Sao Paulo, July 13th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A 'March for Jesus' through the streets of Sao Paulo held on Saturday, June 26th brought together around 700,000 people according to police estimates, and more than 2 million according to the organisers.

Bishop Ge of the Renewal for Christ Church commented that "The March had a great impact. We perceived great unity of the Body." He added that many young people had participated and that the Press could not ignore the event. The March started in the north of the city at 10am and moved down to a central square where 29 gospel bands performed for the crowds.

The 'March for Jesus' movement began in London in 1987 with the aim of taking the Church out from behind its four walls and showing that it is alive and present in society. It has also drawn criticism for its apparent emphasis on 'claiming cities' for Christ. The March spread to the Continent by 1990 and, after being held in many European cities, reached Asia, Africa and Latin America by 1992.

The first March in Brazil took place in 1993, also in Sao Paulo, when 350,000 people took part. Next year's Sao Paulo March already has a date, May 14th.

Mexico City, July 14th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Chiapas State authorities have been unable or unwilling to apply the rule of law on areas dominated by traditionalist Catholics, whose latest hostility towards indigenous evangelicals has forced 7 Christian families to leave their homes.

The Catholics involved are linked to the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD), and their aim seems to be to drive all evangelicals out of the areas they control. A further 40 families may have to leave their homes as they are living in an extremely unsafe situation. Local indigenous leaders like Alvarez Méndez say they will turn to international human rights organisations if something is not done quickly to alleviate the evangelicals' plight. He also talked about making another protest visit to the Governor's palace.

They also intend to boycott local elections in October because the Mayoral candidate is linked to the Catholics who are trying to expel them from the community. A week after the departure of the seven families, the two roads into the village from where they came were blocked by ultra-Catholics. They put guards on the roads in a state of high alert, in an attempt to stop the police from entering the village.

Méndez has called on the state government to arrest those responsible for the expulsion of the seven families ­ comprising 67 people ­ and to guarantee a police presence in the community to allow them to return. He also says the families should be compensated for damage done to their properties, and reminds Governor Pablo Salazar of his electoral promise that there would be nor more expulsions in Chiapas for political or religious reasons.

Meanwhile, the families desperately need help, as they are living as refugees on the outskirts of Comitán in very inadequate circumstances.

Havana, July 14th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Terminal 2 of Havana International Airport has seen a human avalanche in the last few days as thousands of people try to get flights to the USA before new, more restrictive measures come into force. The American government is applying even greater pressure on its Cuban counterpart, to the dismay of many Christians on the island.

On one day alone earlier this month, 19 flights left Havana for Miami with a total of 2,292 passengers. Usually, there would only be 2 flights a day. The US government has extended its deadline for those who visit Cuba, allowing them to return up until July 31st, but many prefer to get out in good time, in case they face stiff fines, or long queues at check-in.

Cuban television showed pictures from Miami Airport of Cubans who were shouting 'We want to fly' but could not get back to Cuba. Meanwhile, at Havana Airport, the farewells were silent and tearful. A Cuban evangelical pastor who had managed to get a visa to attend an event in the USA said, "The damage this measure will do to Cubans is irreparable." Many Cubans depend on money sent over by relatives in the USA, while others work all year in the USA to be able to come home to Cuba and mitigate the nostalgia they feel as an emigré.

In many Cuban churches, believers are praying that the measures will be rescinded, as many churches also receive help from their American counterparts. María, a 60-year-old believer, commented: "Bush is the worst President the USA has had. We recall that when he was elected he was a dull leader, but the tragic events of September 11th helped him become the super-hero so loved by Americans and to do what he wants.

Bogotá, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
'Project Jesus', run by Campus Crusade, is one of the evangelistic strategies being used in Colombia to win people for Christ.

Since January 1998, the ministry say they have shown the 'Jesus' film to almost 30 million people. Of these, 4.5 million made some kind of 'decision', and around 2 million have gone on to initial discipleship contacts. 4,257 church groups have started, and 10,944 new pastors have started training courses.

The strategy involves a group in a church who are willing to give up some time to training in evangelism and then to go out and witness. They use a large screen to project the film and have people able to introduce it. They tend to have showings in public parks and other open spaces, and have had up to 1,500 viewers at one sitting.

Jerusalem, July 14th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The decision by the Israeli Supreme Court banning the sale of pork products in three towns highlights the rift between Orthodox and secular Jews.

The dispute began back in 2001 when Olga Palay, a shopkeeper in Beit Shemesh, went to court rather than accept an order by the authorities to move her shop ­ which does sell pork ­ to the outskirts of the town. The newspaper 'Jerusalem Report' made the point that it was not just a question of where one could sell sausages but rather was a fight for the nature of the country. The pig is an impure animal for Orthodox Jews and breeding is illegal in most of Israel.

In 1985, a radical Israeli MP, Meir Kahane, attacked the 'weakness' of secular Jews in Parliament reminding them that the first Jew murdered in the time of the Maccabees was killed because "he tried to eat pork. If there is no Torah, there will not be peace. Pigs will take over the country and pigs will rule the earth", affirmed Kahane in shades of Orwell's novel, 'Animal Farm'.

The decision by the Supreme Court allows for pork to be sold in places where the majority are in favour, but where only a minority eats pork, they should have access to public transport which gets them to shops in other areas that do sell what they want. Interior Minister, Abraham Poraz, summed matters up: "In a religious district, pork must not be sold; in a secular one, it can be." The Shinui party argues for freedom, its spokesman saying they are not trying to get people to eat pork. "We are fighting for people's right to eat what they like."

The reaction of religious parties has been terrible in its fury. Tzohar said the decision "opens the door to civil war", while the leader of Shas, Eli Yeshai, said it was "a key nail in the coffin of Jewish identity in the state of Israel." In a similarly apocalyptic tone, a spokesman for the National Religious Party, Gila Finklestein, compared the decision to the destruction of the temple. "The Supreme Court is destroying all Jewish symbols." Yasser Arafat and Hamas haven't achieved half as much.

New Delhi, July 14th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Prime Minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has announced that the anti-conversion law will be repealed in that state.

The Law on 'Forced Conversions' which came into force in October 2002 established that every conversion should be examined by a magistrate and those falling foul of it were subject to heavy penalties, including prison sentences. The Law was designed to prevent someone forcing or bribing another to change faith.

The Law caused an outcry among religious minorities all over India, who said it infringed the basic right of someone to choose their own religion. Christians opposed it, as did some political groupings. The change is due to the recent election result which saw a moderate government replace the Hindu Nationalist Party. The change in the law has to be approved by the state legislature, but that should be a formality as the Prime Minister's party has a comfortable majority.

Bangui, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The government in the Central African Republic has sounded the alarm at the spread of cults in the country, which it sees as a threat to public order. According to the authorities, some groups hid arms during last year's military rebellions and civil war.

A huge operation to recover illegal arms was launched in May right across the country, and now extra measures are being taken to control cults. New churches must have at least 1,000 members and be present in at least three regions of the country in order to be recognised by the state. The leader of a new religious movement must also hold theological qualifications. It is almost impossible to determine how many sects exist, as new ones spring up almost every day.

Most of the cults come from splits within the Pentecostal movement, and there are others which have links to traditionalist African religiosity. One of the most important was founded by the African 'prophet' Harrs, and one of the biggest Congolese cults is also present in the country.

As for involvement in armed conflict, the Fides agency report sources as saying that there is no evidence of this, as those involved in the fighting were mostly Muslims. Although it is not strictly true that Islamic cults exist in the Central African Republic, Muslims there are heavily influenced by radical brotherhoods from Nigeria and Chad.

Dallas, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The shock-waves from the decision by the American Southern Baptists ­ the largest denomination in the USA, and the biggest single bloc within the Baptist movement ­ to leave the World Baptist Alliance, are still being felt. In Spain, in the pages of ACPress.net' web magazine, 'Protestante Digital', the argument rages between those who feel the Southern Baptists are being true to their roots, and those who deny that there was any justification for such a split.

The Spanish Baptist Union (UEBE) has reiterated its decision to remain within the World Baptist Alliance, and has criticised the American decision. Yet the UEBE faces a pastoral vacancy crisis and is racked by liberal tendencies, whereas the Southern Baptists' move comes against a 25-year-old conservative resurgence. Today, more and more churches in Texas today are opting to join a conservative movement among Baptists. In 1998 there were 120 churches that left the Baptist General Convention of Texas and formed the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The SBTC was formed by churches that were alarmed at the liberal leadership in the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Now the SBTC has more than 1,500 churches as members.

Paul Pressler, a prime mover in this development, says "We are a voluntary group of over 43,000 churches - no central organisation can control the local church and so we cooperate on those things that are beneficial." As an example, the conservative Baptist leader points to the wide-scale success of the denomination's worldwide missions outreach.

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) concluded its annual conference, voting on measures dealing with same-sex unions, state education, and even a change in the name of the denomination. It passed a motion supporting efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.  The representatives from Southern Baptist congregations nationwide had heard President Bush and their own denominational leaders earlier in the week urge for passage of a Federal Marriage Amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. In addition, the SBC rejected a plan to ask parents to pull their children out of state schools in favour of Christian or home schooling.  One of the country's best-known evangelists praised that decision.  "Let's not surrender state schools.  Let's take them back," Franklin Graham said. Graham said to help make that happen, his ministry is launching a website aimed at training children to share the gospel with their classmates. And finally, the Convention rejected a motion to undertake a study looking at the possibility of changing the denomination's name.

While European Baptists centre on the SBC's support of the war in Iraq, the SBC itself is forging ahead with more important issues ­ maintaining a biblical line on doctrines like inerrancy, and working hard at world mission, taking the Gospel to the lost.

Peking, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Just over a month after news leaked that a key house church leader was allegedly beaten to death while in police custody, China has again postponed a visit by the United Nations investigator on torture in what human rights groups say is part of a strategy to avoid scrutiny of its overcrowded labour camps and prisons.

In a statement, the Chinese government said it had postponed a planned two-week visit this month by the Special Investigator of Torture, Theo van Boven, until later this year to allow "more time to prepare" given the many different authorities, departments and provinces involved. Van Boven, who was due to present his report to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, condemned the delay saying that freedom to make inquiries as well as access to places of detention were necessary for a proper assessment. He also stressed the need for confidential interviews with detainees and other people, without fear of reprisal, a statement said.

China's controversial decision followed detailed reports by human rights groups this week about a major Peking-backed crackdown on underground congregations including the arrests of over 100 evangelical officials, and after family members said 28-year old house church teacher Gu Xianggao was beaten to death on April 27th by Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers.

Quetta, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A Pentecostal preacher abducted by Muslim militants in Pakistan's south-western region has escaped from his captors.

Wilson Fazal, 41, who pastors a church in the city of Quetta, disappeared on May 16th after receiving threatening letters from an unknown group of Islamists who urged him to convert to Islam or face unspecified consequences. Fazal told police that he had been kidnapped and taken to the northwestern city of Peshawar, about 375 miles north-east of Quetta, when he managed to escape recently. No details of his escape were immediately available. Fazal's son, Jerry, said that a hand-written letter delivered to their home in early May warned Wilson to stop preaching Christianity.

A group calling itself Mahaz-e-Jihad, or "Frontier of the Holy War" sent the letter. "Get ready, ready, ready, or else..." said the letter which had a hand-drawn rifle for a signature at the bottom. About 70,000 of Quetta's population of 1.5 million are Christian. They have largely lived in harmony with the Muslim population, even though the city is also home to hard-line Islamic militants opposed to religious tolerance and the United States-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan. Yet the kidnapping has underscored concern among human rights groups about growing pressure on Pakistan's Christian minority.

Baghdad, July 15th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The harrowing scenes shown on television of the moments before a South Korean interpreter was beheaded by Iraqi captors shocked the world, as they had a month earlier when an American engineer endured the same fate. Kim, 33, was an evangelical Christian who hoped to become a missionary to Muslims.

Kim bowed his head in the pictures in silence, as if knowing what awaited him. The murderers read out a statement including Islamic chants and the mention of 'Arab honour', before cutting off their victim's head. Kim went to work in Iraq as a way of raising money for his training as a Presbyterian minister. His goal was to go the Middle East as a missionary among Muslims, and to that end he had enrolled in South Korea's best language school ­ Hankuk ­ to study Arabic. Upon graduation, he joined Gana General Trading, a civilian firm which provided material for military bases and supplied food to Coalition troops in Iraq.

Kim went to Iraq in June last year as an interpreter for the company. His colleagues remember him as a quiet and diligent student. He was due to return home next month for his father's 70th birthday. News broke of his kidnapping when a video was shown of his making a passionate call for help. He repeated the word 'please' several times and his body shook with fear. His tone of voice and body language showed that he knew what awaited him.

Thousands of South Koreans sent e-mails to the Arab TV station, Al Yazira, which showed the pictures, asking for clemency. The terrorists gave the South Korean government 24 hours to pull its troops out of Iraq, or they would kill Kim. When the South Koreans, naturally enough, refused to bow to such blackmail, the terrorists carried out their terrible threat. Kim was quiet, kneeling and blindfolded. Perhaps he had already commended himself to God; what is certain is that he is now in a place where there is no suffering.