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Today's News Headlines:

MINISTRY INVITED TO TEACH LEADERSHIP SKILLS USING BIBLE IN GHANA MINISTER IN INDIA ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY DAMAGING HINDU IDOL UZBEKISTAN CHURCH MEMBER INTERROGATED ON CHURCH ACTIVITIES TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS ARREST AND FINE 2 BAPTIST WOMEN HAITI OFFICIALLY SANCTIONS VOODOO AS A RELIGION BLACK PASTOR TO PAY WHITES TO ATTEND CHURCH IN DIVERSITY EFFORT

Today's News Stories:

MINISTRY INVITED TO TEACH LEADERSHIP SKILLS USING BIBLE IN GHANA According to the latest African Economic Report, Ghana is moving slowly, but surely, toward economic and democratic development. Oasis International's Nancy Hudson reported that their organization was approached by both church and government officials in Ghana and asked to help. "One of the things they have a great need for is management skills. They recognize that they have not had access to management training in their government. Because of that, they've come to us and asked us to do some leadership training." A leadership-training seminar is slated for August 16th in Ghana. Hudson says this opportunity also opened another door for the gospel. "We told them, 'The only way we know how to teach about management is using God's Word, the Bible, as our text.' They said, 'That's great. We accept that.'" Hudson said Oasis is planning a ministry extension soon and will build a vocational center next to their training center in Ghana. (Mission Network News)

MINISTER IN INDIA ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY DAMAGING HINDU IDOL The arrest of a 36-year-old Methodist minister in Junagadh, Gujarat State, India, has been condemned by the All India Christian Council (AICC) on behalf of the minority Christian community. According to Samson C. Christian, Joint Secretary of AICC, Rev. Suresh Thackaray was arrested on July 3rd after a local school bus driver lodged what AICC says was a false complaint against him saying that he had damaged a Hindu idol. "Without proper investigation, Shri Pandia of the Talala police station arrested Rev. Suresh Thackaray under pressure from the local communal elements," Christian said. He reported that a leader of the local RSS party demanded a bribe of 50,000 rupees (US $1,086), but Thackaray declined. This resulted in the police registering the complaint and arresting the minister. Despite requests for an independent investigation into the charge, the judicial magistrate of Talala rejected the minister's application for bail. "However, a local judge released Rev. Thackaray on bail," said Christian. Now, he says, the VHP Hindu party has involved itself in the case and issued a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Gujarat State. Rev. Thackaray and his wife Ruby have been running an orphanage home in the area for the past seven years. "They are running their activities under a registered institute [Grace Ministry of India], but now some communal people have been troubling them by making false allegations," Christian said. (Assist News Service)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari. A five-hour block of English programs also beams across India from HCJB World Radio-Australia's new shortwave site in Kununurra, Australia.

UZBEKISTAN CHURCH MEMBER INTERROGATED ON CHURCH ACTIVITIES Nelya Denisova, a member of the Asia Protestant Church, said she received a summons on June 21 to the National Security Service offices (NSS, the former KGB) in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. Denisova claims that NSS officer Vadim Negreyev spent four hours interrogating her about the activities of the Association of Independent Churches, of which the Asia Protestant Church is a member. "Just don't publish an article about our conversation on the Internet," Denisova said Negreyev told her at the end of the interrogation. "No one here tortured or raped you. We just had a friendly chat." American missionaries founded the Asia Protestant Church in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan in 1994. The church now has 27 affiliates with about 1,500 members. "This is far from the first time that members of our church have been summoned by NSS officers," the Association's coordinator, Vladimir Zhikhar said. (Forum 18 News/Assist News Service)

TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS ARREST AND FINE 2 BAPTIST WOMEN Olga Shchedrova, a deaf-mute Baptist woman, was summoned to court in Turkmenabad in western Turkmenistan on July 18, where she was threatened with fines and a 15-day imprisonment. Attempts were also made to force her to deliver summonses to other Christians, which she refused to do. Six days later, court officials reportedly took Shchedrova's passport to the social security department and, without her presence or permission, withdrew her pension of 300,000 manat (51 Euros, or $58 U.S.) and withheld 255,000 manat for payment of her fine (the fine had originally been set at 250,000). When asked where the remaining money was, court officials reportedly replied that they kept it for themselves. On July 21, a second deaf-mute Baptist woman, Nezire Kamalova, also was summoned to court and threatened in a similar way. Turkmenistan has the harshest religious policy of all the former Soviet republics. No faiths except for the officially sanctioned Muslim Board and the Russian Orthodox Church have been allowed to register in any communities. All unregistered religious groups are thus denied the opportunity of worshipping legally. (Forum 18 News)

HAITI OFFICIALLY SANCTIONS VOODOO AS A RELIGION Haiti's government has officially sanctioned voodoo as a religion, allowing practitioners to begin performing ceremonies from baptisms to marriages with legal authority. Many who practice voodoo praised the move, but said much remains to be done to make up for centuries of ridicule and persecution in the Caribbean country and abroad. Voodoo priest Philippe Castera said he hopes the government's decree is more than an effort to win popularity amid economic and political troubles. "In spite of our contribution to Haitian culture, we are still misunderstood and despised," said Castera. In an executive decree issued last week, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide invited voodoo adherents and organizations to register with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. After swearing an oath before a civil judge, practitioners will be able to legally conduct ceremonies such as marriages and baptisms, the decree said. Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest, has said he recognizes voodoo as a religion like any other, and it was a voodoo priestess who bestowed a presidential sash on him at his first inauguration in 1991. An ancestral religion, voodoo is an essential part of national identity," and its institutions "represent a considerable portion" of Haiti's 8.3 million people, Aristide said in the decree. (Associated Press)

* HCJB World Radio worked with local partners in Haiti to help establish local Christian radio ministries in Port-au-Prince and Tortue Island. Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., are also working with OMS International to establish a satellite radio network in Cap-Haitien that will deliver programs to FM stations across the country.

BLACK PASTOR TO PAY WHITES TO ATTEND CHURCH IN DIVERSITY EFFORT Observing that "churches are too segregated," the pastor of a black congregation in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A., says his church will pay white people to attend services this month to increase the fellowship's diversity. Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church Bishop Fred Caldwell said he would pay $5 per hour for Sunday services and $10 an hour for the Thursday service, "The Shreveport Times" reported. The idea came to him during a recent sermon. "Our churches are too segregated, and the Lord never intended for that to happen. It's time for something radical," he said. Since his concept started attracting media attention, Caldwell said he has had several positive responses from the white community and expects to put out extra chairs. One man who called didn't want the money, he just appreciated the invitation, Caldwell said. (Maranatha Christian Journal)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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