CLB 98-10 Bulletin Board: Praying for the Persecuted Church

From: clergy@pastornet.net.au

Mon, 26 Oct 1998

Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list Bulletin Board No. 98-10 -- Mon 26 Oct 1998 Item: ------------------------------------ Remembering those who are mistreated (Heb 13:3) ------------------------------------ Over 200 million Christians face persecution for what they believe. They are our suffering brothers and sisters who have harmed nobody and have not committed any actual crime. Yet simply because they dare to follow Christ, they daily risk being beaten, raped, imprisoned, tortured or even killed. Because prayer is the mightiest weapon we have to fight persecution, World Evangelical Fellowship Religious Liberty Commission (WEF RLC) launched an International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) in 1996. The vast worldwide response to the call to prayer was a great encouragement. Last year, the interest was even greater when nearly 10 million believers in 115 countries gathered to uphold persecuted fellow Christians before the throne of grace. IDOP has rapidly become the world's largest one-day prayer event. On Sunday 15 November this year, it is anticipated that some 200,000 churches in 130 countries will be interceding for 24 hours around the different time zones. Christians will 'remember them that are in bonds as if bound with them and those who are mistreated as if (they themselves) were suffering'. (Heb 13:3 NIV) Resource materials are being distributed in a number of languages through a range of media, including print, Internet websites, TV, radio, and e-mail. In Brazil, all these means are being used to involve 70,000 evangelical churches. IDOP material is being broadcast in Swahili to five million listeners in Africa. Another 70,000-plus churches will take part in the US, whilst across the border, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada RLC expects to enlist 1000 congregations to pray. Christian members of the Canadian parliament have promised to be involved. The Baptist Union in Russia is participating officially. In Sri Lanka, the Evangelical Alliance has invited all pastors to Colombo for three days of prayer and fasting for peace and reconciliation in their country, with 15 November set apart for the IDOP. Prior to IDOP, the largest newspaper in the US Pacific Northwest, 'The Oregonian', plans to publish a four-day front page series about the persecution of Christians around the world. Johan Candelin, Director of WEF RLC, will speak at special 'world' IDOP services in Rome and Barcelona, and Brother Andrew of Open Doors will address a major service in Washington. Meanwhile, in Nepal, where there has been some religious freedom in recent years, a special combined churches prayer gathering in Kathmandu is being organised for 15 November - rather smaller by comparison with the above services, but possibly more significant in the context. We encourage all those receiving this list to unite with upwards of 10 million fellow believers around the world for IDOP. Resource material is available from WEF RLC in co-operation with other advocacy bodies. More information is available by e-mail from - US: IDOP@xc.org Canada: rlc@efc-canada.com Australia and nearby: owner-rl-prayer@xc.org Elsewhere: candelin@pp.kolumbus.fi End of Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list Bulletin Board No. 98/10 ********************************************************* ____________________________ Clergy/Leaders' Mailing List (Moderated) This mailing list is open to all Christians via Internet e-mail and most fax destinations. Submissions welcome: clergy@pastornet.net.au To subscribe, e-mail to: clergy-request@pastornet.net.au with SUBJECT reading SUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe, e-mail to: clergy-request@pastornet.net.au with SUBJECT reading UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright: Postings may be re-sent ONLY with all copyright notifications intact.

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