Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Barnabas Update – April 15th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Emergency network to help Christians globally

Barnabas Fund, 14 April 2020

Barnabas Fund, joined by over 85 partner organisations, has launched the Barnabas Coronavirus Emergency Network (BCEN) to meet the needs of persecuted Christians on the margins of society, discriminated against in daily life, and often discriminated against when aid is distributed.  This network gives us direct access to our brothers and sisters at the grassroots and helps us monitor the effects of Covid 19 on persecuted Christians and learn how to support them better.

BCEN is obtaining reliable up-to-date information to share with supporters to inform their prayers and is guiding our response in terms of practical support for coronavirus-affected Christians, ensuring that funds given are used as effectively as possible.

BCEN has already sent £425,305.73 GBP ($528.338.66 USD) to support vulnerable communities in Pakistan, China, Laos, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Armenia and Sri Lanka. We are inundated with requests for support and are committed to continue helping.

But we are only scratching the surface. There is much to do and we need your support in the weeks ahead.

Visit us at www.barnabasfund.org/en/BCEN for news and prayer requests, regularly updated and join us in praying for the persecuted Church during this difficult time.

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Jacksons Update – April 15th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

One of the NetAct partners, the Evangelical Reformed College in Angola, sends this report:

“If the lockdown continues it will affect the 2020 harvest because people won’t be able to work in the fields.  The products will rot in the field. There will be a shortage of seed for cultivation next year.  People are now consuming the seed for planting in 2020-2021.  Our denomination has no resources for the vulnerable and the poor, and government support is insufficient for the elderly and the children.

The theological school receives no income from whose who support it because everywhere everything is closed.  Teachers and students have returned to their families and congregations.”

 Most NetACT partner colleges have no cash reserves, and student fees trickle in throughout the year. So during the lockdown, there is virtually no money coming in and paying salaries becomes a real challenge.

Give thanks for the Barnabas Fund’s BCEN initiative.  They are working with NetACT among others to identify and meet needs across Africa.  They have paid all the partner colleges’ NetACT fees for 2020, allowing the colleges to divert that money to local needs.  They will be making grants to colleges and churches where the need is greatest.

Give thanks that Ruth is much better now.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Blythswood Update – April 1st 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

Plans move forward in the longer term to refurbish Blythswood’s large depot and sell a property in Cluj to generate funds for the Daniel Centre and Talita Kum on a more sustainable basis.

The Centre has sufficient funds to continue for the time being but will no doubt soon be challenged financially with the ongoing spread of Covid-19.

The fact that some of the young men at the Daniel Centre are being sent home from work because of the health crisis will inevitably mean that the normal pressures of spending most of their days at close quarters will be ramped up.

Talita Kum

The Talita Kum houses, like the Romanian schools, will be marking time during the current health crisis.  It will give opportunity, however, to work on projects that cannot so easily be carried out while the houses are in top gear.

Like the Daniel Centre, Talita Kum will continue to face the challenges of reduced funding with the present pressures on their fortnightly English quizzes and the Blythswood shops.

85 deaths have now been reported in the country with almost 2500 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the wake of large numbers of Romanians returning from Italy and Spain because of the lockdowns in those countries.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Barnabas Update – April 1st 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

New anti-conversion bill for Sri Lanka?

Barnabas, 24 March 2020

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa hinted that he is prepared to introduce an anti-conversion bill to “save this country” from falling into deep difficulties.

Addressing the annual convention of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, he identified the conversion of “traditional Buddhist families to other religions” as a major “threat”.

He implied that an anti-conversion bill could be introduced after the parliamentary elections.  “There are many that oppose it and that is why we don’t want to touch it,” Rajapaksa told his audience. “If you want it you must bring it forward unanimously otherwise it will be my neck on the line,” he added. 

Christian leaders in Sri Lanka say the latest proposal is part of the government’s pre-election campaign. “They are using extremism to be popular,” said a pastor. “They have already started to collect information regarding churches through local government authorities. I believe they are strategically working out something against the house church movement.” 

Another pastor added, “The government is frightened to see the growth of the local churches in rural areas.”

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Jacksons Update – April 1st 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

South Africa is locked down.  For the millions in the townships, prisons  and remote areas without basic utilities, the pressure will be immense. There are no facilities to self-isolate when people live cheek by jowl in wooden or metal shacks.  Many are already immune-compromised thanks to AIDS, TB, drug use and malnutrition.  

Edward (the released prisoner) is leading daily devotions for his housemates in Cape Town.

Fraser had only 2 days to train the Hugenote College staff to keep online contact with their students so that they could try using the online learning platform before teaching starts again on the 20th April, probably still on an online basis.

Many students from poor areas will find it difficult to stay online, especially with the closure of libraries, the chief providers of free internet connection.

The Barnabas Fund is keen to help Bible colleges and seminaries in Africa to find ways to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown and has asked NetACT to help to facilitate this.  Fraser has online meetings on Wednesday and Friday to discuss the best ways to move this forward.

We cannot return to the UK for any reason until the pandemic situation calms down.

Ruth is alone in student accommodation in Glasgow and displaying progressing symptoms of Covid-19.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Blythswood Update – March 18th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

Balazs’s meeting with a retired Christian investment banker for funding to refurbish their large depot went well with a possible commitment to provide about 20% of the required amount.  They also hope to sell a property in Cluj.

The plans are however overshadowed at present by the lockdown occasioned by the corona virus and the effect it is having on all business transactions.

Meanwhile some of the young men at the Daniel Centre are being sent home from work because of the health crisis and may be off work for a considerable period of time.  Florin has not been improving in attitude or performance and has been given two weeks to find alternative accommodation.

The Centre has sufficient funds to continue its work for 2 to 6 months according to the unfolding circumstances.

Talita Kum

All schools in Romania, and with them TK1 and TK2, have been closed although the milder version of the coronavirus is the more prevalent there.  No deaths have been reported in the country but a large number of Romanians returning from Italy and Spain because of the lockdowns in those countries could radically change that.

The fortnightly English quizzes and Blythswood shops which brought in considerable funding for Talita Kum have also been affected though they are looking into the possibility of transferring the quizzes online.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Barnabas Update – March 18th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Iranian Christian prisoners and the coronavirus

Barnabas Fund 10 March 2020

The Iranian government has been continuing to release tens of thousands of prisoners serving sentences of less than 5 years, including a few Christians, to lessen the spread of coronavirus within prisons.

Among those released was Christian prisoner Ramiel  Tamraz, who was freed on 26 February.

Official government statistics confirmed 145 coronavirus related deaths and 5823 cases of infection on 7 March, but some sources suggested the figures may be higher.

Schools and universities were closed down to prevent the spread of the virus.

Iran is in need of “urgent prayer”, an Iranian Christian told Barnabas, particularly for the cities of Tehran and Qom, where the outbreak of coronavirus is particularly severe.

“At the moment everyone is suffering. The issue is affecting everyone. The shortage of medical equipment, medical personnel and medicine are a very main concern. Lack of training is another one. People don’t know how to deal with it,” she explained. “Christians are pleading prayers and for God’s mercy for Iran and Iranians.”

Jacksons, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Jacksons Update – March 18th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser is busy with a final report for the American trust who paid for the training events last year, praying that they continue to support NetACT.

Hugenote College moves to full online learning during the coronavirus shutdown, Fraser having to develop more training materials quickly.  NetACT’s Executive Committee need wisdom in deciding whether to cancel their AGM, planned for Ethiopia in July.

All prisons are closed to any visitors for at least a month. May inmates and officials, especially followers of Jesus, be ready to give answers about their rock, hope and faith.

A man at Medium A wanted to surrender a weapon which he had concealed.  It has been found where he said it would be and so there’s one less firearm on the streets.

Schools close tomorrow, a major problem in a society where people live hand to mouth – if the parent cannot work, there is no food.  If the virus gets into the township areas where people live at extremely close quarters, the effect could be devastating.

Please pray for Ruth as she decides upon the next stage of her journey in life.

Blythswood, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Blythswood Update – March 4th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

Balazs is meeting with a retired Christian investment banker to discuss the funding to refurbish a large depot they have owned for 20 years.  Once funding was in place, it would take them about a year to be up and running and ready for potential renters.

Alix is apprehensive about leaving the Daniel Centre and needs a nudge out of the nest.  Florin has lost his job at Carrefour and has no concern for fire prevention measures – he probably needs to be sent away from the Daniel Centre for a week or two as a wake-up call.  Istvan has been moved to the meat department at Carrefour and is doing well.

 Talita Kum

Adrian Poppa is now in position for a meeting with the authorities to discuss documentation and technical plans for TK3 and TK4.  The EU funding line which was refused in December (because salary projections for staff were too low) is possibly being re-opened by the authorities. 

It is possible that the Talita Kum salaries are set too low and therefore hampering the recruitment of qualified teachers.

A Nokia representative who was at one of their recent quiz nights has offered to supply them with second-hand laptops and perhaps extend this offer to the Blythswood work in Serbia as well.

Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions, Whats On

Barnabas Update – March 4th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Forcing Christian converts to declare their faith

Barnabas Fund, 24 February 2020

Christian converts from Islam no longer have the choice of keeping their faith secret in Iran after the “other religions” option was removed from the application form for ID cards.

The choices available to new applicants are only the four religions recognised under the Iranian constitution: Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Zoroastrianism.

The new rule reflects the strategy of harassing Christian converts from Islam and pressurising them to emigrate – Muslim-born converts to Christianity now have to reveal they are Christian or lie about their faith.

The ID cards, which are compulsory for every citizen aged 15 and above, are a necessary part of daily life in Iran and are required to access basic government services or to make bank transactions. The holder’s religion is then easily accessed by the state’s computer network.

Converts are frequently arrested and then released to drive them to leave the country, meaning that many leaders of convert groups have little Biblical education.”

The removal of the “other religions” option marginalises other religious groups including Bahais and Hindus.