Some 1.3 million people are believed to be addicted to the drug, which causes brain damage similar to the effects of a stroke
As use of a man-made drug spreads nationwide at a pace the National Institute on Drug Abuse says is unrivaled by any other in recent history, ministries are reaching into the lives of addicts, families and entire communities with a message of hope and healing through Jesus Christ.

Dubbed the “devil’s drug,” methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system, creating an intense high that can last as long as 24 hours. The drug causes brain damage similar to that caused by Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and epilepsy; use can also produce psychotic behavior, resulting in extreme violence.

Also known as “speed,” “meth” or “chalk,” methamphetamine is made in clandestine laboratories from everyday household products and is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States. According to a 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 1.3 million people used the drug during the previous year.

“It is the devil’s greatest tool in the world of drugs,” warns Paula Wood, reformed methamphetamine addict and founder of Break Free Ministry, an organization that reaches out to methamphetamine addicts and their families.

Founded in 2003, Break Free is run by Paula and husband Andy Wood from their home in Savanna, Okla.–an area that has been ravaged by the drug. The ministry consists of 10 team members, eight of whom are former meth addicts.

Wood says her team will go anywhere to spread the message that saved her life. “We tell them that there is hope,” she told Charisma. “The only hope is through Jesus Christ.”

The team travels to the streets equipped with a custom-built cooker that feeds hundreds. “We pray with them, we clothe them, we cook for them and we love them,” Wood added.

Since August 2003, Break Free has hosted four rallies. In just one weekend, approximately 90 people dedicated their lives to Christ, Wood reported. Now Break Free is working to establish a discipleship home for addicts because of the increasing need for in-house rehabilitation facilities specifically for meth addicts.

“It may take anywhere from three to four months to get into a facility,” Wood said. “By the time a bed is open, the person is back on the street. We get calls every day, asking if there’s a place to put them.”

One of those calls came from 26-year-old Cory Weidner, who was a drug addict by the age of 14. Weidner was facing a 20-year prison sentence when he met Wood in a county jail, where she works as a licensed practical nurse. “They loved me after everyone else gave up on me,” Weidner said. After his release, Break Free ministered to Weidner until his placement in Teen Challenge, a faith-based drug rehabilitation facility.

“It is an epidemic, a mushroom cloud that is exploding over this country,” said Dr. Mary Holley, founder of Mothers Against Methamphetamine, a ministry that distributes methamphetamine-related literature nationwide. “We haven’t seen the worst of it yet.”

An obstetrician in Alabama, Holley estimates that 10 percent of her pregnant patients are meth addicts. She says a faith-based approach is key to rehabilitation. “Faith-based programs tend to be far more successful because they go deeper into the heart of people,” she said.

John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and President Bush’s “drug czar,” warns that methamphetamine is a threat to entire communities. “With meth, you have all the harms of other drugs, but there is also a safety hazard” because meth labs exude potentially explosive toxic fumes.

In October, Walters released the nation’s first comprehensive strategy for reducing the production, trafficking and use of synthetic drugs. The Bush administration’s National Synthetic Drugs Action Plan provides an overview of recent trends in the consumption and trafficking of synthetic drugs and outlines a plan for addressing the problem based on four core areas: prevention, treatment, regulation of chemicals and drugs, and law enforcement.
Suzy Richardson

BOOKS

Frontline Christians in a Bottom-Line World
By Linda Rios Brook, Destiny Image,
208 pages, softcover, $13.99.

With insightful, engaging and often amusing observations, former TV executive Linda Rios Brook sounds a warning to the traditional church: learn to utilize the gifts of businesspersons or they will soon depart.

A member of Peter Wagner’s International Coalition of Apostles, Brook also devotes considerable space to Bible exposition, applying various passages to a business context. Although taking traditionalists to task for antiquated methods of “doing church” that ignore taking the gospel into the world, the author is an equal- opportunity critic. Chronicling the business world’s horribly flawed ethics, she calls on marketplace Christians to take some heat for making tough choices.

The bottom line of Frontline Christians: both camps need each other. As Brook puts it, the redemption of the business world calls for marketplace and traditional church apostles. If enough Christians heed Brook’s call, they will be able to cooperate instead of fighting with each other.
Ken Walker

Books of Destiny
By Paul Keith Davis, Streams Publishing House,
softcover, 193 pages, $13.

There was a time when ministers held “Come to Jesus” revivals. The “kingdom” was utmost and people literally “saw the light.” In Paul Keith Davis’ Books of Destiny: Secrets of God Revealed, we find that God’s plan in expanding His kingdom includes periodically releasing throne-room wisdom to those who are given glimpses of the next genuine movement and their roles in it.

Davis sparks a belief in the reader that “the greater than these” generation is still to be awakened. A reading of this volume will convince the faithful of all denominations that the fulfillment of the word of the Lord “to make them one” is on the horizon (He’s not returning to a disjointed bride). Indeed, every “Son-rise” in church history involves individuals who are called to break through the darkness of the existing generation, not with enticing words of man, but with the power of the Holy Spirit.
J. James Estrada

Riches Beyond Measure
By Michael Blackwell with Ken Walker,
Creation House Press, softcover,
86 pages, $9.99.

In Riches Beyond Measure: Creating a Life Worth Living Michael Blackwell outlines 12 keys to an abundant life.

President of the Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina since 1983, Blackwell is committed to helping and healing others. His compassion translates well into this book as he offers simple yet rewarding truths.

The 12 steps include accept yourself, be a friend, love abundantly, do good deeds, receive life and embrace the future. Step 2: Seek Help is particularly interesting because in many circles getting professional counseling seems to be taboo. But Blackwell explains that sometimes the key to reaching the next level in any stage of life is seeking outside resources.

Though there is not a direct correlation made between these concepts and Jesus’ life, many readers will consider His life as the ultimate example. If younger readers
would implement the principles that many adults only wish they knew when they were younger, they would have a jumpstart on a great life.

For others, the writing is refreshing with numerous stories and examples, communicated without condemnation. The author is simply hoping to inspire people to change their outlook–and their lives.
Leigh DeVore

MUSIC

The J Moss Project
By J Moss, GospoCentric/Jive Records.

J Moss has been one of gospel and mainstream music’s most sought-after producers for years. He is a relative of the late gospel legend Mattie Moss Clark and the Clark Sisters, and one-third of the dynamic production team PAJAM–consisting of Paul D. “PDA” Allen, Walter Kearney and James Moss. The group is responsible for making hits for some of the top names in music, including Karen Clark-Sheard, Hezekiah Walker, ‘NSync, Kelly Price, Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Lopez, just to name a few.

Releasing his debut project, The J Moss Project, Moss stuns the gospel community with his tight tenor vocals on this perfectly produced collection of songs. Moss introduces himself with the danceable track “I Wanna Be.” “Don’t Pray & Worry” is a fast-moving, inspirational jam. The pretty ballad “We Must Praise” showcases Moss’ impressive chops. He ends the song a cappella, closing in a mode of worship.

“You Brought Me” is another body-moving track about God’s ability to deliver. Also included on this album is the reality-based track “Livin’ 4,” the infectious song “Don’t Let” and the bumpin’ groove-laden offering “Psalm 150,” reminiscent of Trin-i-tee 5:7’s “Holla.” “Me Again,” penned by Moss (the principal songwriter), is a plea to the Lord for forgiveness and a very poignant track. “Work Your Faith,” a bonus track, finds Moss encouraging people to hold on to their faith.

Moss brings a contemporary flair and a wonderful voice to gospel music.
René Williams

Made For Worship
By Joel Engle, Doxology Records (Word).

After 10 years as an independent artist, including touring stints with youth speaker Dawson McAllister and playing at various youth camps, Joel Engle releases his major-label debut on Doxology Records titled Made for Worship. The disc features 11 original tracks, all penned by Engle, centering on themes of worship and family.

Highlights include the pop-rock sounds of “Louder Than the Angels,” “I Bow Down” and “Wonder of Your Love.” “Living Sacrifice” is a rousing rock song of dedication, much like the anthem “We Need You.” There are also tender moments on “Shadow of Your Cross” and “I Will See You Again,” which offers an eternal promise for a departed loved one. On “Be a Father to Her,” Engle asks for divine intervention in the life of his daughter. Similarly, he shows his thankfulness for his own life in the autobiographical “The Father I Never Had”: “You’re the father I never had / Just hold me in Your arms and heal me of the past.”

Engle displays a talent for writing emotive tunes as well as a versatile vocal range. Made for Worship should be a welcome listen for those looking for memorable pop tunes.
DeWayne Hamby

I Speak Life
By Donald Lawrence, QuietWater
Entertainment/Verity Records.

Donald Lawrence has positioned himself as one of gospel music’s most versatile and gifted artists. A producer, songwriter and recording artist, he’s responsible for some of the best songs to hit radio including (with the Tri-City Singers) songs such as “Never Seen the Righteous,” “Seasons” (with Bishop Walter Hawkins), “The Best Is Yet to Come,” and “When Sunday Comes” (recorded by Daryl Coley). Now with his new label, Quiet- Water Entertainment, he introduces I Speak Life.

Divided into five sections, Contemporary Gospel, Inspirational, Praise & Worship, Prophetic and Final Thoughts, the release opens with the festive and exciting tune “Healed.” The title cut is a duet with famed gospel crooner Donnie McClurkin and includes exhortations to “speak life” over challenging situations. Hezekiah Walker joins Lawrence on the celebratory track “You Covered Me,” and Vanessa Bell Armstrong shares the mic on the smooth jazz cut “Miracles.”

Lawrence has us stepping (in Chi-town style) with R&B singer Carl Thomas on the groove-laden “Angels.” Lalah Hathaway, daughter of the late singer Donny Hathaway, and jazz great Ramsey Lewis join Lawrence on the easy listening, smoothly provocative “Don’t Forget to Remember.” “Say a Prayer,” with mainstream songstress Faith Evans, is a powerful track as is the breathtakingly beautiful “Lamb,” featuring piano work from Richard Smallwood. “Coming Strong,” a laid-back, rhythmic cut and a bold declaration of God’s deliverance, gives us a nice slice of funk. “Beautiful Feet,” taken from Romans 10:15, is a pretty, fully orchestrated song and a sweet closing to a strong project.
René Williams

VIDEO

A Fight for Faith
Pamplin Entertainment.

The Wacky Professor is up to his old fiendish tricks in the 16th episode of the Bibleman Adventure Series, but he finds himself matched against a new Bibleman.

The Fight for Faith is the first adventure since the departure of the original Bibleman, Willie Aames, who toured the country the last eight years putting biff, bam and pow into Bible-verse memorization. The episode introduces Josh Carpenter (Robert T Schlipp) as Bibleman.

The new Bibleman is faced with foiling Wacky Professor’s (Jef Scott) plot to create a dimension where there are no Christians, no churches and no God. Bibleman, with the help of his familiar sidekicks Cypher (Brady Williams) and Biblegirl (Heather McSmith), hurries to rescue two young vacation Bible school leaders from a colorful animated world absent of God.

For the first time in a Bibleman episode, Bibleman invites young viewers to accept Jesus and to pray the salvation prayer along with the Bibleman team at the end of the adventure. In addition, the Bibleman Adventure Series is launching a new “Daily Bibleman” program now available through daily e-mail video clips from Bibleman. More information is available at www.bibleman.com.
Gail Wood

In his book The New Slavemasters, Bishop George D. McKinney boldly speaks about the issues that plague the African American community–materialism, rage and instant gratification, among a well-known list of others.

The “new slavemasters” concept came to him two years ago during a sermon at his church, St. Stephen’s Cathedral Church of God in Christ in San Diego. “The term just rolled off my tongue–a [truly divine] inspiration,” he said.

Born in 1932, McKinney remembers going to segregated Arkansas schools with no libraries. “They were still lynching black people,” he said. His Pentecostal parents taught him to rise up from the racially unjust environment through a relationship with Jesus Christ and a good education.

Fueled by the desire to see a corporate deliverance for the African American community, McKinney founded St. Stephen’s Ministerial Alliance. This coalition of 20 churches opens their doors to 30,000 of San Diego’s inner-city youth every day after school. Volunteers teach math, reading, social skills, music and chess.

“Twenty-two schools are failing 85 percent of their students,” McKinney said. “It seemed that there was no solution. But we have joined together to derail the train that is driving these young people to jail, drug pushing and drug addiction.”

Early last year, McKinney’s wife of 47 years, Jean Brown, died of cancer. But this so-called modern-day abolitionist presses on to make a difference.
Jevon Oakman Bolden

Charismatic Top Sellers

1. A Divine Revelation of Hell
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

2. Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall (Charisma House)

3. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

4. Pigs in the Parlor
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond
(Impact Christian Books)

5. A Divine Revelation of Heaven
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

6. My Spiritual Inheritance
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

7. The Tongue: A Creative Force
Charles Capps (Harrison House)

8. The Final Quest
Rick Joyner (Whitaker House)

9. Prison to Praise
Merlin R. Carothers (Merlin R. Carothers)

10. The Torch and The Sword
Rick Joyner (Morningstar Publications)

RICK JOYNER PURCHASES FORMER HOME OF HERITAGE
USA MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner recently finalized the purchase of 52 acres of land on property that used to be home to Jim Bakker’s Heritage USA to create a new headquarters for his Charlotte, N.C., church, The Charlotte Observer reported. The site also will house a 5,000-seat auditorium for conferences and an education center. Now host of a TV show shot in Branson, Mo., Bakker praised Joyner for making the purchase. “He mainly restores people, but right now he’s going to restore the old grounds,” Bakker told the newspaper. “I believe Heritage USA belongs to the church world.” Widely known for writing on prophetic issues, Joyner is author of such books as The Final Quest and leads conferences on prophetic ministry.

INDIANA WOMAN SAYS GOD LED HER TO VAN THAT HIT HER SON
A Greenwood, Ind., woman whose son was killed Oct. 26 in a hit-and-run accident says that on the eve of Thanksgiving, God guided her to drive into a mobile home park, where she eventually stopped by a white van, The Indianapolis Star reported. Joy English notified police of the vehicle, and days later the authorities confirmed that the 1993 Dodge van English found was the one that hit her son. Police arrested 19-year-old Israel Cardenas Nov. 30. “I had no control over my car,” English told the newspaper. “It just makes me know that God is truly with us in our mourning, sorrow and trials, and this is proof He is truly with you. There is a God, and He does exist.”

MATT CROUCH TO HEAD NEW ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
Matthew Crouch, son of Trinity Broadcasting Network founders Paul and Jan Crouch, was recently named CEO and chairman of the board of CDMI Productions. The independent entertainment company plans to develop, finance, produce and distribute family-based films, TV shows, animated features and documentaries. Crouch, founder of Gener8Xion Entertainment, which produced such Christian films as The Omega Code, Megiddo and China Cry, will spearhead the California-based company’s foray into family-based entertainment. CDMI, in turn, acquired exclusive distribution rights to Gener8Xion’s forthcoming films, One Night With the King, which is based on Tommy Tenney’s popular novel, Hadassah, and set to release March 25, and the animated project The Prodigal Son. Crouch and his wife, Lorie, will become CDMI’s majority shareholders, receiving more than 8 million shares as “consideration for the purchase of the assets” and as partial compensation for Crouch’s accepting the CEO position.

METHODIST JURY DEFROCKS LESBIAN MINISTER
A jury comprised of United Methodist Church clergy convicted a lesbian minister who was openly living with her partner of violating church law, the Associated Press (AP) reported. As a result of the Dec. 2 decision, the Rev. Irene Elizabeth Stroud had to give up her ministry license. Methodist law forbids “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” from ministry, the AP said. Stroud, 34, said she expected to be convicted and said the case shows “how divided we are” over the role of homosexuals in the Methodist Church, the AP reported.

Frank Houston Dies

Frank Houston, considered by some to be the father of the Pentecostal churches in Sydney, Australia, died Nov. 8 after suffering a massive stroke, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. He was 82. After being baptized in the Holy Spirit and miraculously healed during an Assemblies of God revival, Houston went on to found Sydney Christian Life Centre in Australia. In 1999 the congregation merged with Hillsong Church, pastored by Houston’s son, Brian. Frank Houston later admitted to having sexually abused a boy in New Zealand more than 30 years before, which resulted in Brian Houston, president of the Assemblies of God in Australia, permanently removing his father’s ministry credentials. Funeral services were held Nov. 12. Brian Houston told those gathered that his father was the greatest evangelical preacher he had ever seen, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. “In my biased opinion, he was in a class of his own,” Houston said, the newspaper reported.

Stephen Shakarian Dies

The youngest son of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship (FGBMFI) founder Demos Shakarian died Dec 5 in Southern California of a rare kidney disease. Stephen Shakarian, 57, served as CEO of the international network of charismatic businessmen. In January 2004 he joined the global council of Business Men’s Fellowship and the board of the U.S. organization, led by former FGBMFI treasurer Ronny Svenhard. Shakarian is survived by a son, Stephen II; a daughter, Stephanie; a brother, Richard, now president of FGBMFI; and a sister, Geraldine. His wife, Debra, died of cancer in 2002.

Global Day of Prayer Planned for May

Prayer leaders from 240 nations are teaming up to lead a Global Day of Prayer (www.globalday ofprayer.com) May 15, which is Pentecost Sunday. The International Prayer Council, which is helping to convene the event, expects 200 million Christians to join together in prayer. As part of a three-part plan, the network is asking people to pray for their churches, cities or regions around the clock from May 6-15, leading up to larger prayer gatherings in cities around the globe on May 15. The event is to be followed by 90 days of outreach and evangelism.

Amid massive protests in Kiev, believers prayed, sang and demanded an end to corruption
While Ukraine teetered on the edge of political chaos in late 2004, thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in Kiev, the capital, for several weeks beginning in late November to ask God to intervene in the country’s bitter presidential contest. Their peaceful demonstration–and the election of pro-Western candidate Viktor Yushchenko in the Dec. 26 runoff–proved to Moscow and the world that faith has triggered major changes in this former Soviet republic.

Yushchenko’s win could signal the end of mafia control of Ukraine–a goal that was at the top of the list of prayer concerns when Christians gathered in prayer tents and open-air rallies in Kiev’s Independence Square.

After an Oct. 31 election and a Nov. 21 runoff, pro-Moscow candidate Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner. But angry protesters hit the streets when international monitoring organizations confirmed that the election had been rigged. Parliament then ordered a new vote and mandated strict reforms to prevent ballot stuffing.

The contest between Yanukovych, 54, the current prime minister, and pro-Westerner Yushchenko, 50, divided the country into two factions–those who favor maintaining ties to the old Soviet way of life and those who want a progressive democracy with more economic freedoms.

Yet despite these sharp divisions, the nation’s Christians stood together. In unison they backed Yushchenko and the freedoms he promised.

“What is happening here is an answer to prayer,” said Sunday Adelaja, pastor of the 25,000-member Embassy of God Church in Kiev. “It is unbelievable. The Christians are in unity. The Baptists are standing beside the Orthodox people–which is amazing because the Orthodox hated us before.”

Religious tension has been high in Ukraine since the nation gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Then there were only 250,000 evangelical Christians in a country dominated by nominal Orthodox Church adherents. Today there are 3 million evangelicals.

“That is 1,000 percent growth in a decade,” noted Pentecostal theologian Gary Kellner, who helped found a seminary in Kiev in 2001. “What God is doing in Ukraine is unprecedented.”

Adelaja’s church, which meets in 34 locations in Kiev on Sundays, is considered Europe’s largest. What is more unique is the pastor’s story: He is a Nigerian who studied at a communist university in the former Soviet Union.

Old-regime politicians in Ukraine–many of them under the influence of the underground mafia, or bratva–don’t appreciate Adelaja’s influence and have tried several times to deport him. When Charisma visited the Embassy of God’s massive Sunday celebration at a sports arena in Kiev, city officials turned off the church’s electricity to intimidate members.

“They claim that I use ‘black magic’ to win converts,” Adelaja said. “They say it is a disgrace that a black man is teaching Ukrainians.”

Because of the size of Adelaja’s congregation, and because of his race, he has borne the brunt of resistance from government forces. KGB surveillance officers have stalked him, and he was forbidden to travel out of the country from 1997 to 2000. He has been told he does not have the right to preach and that his members have become “zombies.”

“They tell me it is impossible to see a drug addict delivered. So I invite them to come to see 1,000 people who are free from drugs,” Adelaja said.

Adelaja keeps a scrapbook of newspaper articles that have been written about him by the government-controlled media. One headline reads: “Will This Black Man Be President of Ukraine?” A Yanukovych campaign pamphlet warned that a vote for Yushchenko might give more power to “the Negro sect” in Kiev–an apparent reference to Adelaja’s church.

Adelaja is not the only African leading a church in this predominantly white nation. Henry Madava, a Pentecostal from Zimbabwe, pastors the second-largest congregation in Kiev. During the historic prayer vigils held on Independence Square, members of his 8,000-member Victory Church operated two feeding centers and provided a medical team.

Some of the pastors in Madava’s satellite congregations were threatened or forced out of their buildings because they would not support Yanukovych. “The newspapers promised to do away with our churches as soon as [Yanukovych] won the election,” Madava told Charisma.

Valeriy Reshetinskiy, pastor of Christian Hope Church in Kiev, said his congregation was kicked out of its rented building after some government agents told him he must support Yanukovych. Meanwhile a pastor in Reshetinskiy’s network of churches suffered worse.

“One of our pastors from the Lugansk region was beaten,” Reshetinskiy said. “He was found a day later, barely alive.”

Yushchenko believes the power of the mafia in Ukraine became obvious in September when he says he was poisoned during a campaign event. His face was badly disfigured, and sympathy for him may have been a determining factor in his election victory.

Then again, Christian leaders say prayer was the real determining factor. Many of the protesters who camped out on the city square were fasting. Government agents reportedly told their superiors that the mood at the demonstrations was “like a revival service,” Adelaja said.

Kellner, who bluntly described Yanukovych as “a stooge of the mafia,” said Yushchenko’s victory shows that evangelical churches have become a powerful force in Ukraine.

Madava, meanwhile, says he saw the direct intervention of God in the election. “God is totally removing the corruption that has ruled this country for 13 years,” he said. “God is bringing an awareness in the people of their freedom.”

Reshetinskiy said leaders of the political opposition were surprised that so many people engaged in protests.

“Thousands of people came out in the streets and were full of love and patience–that was the amazing thing,” said Reshetinskiy. “And a church that was non-political suddenly was swept by an urge to pray for change.”

Adelaja said Ukraine’s Christians are no longer intimidated by government coercion. And they intend to run for political office too, he noted.

Already, one of his staff pastors, Sofia Jukotanskaya, has created a Christian political party. She paid a high price for her activism during the presidential campaign last July, however, when her adult son was assassinated–in an apparent attempt to intimidate her.

She says she will not be stopped. “If my only son will be sacrificed in order to see this nation saved, then I am going all the way,” Jukotanskaya told Charisma.

Adelaja says he intends to press forward for a national transformation.

“It used to be that Christians here were passive and intimidated. No more,” the pastor said. “Every Christian leader has been in the streets. Now Christians know they have authority.”
J. Lee Grady

Dozens of Christian relief organizations rushed to aid survivors of the giant tsunami that devastated southern Asia in late December. Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Thailand were among the worst hit by the Dec. 26 tidal wave, which swept thousands of people out to sea.

The death toll from the catastrophe, which rocked 12 countries, had soared beyond 150,000 at press time. Millions were homeless from the disaster, with many more still missing.

World Relief, World Vision and Gospel for Asia were just a few of the many groups that organized large relief efforts. Smaller ministries also launched aid projects immediately.

Paul Tan, who pastors five Indonesian churches in the Los Angeles area, said his ministry sent a team of 55 doctors, pastors and leaders to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, where thousands were killed by the rushing waves.

“This is the time to extend our hands and hearts to minister the compassion of Christ to those in need in Asia,” Tan told Charisma. Tan’s Indonesian Relief Fund is partnering with a Christian group in Indonesia to distribute food, clothing and medical supplies in the predominantly Muslim nation.

Christopher Alam is the founder of Dynamis World Ministries, a charismatic ministry that oversees 76 churches in Burma. Alam said communication glitches have prevented him from getting information from contacts in Burma. “I was planning on going to Burma, but now I want to send every single penny so they can get the maximum help,” Alam said.

Evangelist K.A. Paul, founder and president of Houston-based Global Peace Initiative, said within days of the tragedy his ministry’s Boeing 747 was slated to transport 76,000 pounds of medicine, food and supplies to the disaster region, along with a medical team.

Paul proceeded with plans to hold a crusade Jan. 8-9 in the Indian state Andhra Pradesh, which suffered casualties. “It’s an incredible opportunity to preach the gospel,” he said. “God can use this situation to bring more people from these countries into His kingdom than ever before.”
Eric Tiansay

Mother Ann Smith’s House of Refuge has given former drug addicts, prostitutes and prisoners a second chance at life
When Tiffany Henderson was released from prison after serving a nine-year sentence, she struggled to find employment and make ends meet. Then she met “Mother Ann,” a Pentecostal missionary who specializes in helping people in transition. Before long, 29-year-old Henderson had landed a job at a restaurant and was an active church member.

Ann Smith–known as Mother Ann Smith within her denomination, the Church of God in Christ–is credited with helping hundreds of people turn their lives around through a string of transitional homes called the House of Refuge.

The faith-based residential facilities in Orlando, Fla., reach drug addicts, prostitutes, ex-prisoners and others. Some residents are HIV-positive. Others struggle with mental illness. “We help anybody who wants our help,” said Smith, stressing that the individual must want help.

Henderson, who lived at The Refuge, as the homes are known, while saving money for an apartment, was 19 when she was convicted of second-degree murder for stabbing and killing a woman in the heat of an argument. After rededicating her life to Christ while completing a reduced sentence at the New Jersey Correctional Facility, Henderson took the advice of a pastor and moved to The Refuge after her release.

“I am sorry for my past actions,” Henderson said, “but I am grateful for another chance.”

Mother Ann, 72, isn’t deterred by her residents’ sordid pasts. That’s because the former jail chaplain spent 30 years as a licensed practical nurse in Orlando-area correctional facilities, providing medical care for murderers, rapists, white-collar criminals and a host of others. “I don’t judge these people,” Smith said. “I just try to help them do better in life.”

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, roughly 40 out of 100 inmates released from prison in 2001 were convicted of a new crime within three years and approximately 26 of 100 returned to jail.

The House of Refuge helps residents avoid re-incarceration by offering a low program fee that includes housing and meals. Participants receive job training or work toward a high school diploma or GED. Some enroll in drug-prevention classes, and others go to work.

But all who live at The Refuge have an opportunity to get to know Jesus Christ through daily prayer and Bible study, which Smith and other local pastors and missionaries lead.

Brenda Straub, 54, knows the benefits of living at The Refuge. Straub was a substance abuser for years before she accepted Christ. With His help, she says, she managed to get off drugs and in 1998 worked as a volunteer on Homer Hartage’s campaign for county commissioner.

When the commissioner learned Straub had no place to live, he sent her to the House of Refuge and gave the ministry a donation to pay for her first month’s fees.

“All churches should collaborate with centers such as The Refuge and support them,” Hartage said. “We all have family members who have drug, alcohol and other problems to contend with.”

Today Straub is a licensed minister and on The Refuge’s board of directors. In 2003 she earned a real estate license from the state of Florida.

“I am extremely thankful for what God has done in my life,” Straub said. “Now I want to help others get their lives together at The Refuge.”

Mother Ann operated six transitional facilities before she sold five of her state-certified homes in 2003 to purchase a 20-bed home for men on three acres of land. A five-bed facility for women is located three miles away.

Mother Ann’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Last year, the local NBC affiliate named Smith “Town Hero.” And Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared March 25 Ann Smith Day during a banquet that honored her for outstanding community service.

“Over 30 years ago, God called me to this area of ministry,” Smith said. “And when people ask me how I do it, I tell them, Whom God commissions He also conditions to do the work.”
Valerie G. Lowe in Orlando, Fla.

Released by China Aid Association, the document outlines a plan to promote ‘atheism research, propaganda, and education’
Despite China’s rhetoric concerning religious tolerance, recent arrests and raids reveal an ongoing nationwide crackdown on believers.

In October, Chinese government officials spoke of a willingness to loosen restrictions on religious worship and to reopen dialogue concerning religious freedom and other human rights. However, a secret directive recently released by China Aid Association President Bob Fu directly contradicts such statements and outlines a chilling plan to promote “atheism research, propaganda, and education” in order to combat Christianity.

Fu revealed the secret directive, dated May 27, 2004, during a press conference held in November on Capitol Hill. He was in Washington to testify before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

According to China Aid, the directive is responsible for a slew of recent extra-judicial killings and arrests. Along with the directive, the Midland, Texas-based ministry published a partial list of Christian prisoners that names 42 who have been arrested and five who have been martyred.

Among them is Jiang Zongxiu, who was arrested in June for distributing Bibles in a marketplace. Officially charged with “spreading a superstitious message,” she was beaten to death while being interrogated at the Public Security Office.

“The truth is, there is a systematic persecution of the house church and their leaders,” said Deborah Fikes, spokeswoman for the Ministerial Alliance of Midland, Texas, which co-sponsored the press conference. The alliance has made religious freedom in China a top priority.

News reports verify the overarching nature of the persecution. Compass Direct, a Christian news service, recently released details on three additional directives that were issued in August. These orders indicate the Communist Party’s intent to combat religious “infiltration” of the government and universities and the spread of religion and religious organizations.

China currently contains an estimated 100 million Christians, with more than 86 million belonging to illegal house churches, China Aid reported. For these Christians, religious persecution is not a recent phenomenon. In the last four years alone, more than 6,000 members of the South China Church have been arrested, harassed or imprisoned.

Observers are concerned that the recent crackdown represents a pre-emptive strike against religious dissidence in light of the upcoming 2008 Olympics. With the event being hosted in Beijing, religious-liberty advocates say Chinese officials may be concerned about a repeat of the South East Asian Games held in December 2003 in Hanoi, where protests by persecuted Vietnamese Christians generated international attention.

“The arrest and imprisonment of Christian leaders is one symptom of an overall aversion to religious belief that includes practitioners of Falun Gong, Tibetan Buddhists and the Muslim Uighur community in western China,” said Joseph K. Grieboski, president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, which also co-sponsored the press conference. “We are only asking that China respect religious freedom as stated in their own constitution and the various international agreements to which they are signatories.”

In the meantime, numerous Web sites have been shut down and certain publications banned in the last few months. In one case, pastor Cai Zhuohua was picked up by officers from the Department of National Security in Beijing, China Aid reported. Cai, a well-known house-church leader, was charged with publishing “illegal religious literature,” including Bibles and a Christian magazine. His wife was also arrested, effectively orphaning their 4-year-old son. Both Cai and his wife face possible life sentences.

Of primary concern to Chinese Christians such as Fu is the impact these directives have on potential reform in the communist country. “As a result of these secret policies, free belief means only in your heart or in the bedroom,” Fu said. “We want not only to talk about freedom of religious belief but to make it so that every person can implement their beliefs.”
David Mundy in Washington, D.C.

The choice is easy after you’ve identified your specific requirements. The following three basic questions–who, how and what–are designed to help you in choosing the appropriate Bible.

Who is the Bible for?

How will the Bible be used?

But Christians are being warned not to limit their concerns to only gay marriage and abortion
Moral values topped the list of reasons voters re-elected President Bush Nov. 2, presenting what one Christian leader called an unprecedented evangelism opportunity.

“I think it’s obvious that the church has not created a wave, we’ve struck a nerve,” said Rod Parsley, pastor of World Harvest Church in Ohio and founder of the Center for Moral Clarity. “We’ve tapped into the views of the majority of Americans. The left has done just that, they’ve left, and they no longer represent mainstream America. That gives us a tremendous evangelistic opportunity.”

Parsley traveled across his state before the election, urging Christians to vote and to support righteousness. He said many of those who cited values as their primary concern on Election Day were not all committed Christians. “Americans realize our basic common values … were under attack,” he said.

Many Christian leaders celebrated Bush’s win, crediting prayer with the decisive swing to the right. Bush gained 62 percent of the Christian vote, according to a poll by the Barna Research Group, which attributed Bush’s win to strong turnout by born-again voters. With the House, Senate and White House under Republican control, many believe an amendment banning gay marriage has a stronger chance at passage.

“The move to amend the U.S. Constitution to preserve traditional marriage will move full steam ahead,” said Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, which champions religious liberty, pro-life and traditional family issues. “Although the battle for the U.S. Supreme Court is not over … this election sets the future course.”

Gay marriage may have been the issue that gained Bush more support among Hispanic and African American voters, analysts say. Bush won 11 percent of the black vote, a 2 percent increase over 2000, and 44 percent of the Latino vote, a 9 percent increase over 2000, according to exit polls reported by CNN.

Before the election, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that specializes in African American issues, predicted that Bush might double his percentage of the black vote, from 9 percent to 18 percent. That didn’t happen, but the group’s president and senior analyst, David Bositis, said Bush got more of Ohio’s black Christian vote than he did in 2000.

Had those votes gone to Sen. John Kerry, he said, it would have been possible for the Democratic nominee to win the state that ultimately decided the election. “Given negative black attitudes on the war and the economy and negative views on Bush, I really wasn’t expecting that kind of movement,” Bositis said, noting that Bush gained 16 percent of the black vote in Ohio, up from 9 percent in 2000.

Similarly, pre-election polls showed that Latino voters were strongly opposed to gay marriage, though a majority was still likely to vote for Kerry. A poll by the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) of the University of Southern California, which studies Latino voting patterns, found that although more than 70 percent of Latino voters said religion was very important to them, many opposed the war and preferred Kerry’s policies on education and the economy. TRPI president Harry Pachon said many elected officials were blindsided by the role moral values played in the election.

“We hear that in New Mexico, evangelicals were instrumental in mobilizing Latino voters,” Pachon said. “Twenty percent of Latinos are … evangelical or Pentecostal. If you had a significant number of them mobilized to vote for Bush, that may explain [the increase in support over 2000].”

In 11 states, voters approved constitutional amendments limiting marriage to one man and one woman, most by wide margins. In an article by PlanetOut Network, gay activists called Bush’s win “a really tough defeat.”

But Matt Coles of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Project told the publication that his group is vigorously pursuing gay rights-related lawsuits in several states, including California, New York, Washington, New Jersey and Florida.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Evangelicals is promoting an agenda of its own, which Richard Cizik, the group’s vice president for governmental affairs, said includes broadening the definition of moral values to include an array of issues from human rights to the environment.

“[Moral values] should impact everything from tax cuts to social security,” Cizik said, adding that evangelicals must not be seen as a single-issue special-interest group.

“The challenge is to appreciate that here in Washington, D.C., [values] is not merely about legislation,” Cizik said. “It’s about broad-based ethical renewal. By focusing on ethics, we immediately signal that changes must be directed toward institutions other than government, such as Hollywood.”

But there is one government institution that many conservative voters kept in clear view on Election Day: the Supreme Court. Bush is expected to choose as many as four new justices during his second term, which some observers say will significantly affect abortion.

“Many of the religious liberty cases we deal with are decided on a 5-4 basis,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. “With news of [Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s] medical condition, it now appears that the issue of the Court will be front and center for the nation over the next several weeks and months.”

Still, it is well known that not all socially conservative Christians supported Bush, and talk of Justice Clarence Thomas’ replacing Rehnquist if he retires doesn’t sit well among many African American voters–Christian and non.

“We need to have a family meeting with Clarence Thomas because his stance on civil rights is illogical and insensitive,” said Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., a Washington, D.C., pastor and leader of the High Impact African-American Church Coalition. “The truth is, we haven’t made things right yet.”

Though he is a registered Democrat, Jackson announced his support for Bush in October and predicted that black Christians would decide the election. He believes that happened in Ohio. Considering the race riots that have plagued Cincinnati in recent years, Jackson said, “for that many black Christians to vote that overwhelmingly for Bush … that is nothing short of miraculous.”

His coalition is planning summits nationwide to mobilize black Christians to support a federal amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman. But he said the group also will promote “justice” issues, such as reducing poverty among African Americans, reforming the education and prison systems, helping minorities gain better health-care access and ending the Sudan conflict.

“We’ve had Watergate and all these other gates; I think now we have a Justicegate,” Jackson said. “It’s unconscionable that Americans would vote out of fear about marriage but would not vote out of responsibility for justice. That’s a matter of maturity and having a biblical worldview as Christians.”
Adrienne S. Gaines

Nominated for his song ‘Jesus Walks,’ Kanye West eventually was pulled from the rap/hip-hop category of the Stellar Awards
Ever since Thomas Dorsey, the author of “Precious Lord” and the founder of gospel music, began writing sacred music against a blues backdrop, the genre he created has faced criticism that it is becoming too worldly. That debate heated up again last fall when the Stellar Gospel Music Awards nominated rapper Kanye West in its rap/hip-hop category for his mainstream hit “Jesus Walks.”

The song, edited because of some profanity, has been played generously in Christian circles and speaks mostly of West’s search for peace: “(Jesus walks.) God show me the way ’cause the devil trying to break me down. (Jesus walks with me.) The only thing that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now. (Jesus walks.) And I don’t think there is nothing I can do to right my wrongs. (Jesus walks with me.) I want to talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long.”

But the CD on which the song appears, The College Dropout, carries a parental advisory for explicit lyrics and has been criticized by Christians for
promoting violence and fornication. Though West’s promoter Neily Dickerson, president of ND Co. and Church Howse Music, said only the single was nominated, dozens of letters poured into the offices of Central City Productions, headquarters for the Stellar Awards, demanding that West’s name be immediately removed from the ballot.

Among those protesting the song was Bobby Herring, also known as Tre9, founder and president of the Houston Holy Hip-Hop Alliance. “The leaders of Holy Hip-Hop were outraged,” Herring said. “I gave them 30 days to respond [to my letter], and then I would go further with the protest.”

Through his organization, the 29-year-old has strong relationships with retailers, pastors, media, artists and vendors in Houston. “I was going to get the whole city to protest,” he said.

But in September, the Stellar Awards, being held this month in Houston, announced the removal of West’s nomination and apologized, saying it “did not intend to offend the gospel music community with this glaring oversight. We have implemented corrective action to make sure that such an error never happens again.”

Gerard Henry, host of the popular gospel video show Lift Every Voice on Black Entertainment Television, said the Stellar Awards may not have realized the full scope of West’s CD. “I have mixed feelings about the song,” said Henry, who is also college ministries leader at Hope Christian Church in College Park, Md., pastored by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

“I think it sounds great. I like the name of Jesus being put into the mainstream. It creates discussion. But I think that instead of attacking him, we should reach out to him and disciple him. He needs to be fathered and to know that there is a difference between just knowing that Jesus walks and walking with Jesus.”

But others say Jesus can use anyone, not just mature Christians. “The Bible says, ‘Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord,'” said Gerard Bonner, senior writer for Gospelflava.com. “Based on that, [West and other secular artists who have performed religious singles] are qualified to testify, to share the gospel.

“We have to remember that this gospel is not ours but belongs to the Father. Therefore, God can use whoever He’d like. He shared a message through a donkey.”

Dickerson agreed. “I think the Lord is showing that you’ll be shocked at who [He will] use. He said He would use a rock to cry out. Kanye is that rock. We have to get to a worldview of who Jesus is–outside of the Baptist or Pentecostal churches. There are young people who would have never been exposed to Jesus if it were not for this song.”

That proved true in Fort Washington, Md., recently when Ebenezer AME Church hosted West in concert. West performed “Jesus Walks” and “All Falls Down,” which talks about materialism, and fielded youth ministers’ questions about “Jesus Walks.” Ebenezer youth pastor Tony Lee told the Washington Post the event drew 3,000 youth, and that more than 300 responded to the altar call.

Even though West won’t receive a Stellar Award this year, Henry said he has been an example for Christians. Said Henry: “If believers who actually have a good knowledge of who Christ is stood up the way Kanye did–with courage and sincerity–we would have a revolution.”
Jevon Oakman Bolden