South Asian Forum - March 2011 Newsletter

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Sout hAs i a nF or umo f t heE v a nge l i c a l Al l i a nc e

Ne ws l e t t e r Chur c hl eader sc ondemn as s as s i nat i onof Pak i s t an mi nor i t i esmi ni s t er

Phot oc r edi t : CSW

Chr i s t i ansi nt heUKex pr es s eds hoc kand gr i ef at t henewst hat ShahbazBhat t i has beenas s as s i nat ed. ShahbazBhat t i , Pak i s t an' smi nor i t i esmi ni s t erandt heonl y Chr i s t i anmemberof t hec abi net , wass hot deadbygunmenwhi l eonhi swayt oa meet i ngi nLahor eon2Mar c h. Hehaddar ed t odef ydeat ht hr eat sher ec ei v edf orhi s ef f or t st or ef or mt hec ount r y ' sbl as phemyl aw.

I s s ue2: Ma r c h2011 Ak eyas pec t of t hes t r at egyi st oenabl e As i anandmai ns t r eam denomi nat i onst o eac hout wi t ht hegos pel t oSout h I am t hevi ne, youar et hebr anches. I fa r i ans . Des pi t ebei ngi nBr i t ai nf ormor e manr emai nsi nmeandI i nhi m, hewi l l As han50y ear s , t henumberof Sout h bearmuchf r ui t ;apar tf r om meyoucan t As i anChr i s t i ansi sr el at i v el ys mal l at j us t donot hi ng.( John15: 5) 75, 000of whi c ht henumberof ev angel i c al si snat ur al l ygoi ngt obe AsI l ookbac konmyat t endanc eat t he s mal l er . l aunc hof t heSout hAs i anFor um of t he Ev angel i c al Al l i anc ei nSout hal l i nMar c h Onepr oj ec t i st hec r eat i onof abook l et t o 2010, I nowr eal i s et hat whi l ewewer e addr es st hev ar i ousmi s c onc ept i onst hat ent er i ngunc har t er edt er r i t or yt heLor d Sout hAs i anshav eabout t heChr i s t i an k newwhat Hewasdoi ng. f ai t h. I t wi l l addr es st hek ey mi s under s t andi ngst hat Hi ndus , Si k hs , Mus l i ms , Buddhi s t andJ ai nsr ai s eabout t heChr i s t i anf ai t handpr es ent t hegos pel i ns i mpl et er ms . I t wi l l al s oeduc at e Chr i s t i ansonhowt oans wert he mi s under s t andi ngst hat t heyhear .

J oi ni nwi t hSAFout r eac h

Thepr oj ec t i sbei ngf undedbydi f f er ent c hur c heswi t ht heBapt i s t Uni onof Gr eat Br i t ai nandLondonBapt i s t As s oc i at i on hav i ngj oi nt l ypl edged£4, 000t ot he pr oj ec t . On9Febr uar y2011Manoj had t heoppor t uni t yt oaddr es smor et han80 LondonBapt i s t mi ni s t er sandmor et han 25c hur c hess i gnedupt opar t nerwi t h nc et hent her ehav ebeenv ar i ous TheEv angel i c al Al l i anc e, t heAr c hbi s hopsof Si SAFi ns eek i ngway st opr oduc t i v el yus e el opment s , whi c hi nc l udet he Cant er bur yandYor k , andBi s hopAz ar i ahof dev hebook l et i ns eek i ngt or eac hSout h appoi nt ment of Manoj Rai t hat haasnat i onal t t heChur c hof Pak i s t anhav eal l c ondemned As i ansi nt hei rc ommuni t y .We c oor di nat or , t hef or mat i onof t hes t eer i ng t hemur der . TheEv angel i c al Al l i anc es ay s pr ay er f ul l yl ookf or war dt ot hi sex c i t i ng gr oupandt hef or mul at i onof s pec i f i c t hes ebl as phemyl awsar ebei ngus edt o p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e B a p t i s t t r at egi est odel i v ert hec or epur pos esof t t ar get Chr i s t i ansi npar i c ul ar . St ev eCl i f f or d, s denomi nat i onbear i ngmuc hf r ui t aswe t heFor um. gener al di r ec t orof t heEv angel i c al Al l i anc e, w a i t u p o n t h e L o r d ’ s g u i d a n c e a n d s ai d: " I t i sout r ageoust hat t hePak i s t an empower ment . HOPEf orEas t er Gov er nment s eemsunabl et opr ot ec t i t s mi nor i t i es , andi npar t i c ul arChr i s t i ans . " KumarRaj agopal an Eas t eri sc omi ngandi t ’ sanamaz i ng Regi onal Mi ni s t er( r ac i al j us t i c e) , oppor t uni t yt obeout war dl ook i ngand DrHor r oc k s , headof publ i caf f ai r sat t he LondonBapt i s t As s oc i at i on s har et heGoodNewst hr oughwor dsand Ev angel i c al Al l i anc es ai d: " ThePak i s t an t i ons . Gov er nment appear st obet ur ni ngt hei rbac k s ac ont hepr obl em. Theyr epeat edl ymak e AnewHOPEf orEas t err es our c ebook c onc es s i onst ot hos ewhowoul di nt i mi dat e s har esanar r ayof c r eat i v emi s s i oni deas mi nor i t i es , s eemi ngat bes t pas s i v e, andat oenabl eust oj oi nwi t hot herChr i s t i ansi n wor s t c ompl i c i t , i nt hef ac eof per s ec ut i onof t ourt own, v i l l ageorc i t yt omak eani mpac t . Chr i s t i ansandot her s . ThePak i s t an wi s t t oat r adi t i onal ac t i v i t yor Gov er nment mus t f ol l owt hei rc ondemnat i on Addanewt nc l udeot herc hur c hesi naj oi nt ev ent . of t hec ol dbl oodedmur derof ShahbazBhat t i i orEas t eral s oc ont ai nst wogr oup wi t hs t r ongac t i ont oc onv i c t t hos er es pons i bl e HOPEf Bi bl es t udi est hat us epi v ot al moment si n andt opr ot ec t Chr i s t i ansf r om c ont i nued J es us ’ s t or yt opr ov ok ear es pons eof v i ol enc e. " s oc i al ac t i onandev angel i s m. Speak i ngat CSW' sLondonConf er enc ei n HOPEi spr ov i di ngr es our c esands uppor t Oc t ober2009, ShahbazBhat t i hads ai d: oc hur c hesov ert henex t f oury ear s , " Thi spos i t i on[ asMi ni s t er ] c annot c hangemy t oc us i ngonadi f f er ent hi ghpoi nt eac h det er mi nat i ont opur s uej us t i c e, bec aus eI l i v e f ear , wi t hanai mt os eec hur c hesbec ome f orr el i gi ousf r eedom andI am r eadyt odi ef or y emi s s i onf oc us ed. RoyCr owne, t hi sc aus e. "I nav i deoi nt er v i ewr el eas edf our mor ec ut i v edi r ec t orof HOPE, s ai d: “ J es us mont hsago, MrBhat t i hadpr edi c t edhi sown ex wasput ont hec r os sf orhi sr ev ol ut i onar y as s as s i nat i on. mes s ageof l ov e. Sol et ’ snot j us t Luc yCooper Formor ei nf or mat i onv i s i t Communi c at i ons c el ebr at et hej oyof Eas t eri ns i deour www. eauk . or g HOPE c hur c hes–l et ’ ss pr eadt hegoodnews www. c s w. or g. uk www. hopet oget her . or g. uk andt oget herwec oul ds eeour Emai l : l uc y . c ooper @hopet oget her . or g. uk c ommuni t i est r ans f or med. ” i sagr oupi ngwi t hi nt heE v a nge l i c a l TheSout hAs i a nF or um( SAF )

Al l i a nc e , s e t upt opr ov i deapl a c ef or S out hAs i a nChr i s t i a nsi nt heUKt o e nc our a ge , s uppor t a nde qui pe a c hot he r f or mi s s i on, a ndt or e pr e s e nt t he i r c onc e r nst ogov e r nme nt , me di aa ndt hewi de r Chur c h. Wi t ht hes uppor t of bot hi ndi v i dua l me mbe r sa ndc hur c hme mbe r st ot a l l i ngmor et ha n7 , 0 0 0 pe opl e , S AFi ss t e a di l ygr owi ng. Pl e a s ev i s i t www. e a uk . or g/ s a f t oge t i nv ol v e d

i ns uppor t i ngt hi swonde r f ul mi ni s t r ybybe c omi ngame mbe r of S AF . Onc ey oube c omeame mbe r , y ouwi l l r e c e i v ei d e a , t heAl l i a nc e ’ s bi mont hl yma ga z i ne ,a swe l l a sr e gul a r ne ws l e t t e r sf r omS AF de t a i l i ngour pr ogr e s s . I f y oua r ea l r e a dyame mbe r of t heE v a nge l i c a l Al l i a nc ey ouc a na ddS AFt oy our Al l i a nc eme mbe r s hi pa t noe x t r a c os t . I nt hi si ns t a nc epl e a s es e nda ne ma i l t om. r a i t ha t ha @e a uk . or g


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South Asian Forum - March 2011 Newsletter by Evangelical Alliance - Issuu