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

Barnabas Update – February 5th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

“Lord, forgive our persecutors” say Rohingyas

Barnabas Fund, 28 January 2020

There have been multiple attacks by Rohingya Muslim mobs on the Rohingya Christian community in Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, Bangladesh, thought to be a backlash in the wake of a UN rapporteur’s raising of specific concerns over anti-Christian persecution in the camp.

An extremist mob, in gangs of at least 100, swarmed into the vulnerable Christian community on 27 January, four days after the expert’s report was released.

One individual went missing in the onslaught and is presumed dead at the time of writing.

The Muslim mobs ransacked the community’s church and looted and destroyed the Christians’ houses.

Camp security forces reportedly turned on the Christians, rather than protecting them, and confiscated mobile phones containing evidence of the attacks.

A Rohingya Christian leader posted a prayer for the attackers on Facebook. “O Lord please forgive our persecutors,” he said, recalling the stoning of Stephen.

This now doubly-persecuted group of a few hundred Rohingya Christians live among 750,000 mainly-Muslim Rohingya who fled their homeland to escape genocide at the hands of the Myanmar Army.  The formerly persecuted Rohingya Muslim refugees have now turned persecutors. 

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World, Whats On

Gunmen kill 20 civilians in Burkina Faso – February 5th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

BBC, 2 February 2020

As many as 20 civilians have been killed in an overnight attack in north-western Burkina Faso.  Unidentified heavily armed men on motorbikes carried out the attack on a village north of the capital Ouagadougou, on Saturday night.

The attack comes a week after 39 people were killed when militants attacked a market in Silgadji town.  The Sahel region has seen a recent increase in jihadist violence.

Last year saw the highest death toll due to armed conflict in the region since 2012, with more than 4,000 people killed.

The security crisis in the Sahel began when an alliance of separatist and Islamist militants took over northern Mali in 2012.

Although a peace deal was signed in 2015, it was never fully implemented.  New armed groups have since emerged and expanded to central Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, including groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World, Whats On

Norwegian Preacher’s Ordeal with Muslim Gang – February 5th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Barnabas Fund, 31 January 2020

Four Muslim men abducted, beat and robbed a Christian street preacher in Trondheim, Norway, finally demanding at knifepoint he convert to Islam or be killed.

Roar Fløttum, who regularly preaches on the streets of the city, was lured away on 28 November by the men to pray for a friend who had “injured his foot”.

After pushing Fløttum down a flight of stairs and beating him about the head, the gang took his bank cards, extracted his passcodes and stole money from his accounts.

They then tried to force him to recite Arabic words, probably the Islamic creed, and demanded he “convert to Islam or die,” while threatening him with a knife.

Fløttum plans to continue his evangelism work in Trondheim. “I only want to tell others about God’s love,” he said.

Police say the incident is the first of its kind in the city. It was estimated in 2016 that 5.7% of the Norwegian population are Muslim.

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Jacksons Update – February 5th 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Edward (released from Drakenstein in August) didn’t get a promised job but still trusts God and wants to honour him.

Stephen’s children have been removed from their neglectful and alcohol abusing mother and his sister, with a much more stable home, has now been granted full custody.

In sharp contrast, Sylvester, released only in January, was returned to prison this week for tying up and raping two women in a hostel despite being been seen as trustworthy while in Drakenstein.  Dawn was encouraged to hear the disgust and disappointment amongst the men about his behaviour. He will likely never be released again.

More women need to press charges to make men face the consequences of their sexual violence.

Hugenote college has been welcoming new students. One of the students was so proud last year to have had his highest exam mark ever – 30% – showing that some of the students have not had a great start in life but are trying. The college sees its role as a mission to walk with such students through education and into a job. The college survives by faith and Fraser is endeavouring to provide good support and ideas for its IT and distance learning systems.

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Blythswood Update – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Daniel Centre

 Balazs was not at the Daniel Centre in this week, but down at Talita Kum in Jimbolia.  Two Blythswood partners had come over from Serbia to see what they could learn from Adrian Poppa’s work at Talita Kum, and Balazs was there as part of the discussions. 

 There was nothing new to report from the Daniel Centre this month, but I was able to have some time with the four gentlemen in Jimbolia.

 Talita Kum

The Blythswood partners from Serbia currently deal with a dozen primary school children on a daily basis and were encouraged to see the set-up at Talita Kum.

 Talita Kum 1 has 48 children each day and Talita Kum 2 has 33.  They are still short of teachers and could use 4 new ones immediately as a lot of the homework assistance is on a one-to-one basis with Special Needs children.

 There have been past funding issues with the local government, and though these are being gradually addressed, the delay in new funding being released is having a negative impact on finding new teachers. 

Adrian is confident that lessons have been learned and that EU funding for TK3 and TK4 will be on a more secure basis.  They hope to be working  with 15 students in Talita Kum 3 and 10 students in Talita Kum 4 by December 2021.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World, Whats On

The Kidnapped – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Steadfast Global, December 2019

Swiss nun Beatrice Stockly was abducted from her home in Timbuktu, Mali in January 2017.  Doctor Ken Elliot, in his eighties, remains unaccounted for after being abducted in Burkina Faso also in January 2017, having served in that country for over forty years.

Italian priest, Pier Luigi Maccalli, having served in Mali for eleven years, was taken from his home in September 2018.  Sister Gloria Argoti, originally from Colombia, was abducted in Mali by Al Qaeda affiliated fundamentalists on 8 February 2017.

Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel disappeared into the Eritrean prison system back in May 2004—over 15 years ago!  He has never been charged with a crime and he is being held in isolation.  American citizen, Jeff Woodke was abducted in Niger in October 2017, having served the communities of Niger for the past 24 years. 

Leah Sharibu has now spent almost 2 years in captivity following her abduction by Boko Haram militants in February 2018, reportedly because she has refused to deny her Christian faith and embrace Islam.  Iranian Christian Ebrahim Firouzi commenced his 2-year period of internal exile in November. He is required to report daily to court officials.

Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church in China remains in detention awaiting trial since December 2018.  Pastor John Cao, a permanent resident of the United States, remains in prison in China after losing an appeal against a seven-year sentence after being arrested in March 2017.

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

Barnabas Update – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Boko Haram executes Nigerian Church leader

Barnabas Fund, 21 January 2020

Boko Haram has announced that it has killed Pastor Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria,  kidnapped by the Islamist group this month.  It is not known how Pastor Andimi, who leaves behind a wife and seven children, was killed.

In his final message to his family and colleagues, Pastor Lawan Andimi urged them not to cry or worry about him but to “thank God for everything”

“By the grace of God, I will be together with my wife, my children and my colleagues. If the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God,” he said.

It is thought that the church was involved in negotiations with the captors for his release when he was killed.

There are indications that Boko Haram is extending its territory in north-east Nigeria. At least four murderous Islamist attacks have taken place in the region in less than a month. The group may be progressively combining forces with other terrorist militia including ISWAP, Fulani herdsmen and Al Shabaab.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World, Whats On

Freedom of Religion or Belief in Cuba – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, 13 January 2020

The Cuban government continues to routinely and systematically violate freedom of religion or belief.  At the same time there were some positive developments within the religious sector itself. 

The creation of a new umbrella group for Protestant denominations is a show of unity unseen in Cuba since before 1959.

Reports of harassment of religious leaders increased in parallel with the religious groups’ increasing outspokenness and moves towards more unity.

A number of major religious leaders have been banned from leaving the country. CSW also received reports of threats and cases of arbitrary detention involving religious leaders and Freedom of Religion or Belief defenders.

Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre, a Cuban religious freedom defender was arbitrarily detained at noon on Friday 12 July and has since been held incommunicado.

Missions, The Persecuted Church Across the World, Whats On

Church Moved to Another Village Amid Protests – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

International Christian Concern, 18 January 2020

Following protests from local villagers, the administration in Yogyakarta and the Indonesia Pentecostal Church have agreed to move the church to Argosari village.

Last July, the regent of Bantul officially cancelled the building permit of the church. So its congregation was no longer allowed to perform worship services at the building.

Although the church took the matter to court, church leader Tigor Sitorus has now made the agreement with Bantul Regent Suharsono to seek a way out.

Tigor agreed to move the church to Argosari, which is about 4 kilometers away, for his congregation.

“What’s important now is to have a place of worship,” he said.  The new church will be built on land bought with his own money. He hoped the administration would help with the construction.

Suharsono promised to provide 100 bags of cement for the construction and to immediately issue the building permit for the new church.

Nevertheless, the solution has set a bad precedent for cases of intolerance seeming to justify residents’ protests.

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

Jacksons Update – January 22nd 2020

by Robert MacNaughton

Fraser meets this week with the other NetACT management staff to set goals for the year ahead, including about how much travelling for training and consultation Fraser should do during the year.

He is working to match the online modules for Hugenote College’s new theology degree to the Dean’s own vision for the course.

The new Director for Boland Hope Prison Ministry started work on January 13th and needs wisdom, organisational skills and insight to improve systems and relationships.

There will be a time of prayer and spiritual renewal for team members before the programmes really start in the prisons.

Pray for South Africa, for better leadership, the rooting out of corruption and for a movement of the Holy Spirit throughout the country as the only true way of bringing justice, hope and improvement.