DAWN Fridayfax 1995 #26

News from Chile, Belgium, India, Florida (USA), Former Yugoslavia

Chile: church-planting in the world's southernmost town

In February 1995, an evangelical church was founded in Port Williams, the world's southernmost town, which is only 60 miles away from Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America. Among the 2,500 inhabitants are around 50 descendants of the Yagan Indians. In the last century, some 15 missionaries died as martyrs trying to bring the gospel to the tribe. Missionaries Ben and Monika Garrett have also started a house church with "Sister Ursula", a Yagan Christian. The "Ukika Foursquare Church of Port Williams", which meets in a very modest 6 by 9 meter "church" was the fruit of their work among the Ukika Indians. Garrett, his Chilean wife Monika and their daughter live on a boat, and report that they were able to evangelise without any help from outside.

Source: Ben Garrett, P.O. Box 70, Puerto Williams, Chile

Belgium: reconciliation and evangelistic strategy

55 pastors and representatives of 9 denominations met on 24 June 1995 at the invitation of the Evangelical Alliance UK in the French-speaking part of Belgium, to discuss strategic co-operation in evangelising Belgium. According to a study presented by pastor Jan Jacques Lovis, there are around 600 Protestant churches for the 10 million Belgians. That is the same number as at the height of the Belgian counter- Reformation, when Protestantism was almost completely wiped out by Spanish soldiers who invaded the land by order of the Catholic church.

There are currently 39,000 people regularly attending Protestant services in Belgium - around 0.4 percent of the population. Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium, has 4 million inhabitants and 340 Protestant churches in 25 groups attended by 24,000 people, which is 0.6 percent of the Walloons. That means that there is 1 person in 240 is Protestant, there is 1 Protestant pastor for every 13,000 people, and one church for every 12,000. The consultation, which was based on the DAWN strategy, concluded that the churches, under the leadership of the Belgian Evangelical Federation, should aim to reach 1 church for every 1,000 inhabitants.

One unplanned incident at the conference was when an Italian pastor found the courage to express his pain that his people, which make up one of the country's largest minorities, were "rejected by Belgian churches." His openness, according to Jan Jacques Lovis, led to "much repentance and reconciliation between the Belgian pastors, and the beginning of the healing of the relationship between the peoples."

Source: Jan Jacques Lovis, Tel/FAX 32-65-787452

Indian government distributes Christian videos to temple prostitutes

There are around 50,000 temple prostitutes between 15 and 50 years of age in the Indian state of Karnataka alone. They are normally dedicated to the goddess Yellamma by their parents and receive the Devadasi ("God's Servant") mark on their foreheads. They must then first "serve" the priests and then work as prostitutes near the temple. They are generally very poor and often have to bring up children who will never see their father. The Indian Bible Society has now produced a video titled "Deliverance" which reveals the plight of these people. It shows two prostitutes in the Bible who received God's love and forgiveness.

500 videos have already been distributed, and the state government has ordered 25 in order to show them in the state's villages.

Source: L'Avenement, July 1995.

Awakening in Florida

In Melbourne, Florida, dozens of churches from various denominations are meeting 6 times a week for united services, and there are reports of "many conversions and healings." A local radio station has also been caught up in the movement and has reported about the happenings, with the result that hundreds of people are asking for prayer.

Source: L'Avenement, July 1995.

Titograd: reconciliatory prayer and evangelisation

Several years ago, Kjell Sjoberg, the Swedish prayer leader, asked a Sarajevan pastor his standard question: "Can you tell me the darkest and most difficult place in your country, where it has been impossible to plant a church?" The pastor answered immediately: "Titograd. 80 percent of the population are atheists." Sjoberg then led a prayer team in Titograd.

One of the places in which they prayed was a Catholic church which stands on the site of a Second World War prisoner-of-war camp in which 2,000 German soldiers were massacred. Sjoberg's team prayed with local Christians for forgiveness for this blood-guilt, and that an evangelical church would be founded in Titograd. The following year, the prayer was answered, and the church now has more than 100 members. Sjoberg reports that he repeatedly sees an incredible link between prayer and evangelisation.

Source: Kjell Sjoberg Fax 46-8-582-46643

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