DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #12

DAWN News from Estonia, North Korea, Argentina, Malaysia

Estonia: Evangelistic cooperation and alliance

According to the recently-published report "Kui kristlik on Eestimaa?" ("How Christian is Estonia?", available in Estonian and English), Estonia, the northernmost Baltic nation, has 1,476,031 inhabitants and only 491 Christian churches. Even the organisers were surprised by the number of participants: 220 people, among which were many denominational leaders and pastors, attended the 2nd Church Growth Conference in Tallinn on 13th March 1997.
The seminar, at which the DAWN strategy was discussed, was organised by the Estonian Evangelical Alliance (EEA), led by Olav Parnamets, Superintendent of the Estonian Methodist Church and Pastor Indrek Luide from Rapla. Figures presented by Alland Parman and supported by the latest information from Tiit Sepp, 2nd Chairman of the Estonian Ministry of Religion, showed that there are around 990 villages of over 100 inhabitants without an evangelical church.
Over 13% of the population does not attend church simply because they have no transport. Church attendance in the country is stagnant or declining. The result of the seminar was a resolution by the attendees to cooperate in achieving the aim of "every person in Estonia being able to not only hear the gospel but join a church" by opening new churches and preaching rooms.
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Estonia also joined in the resolution. Leevi Reinaru, a pastor in the Lutheran church, reported that his church had recently opened 10 new preaching rooms; the Methodist church plans to double its present number of 22 churches by the end of the century; the Union of Baptist and Free Churches plans to expand from 85 to 100 churches in the same period, and Harry Leesment, leader of a Bible school in Suurupi near Tallinn, said that "the Estonian Christian Pentecostal Church will soon set a concrete target".
Source: Wolfgang Simson, DAWN, fax (44)-118-9412953; Indrek Luide/Alland Parman, fax (372)-2-765696, e-mail alland@teek.ee, and Merike Uudam, fax (372)-7-428898

North Korea: permission for the first independent Christian church

A joint venture between the Institute of Farming in Salaz, the Swiss Hill Farmers Association and the mission agency Campus Crusade for Christ has received permission to plant the first independent Christian church in North Korea. Hanspeter Nuesch, leader of the mission agency's Swiss branch, tells us that the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations gave them permission to plant the church in the area in which the organisations are cooperating to provide assistance with farming, such as methods of growing grass and raising goats. North Korea currently has only three registered churches, all of which are tightly bound to the officially atheistic state.
Source: Hanspeter Nuesch, Campus fur Christus, Zurich, fax (41)-1-2717819

Argentina: healings in Santa Fe

We have received reports of a number of physical healings during a visit by evangelist Randy Clark at the Vision de Futura church in Santa Fe. Omar Cabrera, the pastor, was beaten and sent to jail for "healing without a licence" not long after the church was planted 25 years ago. Here are some extracts from a report by Rick Stier:
Rosa looked as though she was a few months pregnant. Her abdomen had remained expanded after she gave birth to her youngest child 6 years ago, and she had to wear pregnancy dresses all the time. She was healed during prayer, as was a 6-year-old child, who was healed of an ear infection on the spot. One weak, poor old man was completely blind, and his eyes were rolled back so that only the whites were visible. After about an hour of prayer, one of his eyes rolled forward and he could see again. Full of joy, he could hardly let go of the evangelist's hand as he shouted 'Thank you, thank you Lord!'." According to Stier, many Argentinian Christians see worship as a key to deliverance from demons. During the worship time, two women independently of one another heard a rough, guttural, demonic voice say loudly "I can't stand it any more. I'm going!"
Source: Rick Stier, via Global Resources Ministries Inc., USA

Malaysia: Hindu finds God while meditating

One day, Suresh, a strict Hindu, heard the words "I am the way, the truth and the life" while meditating, but he had no idea who spoke to him and why. Three days running, he heard the same voice speaking the words. He asked a Christian acquaintance, who took him to a Catholic priest. The priest showed him the verse in the Bible (John 14:6) which he had heard. Suresh then knew that it was Jesus who had spoken to him, and decided to become a Christian. Today, all the members of his family are baptised Christians, members of the Anglican St. Christopher's church in Ulu Tiram.
Source: J.S. Thomas, Malaysia

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