We turn next to Sudan where the United Nations has suspended operations to
the country because of the volatile Upper Nile region. Fighting there has displaced
thousands of people. However, it has not hampered Christian radio in the region.
Words of Hope’s Lee DeYoung was in the area and asked a number of Christian
leaders about the impact of Christian radio among the Nuer and the Dinka speaking
people. “We had a group meeting of virtually the whole village. We just asked how
many people listened and it was a very big majority that did. And, that’s in a place
where there’s not electricity. I’m sure most of those people don’t own their own radios,
but there is listening that is done in a shared experience and the church is growing.”
DeYoung says there’s a reason they are so interested in the programming. “The
government of Sudan, of course the official language is Arabic, therefore when people
are able to hear something in their mother tongue, Nuer in this case, whether it’s Gospel
programming or not it something that’s very appealing novelty for them.”
News Archives
Thousands of “Baby Boomers” looking to make a difference for Christ are
turning to missions. Moody Bible President Dr. Joseph Stowell is working with Send
International’s “Finishers Forum 2000”, a plan to mobilize “Boomers” onto the
mission field. Stowell says it’s a project that is long overdue. “There have been many,
many people who down deep inside have said ‘I really would like to do something
compelling for Christ.’ And the “Finishers Forum” now provides that ability for them to
go to a place and come to understand where they could fit into the cause of the
Gospel.” Stowell says you don’t have to be a CEO or a construction worker to share
Christ. “There aren’t any people who could not be used effectively in some respect in
the cause of Christ globally. I don’t think there is a list of 10 jobs and if you don’t fit
that you can’t be used because there is a place for everybody.” The “Finisher’s Forum”
is in April in Dallas Texas.
Elsewhere, Food for the Hungry continues to seek ways to aid flood victims in
Venezuela through partnerships with local churches and organizations. The
devastation left by the disaster left an official death toll thought to exceed 30,000, with
200,00 people left homeless and a total of 600,000 affected by the flooding. In
response, the organization is working with a local congregation to help deliver water
and other vital supplies to flood victims by truck, car and even on foot in areas that are
still inaccessible by vehicle.
Meanwhile, Orthodox Hindus are coming to Christ because of a unique Bible
distribution ministry. Bibles for the World’s John Pudaite says they’re sending
Bibles to the Meitei (MAY-tay) people group of India. “The Meiteis are an unreached
people group in northeast India right on the Burma border. They number 1.3 million in
population and they have been orthodox Hindus. Less than one percent of the Meitei
people were Christians.” Bibles for the World is using voter registration list to mail
New Testaments to the Meitei people. To date, they’ve sent out 300-thousand New
Testaments. Pudaite says many are coming to Christ. “Our ministry partners have now
planted 17 churches among this people group in follow up to our Bible mailing. And a
lot of the new Christians are facing persecution from their families. Many of them have
been cast out from their homes.” Pudaite is asking people to pray for strength for these
new believers.
Next, one of the largest evangelical churches in the Middle East hosted
Evangelist Sammy Tippit in two nights of evangelistic meetings this past
weekend. Tippit proclaimed a simple Gospel message each evening to a packed
church in Cairo. More than 150 people accepted Christ as their Savior during the
meetings. However, these were only a precursor to Tippit’s future ministry in Egypt.
Plans are being made for a joint meeting with 800 churches participating later this year.
In other news, a new radio program is battling the influence of voodoo on
Christians in Haiti. Richard Green with Trans World Radio says a joint project with
Thru the Bible will broadcast a five-year Bible program to Christians in the
impoverished country. “Sometimes Christians have blended voodooism with Christian
doctrine. The producer of this special Creole program, tells us that this particular
program will help Christians to put Jesus Christ first in their lives, and to live strictly by
the Bible.” Green says the broadcast will reach Christians and non-Christians alike.
“Radios are very accessible, in some of the most impoverished nations, radio is the
primary way to communicate with people. This is certainly true in Haiti and we want to
be able to minister as much as we can to their spiritual needs.”
Not even the military could stand in the way of the Gospel entering a port in
Gabon. Operation Mobilization’s ship LOGOS II was set to arrive in Owendo Port,
but authorities announced “military maneuvers” would prevent the ship from docking.
The crew prayed for a reversal of the decision, and eventually, authorities relented and
the ship docked. Crew members held a book sale, where many evangelical materials
were sold, and teams went out into Gabon’s churches on Sunday to share with local
congregations.
Topping the news today, new legislative restrictions on Christians in India are
growing in the wake of a Christian missionary’s murder. For security reasons,
we’ll call this worker “Mike”. He works with an organization in India, and says people
must now register with police in Orissa State to explain their reasons for converting. “It
has scared people from wanting to share their faith and also scared Christian
organizations from sending mailings to people on their mailing lists because they’re
afraid people will find out that they’re receiving Christian mailings and thus bring
persecution on people that are receiving the mailings. So it’s pretty much put a damper
on quite a few outreach activities and just simple communication.” Mike says that only
means Christians should pray harder. “The Bible says in Ephesians 6 that our battle is
not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of the darkness of the
world. So prayer is not just a cliché, it’s very, very important to win battles in places
like India.”
We begin today’s newscast with details from Ethiopia. Voice of the Martyrs
workers are reporting evidence of severe persecution of evangelicals by both Muslims
and Orthodox Christians. VOM’s Todd Nettleton says: “I think it is a fear on behalf of
the Orthodox Church leaders that evangelical churches are growing very rapidly and
they’re not quite sure how to respond. In this case, it’s especially bad because a good
portion of the persecution is coming from other so-called ‘Christians’.” Nettleton urges
Christians from around the world to remember their persecuted brothers and sisters in
Ethiopia in prayer. “Pray that they will continue to be a strong witness and will live out
their faith on a daily basis, and then I think we can pray that God will pour out His
Spirit on the Orthodox Church there and fill those people with the love for other
Christians, so that part of this persecution can be ended-the part that is coming from
other people who call themselves ‘believers’.”
In today’s headlines, while the battle for Grozny is nearly over, ministries are
struggling to assist thousands of refugees in desperate need after years of
fighting in Chechnya. Russian Ministries George Law says only a handful of relief
agencies are permitted to assist the 800,000 refugees in camps along the border.
“There are only three or four agencies that are able to work in and around Chechnya.
Russian Ministries has received governmental approval and requests for aid and
assistance. We’ve been allowed permission to work there since we already have staff
on the ground.” Law says with the assistance, comes the opportunity to share the
Gospel. However, the situation is grave. “Right now refugees are receiving typically a
half a pound of bread per day and some soup. One meal a day is all they’re given. I
think children are allotted some milk.” Law says prayer is needed for finances to
purchase more supplies.
