LATEST CHRISTIAN AND CHURCH NEWS

• Contemporary Christian Music Network Announces Talent Search and Songwriting Contest 2004 - Worthy News
Do you wish your songs could be heard by the music industry? Have you ever entered an international talent or songwriting competition? If so, chances are you had to go to the expense of travel and lodging, not to mention expensive entry fees associated with such events.
• Gospel Brought to Life through Film in India - Worthy News
As The Passion of the Christ hits theaters, people have the opportunity to view perhaps the most riveting film ever made on the sacrifice of Christ. While we certainly pray for revival in this country, millions of people in remote Asian villages have yet to hear about Jesus for the first time.
• Only Half Of Protestant Pastors Have A Biblical Worldview - Barna
Based on interviews with 601 Senior Pastors nationwide, representing a random cross-section of Protestant churches, Barna reports that only half of the country's Protestant pastors – 51% - have a biblical worldview.
• Jews for Jesus criticizes evangelicals - Washington Times
The nation's largest Messianic Jewish organization is criticizing leading evangelical Christians -- including the Rev. Billy Graham -- of caving into Jewish pressure to downplay the Gospel.
• Christians in Iran Encounter "Miracle Rescues" - Worthy News
Praying Iranian Christians and believers from around the world continued humanitarian efforts in Bam Saturday, January 3, as relief workers reported "miracle rescues" more than eighth days after an earth quake reduced this city to ruins.
• Iran's Persecuted Church Helps Quake Victims - Worthy News
Iran's persecuted Christians are involved in helping victims of Friday's earthquake in the ancient city of Bam, where 28,000 bodies were retrieved amid scenes of grief, ASSIST News Service (ANS) learned Tuesday, Dec. 30.
• The Art of Religious War - Front Page Magazine
"Religious instruction must disappear from the schools...the man who is tied to the dogmas of the Churches need look for nothing from us in the future."  Thus declared the Nazi inspector of Munich city schools in Germany, June 1939.
Editor's Note: This is an interesting look at the "Nazi Master Plan" to eliminate the Christianity from Germany after the Jews, and how this correlates with the events happening in our days.
• A Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Person's Life - Barna Research
Citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults that showed only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making.
• Jihad Against Lebanese Christians - Front Page Magazine
The massacre of the Muhayya compound was directed at the Lebanese Christian community living in Saudi Arabia.
• Evangelicals grow to 400 million in 123 countries - Religion Journal
The evangelical movement is growing rapidly. The World Evangelical Alliance, a global network, is in contact with 2 million local churches with up to 400 million members in 123 countries, according to Idea, a German evangelical publication. Two years ago, the WEA represented 150 million evangelicals.
• Unbelieving 'born-agains' - World Magazine
Secularists, Liberals, and Muslims do not need to fear conservative Christians, says Dave Shiflett in The Wall Street Journal. Christians, he says, are not all that interested in converting the heathen. They don't really believe that there is such a thing as the heathen, tending to believe instead that every religion is equally valid.
• Poisonous Snakes Lead Villagers to Jesus - Worthy News
Imagine this baptism scene: The pastor steps into a river, and each bank is lined with angry a people yelling and scoffing. But that wasn't all.
• Thousands of Christians Petition President Bush - Worthy News
George W. Bush received a petition from Christians from across America encouraging him to stop his involvement in the “land for peace” process in Israel.
• Father of the Faith Passes Away: Derek Prince, 1915-2003 - Worthy News
Dr. Derek Prince, a distinguished Bible teacher and author and long-time Jerusalem resident, died on Wednesday morning following a series of chronic illnesses. He was 88.
• Iraq workers 'thrilled, thankful' for food boxes collected by churches - Worthy News
Southern Baptist workers in Iraq are excited about the expected late-August arrival of 46,000 boxes of food packed by Southern Baptist churches this past spring for hungry families in Iraq.
• Founder and Leader of the World's Largest Christian Ministry Dies - Worthy News/ANS
William R. "Bill" Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, the world's largest Christian ministry, died July 19 from complications related to pulmonary fibrosis. He was 81.
• Israel Prepared for War; Bridges for Peace Prepared - Worthy News
Bridges for Peace, as an organization that has a stated policy of standing with Israel, now is the time to show that support and be in Israel, even when others are leaving or staying away.
• Living with the War: News from the Christian Community Inside Iraq - Worthy News
On 31 March Bartulla, a Christian village just 12 km from Mosul, was bombed when Coalition planes hit the local Ba'ath Party headquarters. Reports state that approximately 20 Christians were killed and 75 wounded in this tragedy which thankfully has so far been an isolated incident.
• Syrian Christians Help Iraqi Refugees - Worthy News
Iraqis seeking refuge in Syria bear the emotional scars of war, according to a direct report received by Christian Aid.
• Iraqi Christians Face Unknowns of War - Worthy News
Hours before a U.S.-led war to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein appears poised to begin, Iraq’s small Christian minority fears more than American bombs. They expect to be targeted by a growing tide of Islamic militancy now being encouraged in the secularized Arab state.
• Iraqis Flee Impending War; Seek Assistance - Worthy News
Tens of Thousands of refugees from Iraq are lining the roads into Jordan, Syria and Turkey, fleeing from the approaching war.
• India: Hundreds Come to Christ as Miracles Abound - Worthy News
A veteran mission leader reports that 750 people came to the Lord through the outreach of his organization's missionaries in northern India during the last three months.
• Vietnamese Officials Hold ‘Informal Talks’ with House Church Leaders - Worthy News
In what may be a small breakthrough for religious liberty, Vietnam’s religion authorities invited five leaders of Protestant house church organizations and non-denominational missions to Hanoi for “informal talks” in early March.
• The Church in Nigeria is "Not Growing, But Exploding" - Worthy News
Nigeria is a strategic West African nation of over 120,000,000 people living in some 37 states. The church there is "not growing, but exploding" says Matthew Elliott, the Executive Vice-President of the Chicago-based Oasis International, a literature ministry that serves in "difficult places" and operates under the Oak Foundation.
• Chinese House Church Leader: Huge Need For More Bibles - Worthy News
In June 2002, a house church leader was asked by Open Doors about the need for Bibles in China. This is what he said:  "In the past, we had very few Bibles, and the people insulted our faith. When we walked past, some people would insult and mock us. For the past many years, you (Open Doors) provided Bibles to us. More turned to the Lord. We have eight percent of the population as Christian now."
• Jordanian Evangelical Relief Agencies Gearing Up For Impending Iraq War - Worthy News
Members of the Jordan Evangelical Committee for Relief and Development (JECRAD) are gearing up for emergency relief efforts in light of the Middle East crisis.
• "Gujarat Today, India Tomorrow" Warns Christian Democrat Leader Ram Gidoomal in Washington, DC - Worthy News
Ram Gidoomal CBE, leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance in the UK, has warned policy-makers in the American capital that civil strife and religious violence in Gujarat state could be repeated elsewhere in India if it is not dealt with.
• "Come Near to Me" Pastors Conference Closes in Prayer, Unity - Worthy News/ANS
Nine thousand ministers and Christian leaders attended the "Come Near to Me," Promise Keepers' pastors and leaders conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, February 18-20.
• India: New Churches Formed in Hindu Heartland - Worthy News
A mission team in India conducted gospel meetings in a dozen villages, dedicated two new churches and saw many strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ in a recent journey across parts of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh states in northern India.
• Faith of Two Astronauts Shines from Beyond Shuttle Wreckage - Crosswalk
As people across the United States, India and Israel mourn the loss of seven lives, members of Grace Community Church in Houston will be remembering two of their own. Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Col. Rick Husband and Payload Commander Lt. Col. Michael Anderson were members of Grace Community - and men whose lives reflected the Lord they loved.
• Vietnam Government to Allow Protestant Ministerial Training - Worthy News
Twenty-seven years after forcibly shutting down the Nha Trang Theological Seminary, Vietnamese authorities on January 3 granted permission to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam-South, or ECVN (S), to open a class for training church leaders. Although a few see it as a hopeful sign, most of Vietnam's Protestant leaders see it as a very small step on the road to religious freedom.
• Entire Dalit Village Turns to Christ - Worthy News
Imagine a village full of people all wanting to receive Christ at the same time. This is exactly what happened this month in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu when 500 people gathered together to receive Christ.
• Fire Destroys Mongolian Christian Radio Station - Worthy News
The studios of the only Christian FM radio station in Mongolia were devastated by fire last Monday. According to Tom Terry of Mongolia’s Eagle TV (where WIND FM is temporarily housed) the fire apparently started in the control room while a live show was airing.
• Largest Public Outreach by Christians in Afghanistan - Worthy News/ANS
“Advent in Afghanistan” may have been the largest public outreach by Christians to students in the history of Afghanistan.
• Study shows four out of ten Protestant ministers are not on the same page as their denomination politically or theologically - Worthy News
The research demonstrated that about four out of every ten senior pastors in Protestant churches have some significant differences with the political and/or theological positions taken by their denomination.
• China: Bible Schools Have Good Effect - Worthy News
A Christian leader in China who built a Bible school with Christian Aid's help in 1994 tells of the continuing influence of the school both among trainees and in the community.
• India: Gospel Changes Stony Hearts - Worthy News
A recent evangelistic crusade in North India touched stony hearts and brought 103 souls to the feet of the Savior.
• Operation Nehemiah Field Director May Lose His Sight - Worthy News
Special Prayer Alert for Rev. Michael Longwa, Overseas Senior field Director of Operation Nehemiah Missions.
• IMB/Wycliffe link could speed Bible translation by 100 years - Worthy News
A new missions partnership could accelerate by 100 years the translation of the Bible for the estimated 1 billion people who still do not have God's Word in their own language. About 3,000 language groups have no access to the good news of God's love. At the current pace, translations for all of them could not be completed until 2150.
• India's Dalits Plan Mass Conversion to Christianity - Worthy News
Thousands of India's Dalits, upset over India's Hindu caste system and recent anti-conversion laws, are pledging to convert to Christianity in December.
• Testimony: Man Awakes from the Dead in India - Worthy News
In its October "Friends Focus" magazine, the Friends Missionary Prayer Band of India circulated this story which it titled, "A True Story."
• Christian music controlled by secular music industry - Scripps News Service
While believers lead the companies that dominate Christian music, secular corporations now own these smaller companies, noted Peacock. Clearly this is shaping the "Christian" music sold in religious bookstores and mainstream malls. But this corporate culture also is affecting worship and the heart of church life.
• Cuban Christians Report Sweeping Revival - Worthy News
"The island of Cuba, with its hills, valleys and mountains, is being visited by a tremendous revival in which thousands of lives are being saved at every moment," according to a report received by Christian Aid.
• Burundi: Nine Churches Planted - Worthy News
A mission work in Burundi is making steady progress despite lack of transportation and facilities. Andrew Nzaniye, director of Evangelical Ministries of Central Africa, said that showing the "Jesus" film is bringing the gospel to people who are rejoicing in the good news.
• Christian Military Men Declare Prayer War - Worthy News
Serving and retired Christian military officers and men from 16 nations rounded off a West African Sub-Regional conference in Nigeria on Sunday, October 20 with a resolve to start a prayer revolution to take over their countries for God.
• Laos: New Laws Bring Change to Churches - Worthy News
In July, the Lao government passed laws that gave official recognition to the Lao Evangelical Churches. The new laws reflect a changing attitude and have both their positive and negative effects.
• Breaking New Ground in Bible Translation: African Center Helps Shoulder Financial Burden - Worthy News
The Ruiru Conference Center was established in the early 1990s to provide regional support for Wycliffe Bible translators working on language translation in Kenya and surrounding countries.
• Nigeria: Pulling Down Strongholds - Worthy News
 A veteran missionary leader of Nigeria was instrumental in motivating a community to turn to the Lord and pull down ancestral shrines and demonic altars.
• Ayub Masish Flees Pakistan - Worthy News
Christian prisoner Ayub Masih fled his native Pakistan and arrived in an undisclosed country in the West on Wednesday after being imprisoned for six years on blasphemy charges.
• Are the Dalits India's New Juggernaut? - Worthy News
The ancient carriage moves slowly through the village carrying a huge idol of Krishna. Hundreds of villagers go before and behind it chanting slogans to their god, whom they call Jagganath, literally "Lord of the World." The idol is drawn or carried on a truck through every district in Orissa State. Nothing can stop it, is the popular belief.
• Nepal Ministry Trains Leaders for Local Churches - Worthy News
The landlocked Hindu kingdom of Nepal that so long resisted the incursion of foreign gospel witness within its borders now numbers approximately 500,000 believing Christians, due almost exclusively to the witness of ethnic Nepali Christians. But finding leaders for thousands of worshiping groups in this Himalayan country is a challenge. One Nepali Christian leader is rising to meet that need.
• Gospel of Peace to Afghanistan - Worthy News
On September 11, as people around the world remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on the United States, Gospel for Asia will begin broadcasting the Gospel into Afghanistan.
• India Guru Teaches Christ to Followers - Worthy News
In March, a JESUS film team of the India Campus Crusade for Christ screened the film in Chinidana village in West Bengal. Some people who suffered from different illnesses stayed behind. A very aggressive, 65-year-old man began to preach Hinduism. After a few days he secretly came to meet the team members to request them to pray for his severe backache. The Lord touched him, and the old man received instant deliverance from his backache.
• Catholic U-turn on conversion of Jews divides America's Christians - London Telegraph
American Christians are divided over a statement by US leaders of the Roman Catholic Church declaring that Jews should not be targeted for conversion.
• Anglican Leader Modifies Outlook On Homosexual Marriages, Priests - CNS News
The next Archbishop of Canterbury has encouraged evangelical groups but angered pro-homosexual organizations by letting an Anglican resolution against gay marriages and gay priests stand.
• Iran and Afghanistan to have Christian Television Satellite Programming in the Ancient Farsi Language - Worthy News
SAT-7®, the unique Christian satellite television channel, which has been reaching, millions of viewers in the Middle East and North Africa in the Arabic language, has announced the broadcast of Christian programming in Farsi to Iran and Afghanistan.
• Canada Reconsiders Iranian Christian Family - Worthy News
The Canadian Embassy in Ankara summoned an Iranian Christian family stranded in central Turkey for a second immigration interview today, igniting hopes that the government of Canada is giving fresh consideration to their case for religious asylum.
• Study shows support for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Act remains lukewarm among Protestant clergy - Worthy News
Among Protestant clergy, the response to President Bush's Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Act, which allows religious organizations to use federal funds for social programs, is still lukewarm. 
• Burmese Christians Caught in Opium War - Worthy News
Believers in Myanmar (Burma) are caught in a conflict of regional armies warring against each other over the drug trade.
• Open Doors Asks For Prayers After Church in Turkey Forced to Close its Doors - Worthy News
Turkish security police ordered a Protestant Christian congregation meeting for 40 years in the southeastern port city of Iskenderun to close its doors in mid-June, declaring the church had "no legal basis" and that its activities were harmful to society, Compass Direct reported today.
• Rape of Christian Girl in Pakistan Ignored by Police - Worthy News
The rape of a 16-year-old girl in Pakistan has been ignored by police because of her religious beliefs.
• Papuan Christians Fear Onslaught in Indonesia - Worthy News
Christians in the Indonesian province of Papua (Irian Jaya) are fearful that a violent campaign could be unleashed against them later this year as Laskar Jihad Islamic militants continue to flood into the province with the apparent collusion of the authorities.
• Christians Fear Imposition of Islamic Law In Malaysia - Worthy News
Moderate Muslims, women's groups, Christians and other non-Muslim minorities have all reacted with horror to plans by Muslim opposition party PAS to impose full Islamic Shari'ah law in Malaysia's Terengganu State.
• Kazakstan Christians Persecuted and Fined - Worthy News
Leaders and other believers of non registered Baptist and Evangelical churches in the former Soviet republic of Kazakstan are experiencing a new period of persecution by central authorities, reports said Monday July 1.
• Pakistan Sentences Another Christian to Death - Worthy News
Another Christian was sentenced to death in Pakistan two days ago, joining Ayub Masih in the line-up of Pakistani Christians on death row for alleged blasphemy against Islam.
• Muslim Mob Storms Church; Forces Closure - Worthy News
A local Muslim politician at the head of a mob of young men stormed a church in Dakar on Sunday 23 May, insulting and assaulting Christian worshippers. The youths, armed with knives and stones, drove them out and occupied the building, the Barnabus Fund reports.
• Belarus: Repressive Religion Bill Sneaked Through Parliament - Worthy News
The campaign group For Freedom of Conscience has described as "a bolt from out of the blue" the sudden adoption by parliament yesterday of a repressive religion bill that only a day earlier had been postponed until the autumn.
• Missionaries Arrested In China For Helping North Koreans Escape - CNS News
Beijing appears to be clamping down further on activists who help North Koreans defect to the South via foreign missions in China, according to South Korean officials.
• Sit and Learn Program Provides Desks for Needy Nicaraguan Students - Worthy News/ANS
The Sit and Learn Program sponsored by the Miami-based international Christian relief agency Food For The Poor recently donated 200 desks to a needy school in Nicaragua.
• Abortion, Torture in North Korea Examined - Family News In Focus
Under North Korea's government's dictatorship, there is massive famine, religious persecution and daily torture in prison camps. Now, a Senate committee is trying to expose the atrocities.
• Chinese Church Leaders Freed After Being Abducted - Worthy News
Leaders from a mainstream house church in China have been released after being abducted.
The 34 senior leaders from the China Gospel Fellowship were abducted on April 16 by a group called Eastern Lightning (EL), which uses violence against church members.
• Eritrean government demands shutdown of evangelical churches - Worthy News/BP
In what many consider to be a crackdown on the growing evangelical movement among Eritrean Christians, the Eritrean government has ordered the close of all churches not belonging to the Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran denominations.
• All of the Kidnapped Chinese House Church Leaders Freed - Worthy News
All of the 33 leaders from the China Gospel Fellowship who were kidnapped in April by the Eastern Lightning cult have been released, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) of the UK.
• Presbyterian debate: Is Jesus the savior? - Post-Gazette
More than 500 pastors and elders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) gathered here yesterday to debate the most central theological issue in Christianity: Whether Jesus Christ is the savior of the world.
• Missionary Martin Burnham's life capped by joyous funeral in Kansas - Worthy News
Every night, as he was being handcuffed to a tree deep in the Philippine jungle, Martin Burnham would look his armed captors in the eye and say, "Thank you very much."
• Forgotten Christians of the Persecuted Church - Worthy News
While it would be impossible to relate all the untold or lesser-known stories of persecuted Christians worldwide, below are updates of a few in danger of being forgotten.
• Churches Shut Down in Eritrea - Worthy News/ANS
All Christian Churches apart from those belonging to Eritrea’s three principal denominations have been ordered to close, according to information received by the World Evangelical Alliance.
• Gospel for Asia Worker Murdered in Kashmir - Worthy News
Risking his own safety to help fleeing refugees at the Pakistan/India border, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary trainee in Kashmir was found murdered earlier this month. The Indian-born student was training for pioneer evangelism ministry at a GFA Bible school located five kilometers from the Pakistan border. GFA leaders in India believe that Muslim extremists are responsible for his death.
• In Danger of Death: When Palestinians Choose Jesus - CBN News
Thousands of Palestinians are suffering from the turmoil and conflict on the West Bank, and life can be dangerous for nearly everyone who lives there. But perhaps no one faces more danger and persecution on a daily basis than Muslims who have accepted Jesus as their savior.
• Christian College Fights To Teach Creation - CBN News
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It is one of the first lessons children learn in Sunday school.  But a Christian college in Virginia has run into trouble for the way it teaches creation to its students. The conflict involves the school's decision to teach evolution as a theory that should not be trusted.
• Baptist leader's remarks incense Islamic leaders - St. Louis Today
A leading Islamic group demanded on Tuesday that the Southern Baptist Convention condemn what it called bigoted and hate-filled statements made by one of its pastors during its national conference. A local Islamic leader called him and his comments ignorant.
• Pastors back Vines' comments on Islam - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Southern Baptist leaders Tuesday stood behind a former president of the denomination who called the prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam, "a demon-possessed pedophile."
• Gay-Rights Protesters Arrested at Southern Baptist Convention - Fox News
The head of the Southern Baptists condemned homosexuality from the podium Tuesday as gay rights protesters shouting slogans marched through the convention hall and into the arms of police.
• Uzbekistan: Harsh Measures Against Protestants in Karakalpakstan - Worthy News
The authorities in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in the north-west of Uzbekistan, are trying to halt the spread of Christianity among Karakalpakstan's native peoples.
• Medical Missionaries Face More Hatred and Bloodshed Between Warring Tribes "It Felt Like A War" - Worthy News/ANS
In an update to the medical outreach in the Sudanese Refugee Camp at Kiryandango, Uganda, that turned into a rescue mission May 27 for Dr. Michael Gantt and his team from Friends of Sudan, one of the Saving Grace Refugee Services missionaries, Katie Polynard, tells of more bloodshed and hatred between the warring tribes.
• Broadcasters Cry Out on Behalf of Russia! - Worthy News/ANS
Christian broadcasters from all over Russia gathered in Moscow from May 17-19 for the Association of Christian Broadcasters (ACB) fourth annual conference. ACB is an umbrella organization registered by the Ministry of Justice in Moscow.
• Why was the Church of the Nativity Boobytrapped? - Worthy News
Twelve of the thirteen Palestinian gunmen at the centre of the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem were yesterday dispersed to different countries in Europe. They have presented themselves as the heroic defenders of one of Christianity's holiest shrines against Israeli aggression. However, when they finally left the church nearly two weeks ago they left behind boobytraps which could have killed Christian worshippers.
• Indian Church Planter Tells About His Unique Ministry to the "Hidden People" of the World's Second Most Populous Nation - Worthy News
Dr. A. Selva Raj is one of the leaders of the Indian Christian Research Organization (ICRO) and already some 30 teams from the Indian Christian Research Organization (ICRO) are fanning out through parts of the country and have already set up 358 new churches amongst the "hidden people" of the world's second most populous nation.
• Unprecedented Jewish-Christian Alliance forming in South Carolina - Worthy News
On Wednesday evening, May 8th, Worthy News learned from a reliable source that Jewish and Christian leaders have scheduled an "off the record" news briefing in Charleston, South Carolina for Thursday morning at 11:30 A.M.
• Former EU Vice President Warns of Moral Decline - Worthy News/ANS
The former vice-president of the European Parliament, Fred Catherwood, warned Monday, April 29, that unlimited enlargement of the European Union could further undermine Europe's already threatened Christian tradition.
• President Bush's National Day of Prayer Proclamation - CBN
Since our Nation's founding, Americans have turned to prayer for inspiration, strength and guidance. In times of trial, we ask God for wisdom, courage, direction and comfort. We offer thanks for the countless blessings God has provided. And we thank God for sanctifying every human life by creating each of us in His image. As we observe this National Day of Prayer, we call upon the Almighty to continue to bless America and her people.
• Prayer Vigil Launched for the Stand-Off at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem - Worthy News/ANS
Warren Duffy, host of the Christian talk show, "Duffy and Company" which is aired daily on KKLA in Los Angeles, California, has appealed for Christians around the world to come together in prayer for the stand-off at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
• Unique Church Planting Outreach in India Supported by Campbell, California, Church - Worthy News/ANS
The Home Church of Campbell, California, is supporting a unique church planting outreach to the unreached people of India. Already some 30 teams from the Indian Christian Research Organization (ICRO) are fanning out through parts of the country to help set up new churches amongst the "hidden people" of the world's second most populous nation.
• Burnhams Now in Sulu? - Worthy News/ANS
A former Siasi Municipal official yesterday theorized that if the Burnham couple is no longer in Basilan Province, then the only place the Abu Sayyaf members can bring their hostages is Sulu.
• India: They Preach Jesus Among the Gods - Worthy News
As visitors enter Himachal Pradesh State in Northern India, they pass a sign that says, "Welcome to Himachal Pradesh, land of the gods."
• Middle East: Now Is Time to Help Relieve Suffering - Worthy News
An evangelical ministry in Jordan believes that help offered now to those suffering in the Islamic world could have a positive impact for the gospel.
• Former Israeli Soldier and an Ex-PLO Fighter Prove Peace is Possible-But Only With Jesus - Worthy News/ANS
Taysir Abu Saada ("Tass") was a Fatah fighter trained to kill Jews. His hatred was so strong he dreamed of poisoning Jews who frequented the restaurant where he worked. Moran Rosenblit was a soldier for Israel who became embittered after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed seven of his friends. Improbably, these former enemies now talk to each other almost every day, sharing a profound friendship and love only possible because of Jesus Christ.
• Bringing the Message of "The Prince of Peace" to the Middle East - Worthy News/ANS
SAT-7, an exceptional Christian broadcasting group that is a partnership of some 30 agencies, including the United Bible Societies, Campus Crusade for Christ and local churches in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait, is bringing the message of "The Prince of Peace" to a region that has been wracked with violence.
• A Message of Solidarity With Israel Given at Revival in South Carolina - Worthy News
America must not abandon Israel; God's chosen nation.  As God's Word clearly indicates, any nation that turns its back on Israel is doomed.  Israel does not need America.  America needs Israel.  America must support Israel economically and militarily.
• Revival Bursts Open in Charleston, South Carolina - Worthy News
Over 250 Pastors representing over 10 denominations unite in Revival
On Friday, March 22, 2002, over 250 pastors representing approximately ten different denominations gathered together at 1600 Meeting Street in Charleston to begin forty days of prayer and fasting for revival.
• Mexico's "City of Death" Becomes "City of Life" During Unique Christian Festival of Life - Worthy News/ANS
In the heart of Mexico, there is a city with pleasant weather, picturesque landscapes, exotic flowers and bountiful orchards. Despite the beauty, Aquascalientes is known as the "City of Death".
• 30 million deaf waiting to hear gospel from their own, leaders say - Worthy News
One people group -- numbering 30 million worldwide -- will never hear the good news of God's love, even if a missionary knocks on their door.
• Dr. Dobson Praised For Telling Californians: Get Your Kids Out of Public Schools - Worthy News/ANS
In a statement to supporters, Marshall Fritz, President of the Alliance for the Separation of School & State, said: "For years, James Dobson has supported three options for Christians: Public schools, Christian schools, and home schooling. With today's courageous and insightful statement, Dr. Dobson joins the millions of Americans who have concluded that many public schools are no place to train new generations of Americans."
• Presidential prayer team grows to more than 1 million members - Worthy News
It was launched Sept. 12 in Scottsdale, Ariz., by sculptor William Hunter to pray daily for President Bush, his cabinet and the nation in the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attacks. Now, six months after the tragic events that dampened the spirits of millions around the world, the Presidential Prayer Team has blossomed into 1,007,059 committed members.
• Bush 'Worship' at Shinto Temple Troubles Christians in Japan and U.S. - Worthy News/ANS
When President Bush entered the ornately beautiful Shinto Temple erected to house the spirits of the late Emperor Meiji he clapped once and bowed deeply, following the common etiquette of worship at such shrines.
• Nepal: "The Pundit Is Coming" - Worthy News
"Instead of touching my feet, you would do better to listen to my message," the pundit said. And what he said provoked the villagers into deep, critical thinking about religion. For this was no ordinary Hindu pundit; this was one who had come to know the living Christ.
• Peruvian Ministry Finds, Identifies Unreached Tribes - Worthy News
A Peruvian ministry that lists 16 unreached native tribes says it has discovered three of them that were previously totally unknown.
• Palestinian Christians: The Other Side of the Story - Worthy News
In Bethlehem and Beit Jala which have been under Palestinian rule for some time, the Palestinian Christians continue to suffer terribly at the hands of Arafat's terrorists. Shops in Bethlehem owned by Christians have been burned to the ground and the owners terrorized.
• Premier's Radio License Has Been Renewed - Worthy News/ANS
London's Premier Christian Radio Chairman David Heron has just received word from the Radio Authority in Britain that they have approved Premier's license application.
• India Riots: A View from the Inside - Worthy News
The leader of a ministry native to India with a Bible school in Gujarat State provided the following "inside" view in an e-mail sent to Christian Aid last week, edited for Missions Insider: On Sunday night, March 4, about 500 radical Hindus surrounded our Bible school, and nearly 100 of them scaled the compound wall and started banging on the doors and windows.
• Younger Generation Evangelizes Russia: Ukraine evangelist tells of rapid church planting and growth - Worthy News
A younger generation is evangelizing Russia, according to Slavik Radchuk, Christian Aid's special envoy to former Soviet lands.
• Missionary/Islamicist David Mowen Creatively Reaches Out to Muslims in Christian Love - Worthy News/ANS
In these days of Muslim-bashing, one Christian leader, David Mowen, founder of People of the Book, is "turning the other cheek" in an effort to bring the Gospel message to Muslims in the United States.
• Southern India Evangelistic Campaign: Reaching Thousands for Christ Without Losing a Culture - Worthy News
As part of a joint Gospel Festival involving 12 different worldwide evangelists. Virginia-based Bob Boyd Ministries (BBM) recently completed two-weeks of evangelistic campaigns in Madurai, (South) India.
• What Can Go Wrong On A Mission? - Worthy News
Recent mission trips to Sudan by Frontline Fellowship have included torrential rain, flooded rivers, a key bridge washed away, medical emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, lots of walking - including at night in an operational area - thefts, attacks and the abduction of one of our team by renegade soldiers. And much more.
• Sudan Amputates Christian's Hand for Theft - Worthy News
The government of Sudan amputated a Southern Sudanese Christian's right hand for alleged theft in late January, furthering evidence that the Islamist regime has begun enacting harsh Muslim punishments against both Christian and Muslim citizens within the past three months.
• Christian prisoner in Mecca feared dead - World Net Daily
An Ethiopian imprisoned by Saudi authorities for his Christian activities is feared dead, according to relatives who have not heard from him in more than six weeks.
• U.S. hostages in Philippines deliver statement at gunpoint - CNN
The first new pictures in several months of an American missionary couple held hostage in the Philippines have been released showing them apparently healthy and reading a statement from their captors.
• N. Korea Tortures Christians, Diverts Food Aid, Doctor Claims - CNS News
Communist persecution is causing North Koreans to flee in rising numbers to Communist China, says Dr. Norbert Vollertsen, a German doctor who spent 18 months inside North Korea.
• France Passes Controversial Anti-Cult Law - CBN News
One of Europe's oldest democracies is accused of violating religious freedoms. France made headlines last summer, when it took bold steps to control the activities of certain religious and spiritual groups.
• Secret Government Documents Reveal Covert Campaign of Persecution of Against Chinese Christians - Worthy News/ANS
Names, addresses and photographs of 23,686 Chinese Christians recently arrested for their faith. Twenty thousand beaten. One hundred twenty-nine killed. More than 4,000 sentenced to labor and “re-education” camps. Homes and property confiscated or destroyed, leaving tens of thousands of children homeless orphans.
• American Missionaries Still Held Captive in the Philippines - Worthy News
Islamic rebels holding kidnapped American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham in the Philippines may be trying to strike a deal for their release, said a close relative in regular contact with the U.S. State Department.
• Urgent Prayer Request for 15 North Koreans and Four Men who Helped Them Try to Escape - Worthy News/ANS
An urgent prayer campaign has been launched for 15 North Koreans and four others who have been detained for seeking to help them. Christian Solidarity Worldwide is asking Christians worldwide to pray for the North Koreans and four men involved in helping them escape.
• Historical Broadcast of First-Ever Christian Radio Show in Communist Nation of Belarus to Begin in June - Worthy News/ANS
Jeffrey ('Gator') and Vitalia Henry, a Christian missionary couple living in Lighthouse Point, Florida, have finalized an historical contract with Belarussian radio station Alpha Radio (107.9 FM), located in the capitol city of Minsk, to begin broadcasting the first and only Contemporary Christian music and talk radio show in the history of this former Soviet Republic.
• Sudan jihad forces Islam on Christians - World Net Daily
Sudan's militant Muslim regime is slaughtering Christians who refuse to convert to Islam, according to the head of an aid group who recently returned from the African nation.
• India: Crowds Overflow Church-Planters' Convention - Worthy News
Crowds overflowed available facilities as church planters told of persecution and success at a missionary convention in one of India's most difficult regions.
• Sudanese Police Launch Manhunt to Find Christian - Worthy News
Sudanese security police have mounted a widening manhunt to track down a local convert to Christianity who went into hiding in Khartoum three weeks ago to escape arrest and possible death.
• China releases detained Christians - CNN
Chinese authorities have released 47 Chinese Christians who were arrested during a prayer service last week.
• Under Suspicion: Faith in France - CBN News
One of the oldest democracies in Europe is accused of violating religious freedoms. France made headlines last summer, when it took bold steps to control the activities of certain religious and spiritual groups.
• A Russian Christian Leader Faces His Greatest Threat - From the Mafia Who Are Trying to Take Over His Church Building - Worthy News
A Russian Christian leader, whose grandfather was in prison for 17 years for his faith, whose father was a famous underground church leader, and who himself was constantly harassed for part of a two year period by the authorities for preaching on the steps of the Museum of Atheism in St. Petersburg, is now facing the greatest threat of his life - from the Russian Mafia who are trying to take over his church.
• Kazakhstan: President to Sign Religion Law "Within Two Weeks" - Worthy News
President Nursultan Nazarbayev has not yet signed the controversial religion law approved by parliament at the end of January, but will do so "within the next two weeks", a source in the presidential administration in the capital Astana declared unofficially today.
• Presbyterian Defeat of Amendment A called 'a victory for Biblical morality' - Worthy News
The overwhelming defeat of Amendment 01-A, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the ordination of practicing homosexuals and invalidated all previous General Assembly declarations that homosexual activity is sinful, was being called "a victory for Biblical morality" Wednesday.
• Christians in Zimbabwe Arrested After Taking Part in a Peaceful Prayer Procession - Worthy News
Christians, including four clergymen, who were taking part in a prayer procession for peaceful elections were arrested in Zimbabwe.
• 11 Christians arrested in Zimbabwe - World Net Daily
The Zimbabwe Republic Police, a force controlled by dictator President Robert Mugabe, has arrested 11 Christians, including four pastors, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Frontline Fellowship, a Christian mission organization in southern Africa, said in a statement.
• Operation Nehemiah Continues To Spread the Gospel - Worthy News
Praise report from the Beth Israel on the Nile, Kampala, Uganda - Rev. Michael Longwa, Senior Pastor/ Executive field director of Operation Nehemiah Missions- Serving the persecuted church in the Sudan and East Africa.
• Kazakhstan: Baptist Arrested for Distributing Literature - Worthy News
A Baptist from the town of Turkestan in Chimkent region of southern Kazakhstan, Tursunbai Auelbekov, was in the town's Kuanysh market distributing free copies of Kazakh-language religious literature from the Evangelical-Christian Baptist Church on 23 January when he was arrested by police, Keston News Service has learned.
• Christian-Based Entertainment Channel Featuring FaithTV and Christian WYSIWYG Networks to Launch Exclusively May 1 on Sky Angel - Worthy News/ANS
The Dominion Sky Angel DBS Television & Radio System, FaithTV and Christian WYSIWYG Networks have announced a collaborative agreement for a new 24-hour Christian entertainment television channel - the first of its kind.
• Three Christian Prisoners Still Held In Saudi Arabia - Worthy News
Five more jailed Christians caught in deportation wrangles in Jeddah since December have been released to their home countries during the past two weeks, leaving one Filipino and two Ethiopians still under detention by Saudi authorities.
• Coptic Church Attacked In Southern Egypt - Worthy News
Coptic Orthodox Christians who gathered yesterday to celebrate their first Sunday Mass in a small village church were attacked with rocks and firebombs by a Muslim mob near El-Minya, 140 miles south of Cairo.
• China Accused of Torture, Killings in Crackdown on Unregistered Christians - Fox News
Chinese authorities have killed 129 people and arrested nearly 24,000 in a crackdown on Christian churches that operate outside government control, a group of Chinese religious activists said Monday.
• Secret Documents Reveal China's Anti-Christian Measures - CNS News
Just days before President Bush visits Beijing, religious freedom campaigners Monday released a report indicating that state repression of Christian and other religious groups in China is systematic, harsh, and authorized at senior government levels.
• Maluku peace deal signed - CNN
Warring Christians and Muslims in Indonesia's Maluku province have signed a peace deal aimed at ending the bloodiest conflict in Southeast Asia.
• China Frees Bible Smuggler Ahead Of Bush Visit - CNS News
Chinese authorities have freed a man jailed for smuggling Bibles onto mainland China, in the latest of several positive gestures taken by Beijing in the run-up to President Bush's visit later this month.
• Muslim-Christian talks in Indonesia - BBC
Warring Christians and Muslims from Indonesia's Moluccan Islands have begun two days of peace talks aimed at ending one of the bloodiest conflicts in South East Asia.
• Sudanese Convert to Christianity Forced Into Hiding - Worthy News
A Sudanese convert to Christianity was forced into hiding this week after severe beatings and torture by state security police, who for the second time refused to allow the former Muslim to leave Sudan through the Khartoum airport.
• Spreading the Fundamentals of Christianity in Romania - Worthy News/ANS
In Romania, a post communist country with almost 99 percent of people declared Christians, the need of spreading the fundamentals of Christianity is very high. After so many decades of communism, there is a great need for Christian television programs, as well as video tapes with the Christian message.
• Gong's 'Accusers' Claim Torture Induced False Confessions - Worthy News
In an attempt to ensure fair treatment of house church leader Gong Shengliang, six jailed female co-workers from the embattled South China Church authorized the release on January 29 of three letters detailing how they were tortured by police into providing false testimony against him.
• Arab Christian Blocked From Leaving Sudan - Worthy News
A Sudanese convert to Christianity was refused permission to board a flight to Uganda this morning at the Khartoum airport, where state security police said their computers identified him as a criminal.
• Moldova/Transdniester: New Deadline For Baptist Church Demolition - Worthy News
A Baptist church in the town of Tiraspol, the capital of Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester, has been given a new deadline for enforced demolition.
• India: Church Experiences Inter-Caste Breakthrough - Worthy News
Following the Dalits' march on Delhi in November to change their religion to avoid the "untouchable" stigma that India's caste system places on them, it was pointed out that many churches also are organized along caste lines.
• Proposed legislation raises new concern for religious freedom in Kazakhstan - Worthy News
New legislation awaiting agreement by the Kazakhstan authorities looks set to undermine religious freedom.
• Nigeria: Witch Doctors and Cult Members Yield to Christ - Worthy News
An established church-planting mission in Nigeria planted five new churches in that country last year, and saw 26,000 persons make decisions for Christ. Christian Aid has learned that some of these were witch doctors and cult members.
• Kenya: "Jesus" Film Viewing Sees "Whole Crowd" Respond - Worthy News
A missionary who ten months ago suffered a vicious attack from would-be assassins, told Christian Aid about a recent "Jesus" film ministry in rural Kenya.
• Hundreds Enroll in Online Bible School - Worthy News
A new Bible school called the "School of Biblical Evangelism" has drawn interest from around the world.
• PrayWORLD! 02 Seeks to Lead Christians in Prayer Around the World - Worthy News/ANS
In 1995 God gave Eddie and Alice Smith an instruction to launch "PrayUSA!" which was 40-days of prayer and fasting for revival and spiritual awakening in the U.S. The first PrayUSA! was in 1997. Later, CBN News declared that it was the largest fasting and prayer initiative in history.
• Egyptian Bible Society Permitted to Sell Videos - Worthy News
In what is described as "a remarkable answer to prayer," the Bible Society of Egypt on Monday was granted permission to sell its Bible story videos.
• Azerbaijan: Baptist Liquidation Hearing Postponed - Worthy News
The hearing in the case to liquidate the Love Baptist Church in the Azerbaijani capital Baku was postponed yesterday (23 January), the church's pastor Sary Mirzoyev told Keston News Service from Baku.
• Misread Rapture? - Washington Times
The apocalyptic 1995 novel "Left Behind" and its eight sequels have sold 50 million copies. The Christian end-of-the-world epic by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins has spawned a Hollywood movie and sparked renewed interest in Bible prophecy.
• India: Himalayan Ministry Advances - Worthy News
The leader of an indigenous ministry operating in the Himalaya regions of northern India and surrounding areas reported that missionaries from his mission baptized 359 new believers during the first 11 months of last year.
• Evangelical Alliance UK Urges Major Media Ownership Reforms - Worthy News/ANS
British Government ministers are being urged by the Evangelical Alliance in the UK to transform the rules on media ownership to stop the ostracism of religious broadcasters on the airways and give them the ability to "compete on a level playing field."
• Saudi Red Tape Delays Foreign Christians' Release - Worthy News
Six of 14 foreign Christians slated for deportation from Saudi Arabia have been released for return to their home countries during the past 10 days. But another eight prisoners and their families remain entangled in a process that could take weeks to resolve.
• Egyptian Bible Society Faces Roadblock - Worthy News
The Bible Society of Egypt is all set to offer copies of a specially produced Bible video series at the Cairo International Book Fair that began yesterday. But Christian Aid has learned that permission to make the videos available to the public was suddenly revoked just days before the event.