Algeria: Churches violates guaranteed freedom
While many people residing in Middle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing turmoil, one group in particular are experiencing extreme change for the worse: Christians. This is particularly true for Algerian Christians. Algeria ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1989. Article 18 of this covenant guarantees freedom of religion
and belief for all human beings without discrimination. Further, the constitution of Algeria guarantees fundamental freedoms and human rights to all Algerian citizens. Despite these guarantees, Mustapha Krim, the president of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA), was informed by police that all non-Muslim places of worship in Béjaïa Province, would be shut down. Algerian authorities based their decision to shut down the churches on the discriminatory Ordinance 06-03, which regulates non-Muslim worship. In addition to this attack on the Christian community.
Pray: for the authorities that use the law against the church and pray that just laws would prevail. (2Ch.11:14b)
Fiji government again cancels Methodist conference
The annual conference of Fiji's Methodist Church, due to start 23 August, was cancelled by Fiji's military government for the third consecutive year after church leaders defied a government directive to step down from their positions. Fiji's Land Force Commander Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, also directed that no Methodist Church minister be allowed to leave the country, and banned permits under the Public Emergency Regulation for all official Methodist Church meetings. There are concerns that the ban will lead to the collapse of the Methodist church administration and severely affect funding. Michael King, World Church Relationships Team Leader for the Methodist Church in Britain, said the ban was a ‘massive setback’ in church/state relations, given that it seemed that relationships had improved and the political situation had eased.
Pray: that the relations between church and state would be improved and that God would open the doors of reconciliation and understanding. (2Cor.5:11)
Mexico: Drug violence traps believers in fear
Most headlines involving Mexico over the past few years have revolved around some sort of drug cartel shootings, kidnappings, or most recently, arson. Of the 40,000 deaths that have occurred since 2006 connected to Mexican drug cartels, most have been men actually caught up in some way with the cartels. But the violence has spread easily and quickly outside those circles to include many civilians, paralyzing many who live along the border with fear. ‘People have a feeling that today could be the day that they die,’ says Todd Szalkowski with E3 Partners. ‘They literally approach every day, because of the violence there, as if it could be their last day on earth. People are afraid to gather in large groups, and that affects church-going people’. He added, ‘They're seeing their pastors abducted out of the pulpit and held for ransom. Gripped by fear, even believers are too nervous to attend church’. (See also Prayer Alert 33-2011)
Pray: to the Lord while He may be found and pray that God would anoint our prayers and heal the Land. (2Chr.7:14)
Turkey: Religious property seizures overturned
The Turkish government made a historic U-turn in state policy this past weekend, issuing an official decree inviting Turkey’s Christian and Jewish communities to reclaim their long-confiscated religious properties. Last Saturday’s decree comes 75 years after the Turkish government seized hundreds of lands and buildings owned by its Greek, Armenian, Syriac and Jewish communities. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the surprise decision last Sunday in Istanbul, addressing a large gathering of Istanbul’s non-Muslim religious leaders. Invited as the honoured guests for an iftar (breaking the fast) meal near the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan, Erdogan declared, ‘The times when citizens in our country were oppressed for their beliefs, their ethnic heritage or the way they dressed is over.’ Acknowledging past injustices inflicted on those of different faith groups, he vowed, ‘Those days are over, no citizen is superior to another.’
Praise: God for this bold decision by the Turkish government. (Pr.16:33)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/turkey/article_116880.html/
Turkey: Religious property seizures overturned
The Turkish government made a historic U-turn in state policy this past weekend, issuing an official decree inviting Turkey’s Christian and Jewish communities to reclaim their long-confiscated religious properties. Last Saturday’s decree comes 75 years after the Turkish government seized hundreds of lands and buildings owned by its Greek, Armenian, Syriac and Jewish communities. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the surprise decision last Sunday in Istanbul, addressing a large gathering of Istanbul’s non-Muslim religious leaders. Invited as the honoured guests for an iftar (breaking the fast) meal near the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan, Erdogan declared, ‘The times when citizens in our country were oppressed for their beliefs, their ethnic heritage or the way they dressed is over.’ Acknowledging past injustices inflicted on those of different faith groups, he vowed, ‘Those days are over, no citizen is superior to another.’
Praise: God for this bold decision by the Turkish government. (Pr.16:33)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/turkey/article_116880.html/
Bid to lift morale after riots
Premier Christian Radio and Premier Gospel Radio have launched an advertising campaign to lift morale in the nation’s capital in the wake of the riots. Posters will appear in parts of the city that saw the worst rioting, pointing to the work the radio stations do in offering hope and inspiration. The posters will appear in Croydon, Hackney, Ealing, Haringey, and Lewisham. Peter Kerridge, CEO of Premier Radio, said: ‘The aim of these posters is to be a source of hope. We want to be a beacon of hope to Christians, those of other faiths and none, who live in these areas. In the aftermath of the riots there has been a lot of condemnation. We want to focus on a possible way forward, a tried and tested way of re-building lives and communities. Hope and inspiration are things we all need and the Christian gospel provides it.’
Pray: for all affected areas and that the Gospel message will bring healing to these communities. (Pr.13:17)
More: http://www.religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/news/bid-to-lift-morale-after-riots/
Charity launches ad campaign to help people in housing difficulty
The housing and homelessness charity Shelter has launched a new advertising campaign to encourage people facing housing problems to seek earlier advice. The campaign aims to tackle a common reluctance to do this: a survey carried out in 2010 by the Civil and Social Justice Panel found that 50 per cent of people do not seek external advice when they are in housing difficulties. The main focus of the activity is a series of poster advertisements. Each depicts a person in distress because they face a serious crisis, such as sudden job loss or mounting debt. They carry a single headline which shares with the viewer the desperation the person is feeling. The charity says that early advice can be crucial in helping people with housing issues to find a positive outcome for their problem. The advertising campaign aims to highlight this as well as demonstrating how people can seek help.
Pray: for all those facing critical issues in their lives at this time. (Heb.4:16)
Soul Survivor and Momentum bring 1,500 to Christ
A whopping 33,000 delegates attended youth conferences Soul Survivor and Momentum this summer, with more than 1,500 youngsters becoming Christians. Soul Survivor Director and event host Mike Pilavachi, said, ‘Once again we have been humbled by how God has met with us and moved among us as we’ve gathered to worship him. ‘One of the highlights has been seeing so many come to faith and hearing their stories. ‘ One youth leader told me he’d brought seven staunch atheists to Soul Survivor, four of whom gave their lives to Jesus before the end of the week. ‘We’ve seen many healed and set free and, in contrast to many of the negative reports about teenagers in our nation, many have told me they want to make a positive difference and serve their communities. We’re praying that the things God has done in people these last weeks will bear fruit for many years to come.’
Pray: for all those new Christians that their faith will be sustained and grow. (2Th.1:3)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/soul.survivor.and.momentum.bring.1500.to.christ/28512.htm
Soul Survivor and Momentum bring 1,500 to Christ
A whopping 33,000 delegates attended youth conferences Soul Survivor and Momentum this summer, with more than 1,500 youngsters becoming Christians. Soul Survivor Director and event host Mike Pilavachi, said, ‘Once again we have been humbled by how God has met with us and moved among us as we’ve gathered to worship him. ‘One of the highlights has been seeing so many come to faith and hearing their stories. ‘ One youth leader told me he’d brought seven staunch atheists to Soul Survivor, four of whom gave their lives to Jesus before the end of the week. ‘We’ve seen many healed and set free and, in contrast to many of the negative reports about teenagers in our nation, many have told me they want to make a positive difference and serve their communities. We’re praying that the things God has done in people these last weeks will bear fruit for many years to come.’
Pray: for all those new Christians that their faith will be sustained and grow. (2Th.1:3)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/soul.survivor.and.momentum.bring.1500.to.christ/28512.htm
Equality body’s U-turn on religious liberty
Christians have reacted with a mixture of disappointment and alarm after an equality quango appeared to backtrack on its pledge to support Christians this week. In July the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) stated, ‘reasonable accommodation’ of religious beliefs was ‘needed’ after applying to intervene in four cases involving religious discrimination in the workplace that have come before the European Court of Human Rights. The organisation has now been given leave to intervene in the cases but announced this week that it will no longer be arguing for reasonable accommodation indicating it would be willing to intervene in cases involving public displays of faith in the workplace but not in cases involving employees with regards to their views on same-sex relations. In the face of the latest U-turn the Evangelical Alliance and CARE have expressed their deep disappointment and concern.
Pray: for the Evangelical Alliance, CARE and noticeable public opinions to be heard and acted upon. (Ps.11:7)