DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #42

News from Wales, Russia, Africa and Worldwide

In this issue:
Welshmen jump over the pews
Russia: TV series receives 1 million written responses
Central Africa: Developing a national perspective
Jubilee 2000 debt cancellation programme

Welshmen jump over the pews

'The Welsh church scene is a sorry sight,' says a report by North American visitors: the average attendance is between 10 and 25 people, isolation and division between Christians is the order of the day; in many areas, a pastor travels between 5 or 10 large empty church buildings to preach to small groups. "Early in November 1998, revival meetings were held in the Moriah Chapel in Llanelli, South Wales, the historic birthplace of the Welsh revival of 1904," write Canadians Wesley and Stacey Cambell. The previous week had also seen breakthroughs in preparatory events, such as in Bangor, North Wales, where 800 people crowded into a 500-seat church. "I've been living here in North Wales for 20 years," said the organiser, "and have never seen so many pastors meet together." Following an altar call challenging people to be serious with God, many people ran forward, even jumping over the pews if necessary. "In Wales, every generation has expected and prayed for a revival, and nothing has happened for 3 generations. It's about time."

Russia: TV series receives 1 million written responses

190 new churches started following a Christian TV series in Russia, according to a CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) report. The series titled "Superbook", produced by CBN and International Russian Radio/TV, recevied over 1 million written responses. The series started in 1991, and was broadcast by the Soviet Central Television. The special programme "Superbook Party" in 1992 was viewed by some 200 million, according to the broadcasters. CBN staff member Steve Weber sorted the responses by town and region, and organised evangelistic follow-up teams in the areas with the most responses. "As a result, some 190 churches were started in the last 5 years," says CBN.

Source: CBN

Central Africa: Developing a national perspective

The AD 2000 Movement's Ross Campbell sent the following report from a strategy consultation which took place in Yaounde, Cameroon, from 14-18 September 1998. The six countries constituting the Central African region, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon make up perhaps the most complex of Africa's regions: 28 million people speak 500 languages and are members of 900 ethnic groups. In 1960, the nations were simultaneously released from French, British and German colonial rule into independence. The church scene is difficult, dominated by disunity, denominationalism, nominalism, power brokering and political manoeuvering. But even politicians such as Dr. Solomon Nfor-Gwei, President of the Human Rights Commission and General Secretary of the Chamber of Agriculture in Cameroon and Dr. Aroga Dieudonne, Head Translator of the Cameroon President's Office, expressed their conviction that the biblical Great Commission "make disciples of all nations" can and will only be fulfilled by a united church effort. A number of systematic evangelistic projects have already started: in Northern Cameroon, the status of evangelisation in 2,400 villages was investigated before 5,000 Christians were trained to visit 1,000 villages. Some 65,000 people showed interest in following Jesus. A similar project in Western Cameroon reached some 25,000 people. Christian leaders from each of the 6 countries have decided to further develop national evangelistic initiatives. Three things are at the top of the agenda: firstly, researching the status of missions in the country, secondly, a program to sensitise more of the nation's Christian leaders for an evangelistic vision, and thirdly, strategic consultations at national and regional level in the next 12 months.

Source and info: Ross Campbell, AD 2000 Staff Associate for Countrywide Initiatives, e-mail 100231.140@compuserve.com

Jubilee 2000 debt-cancellation campaign

The international debt crisis in the 80's has worsened to such a hopeless degree for many of the world's poorest countries, that there is only one word for it: debt slavery. Every 50 years, according to Leviticus 25, debts must be cancelled, slaves freed and fields returned. This was the Year of Jubilee, after which this campaign is named. The aim: huge debts and their results - the interest trap, poverty, economic dependence and loss of rights - should be prevented and the permanent division of society in rich and poor prevented. The poorest countries have no hope of ever completely paying off their debts. Deferment of payment is often coupled with drastic measures of economic adjustment for the debtor countries. The results are fatal, because the poorest social groups often have to pay the price, not only with money, but in many cases with their lives. The United Nations' Development Programme estimated last year that an immediate cancellation of the debts of the world's 20 poorest nations would save 21 million lives by the turn of the millennium. That's 7 million per year, 19,000 every day... A way to free the 62 countries most in debt is now being sought. It is proposed that their annual international repayment committments be reduced to 5% of their income from export. That may sound complicated, but "aims can only be reached when they are clearly and concretely expressed. Without that, they will not be taken seriously politically," says Juergen Kaiser, coordinator of the German campaign. In 1953, Britain led the way to cancelling half of the Federal Republic of Germany's pre- and post-war debts. This generous step played a large role in the German economic wonder and European peace. "Jubilee 2000" is already a broad alliance of denominations, Christian churches and Non-Government Organisations in many countries which is growing faster than even the most optimistic of the organisers had dared to hope. Between 200 and 300 organisations are now part of the German campaign, with at least 500 expected by the end of 1998.

Contact address and information (German): Erlassjahr 2000, fax (+49) 02241-591227, Juergen Kaiser e-mail 101515.1753@compuserve.com

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