GLOBAL VILLAGE
BAHAMAS HURRICANE RESPONSE
Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas for two days in September, the worst natural disaster the Caribbean islands have ever seen. More than 70,000 were left homeless and more than 50 killed.
Both the World Health Organization and the Bahamian government asked for medical aid.
Among the Christian relief organizations that rose to the challenge were Samaritan’s Purse, which established an emergency field hospital, and Convoy of Hope, an American group that sent seven planeloads of relief supplies.
In Canada groups such as World Vision, World Renew and The Salvation Army also channelled assistance. –WWW.CHRISTIANPOST.COM
VIOLENT PERSECUTION COMMEMORATED
The United Nations General Assembly recently designated a new International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief to be held every August 22.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “On this day we reaffirm our unwavering support for the victims of violence based on religion and belief. And we demonstrate that support by doing all in our power to prevent such attacks and demanding that those responsible are held accountable.”
The UN’s press release stated “the number and intensity” of acts of “intolerance and violence” based on religion are increasing.
A study commissioned by the British government supports this judgment and quantified that 80 per cent of persecuted religious believers are Christians. –WWW.MACLEANS.CA
WORLD EVANGELICALS GATHER
What must evangelism and disciplemaking look like in the coming decade? Evangelical leaders around the world plan to meet in Jakarta, Indonesia, in November 2019 for a General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). The previous such gathering drew about 500 leaders to Thailand in 2008.
The program includes plenary sessions by WEA secretary general Ephraim Tendero, founder of Operation Mobilisation George Verwer, president of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa Goodwill Shana, and others focused on the theme and the vision and purpose of the WEA today.
Workshops and seminars, networking and Sunday service in local churches will also be offered. Indonesia is 80 per cent Muslim and 10 per cent Christian. – WWW.JAKARTA2019.ORG
HONG KONG PROTESTS WITH HYMN
Amid the chaos and confrontation between prodemocracy demonstrators and the police in Hong Kong the Christian hymn “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” has often been heard in recent months.
According to scholar Justin Tse, “The hymn captures the aspirations of the protesters,” both Christian and non-Christian, who “don’t want their home to be ridden with violence by the police.”
Christian leaders have been very involved with this movement as seen, for example, in a viral video of a pastor kneeling on the pavement pleading with the police for restraint. Other Christian leaders have publically called Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam to apologize for supporting China’s extradition bill.
Canadian Chinese leaders are watching the events very closely. Some 300,000 to 500,000 Hong Kong residents hold passports from Canada, far more than from any other country. –WWW.VANCOUVERSUN.COM
I have seen firsthand how Chinese Christian businesspeople in Indonesia have changed interethnic dynamics and transformed interreligious relationships by intentionally doing business as justice, stewardship, shalom, servant leadership, and so forth.
—Mats Tunehag
WWW.BAMGLOBAL.ORG