DAWN Fridayfax 1997 #43

DAWN News from India, Central Asia, Philippines, Ethiopia and Worldwide

Northern India: 6-year-old boy raised from the dead

Dunger is a village on the border between the northern Indian states of Rajastan and Gujarat. A 6-year-old boy drowned there recently and was to be buried later the same day, as is normal in many hot countries. But according to Parthing Matchar, the boy's father, pastor Duad, a Christian called Manu and a number of other members of the Indian Pentecostal Church (IPC) got there first. They prayed in Jesus' name and placed their Bibles symbolically on the child's body. "Then the child opened his eyes, alive. We could find no words to express our feelings as we experienced God's power raising the dead as he did in Acts."
Source: K.Y. Geevarghese, IPC-W.C.R., 153-C Pkt-B, Mayur Vihar Phase II, Delhi 91, India, Tel. (91)-11-2471455

North India/Haryana: church planting through a power encounter

The above report is no special case. Delhi Pastor K.Y. Geevarghese, president of one section of the IPC, confirmed not only that Pastor Daud has recently seen 4 people raised from the dead, but also that his movement has planted 110 churches in Rajastan and 123 in Haryana, both traditionally almost unreached Northern Indian states. "What method do you use to plant churches?" we asked him: "Jesus' power is again and again demonstrated as our pastors and evangelists travel to the villages, and we regularly experience healings, deliverance from demons and people being raised from the dead."
Source: K.Y. Geevarghese, IPC-W.C.R., 153-C Pkt-B, Mayur Vihar Phase II, Delhi 91, India, Tel. (91)-11-2471455

International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians

In the 20th Century, more Christians have died for their faith as in all the previous 19 centuries together. An increasing number of Christians believe that it is time to speak up about this fact. The Worldwide Evangelical Fellowship has declared 16th November 1997 to be the "International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians". The initiative has found wide support. According to a WEF statement, persecution is a situation in which the central question is "In which god will you believe in the future?", and if the answer is "Jesus", "You're under arrest."
Further details are available from IDOP, PO BOX WEF, Wheaton IL 60189-8003, USA. FAX (1)-630-6680498. Website: http://www.persecutedchurch.org

Central Asia: Jesus appears to Moslems in dreams

A missionary team (see last week's Friday Fax) reports from their visit to the Central Asian republics of Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan: "One of the journey's most interesting experiences was to listen to a large number of people telling how they became Christians," writes the team leader. "Previously, they had been atheists or Moslems. Some told us how God had spoken to them in dreams. Others told us how they had had headaches for days after hearing about Christ. As soon as they decided to become Christians, the headache was gone. One woman told us that on the night she heard about Jesus, nothing happened until she went to sleep. While she slept, she had a terrible dream, in which a satanic figure told her 'You will never escape from me.' But now she has also become a Christian."
Source withheld

Philippines: Hand in hand to the last Barangay

Healthy strategic realism is coming from the Philippines, the birthplace of the DAWN movement. In 1974, Philippine church leaders decided to cooperate in planting 50,000 churches by the year 2000. At the end of September 1997, research conducted by Kenny Wong, Chris Balaga and Rev. Raffy Salonga showed that around 26,000 Barangays (neighbourhoods) still do not have a church. Two positive trends are visible, though: firstly, the most significant church growth (9.5% per Annum) took place in the Visaya region, previously the least evangelised part of the Philippines. Secondly, in the last 5 years, almost every second church planted was in a neighbourhood which previously had no church. According to Roy Wingerd, DAWN Ministries research specialist, this means that the churches are increasingly focussing on unreached areas. The latest research shows that there were 32,000 churches in the Philippines at the end of 1996. This means that it will only be possible for them to reach their target of 50,000 churches by the year 2000 if they can grow at a rate of 12.5% per year. If this growth continues until the year 2005, their aim of one church in every barangay will have been reached. With this in mind, the next planned national DAWN conference has the title "Hand in hand to the last barangay!"
Source: Roy Wingerd, DAWN Ministries.

Ethiopia: 25 Islamic sheikhs become Christians

Almost every time I speak with Christian leaders from predominantly Islamic countries, I hear that they also know of an Islamic sheikh who has become a Christian. Recently, according to a leading member of staff in an evangelical organisation in Ethiopia, 25 sheikhs have become Christians in the east-Ethiopian and predominantly Moslem town Harar. They now meet regularly for Bible study and prayer, according to the reliable report.
Source: name and address withheld.

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