Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world. In today's edition:
- Urgent Prayer for North Korea Requested in Wake of Nuclear Threat
- Missionaries Attacked, Sued in India
- Gay British Bishop Defends Stance on Homosexual Relationships
- Christian Worker Murdered in Bangladesh
Urgent Prayer for North Korea Requested in Wake of Nuclear Threat
Michael Ireland, ASSIST News Service
CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO -- A special day of prayer for North Korea is being organized by AsiaLink Ministries and a number of other ministries including Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Open Doors (UK), Jubilee Campaign, and Release International. "Our desire is to see thousands of churches and believers around the world impacting one of the world most closed and repressive regimes -- communist North Korea -- in a worldwide Day of Prayer on Sunday, June 29, 2003," said Rev. Dale Hiscock, executive director, AsiaLink Ministries. "Even today North Korea was threatening the US and its allies with war if there is an economic blockade against it. But what is perhaps the most distressing are the conditions that the people and Christians of North Korea are forced to live under," said Hiscock. "Little has been known about North Korea over the last decades," said Hiscock. "The communist government has sought to decimate the church and repress Christianity with great ruthlessness. As a result of a lack of information, the situation of the church has remained a mystery and the church worldwide, outside Korea, has forgotten the need to pray for these most persecuted of our brothers and sisters."
Missionaries Attacked, Sued in India
Charisma News Service
A native missionary of Rajasthan State was recently attacked by a group of fanatics after ministering in a village. According to Christian Aid Mission (CAM), the man, who had just conducted a Sunday meeting for believers, boarded a bus to go home when the group surrounded and beat him. After they left, the missionary was able to make his way to the homes of local Christians who cared for him. The leader of a Rajasthan-based ministry said many missionaries are also being sued throughout India in harassment suits that seek to hinder their gospel work, CAM said. Meanwhile, Christian leaders in Gujarat State recently accused the Hindu nationalist government of terrorizing them, saying a commission established to protect their interests was failing in its duties, the Associated Press (AP) reported. (http://www.charismanews.com/)
Gay British Bishop Defends Stance on Homosexual Relationships
Robert Nowell, Religion News Service
LONDON -- In his first interview since being appointed bishop, Canon Jeffrey John has firmly defended his stance on homosexual relationships while pledging not to step out of line as a bishop. John, who has been named to be the bishop of Reading, England, said his relationship with another man, which began when he was an ordinand, "is a permanent thing" but "has not been sexually expressed for years." He also said he and his partner have never had their relationship formally blessed, nor would he conduct a service of blessing for such a relationship. "I would like the church to bless relationships based on that kind of covenant," he told Ruth Gledhill of The Times. "But I stand in a tradition which does respect the discipline and authority of the church. I would argue for it within the councils of the church, but the point of consensus has not been reached." Citing the view that marriage reflects the covenant between God and his people, he said: "I believe that the mystery of covenant love actually can work for two people of the same sex just as much as it can work for a married couple." To his regret, Bishop-elect John will not be ordaining any open and actively gay clergy. "The current discipline of the Church is set out in `Issues in Human Sexuality' (the 1991 report of the Church of England's House of Bishops which tolerates active homosexual relationships among the laity but not among the clergy), and that states that a sexually active gay relationship is not compatible with ordination. "That is where the church is. Obviously I regret that personally. As a bishop I will have to abide by that. It is a matter of corporate discipline."
Christian Worker Murdered in Bangladesh
Barnabas Fund News
A Bangladeshi Christian worker called Hridoy Roy was stabbed to death by seven or eight extremists as he came home in the early hours of 24th April. He is thought to be the first Christian martyr in Bangladesh in modern times. About a week later a newly built Christian training centre, funded by Barnabas Fund, was attacked. Christians believe this may be a response to the Iraq war. Please pray for the protection of Bangladeshi Christians and ministry.
