This is Your Promise
Then fear not, O Jacob my
Vol. 7, No. 11
PROTESTANT and Catholic
bishops got together to stage a
protest against a report that had
given a clean chit to
fundamentalists belonging to
some Hindu organizations behind
a series of attacks on the Christian
community in Karnataka in 2008.
Close to 500 church leaders
joined as many as 19 Catholic and
Protestant bishops to stage the
protest.
The gathering criticized the
findings of a commission by
Justice B K Somashekhara. In its
report, the Somasekara report had
not identified the attackers behind
as many as 48 incidents involving
Christian churches and other sites.
Organised by the Karnataka
United Christian Forum for
Human Rights and the Karnataka
Region Catholic Bishops’
Council, the church leaders said
the report was biased and that it
‘whitewashed’ the incidents.
The gathering also renewed its
call for an enquiry into the
incidents by the Central Bureau of
Investigation. Church leaders
called for the withdrawal of more
than 150 cases lodged against
UNITED WE STAND: Protestant and Catholic bishops along with
Congress leader Oscar Fernandes in the protest rally organised by the
Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights and the Karnataka
Region Catholic Bishops’ Council. Photo courtesy: Daijiworld
Christians who were injured in the
attacks.
Archbishop Bernard Moras of
Bangalore said the report was
politically motivated.
The report was ‘completely
one-sided, biased, propagandist’,
he said and added that it was
‘totally unfair to all Christians.’
“The Christians who were the
target of attacks and the victims of
the organized mayhem and
MARCH, 2011
vandalism have been converted
into the perpetrators, while the real
attackers and all forces and
elements that had directly or
indirectly supported have been
given a clean chit,” Archbishop
Moras said.
The bishop also criticized the
report’s ‘shocking
recommendations’ that called for
establishing a registrar to manage
Church properties and monitor the
servant, declares the LORD,
nor be dismayed, O Israel; for
behold, I will save you from
far away, and your offspring
from the land of their
captivity. Jacob shall return
and have quiet and ease, and
none shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 30:10
Price: Rs.2/-
working of the churches, pastors
and their sources of income.
“This seems to be a step to N E W
introduce an anti-conversion law,” L i f e
he said. Assembly
A one-page memorandum o f G o d ’s
addressed to Chief Minister BS s e n i o r
Yeddyurappa has been submitted pastor and
through R Ramesh, DCP (Law and Assembly
Order). of God
“The report gives only district- India’s
wise incidents of church attacks; it
general superintendent D Mohan
has failed to give a statewide
was elected as the vice-chairman
picture. There were systematic
of the World AG Fellowship at the
attacks at the same time in an
sixth triennial World AG Congress
organised manner in Karnataka,
that concluded in Chennai on
which is not explained by the
February 9.
commission. The report was silent
US AG general superintendent
on this aspect and therefore we
George Wood was elected to serve
reject it,” the memorandum stated.
for another three years as
Speaking during the rally,
chairman of the World AG
Mariamma Thomas, an advocate,
Fellowship. The next World AG
said if Christians were held guilty
Congress (WAGC) will be held in
of conversion then they should
the US in 2014. The congress will
also be accused of “converting the
coincide with the 100th
uneducated in to educated, sick to
anniversary of the US Assemblies
the healthy, the unhappy to the
of God. The theme of the 2011
happy and the poor to rich.”
congress was ‘Forward!’ George
Full coverage:Attacks on
O Wood, who is also the president
Christians in Karnataka in 2008
of the World Assemblies of God,
Justice Saldanha report on P 7.
spoke on the theme ‘Forward! In
Editor’s column: Turn to P 8.
God’s Favor.’
Online Portal: www.christianmessenger.in THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
E-mail: christianmessenger.in@gmail.com MISSIONS Page 2 | March, 2011

intense concentration of unique challenges, but Bibles for

WYCLIFFE Associates, an
international organization that
involves people in the acceleration
of Bible translation efforts, is
seeking to raise $1.5 million
toward the purchase of a Pilatus
PC-6 aircraft for operation in
Indonesia.
A c c o r d i n g t o Wy c l i f f e
Associates president and CEO
Bruce Smith, Indonesia is ‘one of
the most challenging mission
fields on earth.’
A former missionary pilot, he
says the remote and rugged chain
of islands in the south Pacific is
among the least explored places
on earth and among the hardest to
travel where people speak over
700 separate languages.
In some of the harder-to-reach
areas, multitudes are trapped in the
bondage of animism and spiritism.
Poverty is epidemic.
Many are living literally on the
edge of physical and spiritual
survival.
If you like this newspaper,
you may consider
How to subscribe to this
UTTAR Pradesh in India is one
of the least-evangelized places in
the world, according to Operation
World.
“This single state of India
probably represents the most
unevangelized people and groups
in the world, and thereby the
greatest mission challenge,” an
Operation World expert was
quoted as saying in a news report
in Mission Network News.
Although stories of church
growth in India may be true, much
needs to be done still, the expert
says.
A recent census says 579 of the
613 people groups in Uttar
Pradesh have no Christians at all.
The church in Punjab in India is
growing a little faster. Although 60
percent of people in Punjab still
follow the Sikhism, believers are
growing in number.
Each state of India has its
function to mark the celebrations
at the Thirunakkara grounds in
Kottayam, Kerala on March 14.
Sathyam Service Trust, a
registered charity based in
Tiruvalla, Kerala, is a missions
partner of FWM in India.
Sathyam has till date distributed
the World has concentrated its
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THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
Page 3 | March, 2011
GOD makes appearances in a number of
Oscar-nominated films, but the Almighty
doesn't play a leading role on screen or
preach a theologically orthodox message
from the clouds. Rather, spirituality plays a
supporting role in those films that either
focus on characters' quest for redemption
or provide a fresh take on the eternal battle
between good or evil.
Many parents were surprised by how
much they were moved by 'Toy Story 3', an
animated Best Picture nominee starring a
group of under-employed toys that grieve
the loss of Andy, who leaves them behind
as he matures and heads off to college.
Christianity Today named its 'Most
Redeeming Film of 2010.'
There is a father figure in 'The Kids Are
Alright', which received film, actor and
actress nominations.
'The King's Speech' received 12
nominations, more than any other film, and
was named CT's second most redeeming
film of 2010.
The Coen brothers' remake of 'True Grit'
received 10 nominations, including nods
for picture, actor (Jeff Bridges) and
supporting actress (14-year-old Hailee
Steinfeld).
A dysfunctional family is also at the
heart of Best Picture nominee 'Winter's
Bone' in which a teen tries to redeem her
drug-dealing dad and keep her family
Online Portal: www.christianmessenger.in
NEW IN MEDIA E-mail: christianmessenger.in@gmail.com
together as they battle poverty in the
Ozarks.
In 'Black Swan', the main character is
struggling through a very difficult
relationship with her mother.
As for Oscar oversights, there have been
many suggestions for films that should have
been nominated.
For example, many Christians were
rooting for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” But this third
Narnia movie failed to ignite either strong
ticket sales or positive critical acclaim,
which means it may signal the end of the
Narna film series.
READERS who love the epic world of C
S Lewis’ books are being invited to return to
that ‘world of wonder’ he created in the
third movie installment of the beloved ‘The
Chronicles of Narnia’ series.
‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage
of the Dawn Treader’ will be released on
Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century
Fox Home Entertainment on April 8.
According to a media release,
“Imagination comes to life with stunning
special effects that bring the vast oceans
and sprawling landscapes to life.”
The Blu-ray and DVD release comes just
in time for Easter.
Online Portal: www.christianmessenger.in
E-mail: christianmessenger.in@gmail.com
DO you know out of the 2,533
people groups in India, as many as
2,231 are unreached? In other
words, a whopping 88 percent of
the people groups in the country
do not have the presence of the
church or a significant Christian
community, according to Joshua
Project. They do not know who the
Living God is. In spite of all the
efforts of pioneering missionaries,
itinerant evangelists, church
groups and independent ministries
only 12 percent of the people
groups in India have heard that
Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.
According to a research, there
are still 6,200 people groups
which are ‘unreached’. The largest
number of these unreached groups
is in India, where over 2,000
groups defined by culture,
language and caste are still
without the gospel.
What can you do? Pray
according to Luke 10: 2 that the
Lord of harvest will send forth
more reapers into India’s
unreached communities. Ponder
about what your role in this Great
Commission might be (Matthew
28: 18-20). Plan to better marshal
your resources for the Kingdom’s
cause. Participate in evangelical
activities of your church, prayer
group, local missions organization
and ministries targeting unreached
communities.
This is truly a great and
rewarding work. May God help
you identify your calling in life!
Robin Sam
The Christian Messenger
W E encourage you to
use these points in
your daily prayer as a
family, prayer group or an
individual. We would be glad if
you take copies of these prayer
points and share them with other
believers in your church, prayer
group or workplace. If you have a
specific prayer point that you
would like us to pray for along
with our readers, you can email it
to us at christianmessenger.in
@gmail.com Blessings, Editor.
People:
March 1: Rededicate your
family to the Lord today. Pray for
His providence, guidance and
counsel. It is God’s will that all in
the family serve Him.
March 2: Pray for the family of
Saul Pradhan, an independent
pastor who was killed on Jan 11 in
Orissa. May the Lord console
them and provide for them.
March 3: Pray for Remy that
the Lord may provide him a
financial breakthrough and find a
suitable employment for him. He
has a family of three children to
look after.
March 4: Pray for Jason
Crispus working as a missionary
among north Indians living in
Kottayam district of Kerala. May
all the opposition that he faces be
gone and may he find favor with
the local people.
March 5: Pray for Sadhu
Benny and his ministry. The aging
evangelist is looking for a Godly
man to be his manager. Pray that
God leads such men to him.
March 6: Continue to pray for
the release of human rights activist
Dr. Binayak Sen from the prison in
Chhattisgarh where he is currently
lodged.
ACCORDING to the 2000
census, the population of Manipur
is 13,68,600. Eighty-five percent
of the population follows the
Hindu faith. Ethnic religionists
and Muslims account for 7 and 6.5
percent respectively. Christians
March 7: Pray for Pankaj Lal
and his family. This pastor from
Orissa is a missionary who is
working in Jammu. Pray that God
makes him a mighty witness.
March 8: Pray for M
Emmanuel and his family serving
the Lord in Punjab. Pray that all his
ministry efforts bear fruit this
month.
March 9: Uphold Stalin Kumar
in your prayers today. He lost his
wife to cancer and has to care for
two young children even as he
continues the Lord’s work.
March 10: Pray for Dr. Clifford
Kumar and his ministry. May the
Lord grant health and long life to
the aging evangelist.
Issues
March 11: The Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)
recently warned that more than
two-thirds of China’s wheat crop
may be under risk because of
below normal rainfall. Pray that
the world is not hit by famine.
March 12: Pray for all
missionary organizations working
in the Middle East, especially in
countries like Egypt, Tunisia,
Yemen, Bahrain and Jordan where
an Islamic revolution is under
way.
March 13: Pray that believers,
churches and missions will put the
mass media to effective use in
spreading the Gospel.
March 14: Pray for unity
among churches, Christian
missions and workers. May God
open the eyes of every worker to
keep the unity of the Spirit
(Ephesians 4:3).
March 15: A US-based cult
group is setting up base in
Chennai. It is said to be offering
money and jobs to Christians to
lure them away from Bible-
believing churches. Pray!
March 16: Pray for a pleasant
summer season this year. By
God’s grace, the country received
sufficient rainfall last year
(Zechariah 10:1; Deut 11:14).
March 17: Pray for Bibles for
the World ministry today. They are
launching the printing of 5,00,000
copies of the Gospel of John in
Hindi for use in Haryana, UP and
Bihar.
March 18: Pray for equal rights
to be given to Christians in the UK
where they are targeted for being
firm in the faith.
INTERCESSION
are a mere one percent. Only the
New Testament is available in
Meithei, the local language. Only
15 mission agencies are working
among them. The percentage of
people who have never heard the
Gospel is estimated at 49 percent.
Out of the 51 percent who have
heard the Gospel, 43 percent are
evangelized from the outside
while only 8 percent are
evangelized by local Christians.
Besides Manipur, they are spread
across in Assam, Tripura,
Nagaland, Meghalaya,
Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi
and Chandigarh. Let us pray.
‘Lord, I acknowledge that the
battles Your servants face belong
to You. You are mighty.
Send Your angels to war in the
March 19: Pray that more
evangelical Christians will
penetrate into secular media
organizations all over the world
and be the voice for the Lord in
these days moral decadence.
March 20: Pray that the
shipment of Christian resources
sent by CRI to India is used wisely
and effectively.
Nations
March 21: Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem (Israel) today. The
Islamists behind the fast-
spreading unrest in the Middle
East region have one thing in
common: the annihilation of
Israel. Pray according to Psalm
122:6.
March 22: Pray for Iran today
that the nation and its rulers may
know the Lord and decide to serve
Him.
March 23: Pray for New
Zealand today. The earthquake-hit
nation lost close to 100 lives and a
couple of hundreds were reported
missing as on Feb 24.
March 24: Pray for the Middle
Eastern countries today. The
Islamic uprising otherwise known
as the Jasmine revolution
sweeping across the region
toppling regimes without any
guarantee that peaceful transition
is possible.
THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
heavenlies on behalf of those
working among the Meithei of
India today. Defeat Satan, the liar
and the thief. Smite the loins of
those who rise up against him
a c c o r d i n g t o y o u r Wo r d
(Deut33:11). Push back the
darkness by Your power and
release victory over this harvest.
Raise up Your holy standard for
all to see. Let the King of glory
come in among the Meithei of
India. Give Your servants eyes to
see the victory at hand and all the
warriors fighting beside them.
Fill them with faith and
boldness to fight on for your
glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!’
World Evangelization Research
Center/Joshua Project/Prayer
Guard.
March 25: Pray for Laos today.
An estimated 57 percent of the
population adhere to Buddhism
while ethnic religions make up
another 35 percent.
March 26: Though Christianity
is the majority religion in Latvia,
20 percent of the 34 people groups
is yet to be reached with the
Gospel. Pray.
March 27: Pray for Ukraine,
part of the former Soviet republic.
Thirty-nine out of the 97 people
groups in the country do not have
significant Christian population.
March 28: Pray for Turkey
today. Almost 64 percent of the 61
people groups in the country is yet
to be won over for the Lord. Pray
for all the missions working there.
March 29: Let’s intercede for
o u r c o u n t r y t o d a y. W h i l e
corruption stares us in the face,
many people are disgruntled and
disillusioned with the
governments. Pray that the Lord
raises honest, and efficient rulers.
March 30: Pray for Russia
today. This country plays a
significant role in the prophecies
concerning Israel in the last days.
Pray for its rulers and the people.
March 31: Pray for Algeria.
The largest number of unreached
people groups besides India in the
world is in this country.
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Page 4 | March, 2011
SAMUEL M Zwemer was
known in his time as the ‘apostle to
Islam.’ He said that prayer and
missions are so united that it is
impossible to think of one without
the other.
Andrew Murray was a mission
leader in South Africa a century
ago. He wrote book entitled ‘Key
to the Missionary Problem’.
Murray identified the problem as a
lack of passion for Christ and for
lost people, and the absence of
prayer for the power of the Holy
Spirit. Murray said that passionate
love for Christ produces a holy
passion in believers like the
passion of Christ that people be
saved.
What produces such passion?
The answer given by Murray was
prayer! Prayer, like the prayer that
led to Pentecost – intense, united
and continual. When prayer for the
power of God to do the work of
God becomes the petition of every
Christian, all the problems in
missions will be solved.
Frank Laubach was a
missionary to the Philippines for
25 years. He taught illiterate
people how to read, especially
how to read the Bible. His motto
was ‘Each one teach one’. It is said
that Laubach taught more illiterate
people to read than any other man
that ever lived. What was it that
motivated Laubach to extend his
work throught Asia, Africa and
South America? Laubach was a
man of intense prayer.
Laubach made it a habit to
spend hours every night wherever
he was in private prayer for the
poor, the lost and the illiterate. He
would go off to a field or a garden,
or lock himself in a bathroom, in
order to be alone with God in
prayer. He explained it this way:
“We shall be useful spiritually,
only if we have a secret place to
which we can run frequently for
prayer. There we shall be
recharged like a batter that has run
down; and there we shall receive
fresh instructions from our Lord
('You are My friends')
There is a revival of prayer
today among Christians around
the world. This revival began in
Latin America and South Korea.
‘Houses of prayer’ are centres of
Christian witness and growth in
places like India. Prayer revivals
lead to an increase in evangelism
and missions, with a few
exceptions. Prayer and missions
are inseparable, as Samuel
Zwemer said. (Excerpted from the
book ‘Go and make disciples’
written by Roger S Greenway.)
THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER Online Portal: www.christianmessenger.in
Page 5 | March, 2011 MARAMON CONVENTION 2011 E-mail: christianmessenger.in@gmail.com

the good Samaritan teaches us that

SIN ruptures relationships
whether they are between man and
men or man and God. Every
believer should overcome this
impediment in life and come to a
stage where they boldly proclaim
their faith, Nyameko Barney
Pityana of South Africa said.
Pityana, who was also the
principal and vice chancellor of
the University of South Africa in
the City of Tshwane in South
Africa, was one of the speakers at
the Maramon Convention 2011
held in Kerala last month.
Addressing the gathering, he
said the Bible talks about a
relationship that should not be
broken. The relationship between
man and his creator can only be set
right if man is made righteous.
Being righteous is to reconcile
with God, he said.
One of God’s characteristics is
that He stretches His hands out to
lift the downtrodden and heals the
brokenhearted. The same feature
should be found in man, created in
God’s own image. The parable of
truth. He went out of his way to
help the wounded highway farer.
When God asks us where our
brother is, we should not retort like
Cain did. Our response to God
should not be ‘Am I my brother’s
keeper?’ Instead, it should be an
honest and direct response, he
added.
The Maramon convention is
organized every year by the Mar
Thoma Evangelistic Association
the missionary wing of the Mar
Thoma Church.
The convention has been
conducted every year since 1895.
People from all around India
gather at Maramon near
Kozhencherry in Kerala to listen
to the speakers. Renowned
speakers from all over the world
have been part of the convention.
MAN was called to be the
protector of nature and not its
destroyer, Marthoma Evangelistic
Association’s president Dr.
Zacharias Mar Theophilus said on
the second day of Maramon
Convention 2011.
Addressing the gathering, he
said the questions asked of Adam,
Eve and Cain namely ‘Where are
you’ and Where is your brother’,
are questions asked of generations
even today.
Man tries to hide from others
and God when sin has got the
better of him, he said. Maramon
Convention was not an exclusive
meeting of the Marthoma Church,
he said.
out to serve, he said. asked them ‘Where are you?’
When tempests blow at us, the Later, he would ask Cain, their
natural tendency of anyone is to first-born another question,
confront God with questions. ‘Where is your brother?’ These
However, he said a believer must questions, the metropolitan said,
find out where he was in his were being asked of every man
relationship with God. and woman even today.
Overcoming hurdles in life is The church had a great role in
possible only through divine bringing the prodigal sons and
grace, he reminded the gathering. daughters back to the fold, he said.
God threw a question at Adam Marthoma Evangelistic
and Eve when they lost their Association’s president Dr.
fellowship with their creator at the Zacharias Mar Theophilus
garden of Eden due to sin. He presided over the meeting.
MARTHOMA church’s head
D r. J o s e p h M a r T h o m a
Metropolitan launched a stinging
attack on governments that added
revenue to their coffers through
the sale of liquor in their states.
Inaugurating the 116th edition
of the Maramon Convention, he
said governments that earned
revenue through the sale of Indian
Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) did
not have the progress and welfare
of the people in their minds.
Though the exercise could be
dubbed as a huge revenue
generator by the governments, he
wondered if they ever thought of
the progress of the nation in the
first place.
No government should look at
exploiting the poor and tapping
their resources through the sale of
IMFL.
Such an exercise may add
revenue to state coffers but it
hindered the welfare of the very
people whom the governments set

BY MATHEWS GEORGE
ONE of the great privileges of being a
preacher is the fact that you deal with
people. My office is like an emergency
room. Last week, a woman came to my
office along with her 8-year-old son. She
said she was doubtful and guilty to
approach God because she has been taught
since childhood that God does not listen to
sinners.
She had this ‘big sin’ hanging in her life;
she was taught all along that “one man
should marry one woman” and she has
been divorced more than once. Her life
nailed to her past and she feels she has no
way get out of the mess that she is in.
Sadly, she is not alone. There are many
out there dealing with the questions like ‘Is
God too good for me?’ or ‘Am I too bad for
God?’ Even mature Christians grapple with
such issues and similar questions.
Sin is real and it has a destroying power
over humanity. What is the one thing that
separates God from humanity? Is it
laziness or lack of prayer? Or is it our
preoccupation with ourselves? No, it is sin.
Ever since Satan understood this important
aspect of sin, his one goal has been to
alienate people from God.
Like gravitational pull, sin keeps us
struggling with our fallen nature. Sin ruins
our freedom to enjoy fellowship with God
and with one another. It takes us on a trip
filled with shame and guilt.
Satan has taken his doctorate on this. His
corporate motto is ‘keep sin alive’. He
keeps its knowledge so real and makes
people feel, guilty, shameful and repulsive
about themselves.
When God wants people to be convicted
of their sins and repent, Satan wants people
to be convinced of their sins and
permanently damage their relationship
with God. In fact, he has majored in the Right Side of Incarnation. God, in His abounding in love (Numbers 14:18; Psalm
convincing people that they cannot infinite wisdom, decided it was time to 145:8).
approach God. reveal Himself to His people. This is what In 1 John 1:1, the author tells us about
So what do people do? They follow had been achieved through the birth, death “that which was from the beginning, which
rituals and practice acts of penance to and resurrection of Jesus Christ. we have heard, which we have seen with our
please God. They go on pilgrimages to The final prayer of Jesus for all believers eyes, which we have looked at and our hands
‘holy’ places, torture their own bodies and (that includes you and me) is recorded in have touched.” Simply put, it means in the
do acts of charity in the hope that somehow John 17: 26 thus: “I have made you known beginning we only heard about God, but now
they could approach God. to them, and will continue to make you we can hear Him, see Him and touch Him.
Believe me, satan has also appointed known in order that the love you have for Isn’t that amazing?
leaders in churches to argue this point and to me may be in them and that I myself may be That is what God has done. Hitherto, we
convince people that God does not listen to in them.” But wait a minute! What does only heard His voice through the
the fallen and we have to work our way God want to make know of? His résumé, or messengers. However, now the curtain is
towards him. Paul calls it the law of the in other words, His character! opened, the veil is drawn, the lights are
flesh that is working in us. What do you Jesus lived the résumé of His Father so switched on, the life-giving water can not
think that does do to people? It makes them we His people could get a grasp of who God only be heard, but seen, touched and drunk
fearful of God, ashamed of their own life, is. He demonstrated that God is not a from. Why did Jesus do this? It is to make us
low in self-esteem and makes them look for vengeful punisher of sin but a gentle and realize ‘how wide and long and high and
recognition and love elsewhere. Sin is like a compassionate redeemer, slow to anger and deep is the love of God’ (Ephesians 3:18).
tight rope on which God and satan walk.
While God’s intention is to redeem the
sinner, Satan’s intention is to destroy
him/her.
One of the greatest lines in the Bible is
found in the story of the lost son. When his
life is in the gutter, he makes a statement
that send shivers down Satan’s spine. The
prodigal son said: “I will arise and go to my
father’s home.” While Satan had all along
been thinking that he was going to make the
‘wretched’ young man wallow in his shame
and guilt before ultimately destroying him,
suddenly out of God’s infinite mercies the
lost son decides it’s time for him to get up
and go home to the outrageous love of his
Father.
In the Old Testament days, the spoken
word of God rarely came to people, and
even when it came it was heard and not
seen. It was dispensed to the common
people through His messengers.
Fortunately, we happen to be what I call
RSI-born. Yes, you and I are people born on
Online Portal: www.christianmessenger.in
E-mail: christianmessenger.in@gmail.com
MEMBERSHIP in the mainline
Protestant denominations in the
United States continues to dip
even as membership in
Pentecostal churches is on the rise,
according to the 2011 Yearbook of
American & Canadian Churches
published this week.
The statistics are compiled in
the yearbook by the National
Council of Churches.
Pentecostal churches make up
four of the 25 largest churches, and
both the Assemblies of God and
the Church of God (Cleveland,
Tenn.) increased in membership.
The Church of God in Christ has
reported its membership to be 5.5
million.
The Assemblies of God church
with a membership of 2.9 million
reported a 0.52% increase in its
number of members.
Although the Roman Catholic
Church and the Southern Baptist
Convention retained their No.1
and No.2 positions respectively,
Catholics posted a minimal
growth of less than 1%.
The Catholic Church which has
a membership of 68.5 million
grew at 0.57% while the Southern
Baptist Convention with a
membership of 16.1 million
dropped to 0.42% in its
CHRISTIAN Telegraph, a
Christian Internet ministry in
Russian language and news
agency, has named their 2010
ministers of the year. They have
been selected, Christian Telegraph
said, “because of their vast
influence on Christianity.”
In a release, Christian
Telegraph's main editor Serge
Serhiienko said: “What influenced
the choices were their
accomplishments in 2010, polling
data and frequency of mention in
the press.”
Among the most influential
ministers of the year 2010 are
(reproduced verbatim: Ed):
Evangelist of the year:
Reinhard Bonnke: The
legendary evangelist has brought
millions of people in Africa to the
Lord. Even as Reinhard is in his
70s, his passion for Jesus is still
going strong and he desires to
awaken Europe, which has been
spiritually asleep, to the saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ. In
addition to massive crusades, he
views the Internet as a great tool
for evangelism and updates his
F a c e b o o k p a g e e v e r y d a y.
Reinhard has also prepared a
successor for himself.
Writer of the year: Lisa
Bevere: Being an international
s p e a k e r, a u t h o r o f m a n y
bestsellers and TV show hostess,
Lisa Bevere is one of the few who
encourages women all around the
world to raise their voices and
change this world for the better. In
2010 Lisa wrote the book
membership. The United
Methodist Church a distant third
with 7.8 million members also
dropped to 1% in its membership.
It may be noted that the 2011
Yearbook has figures that were
compiled by churches in 2009 and
reported to the National Council
of Churches in 2010.
The decline in the mainline
Protestant churches, according to
reports, began in the 1970s.
According to the yearbook, the
membership drop in mainline
churches led to a 1% decrease in
total U.S. church membership, to
145.8 million.
The greatest membership drop
was noticed in the statistics
reported by the Presbyterian
Church (USA). Its membership
was down by 2.6%.
Other denominations that
reported decline in their
membership include the United
Methodist Church, the
1. The Catholic Church: 68.5
million, up 0.57%
2. Southern Baptist
Convention: 16.1 million, down
.42%
3. The United Methodist
Church: 7.8 million, down 1%
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (Mormon): 6
million, up 1.42%
5. The Church of God in Christ:
5.5 million, no membership
updates reported
6. National Baptist Convention,
“Lioness Arising: Wake Up and
Change Your World,” in which she
shared a prophetic message for
women.
Missionary of the year:
Jaerock Lee: This pastor knows
that Christians lives are to be holy
and should be empowered by the
Holy Spirit. He founded a mega-
church in Manmin, South Korea
and works to bring revival and the
Gospel to the most remote corners
of the world. Just a few of the other
countries he has impacted are
Israel, Peru, Estonia, the United
States of America, India, and
countries in Africa.
Diplomat of the year: Rick
Wa r r e n : T h e p a s t o r o f
Saddleback, the mega-church in
the US, was named one of the most
popular and influential users of
Twitter. Rick Warren is one of the
few pastors who publicly speaks
with influential US governmental
officials. In 2010, he interviewed
former United States of America
president George W. Bush in his
church.
Philanthropist of the year:
TRENDS
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, the Episcopal Church as
well as the more conservative
Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod.
J e h o v a h ’s Wi t n e s s e s
experienced the greatest growth
percentage overall, gaining 4.37%
according to the yearbook.
The yearbook may not tell the
complete story as several black
denominations in the US have not
submitted fresh figures.
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (also known as
the Mormon church) has a
membership of 6 million and grew
by 1.42%. They are also
aggressively working in India.
Both Jehovah’s Witnesses and
Mormons are considered by
mainline and Pentecostal churches
as cult groups that gives credence
to the views of their founders and
their religious books besides the
Bible.
USA: 5 million, no membership
updates reported
7. Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America: 4.5 million,
down 1.96%
8. National Baptist Convention
of America: 3.5 million, no
membership updates reported
9. Assemblies of God: 2.9
m i l l i o n , u p . 5 2 %
10. Presbyterian Church (USA):
2.7 million, down 2.61%
Source: 2011 Yearbook of
American & Canadian Churches
Franklin Graham: Billy
Graham’s son and head of BGEA,
Franklin Graham has dedicated
his life to preaching the Gospel
and to helping those who are in
desperate situations, including
economically and medically. He is
the president of the world-wide
relief organization Samaritan’s
Purse and the president of the Billy
Graham Evangelical Association.
Samaritan's Purse is working in
more than 100 countries.
Pastor of the year: Paul
Melnichuk: Being the son of
Ukrainian immigrants, Paul
Melnichuk built a multi-national
mega-church called the Prayer
Palace in Toronto, Canada.
Despite the very liberal society
around him, Paul preaches the
uncompromised Gospel. The
Prayer Palace unites Christians of
more than 50 nationalities.
Leader of the year: James
Davis: James Davis is the co-
founder of the growing coalition
of ministries and denominations
called Billion Soul Network. It
includes more than 350,000
THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
‘2/3 of American teens want
their virginity back’
TWO-THIRDS of teenagers
wish they had their virginity back,
a survey by OneHope, a youth
ministry based in the US said.
The OneHope ministry was
founded in 1987 by missionary
Bob Hoskins.
As many as 5,108 randomly
selected youth between ages 13
and 18 were surveyed about their
beliefs, values and spirituality.
Out of the total number of
persons surveyed, 61 percent said
they would like to be virgins when
they get married, but 50 percent
consider an unmarried man and
woman a family
While 82 percent believe God
intended marriage to last for a
lifetime, 76 percent of those
surveyed approve of divorce when
T H E
British
governm
ent led by
David
Cameron
c o u l d
s o o n
m a k e
changes
to its policy on ‘marriage’ between
homosexuals.
The United Kingdom may soon
allow same-sex couples to hold
partnership ceremonies in
churches, news reports said. The
unions could also be officially
known as ‘marriages’.
churches. James is a gifted leader
and his goal is to strengthen
relations between pastors in order
to plant five million churches and
bring one billion people to Christ.
Reformer of the year: Mark
Driscoll: He is the pastor of Mars
Hill Church in Washington, US,
and is working to reform the
approach of having church and
being a community of believers.
He is using the latest technologies
to do that. Mars Hill Church has
created its own Internet network,
which is a virtual community that
helps church members build
strong relationships.
Broadcaster of the year:
James Dobson: After more than
30 years of ministry and as the
leader of one of the most
influential pro-family
organizations in the US, Focus on
Page 6 | March, 2011
children are involved.
In the survey, about 80 percent
cite parents as having a strong
influence over their thoughts and
actions. However, 34 percent
spend less than 15 minutes a week
talking with their fathers about
things that matter.
While 57 percent believe being
good people and doing good deeds
will get you into heaven, 52
percent believe spiritual
development is not necessary for a
satisfying life.
While 65 percent believe truth
is relative, 69 percent watch MTV
on a weekly basis, the survey
findings said.The research
contains country-specific research
reports, analyses, photos and other
information.
“The government is currently
considering what the next stage
should be for civil partnerships,
including how some religious
organizations can allow same-sex
couples to register their
relationship in a religious setting if
they wish to do so,” a spokesman
for Britain’s Home Office said.
“Ministers have met a range of
people and organizations to hear
their views on this issue,” he
added.
The UK government registrars
currently perform civil
partnerships. The government has
ruled that such ceremonies must
take place in a public buildings.
the Family, James Dobson left the
ministry that he founded and
started a new radio program called
Family Talk. The focus of the new
program is to strengthen the
institution of family, which James
says is the foundation of a strong
society.
Strategist of the year:
Leonard Sweet: Leonard Sweet
is a historian of the American
culture, futurist who sees the
trends in the society that are
unnoticed by others and a writer.
Leonard is also a consultant to
many churches and develops
strategies to fulfill the Great
Commission in the digital age of
the 21st century.
News, views & interviews
Log on to
www.christianmessenger.in
THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER
Page 7 | March, 2011
FORMER Karnataka High
Court judge M F Saldanha has
accused chief minister B S
Yeddyurappa and home minister V
S Acharya of being party to attacks
on churches in Karnataka in
September 2008, in an
‘independent’ report he compiled
on the attacks.
In his enquiry commission
report, he has concluded that “the
church attack incidents are
representative of the hidden
agenda of the party in power in the
State, the BJP, which is driven by a
very strong casteist force.”
Speaking to reporters after
releasing the report in Mangalore
on Feb 24, Justice Saldanha said
that every attacks and incidents,
which took place were instigated
and pre-planned.
“Chief Minister B S
Yeddyurappa and the then Home
Minister Dr V S Acharya were
directly responsible for the State-
sponsored attacks,” Saldanha
charged.
Justice Saldanha’s report was
prepared with the support of the
People’s Union for Civil Liberties
and Transparency International.
The official report of the Justice
B K Somashekhara commission of
inquiry, instituted by the BJP-led
Karnataka government, had ruled
OVER 1,000 Muslim protesters
stormed into a courthouse and
burned two churches in central
Java, Indonesia recently.
According to the BBC website,
the attacks in Temanggung
happened after a Christian man
was sentenced to five years in jail
for distributing leaflets deemed
insulting to Islam.
The BBC reported that
Indonesian police said the crowd
considered the sentence too
lenient and were demanding the
death penalty.
The BBC said the incident came
two days after Muslim villagers in
western Java killed three members
of a minority Islamic sect.
A Chinese Christian jailed and
tortured for editing an
underground newspaper spoke out
on her first visit to the UK to brand
as a lie the idea that China enjoys
religious freedom.
The woman identified only as
‘Sarah’ has spent a total of six
years in jail for her faith.
She was the keynote speaker at
a women’s conference held on Feb
19 by Release International, which
serves the persecuted church.
“It’s very dark in China for
Christians,” said Sarah after the
conference. “In the UK or Ireland
or the US, I feel the sky is blue.
“A lot of our brothers and sisters
(in China) are still being tortured.
The persecution never stops in
China. Some people don’t
understand that China is not free.”
Sarah used her speech to share
some of her own harrowing
experiences, including three spells
in jail.
On one occasion, she was
seized from her bed at night and
out state conspiracy. The official
report blamed said neither the BJP
nor the State government had any
role ‘directly’ or ‘indirectly’ in the
violence.
“In all the incidents involving
violence, the principal culpability
rests with the State police
department. Not a single instance
of violence, be it lathi charge, use
of teargas, smashing of vehicles,
church property, crucifix, statues
and sacred objects, can either be
condoned or justified,” he added
and said that those were all rank
criminal offences for which
officers and staff concerned
deserved to be prosecuted.
He said the police violence
committed inside the primary
school at Kulshekhar is
unpardonable and unprecedented.
“The use of out-dated teargas
shells containing toxic gas inside
the church and school can only be
WHAT started as a prank in
preparation for a local religious
festival in Assam, turned violent
last month, resulting in the
destruction of property at a Gospel
for Asia-supported Bible College
and a death threat against one of its
faculty members.
In preparation for the harvest
festival, young people in Assam
have a tradition of holding all-
night bonfires, punctuated with
singing and dancing—along with
stealing chickens, vegetables and
firewood from the local villages.
They also go door-to-door
collecting money for the
festival.Because the festival
celebrates a traditional god
worshiped in that village, the
taken to a warehouse where guards
tortured her to try to make her sign
a confession and a document
implicating her friends.
She was beaten severely,
especially on her feet, then
shackled and made to walk back
and forth in chains for hours.
Sarah refused to sign.
A video re-enactment of her
ordeal posted on YouTube
(Sarah’s Trail of Blood) was
played before she addressed the
conference, prompting a standing
ovation as she got up to speak.
Sarah, who had to flee China for
her own safety, said many
Christians she knows are in jail,
including several of the 400
members of her church arrested
with her in 2001.
One of her friends and co-
workers, Li Ying, is nine years into
a 15-year jail sentence.
Sarah also spoke about the
power of prayer - and about the
hunger for Scripture in China.
“In my experience, it’s not my
PERSECUTION
defined as an attempt to murder.
The arrogance of the police
officers standing with their boots
on the sacred altar table is again
unpardonable and unforgivable,”
he observed.
Justice Saldanha said to as part
of his investigations and to
prepare the report he had visited
413 places including hospitals,
police stations, jails, government
offices and prayer centres and
examined 673 witnesses and 2,114
victims.
“However, I could not find
instances of forceful conversion.
No cases of forceful conversions
were registered in any of the police
stations across the State as on
September 14, 2008,” Saldanha
said.
On allegations of circulation of
offensive literature
‘Satyadarshini,’ Saldanha said, “it
was a ploy to justify the
unpardonable and indefensible
attacks.”
“I have also investigated very
thoroughly as to whether any
foreign funds have been received
and channelised for any unlawful
or anti-social purpose and the
answer is that there is not only zero
evidence but that there is also no
ground for suspicion as far as this
is concerned,” he added.
Bible college leaders politely
declined to donate any money
when the young people came to
the school.
The young locals began
demanding money then turned to
violence when none was
forthcoming.
About 100 people, armed with
axes and knives, attacked the
school, tearing down fences,
cutting electrical wires and
destroying one wall of the college
chapel. They also threatened to
kill Darvin Paswan, the school’s
training coordinator, when he tried
to stop their rampage. When some
of the students tried to intervene,
the mob’s leaders threatened them,
as well.
physical body that can overcome,”
she said.
“I can only think of one thing:
Jesus Christ laid down His life on
the cross and I just want to follow
him. He rose up from the dead and
I have hope in heaven.”
“The Chinese Government is
unreasonable,” said Sarah.
“(People) just want justice; they
just want their country to be better.
I just want to talk to people about
Jesus - and they made me a
criminal.”
S a r a h b e l i e v e s We s t e r n
Governments’ lobbying for
greater religious freedom in China
has been successful in the past -
citing in particular the example of
US President George W Bush’s
visit to China in 2001.
“It can help,” Sarah said. “Our
(Christian prisoners’) situation did
change some (in 2001) and a lot of
people brought news outside and a
lot of brothers and sisters (across
the world) prayed for us so things
got slightly better.”
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AUTHORITIES in the US and
Mexico are investigating the
killing of an American missionary
in Mexico, even as mission groups
in Texas are re-evaluating the risks
of working in the country.
According to reports, 59-year-
old Nancy Davis had ministered in
Mexico for 40 years. Her husband
said they were about 70 miles
south of the border when gunmen
in a pick-up truck tried to stop
them. When Davis sped up, they
opened fire, wounding Nancy in
the head.
“The gunshot wound would
have happened in the interior of
Mexico as they traveled from
Mexico towards the United
States,” Pharr, Texas Police chief
Ruben Villescas said.
THE gay community that got a
British court to fine Peter and
Hazelmary Bull, Christian owners
of a Cornish guesthouse, of £3,600
last month seems to be out to
harass them even further.
They are now attacking the
couple where it hurts them the
most. The couple has complained
of bogus reviews about their hotel
on travel websites.
Peter and Hazelmary Bull were
fined £3,600 last month because of
their policy of restricting double
rooms to married couples.
They were sued by a
homosexual couple.
Utterly false reviews are being
placed on Tripadvisor.co.uk, a
prominent travel website, in what
appears to be an attempt to harm
their business.
The reviews were found to be
fake when Mrs. Bull discovered
that the people behind them were
claiming to have stayed at the
hotel in the winter – when the hotel
Authorities said the shooting
happened in one of the most
dangerous areas of the country.
The area is controlled by the Zetas
drug cartel, a fact the Davises
probably knew already.
Friends said they spent a
lifetime in Mexico helping start
new churches. The slain
missionary’s son said his mother
died doing what she loved.
“Time after time, what made
her the happiest was seeing
somebody hit their knees and
come up forgiven for whatever
they’ve done - murder, rape, the
smallest sin,” he said. “She’d
come home so happy. She’d say:
“Well, we stole another one from
the devil today’.”
Reports quoted mission groups
in south Texas as saying Nancy’s
death is yet another wake-up call
to the dangers of ministry in
Mexico, and they are re-assessing
their travel policies.
After the shooting, Davis said
he drove to the border at top speed
to outrun the gunmen. His wife
died of her wounds about an hour
later in a south Texas hospital.
was closed.
One of the reviews said: “The
bedsheets were soiled and there
was a strong smell of urine coming
from the mattress. I even spotted a
dead coakroach [sic] behind the
dresser.”
Interestingly, the review was
posted on the same day as the court
ruling against the couple,
Another review, posted on the
first day of the couple’s trial in
December, said: “The service and
‘welcome’ was as friendly as
havin [sic] a gun pointed to your
face with a sinister smile on the
face of the person about to fire it!”
Reacting to the malicious
attacks on their business, Mrs.
Bull said: “I was moved to tears
when I saw the reviews. I pride
myself on cleanliness and we
work so hard to provide a good
experience to people.
“It’s a cruel and vicious thing to
do, and it couldn’t have come at a
worse time because people are
now booking summer holidays.
This could wreck our business.”
Although TripAdvisor has a
policy of inviting business
managers to respond to reviews, it
has failed to display the response,
according to Mrs. Bull.
When Daily Mail newspaper
contacted TripAdvisor website, it
promised to remove the suspect
reviews immediately.
Registrar of Newspapers in India No. TNBIL/2004/15307
Postal Registration No. TN/CCN/271/10-12
Licensed to Post Without Pre-payment WPP No. TN/CCN/77/10-12
View From The Pew
BY ROBIN SAM
THE Justice B K Somasekhara
C o m m i s s i o n o f I n q u i r y,
constituted by the BJP-led
Karnataka government to probe
into the attacks on churches and
prayer halls in Karnataka in 2008,
has said in its final report that
neither the Sangh Parivar of which
the BJP is a constituent, nor the
State government had any role
‘directly’ or ‘indirectly’ in the
violence.
With due respect to the former
judge, I must say the report is yet
another attack on the Christian
community by the BJP. Only this
time it is an attack on the collective
wisdom and intelligence of
Christians. That the report smacks
of blatant bias is obvious. What
now needs to be made clear is this:
Was Justice Somasekhara a pliant
tool in the hand of the BJP
government?
The report that was released to
the media last month said no
individual or organization was
responsible for the attacks.
If that makes you wonder if the
attacks were a figment of a
‘petrified’ Christian community’s
imagination or if some aliens had
quietly and deftly orchestrated the
violence before leaving the earth
without a shred of evidence, then
Somasekhara would conveniently
blame it on some ‘misguided
fundamentalist miscreants’.
You got to give it to this man!
He has made it so very simple for
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JUSTICE DENIED: Retired judge B K Somasekhara, who headed the
commission of inquiry, makes a point during an interaction with the media.
the Yeddyurappa government that
is already being hauled over the
coals for ‘corruption’, charges of
nepotism and land ‘scam’.
The faceless, nameless
‘misguided fundamentalist
miscreants’ don’t have a problem
at being cited as the prime accused
in the report. Since no individual
or organization is responsible for
the anti-Christian violence, the
government can now move on to
other ‘important’ things like
tackling a ‘prickly’ antagonist in
Governor H S Bharadwaj.
The report has more comic lines
than the biggest hit film of David
Dhawan. Sample this one: “No
real Hindus are behind the church
attacks.” That’s not only funny but
mischievous outright, Mr.
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LAST WORD
Somasekhara! Heaven knows
what you were hinting at!
The group of ‘misguided
fundamentalist miscreants’, he
said, ‘mistakenly presumed that
they will be protected by the party
in power.’ To me it looks like they
were not dimwitted or mistaken in
their judgment, after all. Hasn’t
the Yeddyurappa government
baled them out by appointing a
judicial commission that nailed no
one in particular and yet
effectively closed the case?
It appears the retired justice also
tried to drive a wedge between
Catholics and Protestants in the
country. While his report absolved
Roman Catholic churches over
alleged conversions, it claimed
there were conversions by “a few
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Published on 2nd / 3rd of every month | Page 8 | March, 2011
organizations and self-styled
pastors,” which were “not
necessarily by compulsion or
fraud or coercion but definitely by
inducements.”
As the DNA reported, the
Somasekhara commission has
failed to achieve one of its very
terms of reference, ‘one of which
clearly states: to identify persons
and organizations responsible for
the above incidents.’
The commission and its report
turned out to be a face-saving
exercise for the BJP and the Sangh
Parivar and a farcical move for the
hapless Christian community.
The panel took 28 months,
spent Rs3 crore and examined 800
recorded evidence in close to 300
sittings. For the BJP and its
acolytes in the Sangh Parivar, this
is time and money indeed ‘well
spent’!
‘The flying sadhu
of Madras’
Price: 100/-
BETWEEN August and
October 2008, there were 48
incidents of violence or
discrimination against Christians
across 14 districts in Karnataka,
according to the All India
Christian Council.
The incidents ranged from
throwing stones at Christian
homes to vandalism of 39
churches to physical attacks on
clergy. The frequency of the
attacks peaked on September 14
with 12 attacks near Mangalore
and another 6 attacks elsewhere
within a few hours. Seventeen
were in Dakshina Kannada
district, eight were in Davanagere
district, five in Udupi district, and
others were scattered across the
state including five in the
Bangalore city area.
The AICC said: “It is notable
that at least 16 of 39 attacks on
Christian places of worship
occurred after September 14 in
spite of appeals to state and central
authorities. Also, only two
churches of the New Life
Fellowship Trust were attacked.
New Life was publicly blamed for
sparking the violence by allegedly
publishing a pamphlet derogatory
of Hindu gods, a charge later
proven to be false. The Roman
Catholic denomination bore the
brunt of attacks (11) along with the
Believers Church (5). Nineteen
targeted structures, the clear
majority, were independent
churches or prayer halls.”
‘Pulpit Humour’
101 Clean Jokes
Price: 75/-