DAWN Fridayfax 1995 #25

News from Denmark, Vietnam, France, Belgium

Denmark: Hindu leaders become Christians

Since 15 June 1995, over 50 Hindus, including several leaders of the Tamil Hindu organization "Tamil Sangam," have decided to become Christians, according to reports from the Indian evangelist, author and church-planter Sadhu Chellapa (Madras). Chellapa, who was threatened repeatedly during evangelistic crusades in Germany and Denmark last year, also reports that all around the world, large numbers of Hindus become Christians when they hear of the incredible references to Jesus in their own scriptures. In the Rig Veda, one of the holy books of Hinduism, for example, Prajapati ("Creator God") is mentioned, who will come one day to give his life for man's sin, so that no more animal sacrifices are necessary. He would also be called "the Lamb of God," the child of a virgin, die on a wood and arise after three days. Chellapa sees these as clear references to Jesus Christ, which are fulfilled in the New Testament.

In Denmark, there are already around 7 evangelical churches for the 30,000 Tamil refugees. The churches belong to the "Denmark Tamil Congregation," which is led by Noel (Aarhus). The Tamil church-planting movement was initiated in Denmark by Jeyarayam, who now works as a translator for the Danish government.

Source: Sadhu Chellapa and Noel, Tel. 0045-86-244337

Vietnam: House-church movement is still growing

Pastor Ai, General Superintendent of one of the Vietnamese house-church movements, reports that the underground churches are continuing to grow. The Christian churches in Vietnam can only operate underground, just as in China, because the persecution of Christians and the connected official restrictions are continuing. Pastor Ai reports that his movement reached 20,000 people with the gospel in 1994, of which 3,000 joined the movement. 1,000 have already been baptized, 47 new cell groups have been started and 19 new churches planted. Pastor Ai was imprisoned for a long period because of his faith.

The speaker of another of Vietnam's house-church movements also reported that their experiences to date have been very encouraging, and as a result have set 500 new churches as their target for 1995.

Source: Open Doors, Tel (41) 21-6483500 FAX 6483803

Paris: more than 300 attend a Tamil church

A lay Tamil Christian, married with a French woman and with no theological training, leads one of the largest evangelical churches in Paris. As "Pastor Ganeshan" reported at a Paris conference for Christian leaders in June 1995, in 1991 he was asked to take over the leadership of a 10-person Tamil prayer group. He refused, because he realized that they spent 12 hours praying most Friday nights. He considered himself unable, but after a while gave in almost against his will. From those small beginnings, a church of 300 has grown, whose emphasis is on prayer and evangelizing the Sri-Lankan Tamil Hindus.

Source: Abel Ganeshan Kogilan, Fax (33) 43522693 Tel 49372266

Belgium: Prayer and sound morals offer hope for Europe

"Politicians need prayer in order to withstand 'the third temptation of Christ, that of power.'" So said Georgina Dufoix, previously the French Minister of Health, at a conference about "Hope in modern Europe" in Brussels. 60 evangelical representatives from 12 countries met to work out Biblical recommendations for bioethics, wealth and poverty, family, religious freedom, North-South and East-West tensions and political cooperation between Christians in Europe. Dufoix continued: "Politicians are often fragile people, susceptible to the seduction of democratic power, particularly when it comes to their own re-election." She became a Christian in the last third of her political career in Paris.

"Democracy alone cannot prevent immorality. For that, you need a strong basic morality" according to Andre Rouvoet, a Dutch parliamentarian. "The question is not whether morals are legislated, but whose morals are legislated. Christians have nothing to hide here." The conference was organized by the "Culture, Values and Politics" working group of the "Hope for Europe" network, a pan-European partnership initiative supported by the Evangelical Alliance UK and the Lausanne Movement among others.

Source: Julia Doxat-Purser, EEA, Blvd. Clovis 12A; 1040 Brussels Tel 32- 2-7362737 FAX 7325369

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