DAWN Fridayfax 1995 #32

News from Italy, USA, Russia, Germany, Mongolia

Italy: Council of Protestant Churches founded in Naples

Lutherans, Reformed, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists and Pentecostals have founded a Protestant Church Council to promote cooperation between various churches, coordinate evangelisation, protect religious freedom and support social and cultural activities.

Source: APD

USA: Revival on Campus

According to Dr. Bill Taylor of the Worldwide Evangelical Alliance (Austin, Texas), a mini-revival took place at a Campus for Christ staff conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. Between 4,000 and 5,000 mainly American staff attended the conference which took place from 23-25th July 1995. A number of them described the happenings as a "Holy Spirit-inspired mini-revival, which derailed the planned proceedings."

It started as the participants were invited to confess their sins following sessions examining the role of man's heart in revival. The number wanting to publicly confess their sins remained constant during two days and nights. Bill Bright, the founder and leader of the mission organisation, prayed continuously for revival last summer, and spent 40 days fasting. In December, he invited a group of spiritual leaders to a 3-day prayer conference. All of Campus' staff, including Bill Bright, said of their conference: "We have never experienced anything like this, and will never be the same again."

Source: Bill Taylor and others, via Bob Hall, New Zealand, 100354.3311@compuserve.com

Moscow: Prayers stop Russian Mafia

The Adventist Clinic in Moscow has not received any threats of extortion following world-wide prayer. In Spring 1995, the medical centre was strongly threatened by the Russian Mafia. Callers repeatedly threatened violence if high monthly payments were not made.

The clinic leader announced their position worldwide via the Internet, which led many Christians to pray. In Moscow alone, the clinic received over 10,000 encouraging letters, faxes and e-mails. After the staff displayed some of the letters openly in front of the clinic, the threats stopped. Patients and visitors spoke openly of how impressed they were by the Christians' worldwide solidarity.

Source: APD
More from Russia

Germany: "Berlin Declaration" Initiative

Many experts consider that Germany is next to Japan in the ranking of problems in the relationship between charismatic and non- or anti-charismatic Christians. An increasing number of well-known Christians in the German-speaking world are calling for a "Berlin Declaration Initiative". The now famous original Berlin Declaration was a resolution signed in 1909 by 56 conservative and evangelical "brothers" who were irritated by the strange, supernatural events surrounding the Pentecostal movement and declared them to be inspired by "a spirit from below".

The aim of the Berlin Declaration Initiative is to overcome the three-generations-old barriers between conservative and Pentecostal/charismatic Christians in the German-speaking world, and to bring current charismatic and non-charismatic leaders together to make a new declaration which will build bridges and enable future respect and cooperation between the two groups. The Austrian Evangelical Alliance, under the leadership of Fritz Borner (Linz), has joined the German Initiative group which was founded by the evangelist Herbert Masuch (Scheesel).

Source and information: H. Masuch, Am Heidesee 2, D-27383 Scheesel Tel/Fax (49) 4263-5140 and the Austrian Evang. Alliance, Fritz Borner, Schumpeterstr. 9, A-4040 Linz Tel/Fax (43) 732-248019

Mongolia: Growth from 4 to 2000 local churches

According to Mark Brockman, the leader of the American mission research group "The Sentinel Group" (Lynnwood), there were only 4 indigenous churches in Mongolia in 1991. He reports in the AD-2000 Prayer Track's news journal that the number has now increased to 2000.

Source: Mark Brockmann, Prayer Track News, Vol. 4 No. 3

Note: Later accounts suggest that this report may be the result of a misunderstanding. Editor

Russia: Boris Yeltsin supports religious freedom

Reports say that the Russian president Boris Yeltsin has rejected attempts by a few political groups to limit religious freedom in Russia and introduce stricter laws for foreign religious groups. Communists and Parliamentarians tried to introduce a change in the definition of "dangerous religious groups" which would have enabled restrictions on foreign missionaries. Yeltsin explained his rejection of the motion by saying that "in a democracy, there must be religious freedom."

Source: Prayer Track News, Vol.4 No.3

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