Spotlight on ... Mongolia
Partly due to its distance from the sea and poor roads and infrastructures, Mongalia has historically been one of the world's countries most closed to outsiders. Landlocked between China and Russia, Mongolia depends on these countries for most of its trade. Following a peaceful democratic revolution in 1991 that freed it from government by the former USSR, Mongolia has faced huge, traumatic challenges, such as high unemployment; social upheaval; and poverty, including 200,000 malnourished children.
In 1989, there were possibly only four Mongolian Christians, but by the year 2000 there were 5,000 Christians worshiping in 60 churches and 100 informal groups. Pray that Christianity will no longer be seen as too foreign for most Mongolians; that the persecution of believers will stop; that isolated, rural churches will find support and trained leaders; and that interest in the gospel will continue to grow will not suffer from misconceptions about missionaries and their motives.
Source: Church Around the World - June 2008
Ministry Opens 10th Hospital in 10 Years
CURE International is opening its 10th hospital in as many years in Ethiopia. The hospital, a pediatric orthopedic teaching facility, will serve the physically disabled in Addis Ababa. The ministry also plans to open a hospital in Egypt, in Niger, and in Bethelehem by the end of 2009. Since its inception in 1986, CURE has treated more than 650,000 patients and has performed more than 45,000 surgeries. Today, CURE hospitals care for 130,000 patients every year.
Source: Church Around the World - June 2008
House Church Demolished by Muslim Extremists
A Salem Voice Ministries underground house church was recently destroyed by Muslim extremists in Malabar, India. A mob came with spades, pickaxes, iron bars, and other tools and totally destroyed the church. The attackers are suspected to be activists of SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India).
Before this happened, around 50 people had been attending the church every week for worship services. The majority were individual Muslim youngsters from various families. A baptism service was held early one Saturday morning, during which eight young people and three couples were baptized. Although it was a secret service, the news somehow leaked out. It is believed that service might have provoked the extremists.
Source: Church Around the World - June 2008
Top Angelican's Sharia Comments Criticized
The archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, faced heavy criticism after stating that the introduction of some aspects of Sharia law in Britain is "unavoidable." Speaking to the BBC, the archbishop called for a "constructive accommodation" for Muslim in areas relating to marriage, divorce, custom, and inheritance, pointing to the fact that other religious communities already enjoy the accommodation of their laws in Britain. Sharia is the body of Islamic religious law based on the teachings of the Koran and the prophet Mohammad and incorporating the rulings of Islamic scholars.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office has distanced itself from the archbishop's comments. The prime minister "believes that British laws should be based on British values," Brown's spokeman stressed. "To ask us to ... change the rule of law and to adopt Sharia law, I think, is fundamentally wrong.
Four days after his remarks, Dr. Williams apologized for any distress that may have been caused by "unclarity" but stopped short of retracting his comments.
"I believe quite strongly that it is not inappropriate for a pastor of the Church of England to address issues around the perceived concerns of other religious communities and to try and bring them into better public focus," the archbishop said, although he later conceded that his efforts in this instance had been "clumsily deployed."
Source: Church Around the World - May 2008
Teens Battle Pop Culture in Times Square
Hundreds of teens -- surrounded by flashing lights, honking taxis, and rushing pedestrians -- staged a rally against U.S. pop culture in the heart of urban America -- New York City's Times Square. The participants in the Recreate '08 rally wanted to highlight teens' concerns that today's pop culture is promoting harmful ideas of what is "cool". Those at the rally represented some 400,000 members of the Teen Mania movement, a Christian mission organization for the younger generation.
"We are fed up with culture telling us it's cool to be rebellious," said Zim Tahir, 17, a former gang member. Teens from the ministry are also sending a list of concerns to presidential candidates, including youth exposure to Internet pornography; the AIDS pandemic; human trafficking; media glamorization of drugs, sex, and alcohol; abortion; and freedom to practice Christianity.
Source: Church Around the World - May 2008
Spotlight on ... Algeria
Ever since Algeria was founded as a military republic in the 16th century, violence has been a shaping factor in the country's history. France colonized Algeria from 1830 to 1864, and that era's resistance and war of independence were followed by a bloody civil war whose brutalities continue to echo in the present. In general, the violence has decreased sicne the end of the 1990s, but in the past 18 months, a spate of suicide bombings in and around Algiers has killed dozens. Many Algerians are bitter and distrustful of their government.
Nearly all Algerians are Muslim. A mostly foreign Roman Catholic community exists, as do very small Protestant and Jewish communities. Witnessing for the Christian faith is not allowed.
Pray that native churches in large cities will remain faithful to their mission, that believers will be protected when they attend church, and that the work of itinerant missionaries will be successful.
Source: Church Around the World - May 2008