For the week of November 29, 2001 Briefs   World of Religion Religious liberty violators The U.S. State Department has added North Korea to its annual list of the world’s most flagrant violators of religious liberty. The addition of the communist country marks the first time a regime has been added to the "countries of particular concern" since the original list was compiled in 1999. However, the State Department failed to cite three other governments recommended for designation by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In addition to North Korea, the commission had urged the State Department to designate Laos, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan as "countries of particular concern." The State Department acknowledged all three are guilty of major violations of religious freedom but did not add those names. It did keep six other regimes on the list - Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and the Taliban of Afghanistan. After a country has been designated, the law provides the president with a range of potential responses - from diplomatic protest to economic sanction. The president also may waive any punishment for national security reasons. The State Department’s report may be accessed at … [Read more...]

Church-planting movements may be the most exciting phenomenon in today’s world, writes Mary Jane Welch, editor of The Commission magazine.   They are powerful. They are biblical. They are of God. However, to avoid sabotaging their potential - or downsizing them into another mission fad - persons should listen to Southern Baptist International Mission Board strategist David Garrison: Church-planting movements may be the most exciting phenomenon in today’s world, writes Mary Jane Welch, editor of The Commission magazine.   They are powerful. They are biblical. They are of God. However, to avoid sabotaging their potential - or downsizing them into another mission fad - persons should listen to Southern Baptist International Mission Board strategist David Garrison:   "A church-planting movement is not an end in itself," Garrison notes. "The end of all our efforts is for God to be glorified."   Thanks to the efforts of Christian workers throughout the world, that is happening. Consider their stories.   "How shall we ask people to pray for the church in China?" some Christian workers asked a Chinese house church leader. He has been beaten and imprisoned many times for … [Read more...]

For the week of November 29, 2001 PPE 11-29 issue   Potpourri   • RINGGOLD - First church: "Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames" drama; Dec. 2-4, 7 p.m.; free admission; for more information call (318) 894-2755; Don Woodard, pastor.   • LAKE CHARLES - Tom Herbert Road Mission church: Constitution service, Dec. 9, 3 p.m.; Chris Fuselier, pastor.   • FOREST HILL - Calvary church: Marvin Morrow in concert, Dec. 2, 6 p.m.; Joel McMickin, pastor.   • DENHAM SPRINGS - Northside church: The Celebrant Singers in concert, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.; Walt Blain, pastor.   • HODGE - Hodge church: Trinity in concert; Dec. 1, 4 p.m.; Dwayne Boudreaux, pastor.   Revivals   • LEESVILLE - Castor church: Dec. 2-7; 7 p.m.; Al Gist, evangelist; Jack Jones, music; David Willis, pastor.   Ordinations   • CONVERSE - Union Springs church: Bob Farmer and Chad Rascoe to deacon ministry; Dec. 9, 2 p.m.; Don Slack, pastor.   Ministers Needed   • JENA - Fellowship church: part-time music minister; send resumes to Fellowship Baptist Church, Attn: Randy Ray, P. O. Box 2438, Jena, LA 71342; Randy Ray, pastor.   • ANGIE - Washington … [Read more...]

Two days after their rescue from Afghanistan by American military helicopters, two Baylor University graduates thanked American troops for their "Hollywood rescue" and said they believed they owed their lives to Jesus Christ. Two days after their rescue from Afghanistan by American military helicopters, two Baylor University graduates thanked American troops for their "Hollywood rescue" and said they believed they owed their lives to Jesus Christ.   Dayna Curry, 30, and Heather Mercer, 24, both of Waco, Texas, met reporters after being sequestered for 24 hours at the American ambassador’s residence in Islamabad, Pakistan.   After more than three months in a Taliban prison in Kabul on charges of preaching Christianity to Muslims in Afghanistan, the two were picked up by American Special Forces helicopters on Nov. 14 outside Ghazni, a city about 75 miles south of the Afghan capital.   God is being glorified by the rescue, said Danny Mulkey, associate pastor at Antioch Community Church in Waco, both Mercer’s and Curry’s home congregation.   "I think this is a huge encouragement to the body of Christ," said Mulkey, who has been in Pakistan for 11 weeks, working for release … [Read more...]

Christian women need to use the openings they have to share the gospel message in their neighborhoods, Jaye Martin emphasized recently.   "We have to be careful about how we come across to non-Christians, but we also have to take advantage of the opportunities that we have," said Martin, women’s evangelism strategist with the North American Mission Board. She spoke during a recent Southern Baptist women’s conference. Christian women need to use the openings they have to share the gospel message in their neighborhoods, Jaye Martin emphasized recently.   "We have to be careful about how we come across to non-Christians, but we also have to take advantage of the opportunities that we have," said Martin, women’s evangelism strategist with the North American Mission Board. She spoke during a recent Southern Baptist women’s conference.   She told the women to ask God what doors he was going to open for them and then to proceed through them.   She related how one of her opportunities came through a Moms in Touch group.   "When I would go to my daughter’s school and ask the principal and the teachers if there was anything I could pray about for them, they were very … [Read more...]

What may be the world’s most exciting development does not make the evening news, but it is creating a stir among evangelical Christians.   Missiologists call it church-planting movements. Basically, it is indigenous churches multiplying within a people group at a rate that almost defies belief.   More specifically, it is Bible-believing churches led by local laypersons, meeting as cell groups or house churches. What may be the world’s most exciting development does not make the evening news, but it is creating a stir among evangelical Christians.   Missiologists call it church-planting movements. Basically, it is indigenous churches multiplying within a people group at a rate that almost defies belief.   More specifically, it is Bible-believing churches led by local laypersons, meeting as cell groups or house churches.   It is healthy churches with evangelism and church-starting in their DNA.   It is churches who count it as joy to win others to Christ, start other churches and teach others to do the same.   These movements are popping up in places where one would least expect it -places where missionaries have not been welcome, places … [Read more...]