistan are the really bold, outspoken witnesses for
Christ. [These] are guys who are talking to Muslims,
[and] in some cases, going to mosques."
Nettleton says you can give tangible help through Action
Packs -- vacuum-sealed bags that can be fillede with
"items of clothing -- socks, hats, a small blanket,
sweaters, and other items that can be a blessing to a
family there."
About 250,000 Action Packs have already been sent
overseas, and it's an exciting program, says Nettleton.
"Some of the Christians who receive these packs actually
in turn share them with Muslim neighbors. And,
literally, we have seen churches planted just through
that outreach. [Christians] say, 'Hey, we got these; we
want to share them with you.'"
That provides Pakistani Christian opportunities to share
their faith.
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 The
first edition of “The Disciples Sunday News”,(10,08,08:
Report.:DG
News
) the online News Paper in
English started by the Desciples Ministry with the aim
of spreading the Gospel beyond the limits of the
Languages, is been dedicated to the Public by Past. M.P
George Kutty, Director of Hospital Ministries of India.
It will be published in every Sundays with Christian
news and many other articles such as interviews of
Eminent Christian Leaders, Bible studies, Testimonies,
Advertisements etc. Rev.Dr.Shaji Sukumaran , Chief
Editor of " Disciples E-Sunday News " has said that
"This is a good media to preach the Gospel to Nations"
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Religion 'may have helped
halt spread of disease', says controversial scientific
report (08,08,08::Anu
Dani
)
Religion may have helped protect ancient humans from
disease, new research has claimed. Divisions between
people caused by religion may have actually helped
reduce the spread of infections. Scientists claim this
is why hotter countries which are more prone to disease
have more religions when compared to similar-sized
nations from cooler climates. 'Why does Cote d'Ivoire
have 76 religions while Norway has 13, and why does
Brazil have 159 religions while Canada has 15 even
though in both comparisons the countries are similar in
size?' the report asked. The ancient Angkor Wat temple
complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the seat of one of the
world's earliest religions The scientists found that
across many societies the number of different religions
was directly linked to the number of pathogens found in
the area, 'We found that religion diversity is the
highest where disease diversity is also the highest and
the lowest where disease diversity is also the lowest,'
says the report, which was produced by Dr Corey Fincher
and Prof Randy Thornhill from the University of New
Mexico 'To our knowledge, previous evolutionary models
do not offer an explanation for why religion diversity
varies spatially across the globe,' they said in a
report published in the Proceedings of the Royal
Society, Biological Sciences.The research suggests that
local groups who didn't deal with neighbours who
worshipped a different god, for example, were less
likely to pick up new diseases. Over the longer term
this approach would also gradually alter the group's
genetic make-up. The report continues: "Our analysis
suggests that the nature of religion needs to be
reconsidered. 'Although religion apparently is for
establishing a social marker of group alliance and
allegiance, at the most fundamental level, it may be for
the avoidance and management of infectious disease.' The
new findings are similar to the team's recent study
which claimed that swathes of parasites are what have
historically kept populations of the same species apart.
They claimed that the findings explained why it is that
biological diversity decreases as you move away from the
equator and towards the poles
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 Indianised
version of Bible hit among Christians Mumbai,(July,
28, 2008:DG
News:
) :
An ”Indianised” version of the Bible released in India
has become a huge hit among the Christian community
here. The Bible has proved to be extremely popular among
the Catholics in Mumbai where over 15 000 copies were
sold out within ten days of its release. An interesting
feature of this Bible is that it has drawn references to
other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
“What made it special because they have also drawn the
Indian mythology into it. Its not only based on Bible
all like you know foreign standards,” said Corin
Mendonsa, a buyer of the book. Another interesting thing
about the book is that it depicts Mother Mary and other
characters in typical Indian clothes. “I wanted to buy
only one copy, but after seeing the presentation,
brought five copies. I felt happier because the pictures
that are given are very impressive,” said Father Wilset,
another buyer. According to the catholic community this
Bible is getting a good response from the market. The
new Bible, which has about 2,200 pages, costs just 250
Rupees. |
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|
 Israel
reaches out to evangelical Christians in Asia In an
attempt to stem a tide of rising Islamic extremism
across the globe,(July,
25, 2008:Rev.Shaji:
)
Israeli politicians and academics reached out to a group
of Asian evangelical religious and political leaders on
Monday, in an increasingly more global Judeo-Christian
alliance against radical Islam. Rev. Eddie Villanueva
and Rev. Richard Howell meet with MK Benny Elon
yesterday at the Jerusalem Summit Asia.The fifth annual
Jerusalem Summit Asia, which was held in a Jerusalem
hotel, brought together members of parliament from the
Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus, conservative Israeli
academics and thinkers, and 150 political and religious
leaders from the Philippines, India, Japan, China and
Taiwan. The event comes amid burgeoning relations
between Israel and the largely supportive evangelical
Christian community around the world, and at a time when
the number of evangelicals continues to rise in Asia.
"This conference has further strengthened our
relationship with Israel and inspired us to disseminate
historical facts for all nations of the world -
especially evangelical churches - about the biblical
role of Israel in fulfilling God's grand plan for the
ages," said Rev. Eddie Villanueva of the Philippines,
the founder and spiritual director of Jesus is Lord
Church Worldwide, which has a membership of over four
million churches and chapters in 39 countries. He said
the conference organizers were planning the formation of
a "biblical solidarity movement" promoting freedom of
worship in every country of the world.
"Why should Christians in Muslim countries be
second-class citizens?" asked Rev. Dr. Richard Howell,
the general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of
India. The Summit Asia organizers see their efforts as a
way to bring future support for Israel from a part of
the world growing in international influence.
"As the number of evangelicals in Asia continues to
increase, and Asia is rising as a world power, it is a
very timely initiative for Asian Christians to undertake
a Judeo-Christian endeavor to forge a future strong
Israel-Asian alliance," said Marisa Albert, the
meeting's organizer and executive director of Jerusalem
Summit Asia, a branch of the Jerusalem Summit - a
conservative Jerusalem-based NGO that debuted over five
years ago and puts on the annual event. Albert is also
the chairperson of the Jerusalem East Gate Foundation, a
Jerusalem-based evangelical organization that promotes
support for Israel through Asian pilgrimages and
educational tours in the Holy Land. "The unifying center
for all evangelicals is Jerusalem," said Dmitry
Radyshevsky, executive director of the Jerusalem Summit.
"Besides, they understand that radical Islam is an equal
danger for Christians as it is for Jews." "I would
rather be politically incorrect and biblically correct,"
said Christian Allies Caucus chairman MK Benny Elon (NU-NRP)
who spearheaded Israel's ties with the evangelical world
during his tenure as tourism minister. "Jerusalem Summit
V has brought Asian leaders and politicians to Israel in
order to reinforce their commitment to the security of
the State of Israel and the well being of its people
during our 60th anniversary," said caucus director Josh
Reinstein. "Christianity is on the rise in Asia, and
Asian Christians will become a very important ally for
Israel in the 21st century," he said. In years past,
similar conferences have been held in Asia in the
Philippines, South Korea, Singapore and Japan |
|
|
 Croatia
parliament bans Sunday shopping because of Church,(July,22,08:Anu Dani
)
The parliament of the predominantly Catholic country of
Croatia is urging its citizens to reclaim Sunday as a
day for celebrating the Eucharist, for family, and for
rest, The Croatian parliament passed a law yesterday
requiring most businesses to close on Sundays. The law
does, however, allow Sunday shopping during the summer
tourist season and Christmas holidays.The new law also
allows stores in hospitals as well as those in gas, bus
and train stations to open on Sundays year-round.
Bakeries, newsstands and flower shops are also exempt
from the ban.
Most post-communist countries, including Croatia, have
experienced problems transitioning from the oppression
of Marxist ideology, which proclaimed there is no God
and therefore no need for any day for religious
observance or rest, to a free market economy with a
fascination with and craving for all things Western.
Croatia, however, is now in a more stable political and
economic situation where its people can reaffirm their
centuries-old traditions of family and faith and
experience a Renaissance of their culture. The banning
of Sunday shopping is a significant step in that
direction.The benefits of not making Sunday just an
extension of Saturday have been well documented.For
instance, a report entitled "The Church vs. the Mall:
What Happens When Religion Faces Increased Secular
Competition?" that was published by the National Bureau
of Economic Research in 2006, indicated that approval of
Sunday shopping triggered an increase in drug and
alcohol use among otherwise faithful churchgoers.
(http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091506.html)
Catholic Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona,
observed in 2005 that "the world has suffered with the
loss of the religious observance of Sunday as a day of
rest," and reflected that the day which used to be
reserved for religious and family togetherness, has
turned into "an extension of Saturday," filled with
errands invariably including shopping.Bishop Olmsted
said, "Keep the Lord's day holy…refrain from all
shopping and enjoy Sunday as a day of rest, a day of
leisure, a day for family, a day for celebrating the
Eucharist." (Phoenix Bishop says "No Sunday Shopping" -
A Wedge Issue in the Culture Wars: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jul/05071803.html)
In the UK, recent research by the NOP Consumer Poll
revealed that 71% of people said that they would not be
bothered very much or at all if all shops except local
convenience stores were shut on Sundays.When respondents
were asked whether they thought at least one day of the
week - Sunday - should be different from the rest of the
week, two thirds of respondents said yes. More women
than men thought so, (70% vs. 61%).More than three
quarters (81%) of respondents believed that protecting
Sunday as a family day was a good idea. This was
especially the case with the 65+ age group, with 88%
thinking it was a good idea, compared to 74% of the
16-24 year age group. More than two fifths of
respondents (42%), said it was very important for family
stability and community life to have a shared, common
day off each week. Only 3% said it was very
unimportant.Dr. Michael Schluter, Director of Keep
Sunday Special, a UK lobby group dedicated to promoting
a ban on Sunday shopping in Britain, said, "People are
crying out for a break and a release from the pressure
of working each day of the week, they want family time
back, they want their Sunday back and are simply not
interested in any more shopping.""We've had thirteen
years of Sunday trading and yet still two thirds of
people say Sunday should be a different day to the rest
of the week, and almost a third (31%) of people say that
they never shop in large shops or supermarkets at all on
Sundays. Sunday has been stolen from people and they
want to get it back - above all they want a
break.""Think too about the potential environmental
benefits through saving energy and fewer journeys if
large shops were shut," Dr Schluter said. |
|
|
 Former
missionary for Islam now shares gospel with Muslims
Abraham Sarker grew up in an Islamic culture in
Bangladesh
,(July,
15, 2008:DG
News:
)and
chose to dedicate his life to Allah. But at age 15, he
encountered God in a dream that made him question Islam
and begin a search for truth. Sarker recalled hearing a
voice that told him to look for a Bible. He searched
diligently for a Bible four years, finally finding one
in his own Bengali language when he moved to Florida to
attend college. Abraham Sarker from Bangladesh, a former
Muslim missionary, now leads Gospel for Muslims in
Irving. After reading the Bible and meeting with a
missionary at his campus, he chose to become a follower
of Christ. And his life radically changed.“I was a
Muslim missionary, but now I am using the Muslim mission
strategy to reach others for Christ,” Sarker said. “The
Muslim strategy is to impact a community economically,
religiously and politically. Now, this is my strategy to
reach Muslims for Christ.”After Sarker found Christ, his
heart was burdened to share the hope he found in Christ
with the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world—a burden that
soon brought persecution from his friends, classmates
and family.“I had an incident in Florida where some guys
got angry and beat me up,” Sarker said. “I was scared
they were going to kill me. And my family was very, very
upset with my conversion.”For his own protection, Sarker
moved to Dallas where he attended Christ for the Nations
Institute and Dallas Baptist University—a move that
resulted in his being disowned by his father.He
continued studying and growing in his faith, sharing
Christ with Muslims around him. During this time, he met
his wife Amie, and they began to pray about ways to make
an impact on the Islamic world with the gospel.Pivotal
point in 2002 The burden to reach Muslims and encourage
former Muslims to be bold in their walk with Christ
continued to grow in his heart, coming to a pivotal
point in 2002.“The church around here didn’t have a
place for me or a way to use me,” he said. “I looked
around and saw other former Muslims were having the same
problem.”Sarker—now a member of Park Cities Baptist
Church in Dallas—spoke with Charles Wade, former
executive director of the Baptist General Convention of
Texas. For at least15 years, it had been very difficult
to reach Muslims in the Dallas area because many of the
Muslim background believers would not stand up and
boldly share their faith because of fear of persecution,
Wade said.“Former Muslims will come to church, but they
won’t let us use their names or information,” Sarker
said.After these experiences, Sarker said he could not
watch other former Muslims be silent any
longer—something had to be done to start a fire in their
hearts so they will share their faith at any cost. He
formed a 15-member council for former Muslims and asked
why they were being quiet about their faith when they
knew they had the hope of Christ to share.“I asked, ‘How
many of you truly are ready to die for Christ?’” Sarker
said. “And very few of the 15 said they were
ready.”Risking death by proclaiming Christ Sarker met
regularly with this group to help them mature to the
point where they would stand up and proclaim Christ’s
name—even if it meant risking death.“Now we have nine
out of the 15 in our group who are committed to do
whatever it takes to help reach Muslims for Christ,” he
said.Out of this group, Sarker and his wife birthed
Gospel for Muslims, a ministry focused on equipping
Christians with Muslim backgrounds to be bold in their
faith as they reach out to the Muslims around them.“We
bring the real teaching of Islam—what it is and is not
compared to Christianity,” Sarker said. “We educate and
motivate our Christian people and we try to activate
them to ministry.”Equipping and challenging Christians
to share their faith is one aspect of Texas Hope 2010, a
Baptist General Convention of Texas initiative to share
the gospel with every non-Christian in Texas by Easter
2010.Gospel for Muslims sponsors an intensive institute
that trains 15 students each semester how to minister to
Muslims. Other ministries include an annual conference
that trains Christians from throughout the United States
and Canada how to reach Muslims, as well as ministries
to Muslim women and refugees.The BGCT has helped sponsor
the Muslim Background Believer’s Conference. The 2008
conference will be Sept. 26-27 at Park Cities Baptist
Church in Dallas.Gospel for Muslims also offers a
once-a-month prayer meeting to encourage believers to
fast and pray for God to move among Muslims and bring
them to faith in Christ.“We train former Muslims to
return to their town to lead their area,” Abraham said.
“I see this ministry is so vital in America. There is
now a mosque in every state. It is time for us to wake
up and do something. In another 15 to 20 years, it will
be too late.”Sarker’s ministry extends beyond the United
States. Gospel for Muslims is preparing to minister in
Bangladesh with the help of Sarker’s father and two of
his brothers who are now Christians. They will be
deliver Bibles to the areas where Sarker taught when he
was a Muslim missionary.“Islam gave me many good things,
but it did not give me the assurance of my salvation,”
Sarker said. “This is the hope we want to share—that you
can know God and that he wants to know you. When I go to
Bangladesh, I can’t even sleep, because the need is
overwhelming. People are hungry and there is not enough
time to share Christ.” |
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