DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #30

News from Japan, USA (Hawaii & Georgia), Maldives, India

In this issue:
Japan: New churches
Hawaii: Mega-churches on small islands
USA: 50,000 women attend conference
Maldives: Government helps Christianity!
India: Mark conquers Shiva

Japan: New churches

The "Church Information Service of Japan" reports that 29 new churches were planted in Japan during 1997, according to the World Pulse news service. The Japan Evangelical Missionary Association and the Japan Evangelical Association are cooperating to find churches for Japanese who have become Christians abroad to find a church on their return to Japan. To date, the organisation has assisted around 100 Japanese find a church. The average church in Japan has 34 members.

Source: PrayerNet newsletter

Hawaii: Mega-churches on small islands

According to a report by the American news service "Religion Today" on 25 July 1998, Hawaii is experiencing a revival of the Christian faith, in which young Christians are playing a leading role. Churches with over 1,000 members are not unusual, with some reaching 5,000. Some groups meet in school halls, or even on the beach, where they set up a podium and loudspeakers, with straw mats for visitors. Most of the groups are non-denominational, or associated with a new movement such as Vineyard or Calvary Chapel. The "Honolulu Advertiser" reports that around 30,000 Hawaiians attend megachurches. Observers describe the atmosphere similar to that during the 'Jesus People' movement in California 20 or 30 years ago; members of the congregations are casually dressed, and come from all walks of life, from businesspeople to surfers, with tourists also taking part. Some pastors say that they are trying to return to Christianity's simple basics, doing without religious rituals. This has already given rise to new missionary forms: surfers from Maui's evangelical group Missions International give other surfers spiritual training before sending them into areas "where traditional missionaries and Western Christians rarely go." Many indigenous Christians attribute the situation to the prayer initiative started in March this year by Daniel Kikawa and others, in which hundreds of Christians prayed and fasted for revival on the islands, covering them by foot, car or even helicopter.

Source: Religion Today

USA: 50,000 women attend conference

North America's largest gathering of Christian women took place on 20 July 1998 in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, according to a Religion Today report. Some 50,000 women attended the conference organised by bishop T.D. Jakes of Dallas' Potter's House Church. Through this conference, Jakes wanted to emphasize that the church needs to pay more attention to women, and said that traditional religious reservations need to be overcome. The conference also addressed delicate topics such as rape, incest, child abuse, AIDS and adultery.

Source: Religion Today

Maldives: Government helps Christianity to undesired popularity

"The Martyrs' Voice" and other Christian organisations reported about the Maldives' governments frenetic attempts to prevent the spread of Christianity on the islands, through which the government also admitted that Christianity has gained a foothold in the republic. Since 21 July 1998, they have expelled up to 25 foreign Christians from the islands, often without questioning and following confiscation of personal belongings. They have also arrested around 50 Maldivians suspected of being Christians. Missions researcher Patrick Johnstone ('Operation World') considers the Maldives to be one of the least evangelised nations in the world, with no official indigenous Christians. The Maldive Islands have a population of some 260,000, and have been an officially 100% Sunnite Moslem nation for over 800 years. In the government's opinion, it should stay that way: the nation's president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is addressing the matter personally. Officially, the Maldives are a UN member, and hence bound by Article 18 of the Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees religious freedom. The nation's main income, aside from fishing, is mainly from European and Japanese tourists. One of the reasons for the government's sudden concern is a family programme broadcast from the Seychelles by the evangelical radio mission FEBC in the Maldivian national language Dhivehi. In early June, a national court for Islamic affairs called on the population to boycott the programme. Almost everyone ignored the appeal, and the number of listeners increased enormously following the free and extremely effective advertising.

Source: WEF Religious Liberty Conference and others.

India: Mark conquers Shiva

Prasad Shiva, a well-known Indian artist and Hindu, had agreed to illustrate Mark's gospel for a children's bible. While reading the text, he was so gripped by the message that he decided to become a Christian. Despite the anger of some family members over his decision, his mother and two brothers have also decided to become Christians. They are now working together to illustrate the gospel.

Source: Advance 8/98

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