Asia

By Brian Ellis

October 2015

This coming November will see the second anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, which left over 7000 dead and more missing in the Philippine provinces of Samar and northern Leyte. Tacloban City was particularly hit, with thousands being killed and displaced. Over the past two years, Christian Compassion Ministries (CCM), the benevolent arm of Cubao Reformed Baptist Church located in Metro-Manila, has continued to help displaced families and schools in the Tacloban. We have continued to give relief packs where such have still been needed and where families have little income, if any. Schools have been lacking books and often have had no electricity or ceilings in...

March 2015

Bhutan

Arrests in Bhutan

A pastor arrested in Bhutan has been released from prison after paying an extortionate fine, Christian charity Open Doors has reported. Pastor Tandin Wangyal had been arrested in Dorokha village in the Samtse district of Bhutan as a result of his faith in March 2014, and was only released in January this year after paying a fine of 100,000 Ngultrum (£1100). He was originally detained along with Pastor Mon Thapa (also known as David Lobzang) after a neighbour complained that the two had held a house church meeting in the village. Having been invited to hold a three-day seminar for Christians, the two pastors arrived...

February 2015

India

Church growth in India

The tenth ABC (Annual Bible Convention) — previously called the ATTI (Annual Theological Training Initiative) — was held at Banga in Punjab, India, from 27-29 November 2014. Relationships One of the struggles for many believers in the Punjab concerns understanding teaching about the Trinity. Hence the theme of this year’s conference was ‘Relationships: in the image of God’ (Genesis 1:27). Between 150 and 200 people gathered each day. They came from various parts of the Punjab, some travelling considerable distances. Dr Gareth Crossley took three sessions each day, dealing with the relationships between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and their application to human relationships...

By Andrew and Daphne Swanson

April 2014

Cyprus

Progress in North Cyprus

Just over 29 years ago, on the first Sunday in February 1965, a little family of six gathered in their sparsely furnished front room and praised God together on their first Lord’s Day in their new country. The words of the hymn that they had sung with all the well-wishers at Darlington station, a few days before, echoed in their ears: ‘Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and his love’. Multinational congregation Twenty-nine years on, and three members of the same family, along with a wife and three children, met in North Cyprus to praise God on the first Sunday in February. This...

By Victor Atallah

March 2014

Articles > World Mission > Asia > Western Asia

Shedding Light on Islamic Politics in the Middle East

In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria Islamists tried to hijack the freedom-thirsty uprisings of their people. Being well organized as movements the Muslim Brotherhood branches in these countries outmanoeuvered others and did well in local elections. Their plan, however, was to fanatically impose their narrow Islamic agenda on the rest of their countrymen. This has backfired on them in every one of these countries. In Egypt the Islamic president was deposed through a popular uprising. In Tunisia the secularists forced the Islamic government to resign and replaced it by a coalition government committed to religious and political freedom. In Libya, the Islamists have not succeeded in...

By Saeed Mokhlessi

December 2013

Iran

An Iranian finds Christ

Saeed Mokhlessi writes: I was born in Iran in a fairly devout Muslim family. From an early age, we were taught the basic principles of Islam and I was encouraged to believe and obey them. I remember, from the age of 4 or 5 I used to get excited when the month of Ramadan (when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset) was approaching. Although boys are not required to fast till the age of 15, I was eager to do it. As I grew up in the community, I became known as an upright and religious boy (although I did get up to mischief...

December 2013

Philippines

Typhoon Haiyan and Relief

TYPHOON RELIEF Manila was not affected by the typhoon but areas in central Philippines were terribly devastated. The worst affected areas are in northern Leyte and particularly the City of Tacloban as well as the large island of Samar. It is very difficult at the moment to get any personal news except what is coming over on the News Channels. However other areas are also affected and needing help such as northern Panay, Aklan, Capiz, Mindoro, Palaway, Bohol and parts of Cebu. There are Reformed Baptist churches in many of these areas. Some of the members of Cubao Reformed Baptist Church also have family members...

October 2013

Tibet’s well-sold lie

The sky burial site was a disturbing scene. The sweet smell of rotting flesh filled the man’s nostrils, stimulating his salivary glands so that he felt sick yet hungry at the same time. Around a group of flat stones, he could see bloodied hatchets lying on the ground amidst torn clothes and human bones — a pelvis, skull, forearm. The bits that the vultures do not eat will lie there until they decompose or are carried away by dogs. Coming down off the mountainside he looked pale and was clearly in shock. He had found what he was looking for, but not what he...

By Paul Wells

August 2013

Indonesia

Prayer for the tensions in Indonesia

Indonesia is a vast country of 17 000 islands, only 6 000 of which are inhabited. It straddles the equator from Sumatra in the west to Irian Jaya in the east. It is mountanous with several active volcanoes. In northern Sumatra 168 000 people were killed by the tsunami in 2004. The population is around 238 million, the island of Java where 58% of the population live, being densely populated. The capital, Jakarta is an impressive and polluted city of over 12 million inhabitants. Natural resources Indonesia was previously a Dutch colony and gained independence in 1945. Today it has rapid economic growth and G20...

By Zhou Laoshi

June 2013

China

China’s tears

The early church history course came to a memorable end. The final session concerned the rise of Islam and its effects on the churches of North Africa and the Middle East in the seventh to eleventh centuries. We looked at the terrible legacy of the Crusades in terms of the lasting bitterness which resulted, and the consequent failure of western missionaries to make a significant impact on the Muslim world. I closed by suggesting that the burden of responsibility for evangelising the Islamic world may well now lie with Christians from East Asia, who are not saddled with that debilitating history; and by...

May 2013

Iran

Growing pressures in Azerbaijan

Churches in Azerbaijan are facing increasing pressure due to government fears of religious extremism. A fact-finding trip by Release International discovered many churches are being denied official registration under tough new regulations. But, despite the increasing pressures faced by Christians in the former Soviet republic, the church is growing. Release, which serves persecuted Christians, has produced a DVD highlighting the challenge facing believers in Azerbaijan and featuring interviews with pastors and others. In the fire is available from the Release web site. Oppression Pastor ‘Izzat’ served 18 months behind bars after complaints by Muslim leaders. Thirty police and officials turned up at his...

By Lisa Atallah

October 2012

Cyprus

The gospel on the island of Cyprus

The gospel on the island of Cyprus Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, lies not far from the coasts of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Driving across this semi-arid country, one can still come across the idyllic scene of a shepherd leading a mixed flock of longhaired sheep, barely distinguishable from the longhaired goats mingled among them. Acts 13 records that the first ever missionary outreach was prayerfully sent from the young church in Antioch to the island of Cyprus. In obedience to God’s command to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, the apostle Paul and his Cypriot-background teammate, Barnabas,...

All articles in category Asia

By Brian Ellis

October 2015

Typhoon Haiyan two years on

March 2015

Arrests in Bhutan

February 2015

Church growth in India

By Andrew and Daphne Swanson

April 2014

Progress in North Cyprus

By Victor Atallah

March 2014

Articles > World Mission > Asia > Western Asia

Shedding Light on Islamic Politics in the Middle East

By Saeed Mokhlessi

December 2013

An Iranian finds Christ

December 2013

Typhoon Haiyan and Relief

October 2013

Tibet’s well-sold lie

By Paul Wells

August 2013

Prayer for the tensions in Indonesia

By Zhou Laoshi

June 2013

China’s tears

May 2013

Growing pressures in Azerbaijan

By Lisa Atallah

October 2012

The gospel on the island of Cyprus

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