14-year-old Christian girl raped and forced to convert to Islam
Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2009, 7:28 (BST)
CLAAS is calling on the Pakistani Government to ban forced conversions after a group of Muslim men raped a 14-year-old Christian girl and forced her to convert to Islam.
The case of schoolgirl Shaj Taj was referred to CLAAS by Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan. Shah Taj told a representative of SLMP that Talat Rizwan, Mikael But and Faisal Butt bundled her into the back of a car while she was on her way to school on December 5, 2008.
They allegedly took her to a hotel where she was raped by Mikael before being forced at gunpoint to add her thumb print and signature to documents declaring her supposed conversion to Islam and marriage to Mikael.
“I tried to make noise but they pointed gun on me and threatened me that they will kill my father in jail and my school-going younger brother if I make the noise,” she told SLMP.
Shah Taj was freed from her abductors by police after being held for around one month and a case was filed against the three men. The perpetrators then allegedly tried to prove their innocence by presenting the forged documents as legitimate certificates of marriage and conversion to Islam. Police have detained two of the attackers, but a third is still on the run.
Shah Taj told SLMP she wants her attackers behind bars: “I want to rejoin my school but I am afraid of the culprits. They had guns. They are very dangerous people. I hate that people who caused me to leave my school, they kidnapped me and raped me that’s why they must go in prison and be punished.”
CLAAS has offered Shah Taj free legal representation after her mother said that the family could not afford to take legal action against the men because of their financial difficulties. Christian political and religious leaders in Lahore have so far failed to come forward to help the family.
CLAAS Coordinator Nasir Saeed made an urgent appeal to the Pakistani Government to pass legislation banning forced conversions.
He commented: “The forced conversion of a non-Muslim minor to Islam is a trend that is spiralling out of control, especially since the recent imposition of Sharia law and the increasing Talibanisation of Pakistan.”
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
He is RISEN!
09 April 2009
Dear Prayer Partners,
1. Thank you for praying for us! We appreciate and need your prayer coverings as we serve the Lord.
2. I would be away this weekend to Klang Valley to preach in 3 evangelistic services during the Easter services (8.30am; 10.30am, 5.30pm). I preached in this church during their Christmas evangelistic service last year.
3. 1 covet your prayer support that the Lord will minister through His word as I proclaimed it and many souls will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Indeed we serve a wonderful Risen Savior!
4. After that, I will be back to Singapore for 2 to 3 days, then I will fly off to Kuching, Sarawak. (Going to eat at least 3 bowls of Sarawak laksa! Shhh … don’t tell my weight loss consultant!) I will be teaching in the extension seminary there for a week. Pray for me as I train these pastors who will in turn minister to their churches.
5. Before and after the week of lectures, I will be preaching in several churches and services. Pray that the Lord will touch them and bring revival into their hearts. Pray that the Lord will anoint me as I preach His life-changing Word among the tribal peoples.
6. After the back to back preachings and ministry, I will be off to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. There, I will be ministering more to individuals and their families. Pray for mercy journey as I travel and minister to the various groups.
7. I want to see God raise up more spiritual leaders who will the shake world, transform the communities that they are in, and who will actively proclaim the resurrection of Jesus to all the ethnic groups!
8. This motivation is the reason why I mentor as many people as I can and travel extensively to preach/teach in various places. If not for the urgency and magnitude of the task, I would not be so willing to sacrifice so much away time from Ana and Jessie. It is this relentless divine compelling that causes one to willingly let go of finances, fame, and future security.
9. Nevertheless, we appreciate those of you who have chosen to partner with us in our ministry through praying, giving, encouraging, caring, and thousands of ways so that we can be released to go into all the world and make disciples of all ethnic groups!
10. Without you and your constant support, it would have been much harder and difficult to serve full-time by faith. Continue to pray for us to have more regular financial supporters. Our support has somewhat been affected with the economic downturn.
11. Pray for us that we will be more strategic in our lifestyle and ministry approaches. I am anticipating even more ministries to come in the near future once I finish my doctorate studies by end 2011.
The child of God is realistic about the harshnest of the world's problems, but it is also certain of God's ultimate victory.
Dear Prayer Partners,
1. Thank you for praying for us! We appreciate and need your prayer coverings as we serve the Lord.
2. I would be away this weekend to Klang Valley to preach in 3 evangelistic services during the Easter services (8.30am; 10.30am, 5.30pm). I preached in this church during their Christmas evangelistic service last year.
3. 1 covet your prayer support that the Lord will minister through His word as I proclaimed it and many souls will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Indeed we serve a wonderful Risen Savior!
4. After that, I will be back to Singapore for 2 to 3 days, then I will fly off to Kuching, Sarawak. (Going to eat at least 3 bowls of Sarawak laksa! Shhh … don’t tell my weight loss consultant!) I will be teaching in the extension seminary there for a week. Pray for me as I train these pastors who will in turn minister to their churches.
5. Before and after the week of lectures, I will be preaching in several churches and services. Pray that the Lord will touch them and bring revival into their hearts. Pray that the Lord will anoint me as I preach His life-changing Word among the tribal peoples.
6. After the back to back preachings and ministry, I will be off to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. There, I will be ministering more to individuals and their families. Pray for mercy journey as I travel and minister to the various groups.
7. I want to see God raise up more spiritual leaders who will the shake world, transform the communities that they are in, and who will actively proclaim the resurrection of Jesus to all the ethnic groups!
8. This motivation is the reason why I mentor as many people as I can and travel extensively to preach/teach in various places. If not for the urgency and magnitude of the task, I would not be so willing to sacrifice so much away time from Ana and Jessie. It is this relentless divine compelling that causes one to willingly let go of finances, fame, and future security.
9. Nevertheless, we appreciate those of you who have chosen to partner with us in our ministry through praying, giving, encouraging, caring, and thousands of ways so that we can be released to go into all the world and make disciples of all ethnic groups!
10. Without you and your constant support, it would have been much harder and difficult to serve full-time by faith. Continue to pray for us to have more regular financial supporters. Our support has somewhat been affected with the economic downturn.
11. Pray for us that we will be more strategic in our lifestyle and ministry approaches. I am anticipating even more ministries to come in the near future once I finish my doctorate studies by end 2011.
The child of God is realistic about the harshnest of the world's problems, but it is also certain of God's ultimate victory.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Malaysia has to publish 27,000 book titles for its 27 million population a year
Malaysia needs to publish a lot more books
Published: Sunday April 5, 2009 MYT 12:34:00 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has to publish 27,000 book titles for general reading annually to become a knowledgeable, developed nation and be on par with other developed countries, Malaysian Book Contractors Association president Hasan Hamzah said.
He said that in countries like Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, the ratio was 1,000 book titles to one million population.
“Hence, Malaysia has to publish 27,000 book titles for its 27 million population a year, ” he said, adding that such an effort would require an allocation of about RM300mil.
Hasan said Malaysia currently published only 10,000 book titles every year, which is still very far behind from that in other developed countries.
Most of the books found in Malaysia were imported ones, despite the country having many local intellectuals, including about 350,000 teachers and more than 40,000 lecturers or professors, who were capable of producing books for general reading, he added.
However, he said it was not because there were not many locally-published books that reading was not a habit among Malaysians.
“Actually, our society loves knowledge and they like to read. It is because the books are expensive to buy,” he added.
Hasan said that for a book to be sold cheap, a publisher had to print at least 3,000 copies for each book title a year.
There would be an increase in demand for general books with support from the government through provision of special allocations for publication of books for general reading, he added. -- Bernama
Published: Sunday April 5, 2009 MYT 12:34:00 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has to publish 27,000 book titles for general reading annually to become a knowledgeable, developed nation and be on par with other developed countries, Malaysian Book Contractors Association president Hasan Hamzah said.
He said that in countries like Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, the ratio was 1,000 book titles to one million population.
“Hence, Malaysia has to publish 27,000 book titles for its 27 million population a year, ” he said, adding that such an effort would require an allocation of about RM300mil.
Hasan said Malaysia currently published only 10,000 book titles every year, which is still very far behind from that in other developed countries.
Most of the books found in Malaysia were imported ones, despite the country having many local intellectuals, including about 350,000 teachers and more than 40,000 lecturers or professors, who were capable of producing books for general reading, he added.
However, he said it was not because there were not many locally-published books that reading was not a habit among Malaysians.
“Actually, our society loves knowledge and they like to read. It is because the books are expensive to buy,” he added.
Hasan said that for a book to be sold cheap, a publisher had to print at least 3,000 copies for each book title a year.
There would be an increase in demand for general books with support from the government through provision of special allocations for publication of books for general reading, he added. -- Bernama
Friday, April 3, 2009
“Certified Vietnamese virgin brides” for sale?
Virgin brides off the shelf
INSIGHT: DOWN SOUTH WITH SEAH CHIANG NEE
Saturday April 4, 2009
MOVE over, China ladies; hello, Vietnam! In their dependency on foreign brides to correct a marriage imbalance, more Singaporean men are turning to Vietnamese women in recent years.
But this growing marriage bond has become mired in controversy and charges of exploitation that are earning Singapore’s image a black eye.
For years, the city-state has gone on a global binge on almost everything in life, including the institution of marriage.
With educated women rising, a marriage gap has been building in Singapore between a small army of middle-aged, less-educated men and independent-minded women who shun them as spouses.
Some 40% of marriages in Singapore today are with foreigners.
Last year, 6,520 male Singaporeans and permanent residents married foreign brides, the highest number in 10 years, according to the Department of Statistics.
Yet, one out of three citizens does not have a spouse and some 30% of the men are wife-less.
These social statistics are quite sobering for Singapore and are building up into a huge dependency on foreign spouses to keep life in b alance.
The biggest numbers still come from Malaysia and China.
But in recent years, the Vietnamese women are making up for lost ground. Many of them are flocking here – and to other Asian cities – seeking a better life.
“Many of them take a tremendous risk marrying foreign men – some having met for only an hour – so they can send money home to their families,” said a marriage agent.
Vietnam is famous for beautiful girls and obedient, hard-working wives, a contrast to their more Westernised, educated Singapore sisters.
The exact number who arrived is unknown. One unconfirmed report said that between 2000 and 2006, the arrivals had risen by 42 times.
Singapore is very small compared with bigger markets like South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China in the transnational matrimonial business.
But the republic’s reputation as a stable, affluent society has made it a special choice of the Vietnamese women, despite the language obstacle.
A major reason is the close affinity in culture, skin colour and food.
For every Singaporean who goes to Ho Chi Minh City to find a wife, there are thousands of women who want to come here.
Aired over TV, an 18-year-old Vietnamese girl was asked whether she would marry any Singaporean and she nodded her head. “Will you marry someone even if he’s 60?” Her reply without hesitation: “Yes.”
The practice of paying for a bride has raised anger in the West and among Asian liberals who say Singapore – with clean, transparent advocacy – is condoning trafficking in women.
A letter signed by more than 1,000 Vietnamese appealed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to stop some of the 30 Singaporean agencies offering “certified Vietnamese virgin brides” for sale.
A human rights office in Ho Chi Minh also protested to Lee about this “shameful form of modern-day slavery”.
Those in support argue that arranged weddings or dowry payments have always been part of Asia’s traditions.
Even modern weddings still involve some exchanges in cash, red packets or in gifts (either jewellery or ceremonial lavishness) demanded by the bride’s parents.
“So why is the idea of a brokered marriage through an agency so wrong?” one representative asked.
The answer lies in the undignified, inhuman way many businesses are advertising or parading Vietnamese girls (86% do it to get out of poverty) in their premises like they are selling branded shoes.
The economic crisis has delivered a sharp blow to the practice, resulting in further insults.
One outlet advertised a half-price discount – from S$8,000 to S$4,000 – for the prospective husband.
The supply of cheap, virgin brides from hard-hit countries seems inexhaustible. Cambodia has banned marriage brokers.
Vietnam, however, can’t stop its poor, rural families from “selling their daughters” as long as poverty exists.
However, to stop the exploitation, the Hanoi government is considering setting up a government centre to handle the marriage of Vietnamese women abroad.
An estimated 15,000-20,000 Vietnamese do so every year. On the positive side, the families often get a better life, or have debts repaid or may receive a steady allowance from their sons-in-law.
In one Vietnamese island nearly every peasant – or his neighbour – has a daughter who is married abroad in an Asian country.
There is also another downside for the Vietnamese. The average Singaporean man who is seeking a bride in China or elsewhere has a high-educated profile today.
One agency said that five years ago, its clients rarely had more than a secondary 2 education. Now, seven out of 10 have at least a bachelor’s degree.
This doesn’t appear to apply to Vietnam, where the “husbands from Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore are often older, unskilled workers who are unable to attract a woman back home”, said a Hanoi official.
That would imply that because the price is so affordable that more of the elderly bachelors in the state are making a beeline for the women there.
As Vietnam gets richer, the number of its women willing to be sold into marriage will drop.
But, as a British Telegraph columnist wondered, what would happen if the UK were to slide into prolonged recession, and economic power continues to shift to Asia?
“I wonder if 10 or 20 years down the line, (whether) it will be British women coming to Singapore, Beijing or even Hanoi to find a rich Asian husband,” he quipped.
INSIGHT: DOWN SOUTH WITH SEAH CHIANG NEE
Saturday April 4, 2009
MOVE over, China ladies; hello, Vietnam! In their dependency on foreign brides to correct a marriage imbalance, more Singaporean men are turning to Vietnamese women in recent years.
But this growing marriage bond has become mired in controversy and charges of exploitation that are earning Singapore’s image a black eye.
For years, the city-state has gone on a global binge on almost everything in life, including the institution of marriage.
With educated women rising, a marriage gap has been building in Singapore between a small army of middle-aged, less-educated men and independent-minded women who shun them as spouses.
Some 40% of marriages in Singapore today are with foreigners.
Last year, 6,520 male Singaporeans and permanent residents married foreign brides, the highest number in 10 years, according to the Department of Statistics.
Yet, one out of three citizens does not have a spouse and some 30% of the men are wife-less.
These social statistics are quite sobering for Singapore and are building up into a huge dependency on foreign spouses to keep life in b alance.
The biggest numbers still come from Malaysia and China.
But in recent years, the Vietnamese women are making up for lost ground. Many of them are flocking here – and to other Asian cities – seeking a better life.
“Many of them take a tremendous risk marrying foreign men – some having met for only an hour – so they can send money home to their families,” said a marriage agent.
Vietnam is famous for beautiful girls and obedient, hard-working wives, a contrast to their more Westernised, educated Singapore sisters.
The exact number who arrived is unknown. One unconfirmed report said that between 2000 and 2006, the arrivals had risen by 42 times.
Singapore is very small compared with bigger markets like South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China in the transnational matrimonial business.
But the republic’s reputation as a stable, affluent society has made it a special choice of the Vietnamese women, despite the language obstacle.
A major reason is the close affinity in culture, skin colour and food.
For every Singaporean who goes to Ho Chi Minh City to find a wife, there are thousands of women who want to come here.
Aired over TV, an 18-year-old Vietnamese girl was asked whether she would marry any Singaporean and she nodded her head. “Will you marry someone even if he’s 60?” Her reply without hesitation: “Yes.”
The practice of paying for a bride has raised anger in the West and among Asian liberals who say Singapore – with clean, transparent advocacy – is condoning trafficking in women.
A letter signed by more than 1,000 Vietnamese appealed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to stop some of the 30 Singaporean agencies offering “certified Vietnamese virgin brides” for sale.
A human rights office in Ho Chi Minh also protested to Lee about this “shameful form of modern-day slavery”.
Those in support argue that arranged weddings or dowry payments have always been part of Asia’s traditions.
Even modern weddings still involve some exchanges in cash, red packets or in gifts (either jewellery or ceremonial lavishness) demanded by the bride’s parents.
“So why is the idea of a brokered marriage through an agency so wrong?” one representative asked.
The answer lies in the undignified, inhuman way many businesses are advertising or parading Vietnamese girls (86% do it to get out of poverty) in their premises like they are selling branded shoes.
The economic crisis has delivered a sharp blow to the practice, resulting in further insults.
One outlet advertised a half-price discount – from S$8,000 to S$4,000 – for the prospective husband.
The supply of cheap, virgin brides from hard-hit countries seems inexhaustible. Cambodia has banned marriage brokers.
Vietnam, however, can’t stop its poor, rural families from “selling their daughters” as long as poverty exists.
However, to stop the exploitation, the Hanoi government is considering setting up a government centre to handle the marriage of Vietnamese women abroad.
An estimated 15,000-20,000 Vietnamese do so every year. On the positive side, the families often get a better life, or have debts repaid or may receive a steady allowance from their sons-in-law.
In one Vietnamese island nearly every peasant – or his neighbour – has a daughter who is married abroad in an Asian country.
There is also another downside for the Vietnamese. The average Singaporean man who is seeking a bride in China or elsewhere has a high-educated profile today.
One agency said that five years ago, its clients rarely had more than a secondary 2 education. Now, seven out of 10 have at least a bachelor’s degree.
This doesn’t appear to apply to Vietnam, where the “husbands from Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore are often older, unskilled workers who are unable to attract a woman back home”, said a Hanoi official.
That would imply that because the price is so affordable that more of the elderly bachelors in the state are making a beeline for the women there.
As Vietnam gets richer, the number of its women willing to be sold into marriage will drop.
But, as a British Telegraph columnist wondered, what would happen if the UK were to slide into prolonged recession, and economic power continues to shift to Asia?
“I wonder if 10 or 20 years down the line, (whether) it will be British women coming to Singapore, Beijing or even Hanoi to find a rich Asian husband,” he quipped.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
To Bidayuhs with Love
From padi field to knowledge farm
Thursday April 2, 2009
By SHARON LING
SARAWAK’S Bidayuh community put on a colourful showcase of their culture and traditions in the inaugural Pesta Birumuh (Farming Festival) in Serian, near Kuching, recently.
The festival kicked off with the preliminary rounds of the Battle of the Bands and Bidayuh Idol singing contest and sports.
It culminated in a three-day gala at the Serian Mini Stadium which included the grand opening ceremony on March 21.
According to organising chairman Datuk Wilson Baya Dandot, birumuh means farming in Bidayuh and is usually associated with planting rice.
However, as the Bidayuhs achieved progress and modernisation over the years, it also came to mean gaining education and knowledge, he said.
This was reflected in the festival’s theme, “From the Padi Field to the Knowledge Farm”.
At the opening ceremony, visitors received a ceremonial welcome by Bidayuh folk in traditional attire while musicians played gongs, drums and other instruments.
The highlight was a multi-ethnic parade featuring Bidayuh communities from different districts as well as other communities marching around the stadium.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who launched the festival, said it should be held annually and included in the state’s tourism calendar.
In his speech, he noted that the Bidayuh community had come a long way since Sarawak achieved independence in 1963.
He said the Bidayuhs not only had a high number of graduates but were also making a mark in public service.
“This is despite the fact that they constitute only 8% of the state’s population,” he added.
In conjunction with the festival, awards were presented to outstanding Bidayuh personalities, including former state legislative assembly Speaker Datuk Jacob Robert Ridu, former assistant minister Temenggung Datuk Michael Ben and Olympic diver Pandalela Rinong.
The festival also featured an exhibition of Bidayuh handicraft and artifacts, cooking demonstrations of Bidayuh delicacies, folk games and cultural performances
Thursday April 2, 2009
By SHARON LING
SARAWAK’S Bidayuh community put on a colourful showcase of their culture and traditions in the inaugural Pesta Birumuh (Farming Festival) in Serian, near Kuching, recently.
The festival kicked off with the preliminary rounds of the Battle of the Bands and Bidayuh Idol singing contest and sports.
It culminated in a three-day gala at the Serian Mini Stadium which included the grand opening ceremony on March 21.
According to organising chairman Datuk Wilson Baya Dandot, birumuh means farming in Bidayuh and is usually associated with planting rice.
However, as the Bidayuhs achieved progress and modernisation over the years, it also came to mean gaining education and knowledge, he said.
This was reflected in the festival’s theme, “From the Padi Field to the Knowledge Farm”.
At the opening ceremony, visitors received a ceremonial welcome by Bidayuh folk in traditional attire while musicians played gongs, drums and other instruments.
The highlight was a multi-ethnic parade featuring Bidayuh communities from different districts as well as other communities marching around the stadium.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who launched the festival, said it should be held annually and included in the state’s tourism calendar.
In his speech, he noted that the Bidayuh community had come a long way since Sarawak achieved independence in 1963.
He said the Bidayuhs not only had a high number of graduates but were also making a mark in public service.
“This is despite the fact that they constitute only 8% of the state’s population,” he added.
In conjunction with the festival, awards were presented to outstanding Bidayuh personalities, including former state legislative assembly Speaker Datuk Jacob Robert Ridu, former assistant minister Temenggung Datuk Michael Ben and Olympic diver Pandalela Rinong.
The festival also featured an exhibition of Bidayuh handicraft and artifacts, cooking demonstrations of Bidayuh delicacies, folk games and cultural performances
Targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource
Why UK Bible colleges must change in the 21st century
Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey?
by Andrew Gray, Global Horizons
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2009, 11:44 (BST)
Last week we announced we are moving our UK training operation to Rugby in
Warwickshire. The decision to move UK training to Warwickshire is part of a new strategy we are embarking on to ensure we train more students and impact more nations this century than would have been otherwise possible. Our previous strategy focused on training all our students on one campus, the Bible College of Wales (BCW), established by Rees Howells in 1924.
For us, the old strategy was flawed. A campus in a poor state of repair, along with the associated costs of running a residential centre, funded predominantly by student fees was no longer viable. In the new world we will share a building with a well established church in Rugby. The training centre – Trinity School of Theology - will be non-residential, designed-for- purpose and rely more on qualified visiting lecturers.
Equally important is the training we will do overseas. We have begun targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource. Initially we are partnering with a training college in Lusaka, Zambia and a church group of 50,000 Christians in India. The demand for basic theological training by both partners is significant. This year we will train around 150 people through these two partners as well as the 40 or so we will train in the UK.
We wouldn’t want to say we’ve found ‘the’ way forward for UK Bible colleges but simply ‘a’ way forward. We still have many miles to travel and we will have to be prepared to amend our strategy as we go.
We are trying to face into the challenges many UK Bible colleges are facing - challenges that have become even tougher as an economic storm passes overhead. Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK Bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey? All of the following needs to be preceded by prayer – without it we will come up with our own solution.
Firstly - keep close to the core church groups you have relationships with. As well as supplying students and lecturers, the local church and it members represent a key support base we cannot do without. They also help us keep up with the ever changing training needs of the local church.
Secondly - face into the financial and operational realities of your organisation. Financial losses don’t just go away. Make sure you are given reliable and easy to understand financial data and take the rose tinted specs off when reading it. Good stewardship of what we have now goes hand in hand with the faith we need for the future.
Next – watch out for peripheral operations which take up management time and don’t augment the core. There are certain things we are exiting from as a result of the strategic review.
Fourthly - as many UK Bible colleges are already doing, we need to continue pursuing good fund raising strategies to supplement the income. People are rightly selective about where they make their gifts so it is important we demonstrate that our operations are viable.
Next – Christian colleges need to consider partnerships, alliances and in certain cases, mergers. Not only will this result in a better use of scarce resources - the UK church at large will benefit as its future leaders better understand each other having studied with a broader group of students. These are tough things to do and will require us to continue building good relationships with each other.
Sixthly - if you can free up resources to help train the church in the emerging world you will make a big difference. Not all pastors in the emerging world need degrees - some simply need a better understanding of Scripture enabling them to teach and lead their churches more effectively. If we don’t have the financial resources to contribute to this invaluable area, we can at least put ourselves forward as the teaching and resource partner and let someone else bring the finance.
Finally – act – and if necessary be radical! We live in very exciting times. God is sovereign and he will bring many more people to himself this century. The organisations that help the worldwide church in its role of training have a key role to play – both here in the UK and overseas. Let’s rise to the challenge!
Andrew Gray is Operations Director of Global Horizons which currently
runs the Bible College of Wales. He has twenty years of experience in
business and was previously finance director of Boots the Chemist. For more information about the Bible College of Wales' plans for the future, visit
www.global-horizons.org
Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey?
by Andrew Gray, Global Horizons
Posted: Monday, March 30, 2009, 11:44 (BST)
Last week we announced we are moving our UK training operation to Rugby in
Warwickshire. The decision to move UK training to Warwickshire is part of a new strategy we are embarking on to ensure we train more students and impact more nations this century than would have been otherwise possible. Our previous strategy focused on training all our students on one campus, the Bible College of Wales (BCW), established by Rees Howells in 1924.
For us, the old strategy was flawed. A campus in a poor state of repair, along with the associated costs of running a residential centre, funded predominantly by student fees was no longer viable. In the new world we will share a building with a well established church in Rugby. The training centre – Trinity School of Theology - will be non-residential, designed-for- purpose and rely more on qualified visiting lecturers.
Equally important is the training we will do overseas. We have begun targeting overseas locations where the church is growing rapidly but has very little training resource. Initially we are partnering with a training college in Lusaka, Zambia and a church group of 50,000 Christians in India. The demand for basic theological training by both partners is significant. This year we will train around 150 people through these two partners as well as the 40 or so we will train in the UK.
We wouldn’t want to say we’ve found ‘the’ way forward for UK Bible colleges but simply ‘a’ way forward. We still have many miles to travel and we will have to be prepared to amend our strategy as we go.
We are trying to face into the challenges many UK Bible colleges are facing - challenges that have become even tougher as an economic storm passes overhead. Given we would all like to pass on vibrant, relevant and well run UK Bible colleges to the next generation – what are some of the lessons I have learnt on the journey? All of the following needs to be preceded by prayer – without it we will come up with our own solution.
Firstly - keep close to the core church groups you have relationships with. As well as supplying students and lecturers, the local church and it members represent a key support base we cannot do without. They also help us keep up with the ever changing training needs of the local church.
Secondly - face into the financial and operational realities of your organisation. Financial losses don’t just go away. Make sure you are given reliable and easy to understand financial data and take the rose tinted specs off when reading it. Good stewardship of what we have now goes hand in hand with the faith we need for the future.
Next – watch out for peripheral operations which take up management time and don’t augment the core. There are certain things we are exiting from as a result of the strategic review.
Fourthly - as many UK Bible colleges are already doing, we need to continue pursuing good fund raising strategies to supplement the income. People are rightly selective about where they make their gifts so it is important we demonstrate that our operations are viable.
Next – Christian colleges need to consider partnerships, alliances and in certain cases, mergers. Not only will this result in a better use of scarce resources - the UK church at large will benefit as its future leaders better understand each other having studied with a broader group of students. These are tough things to do and will require us to continue building good relationships with each other.
Sixthly - if you can free up resources to help train the church in the emerging world you will make a big difference. Not all pastors in the emerging world need degrees - some simply need a better understanding of Scripture enabling them to teach and lead their churches more effectively. If we don’t have the financial resources to contribute to this invaluable area, we can at least put ourselves forward as the teaching and resource partner and let someone else bring the finance.
Finally – act – and if necessary be radical! We live in very exciting times. God is sovereign and he will bring many more people to himself this century. The organisations that help the worldwide church in its role of training have a key role to play – both here in the UK and overseas. Let’s rise to the challenge!
Andrew Gray is Operations Director of Global Horizons which currently
runs the Bible College of Wales. He has twenty years of experience in
business and was previously finance director of Boots the Chemist. For more information about the Bible College of Wales' plans for the future, visit
www.global-horizons.org
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God.
“Islamopalian” Priest Deposed
April 1, 2009
Contact: Jeff Walton 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell
“Bishop Wolf’s handling of this situation is an example of proper discipline within the church and is to be commended.”
-Jeff Walton, IRD Spokesman
Washington, DC—A controversial priest who claimed both Muslim and Christian faith was permanently removed from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church today. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding of Seattle made her profession of faith in Islam in March 2006 and insisted that her new beliefs did not conflict with Christianity.
Redding had been under an inhibition from ministry since the summer of 2007 at the direction of Bishop Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island. Redding was originally ordained by Wolf’s predecessor and was still canonically resident in the Rhode Island diocese.
The Episcopal Church has recently been forced to address a similar controversy with the election of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester to be bishop of Northern Michigan. Thew Forrester has received a Zen Buddhist lay ordination.
Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion & Democracy commented:
Bishop Wolf handled this situation well: she removed Redding from ministry in order that her priestly role not be compromised, directed her to study the differences between Islam and Christianity, and gave her the opportunity to change course.
Releasing Redding from her vows and concluding her ordained ministry within the Episcopal Church was the only way to resolve the situation due to her intractable position that she was both a Muslim and a Christian.
The Episcopal Church’s baptismal service asks all Christians to ‘[c]onfess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.’ The idea that a person can become a Muslim while remaining an Episcopal priest in good standing trivializes both faiths.
The election of Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan poses the same problems as Ann Holmes Redding. A person with spiritual loyalties outside of the Christian faith cannot lead a flock in the Episcopal Church.
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God. Is it Jesus Christ, or is it the message of the Koran, which denies Christ’s death and resurrection?
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
April 1, 2009
Contact: Jeff Walton 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell
“Bishop Wolf’s handling of this situation is an example of proper discipline within the church and is to be commended.”
-Jeff Walton, IRD Spokesman
Washington, DC—A controversial priest who claimed both Muslim and Christian faith was permanently removed from ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church today. The Rev. Ann Holmes Redding of Seattle made her profession of faith in Islam in March 2006 and insisted that her new beliefs did not conflict with Christianity.
Redding had been under an inhibition from ministry since the summer of 2007 at the direction of Bishop Geralyn Wolf of Rhode Island. Redding was originally ordained by Wolf’s predecessor and was still canonically resident in the Rhode Island diocese.
The Episcopal Church has recently been forced to address a similar controversy with the election of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester to be bishop of Northern Michigan. Thew Forrester has received a Zen Buddhist lay ordination.
Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion & Democracy commented:
Bishop Wolf handled this situation well: she removed Redding from ministry in order that her priestly role not be compromised, directed her to study the differences between Islam and Christianity, and gave her the opportunity to change course.
Releasing Redding from her vows and concluding her ordained ministry within the Episcopal Church was the only way to resolve the situation due to her intractable position that she was both a Muslim and a Christian.
The Episcopal Church’s baptismal service asks all Christians to ‘[c]onfess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.’ The idea that a person can become a Muslim while remaining an Episcopal priest in good standing trivializes both faiths.
The election of Kevin Thew Forrester as Bishop of Northern Michigan poses the same problems as Ann Holmes Redding. A person with spiritual loyalties outside of the Christian faith cannot lead a flock in the Episcopal Church.
A person must choose which is the final and complete revelation of God. Is it Jesus Christ, or is it the message of the Koran, which denies Christ’s death and resurrection?
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches’ social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
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