Lost Coin missionaries comb Athens’ brothels and night clubs to help women find a way out of the sex trade
A Christian ministry based in Greece has taken the parable of the lost coin to heart.

Drawing its name from the Luke 15 passage in which Jesus describes a woman who swept her house clean searching for one lost coin, Lost Coin combs the streets of Athens searching for women who want help escaping the sex trade.

But because prostitution is legal for adults in Greece and widely accepted, even by many in the church, Lost Coin staff members and volunteers from local churches regularly go to brothels, bars and hotels where the sex trade thrives. They strike up friendships with women, offering them practical help, counseling and a way out. Recently, the two-year-old outreach established a drop-in center.

“One of the most prevalent ways of prostituting in Athens is through small-time pimps who keep women in private apartments,” said Lost Coin director Jennifer Roemhildt, an American missionary in Athens. “These girls are completely locked away and really beyond rescue by anyone but God. We offer a bridge to the healing community that the church is supposed to be.”

During two years of on-the-street ministry, Lost Coin has assisted about 150 women who were working in prostitution, but few actually seek new jobs. Roemhildt said that without an effective exit strategy, women who want to escape are not able to. The church, she adds, at times makes it more difficult.

As an example, Roemhildt said that when an Albanian woman or teenage girl trafficked to Greece has been a prostitute, even if by force or coercion, she cannot return to her village because of the shame.

“Most people not only on the streets but even in evangelical churches would say that prostitution is actually a public service,” she said. “They think that it reduces violent crime and rape. We need to work with the churches so that they can bring out the theology of redemption and receive women back who have been abused and used.”

During the Summer Olympics in August, teams of Christians hit the streets of Athens five nights a week. Spearheaded by Lost Coin–the Athens-based arm of International Teams, a nondenominational missions group headquartered in Illinois–these teams sought men and women who work in the sex industry. In expectation of an increased demand for prostitution an estimated 2,000 to 10,000 women had been trafficked to Greece, Roemhildt said. The BBC News reported a similar estimate.

As it turned out, business at Athens’ brothels was not as brisk as it had been during the 2000 Olympics in Australia–which Roemhildt said was an answer to prayer and a huge opportunity to step into the gap and offer ministry.

About 70 volunteers from Lost Coin and several other ministries–including Youth With A Mission, Operation Mobilization, the Southern Baptist Convention and some Greek churches–made contact with about 250 male and female prostitutes. They offered free bottles of water that had been donated by the Greek Orthodox Church and struck up conversations.

They talked about how the women and men could leave prostitution, and told them how much Jesus loves each of them. Lost Coin was ready to meet needs, including the offer of temporary shelter, help in returning to a person’s native country and prayer.

One contact was a Russian woman who received her first Bible. Another was a high-ranking representative of the Union of Greek Prostitutes. She was open to further discussion about how women who suffer in prostitution might be helped.

Roemhildt estimates that about 10,000 women work in the Greek sex industry even without the increase for the Olympics. Ninety-five percent of those have
been trafficked and come from five language groups.

Women and minors have been forced or coerced away from Albania, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and Nigeria, among other nations.

Beyond the direct outreach, teams of intercessors gather as support. And in Thessalonika, a major transit point for women trafficked to Athens, missionary Whitney Brown leads prayer walks.

“Satan is thinking that he has a good thing going,” Roemhildt said. “He is seeking to steal, kill and destroy, but God wants to bring women into a place where they can come to know who He is and that He cares for them. And He is doing it.”
Steven Lawson

Iraqi Churches Bombed

Five Christian churches were bombed in Iraq Oct. 16, the first full day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Assist News Service (ANS) reported. There were no reported casualties from the series of blasts that erupted outside five Baghdad churches in the course of an hour. At press time, no one had been blamed for the attack. This was the second coordinated attack against Christians in the predominantly Muslim country. The first series of church bombings led to Christians fleeing Iraq for relative safety in neighboring countries, ANS reported.

50,000 Killed in Religious Conflict in Nigeria

A Nigerian government study released in September reported that more than 50,000 people have been killed in Muslim-Christian clashes since 2001, BBC News reported. Previous figures estimated that 10,000 had died in the violence that has mostly pitted Christian farmers against Muslim animal herders in Plateau state. The deaths were split among men, women and children.

Christian Converts Found Dead in Afghanistan

Since June, five Afghan Christians have been killed in separate incidents, Compass Direct reported. The first death was reported July 1 after a Taliban spokesman called Reuters news service and announced the murder of Mullah Assad Ullah. The man said Ullah’s throat was cut with a knife because he was preaching Christianity. Another Christian’s body was found Aug. 7 near his abandoned car, while three other men were stabbed or beaten to death in separate incidents in July, Compass said.

Indian Christians Return To Hinduism

The World Hindu Council (VHP) announced the “re-conversion” of 75 tribal Christians to Hinduism Sept. 19, Compass Direct reported. Christian leaders say the Hindu council deliberately targeted Christians in Orissa state, in eastern India, who were not attending church services. The Rev. D.B. Hruday of the All India Christian Council said VHP members have threatened tribal Christians in Orissa state with the loss of government welfare benefits if they refused to convert to Hinduism, Compass said.

Marriage Amendment Rejected in House

The Marriage Protection Act failed to pass in the House of Representatives Sept. 30, missing a two-thirds majority with a 227-186 vote. The bill failed to pass in the Senate in July. Pro-family groups expressed disappointment at the House vote, but said they would continue to fight for a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman. “This vote is very important because it puts lawmakers on record concerning this issue,” said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. “No one expected the marriage amendment to garner two-thirds approval in the House on the first vote. But this majority vote in favor of the amendment sets the stage for this amendment to return to the House in the next Congress.”

Legislator Under Fire From Millionaire Activist

Republican Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave issued an urgent letter to supporters in October, saying she had been targeted for defeat by Tim Gill, former chairman and founder of Quark Xpress and founder of The Gill Foundation, a gay rights organization. Musgrave wrote that Gill has poured $1 million into attack ads against her campaign, which she believes is because of her support for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. At press time, election results had not been announced.

FDA Approves Medical Chip Implant

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved use of an implantable computer chip that can pass a patient’s medical information to doctors, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Roughly the size of a grain of rice, the VeriChip, produced by Delray Beach, Applied Digital Solutions, already are being used in pets, livestock and 200 people working in Mexico’s attorney general’s office who access secure areas. The Oct. 13 decision marks the first time the FDA has approved the use of such a device, which stores a code that releases patient information when a scanner passes over it. In addition to its prior use for security-related matters, the chip is also being used in club-goers in Spain, who use the device to speed drink orders and payment, the AP said.

ANGLICAN CHURCH CRITICIZES EPISCOPALIANS ON GAYS
An Anglican commission report released Oct. 18 criticized the Episcopal Church USA for consecrating an openly gay bishop and called the U.S. and Canadian churches to stop ordaining gay clergy and blessing same-sex unions. The 93-page Windsor Report, released by the 17-member Lambeth Commission, also proposed that the 38 national churches constituting the Anglican Communion sign a covenant supporting what it called current Anglican teaching, the Associated Press said. A 1998 conference of Anglican bishops opposed gay ordinations and declared homosexuality “incompatible with Scripture.” The report invited the Episcopal Church to express regret for consecrating V. Gene Robinson in November 2003 as a sign that it wished to remain within the 77 million-member Anglican Communion.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TEN COMMANDMENTS CASE
The Supreme Court announced Oct. 12 it would consider the constitutionality of Ten Commandments displays on government land and buildings, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Previously, the justices refused to revisit issues raised by their 1980 decision barring the posting of the Ten Commandments from public school classrooms and rejected an appeal from former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was fired for refusing to remove a Commandments display from the Alabama statehouse. Early next year, the justices will separately consider whether a Ten Commandments monument on the Texas Capitol grounds violates the separation of church and state, and whether a lower court wrongly barred the Commandments from display in Kentucky courthouses. Barry Lynn of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State said he hopes the displays are found unconstitutional. Mathew Staver of the Liberty Counsel, which is representing the Kentucky counties, said this could be “the blockbuster religious liberty case that the Supreme Court has seen in a really long time.”

NORTH KOREA HUMAN RIGHTS BILL PASSES IN CONGRESS
In a move that supporters say will help bring some relief to North Koreans, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004 on Sept. 29, two months after the House passed a more moderate version of the bill. The legislation allows the government to supply up to $20 million in humanitarian assistance and will make it easier for North Korean refugees to gain asylum in the United States. The North Korean government decried the bill, saying it rendered nuclear weapons talks meaningless because the United States was determined to topple the communist state, Reuters reported. Korean Christians, however, have been praying that the bill would pass and say they want dictator Kim Jong-Il’s regime to end, the Los Angeles Times reported.

BIBLE PUBLISHER CONFRONTED OVER CHINA PRINTING
One of the nation’s leading producers of Bibles has come under fire for printing some of its material in China, where Christians are often persecuted for their faith, AgapePress reported. Al Kerkstra, senior vice president of operations for Zondervan Publishing Company, said the company found a lower printing price in China and believes it can help improve the living and human-rights conditions of the people and companies with whom it works. Yet human-rights advocate Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute, said Zondervan–a subsidiary of Harper Collins, which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch–should not put profit over principle, AgapePress said. Mosher has called for a boycott of all products made in China, including some Bibles published by Tyndale House Publishers, which also does some printing in China.

New McCartney Ministry Continues to Build Bridges

Promise Keepers founder Bill McCartney has launched a new ministry aimed at forging stronger ties between Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews. Dubbed the Road to Jerusalem ( ), the ministry was to host a conference Dec. 3 in Palm Springs, Calif., that will seek to address misunderstandings on both sides of Jewish-Christian relations. “Many have misunderstood that belief in Yeshua [‘Jesus’ in Hebrew] as Messiah required a separation from Jewish heritage,” said ministry president and CEO Raleigh B. Washington. “The truth of the matter is that through Jesus Christ, God grafted the Gentile believers into the Jewish believers. We want to help both groups live in that dynamic.”

Charles and Frances Hunter Honored by Mayor

On the night of their final healing crusade, held at the Astrodome in Houston Oct. 2, Charles and Frances Hunter were awarded a plaque by Mayor Bill White proclaiming the day Charles and Frances Hunter Day. The couple’s Healing Explosion attracted participants from around the world. Both in their 80s, the Hunters have led dozens of international healing crusades and are well-known for their teaching on divine healing.

Billy Graham to Hold Final New York Crusade

Evangelist Billy Graham announced in September that he will host his final New York crusade June 20 at Madison Square Garden. Chaired by New York pastor A.R. Bernard, the Greater New York Crusade will be Graham’s seventh campaign in the area. More than 2 million people attended his first crusade there in 1957, which lasted 16 weeks. The 86-year-old evangelist has been in frail health but planned to finish out the year with crusades in Kansas City, Mo., and Pasadena, Calif. The events had been postponed to allow Graham to heal from hip-replacement surgery.

BOOKS

Light Force
By Brother Andrew and Al Janssen,
Revell, hardcover, 330 pages, $.

In the presence of deadly force, Brother Andrew, “God’s Smuggler,” moves fearlessly throughout the Middle East with a Bible in each hand and a “light force” by his side. Historic in its telling and inspirational in its reading, Light Force: A Stirring Account of the Church Caught in the Middle East Crossfire is a reminder that the Holy Land may be the most overlooked mission field in the world today. By way of enlightenment, then, Brother Andrew details his fight to equip the church that is struggling to survive in this deeply divided field of war.

From Lebanon and the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Jerusalem, Brother Andrew serves God’s purposes with divine favor and blessed determination. In this story, we begin to see the Spirit-filled wisdom of Matthew 10:23: “When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
J. James Estrada

True Prosperity
By James Robison, Tyndale House
Publishers, hardcover, 176 pages, $.

Have nothing or have it all–these are the two extremes seen in the church, author and TV personality James Robison writes. In the simply titled True Prosperity, Robison examines the Scriptures for God’s perspective on this divisive issue.

In sharing his life story, Robison reveals that he, “a boy born as the product of a forced sexual relationship and raised in poverty,” has learned that being raised in a dysfunctional family doesn’t relegate a person to a lack of success for the rest of his life. Despite his beginnings, he never believed that God had overlooked him.

Using his story and the examples of many others, Robison puts prosperity in biblical context, explaining that it is not something he seeks; rather, he seeks God’s will and “prosperity finds me.” Though he and his wife, Betty, always have lived below their means and have achieved a measure of financial wealth, he writes: “Possessing things is not the issue. It is when our things possess us that they become a problem.”

In True Prosperity, Robison has achieved what he set out to do–bring biblical balance to what has long been a hot-button issue in the church.
Christine D. Johnson

Watcher
By Marilyn Hickey, Harrison House,
softcover, 288 pages, $.

There are certain things the enemy simply does not want the believer to know. Darkness and confusion cannot stand the clear light of truth invading its preferred and pervasive dens of ignorance and indifference.

However, Marilyn Hickey has learned a thing or two in 30 years of ministry. Her latest book, Watcher: Are You Ready for His Return? inspects end-time truths and includes topics never-before specified for the Christian.

We discover Bible “love” is absent in the Quran, but God has a plan for Muslims. The heavenly Father’s call for revival in the Islamic world is unveiled by examination of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Find yourself in one of three places: the overcoming church, the lukewarm church or the tribulation church. Solve the Revelation timeline. Learn the names of the Antichrist, the counterfeit of Jesus.

Avoid being a last-days scoffer by transforming ritual into relationship. Watcher will keep you focused.
J. James Estrada

MUSIC

Nothing Without You
By Smokie Norful, EMI Gospel.

Smokie Norful became a household name with his megahit “I Need You Now.” Receiving airplay on gospel and mainstream radio stations alike, the song catapulted this young man to the title of Billboard’s No. 1 Gospel Artist of 2003 and saw him racking up award after award for the phenomenal debut CD.

Well, Norful is back with his sophomore project, a new collection of songs titled Nothing Without You. Many will enjoy the riveting opening cut “Power.” Reminiscent of the classic ’70s sound, this song showcases Norful’s ability to merge the old with the new, all while giving praise to God.

Making sure to provide us with some Sunday-morning church, cuts such as “Worthy” and “I Understand” beckon the listener to sing along with hands lifted. “God Is Able,” one of the most moving cuts on this project, showcases Norful at his best–with an emotive vocal delivery and simply a piano and strings.

Taking us back to the old-time church, Norful also includes the classics “I Know the Lord Will Make a Way” and “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus.” Music great George Duke provides the CD’s title track, a beautiful love song to the Lord.

Other well-known producers include brothers Cedric and Victor Caldwell, Alex Asaph Ward, Myron Butler, Tommy Sims and Percy Bady. “Continuous Grace,” with its uplifting message and powerful choir vocals, is certain to be sung in choir stands everywhere. This 12-track CD closes with the poignant “Healing in His Tears.”

Nothing Without You is a powerful collage of inspirational tunes and solidifies Smokie Norful’s place in gospel music.
René Williams

Clean
By Shane & Shane, Inpop Records.

Shane Bernard and Shane Everett, known as Shane & Shane, follow up their last disc, the stripped-down Upstairs, with a new pop offering titled Clean. The duo, delivering a theme focusing on redemption, new beginnings and a celebration of God’s grace, use their talented vocals in acoustic-led praise on 11 memorable tracks.

The tempos range from the pop-rock sounds of “Fringes” and “Saved by Grace” to the mellower message of “Acres of Hope” and “Yearn.” Along with original tunes, Shane & Shane breathe new life into Twila Paris’ standard “He Is Exalted” and the familiar praise song “There Is None Like You.”

“God Did” delivers an important message about looking holy versus being holy. The disc closes with the simple praise of “Your Grace Is Sufficient.”

With their voices conveying the passion behind their words, Shane & Shane showcase more of the music that made their previous releases such noteworthy efforts. Clean should be a welcome listen for fans of earthy, organic worship.
DeWayne Hamby

Gloria
By various artists, Rocketown Records.

Imagine if the Rocketown Records family of artists were throwing a Christmas party complete with new music under the direction of Scott Dente and their buddy Charlie Peacock at Peacock’s Art House studios. Gloria, a multi-artist holiday collection, requires a little less preparation than that actual party but nonetheless delivers the same personal feel. The project features acoustic and pop renderings of mostly original material and a few classics.

Watermark’s Christy Nockels could sing “Happy Birthday” and make it sound like a new song, so it’s no surprise that her powerful rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” shines as one of the highlights of this disc. Also, the extremely underrated Cindy Morgan delivers a jazz-flavored “Follow That Star.” Shaun Groves and George Rowe blend their voices together on the organic sounds of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”

The bluesy folk of “Love Came Just in Time” is a departure from more traditional sounds, but Taylor Sorenson and Alathea create a great musical moment. Christine Dente’s “Christmas Kind of Feeling,” on the other hand, is an instant classic that seems destined for a TV special. Guest Amy Grant also pitches in to deliver the Christmas praise “God Is With Us.”

The Rocketown family has blended themselves together well to create a holiday offering that could be a yearly listening tradition for many.
DeWayne Hamby

When He Came
By Martha Munizzi,
Martha Munizzi Music.

Although previously well-known in contemporary Christian music and Christian conference circles, Martha Munizzi has recently experienced phenomenal success in the gospel community. Her previous project, The Best Is Yet to Come, peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel chart and saw the praise and worship artist’s ministry expand to epic proportions.

The songwriter of “Say the Name,” “Shout” and “Because of Who You Are” (recorded by Munizzi as well as Vicki Yohe) decided to hit while the iron is hot, delivering a new Christmas project titled When He Came. Her first studio project contains a diverse collection of revamped traditional favorites and new holiday picks.

A funky rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and the original song “White Christmas,” penned by Munizzi and fellow praise and worship artist Israel Houghton of Israel and New Breed, are two standouts. Rousing remakes of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” are made extra special with Munizzi’s soulful and reverent flair.

The gospel-flavored “His Name Shall Be Called” will certainly find you clapping your hands and rejoicing. One of the most stirring offerings on the 10-track CD is a medley of two Christmas favorites “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger,” featuring Munizzi’s children on background vocals.

Other great cuts include the beautiful title tune, “When He Came,” the urban-tinged “Peace on Earth” and “My Only Wish,” a song about the greatest gift of all.

The combination of a powerful voice, touching songs and impressive production make for a great mix and a perfect gift for under the tree.
René Williams

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Safe, Healthy and Empowered

A13-month singing tour, a two-month missions trip and work on a new album left Rebecca St. James exhausted. She thought living on her own would be a time of spiritual refreshing and renewal. Instead God was silent, and she felt lonely and disillusioned.

“I had kind of bought into that feminist mentality that you’ve got to do it yourself, don’t rely on anyone, be independent. I felt myself closing over, shutting off, becoming cold and hard.”

Her pastor challenged her to trust God and reach out for community. She realized she was not the only woman to feel this way. “The feminist movement was very beneficial … but it was also very damaging in our attitudes towards men, in our buying into this over-independent mentality, in the area of beauty … in the area of intimacy. … Even our understanding of what it means to connect with other people has been hurt.”

Offering a biblical approach to womanhood, St. James with Lynda Hunter Bjorklund wrote SHE (Tyndale House). They explore the truths concerning protection, intimacy, femininity, beauty, purity, freedom, mentorship, boundaries and purpose.

St. James says: “We’ve got to abandon every area of struggle to Him. … [The book] kind of says: ‘This is what you’re feeling. We’re coming along beside you. We’ve felt this. There’s hope. … Go to Him for your answers. In all these nine areas let’s together go to God and trust Him.'”
Leigh DeVore

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

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

2. My Spiritual Inheritance
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

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

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

5. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane
(Arrow Publications)

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

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

8. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
Joyce Meyer (Warner Faith)

9. Heaven
Jesse Duplantis (Harrison House)

10. Prison to Praise

Merlin R. Carothers
(Merlin R. Carothers)

During the Christmas holidays many of us feel a nudge to do something nice for others. We buy gifts for those we love. We throw our loose change in a Salvation Army kettle. Some of us even volunteer at soup kitchens, help serve meals at homeless shelters or collect toys for needy kids.

Yet when the Christmas decorations are put away and that warm, fuzzy, holiday feeling subsides, we go back to life as usual. And we save our compassion for the next December.

Some people, however, see compassion as their vocation. They know the mission of Jesus–and His mandate to all of us–is “to preach good news to the poor,” “heal the heartbroken” and “comfort all who mourn” (Is. 61:1-2, The Message). True Christian ministry is not a once-a-year experience.

The people Charisma chose to honor this year in our annual “Unsung Heroes” issue didn’t become involved in ministry so they could be seen. Some of them have been helping the poor for more than 20 years without any recognition. They never expected to be featured in a national magazine. But because they are shining examples of selfless sacrifice, we believe they deserve our encouragement and support.

The ministries we chose to highlight are unique. Providing groceries to Navajo families. Turning a bus into a church to reach the homeless. Building a church for wheelchair-bound elderly people. Hosting a Bible study for prostitutes.

This special issue of Charisma is our Christmas card to you. Please allow these stories to inspire you to make God’s love more than a once-a-year event.

Founder of the Center for Moral Clarity, Rod Parsley says believers must influence public policy
Popular charismatic minister Rod Parsley has been touring the nation, telling Christians that they must continue to make their voices heard in the political arena.

“Although the Christian block represents the largest special-interest group in America, our values are being trampled under foot,” said Parsley, pastor of 12,000-member World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio.

“Only 2 percent of the population of America claim to be homosexual and yet their issues are being moved forward at a much more rapid pace than ours are on the floor of the Congress. So we believe we need a lot more players on the field.”

To that end, Parsley in July launched the Center for Moral Clarity (CMC), a grass-roots, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization aimed at mobilizing Christians around public policy issues that have spiritual roots, namely gay marriage, abortion and genocide in Sudan. Parsley said he expects the CMC ( ) to have broader appeal among charismatics than other Christian political groups.

“Of course, there’s room for everybody. The problem has been, historically, that the church has been too silent on these issues,” Parsley said. “Our stance is that we’re going to be silent no more. Our history compels it, our times demand it, our future requires it, and we believe God is watching.”

He said the CMC will champion just issues that challenge leaders on both sides of the political line. “It is certainly wrong that homosexuals are lobbying to change the definition of marriage in America. But it’s equally wrong that one of out six of our children are going to bed every night hungry,” Parsley said.

“It’s equally as wrong that racism is still rampant in our society,” he continued. “It’s equally as wrong that a woman only makes 78 percent of the wage that a man in her position makes. So we need to speak out on all of these issues for righteousness’ sake.”

Beyond pushing for passage of a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples only, Parsley said the CMC is working to raise awareness about the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, which would enable pastors to speak out about political issues without their churches’ tax-exempt status being threatened.

Sponsored by North Carolina Republican Rep. Walter Jones, HR 235 passed in the House in July but must still be considered by the Senate. Parsley said the bill is critical in light of hate-crimes legislation that is being used in Canada and Sweden to prosecute pastors who speak out against homosexuality.

In June pastor Ake Green, who leads a 40-member Pentecostal church in Sweden, was sentenced to one month in jail for saying “abnormal sexual practices are like a cancerous growth in the body of society” during a 2003 sermon. Fellow Swedish minister Ulf Ekman was sued for alleged hate speech against homosexuals, though authorities decided not to prosecute the megachurch pastor.

Parsley said Canadian broadcasts of his Breakthrough TV program can include his reading Scriptures about homosexuality, but not his explanation of the moral implications of those verses. He said a similar trend is emerging in the United States.

In September, the California legislature passed a hate-crimes bill that is much like Canada’s laws protecting homosexuals from offensive speech. Similar legislation was being considered in Congress, though it failed to pass in the House.

U.S. ministers say attempts to silence religious speech have intensified. Bishop C. Anthony Muse, pastor of Ark of Safety Christian Church in Washington, D.C., was accused of endorsing himself two years ago when he solicited votes during a campaign for public office.

A former Democratic Maryland legislator and president of Clergy United in the D.C. metro area, Muse said he paid $100,000 in legal fees to combat threats to his church’s nonprofit status before being found faultless.

In Philadelphia, Michael Marcavage, an activist and director of Repent America, was arrested with 10 others for passing out Christian literature at the city’s OutFest gay pride event Oct. 10. They were charged on eight counts, including criminal conspiracy, which is a felony, and ethnic intimidation, which Marcavage and his attorney believe to be part of the state’s hate-crimes law.

Previously, Marcavage had been escorted from a council meeting in Lansdowne, first community in Delaware County to have an openly gay man on the council–after attempting to read a passage from Romans 1, which condemns homosexuality. He was scheduled to stand trial before the end of the year and faced up to 15 months in jail and a $2,800 fine.

Joseph Murray, Marcavage’s lawyer and a staff attorney for the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy, said that even if a minister is overzealous, the First Amendment protects his or her freedom to speak.

Days after the Philadelphia incident, Murray filed a suit against the City of Philadelphia for habitually violating Marcavage’s First Amendment rights. Murray said he has seen an increase in cases of Christians who were arrested for engaging in religious free speech.

“The political climate today is not particularly friendly toward Christians,” Murray said. “Right now, we are not living in the country that most of us grew up in.”

Parsley said prayer, information and activism are the three tools the CMC will use to mobilize Christians at the grass roots. Before the November election, Parsley urged congregations to start by simply voting, citing statistics that there had been a 40 percent drop in voter turnout among evangelicals.

In October, he spoke to the 3,000-member Grand Rapids First Assembly of God in Michigan. “I deeply feel our country is at a crossroads,” said pastor Scott Hagan. “I try to be very careful when it comes to mixing the kingdom and politics. [Parsley’s sermon] is definitely not a candidate-driven message. When public policy begins to speak to issues directly spoken to in Scripture, it has nothing to do with a candidate.”

He said he hoped the message motivated his congregation to prayer and “godly citizenship, not political activism … not toward politics, but toward righteousness.”

For his part, Parsley said he hopes more Christians will run for local-government seats, serving on school boards and city councils. He said he’s not worried about having complaints against his ministry filed with the IRS. “I believe that the church that claims to uphold the cause of Christ yet condemns confrontation is little more than a social club that wants rain without thunder and lightning,” he told Charisma.

“Our armor prophesies that we are headed for a conflict, and I believe we’re built for the battle; we’re created for the conflict. The church is nothing unless it is salt and light in the society into which the Lord has infused us. And we’re looking for revival–a true, genuine, culture-shaking move of God where the moral climate of our cities is changed, and the effect is felt like shock waves throughout the entire nation.”

Adrienne S. Gaines

Bishop T.D. Jakes’ first film, which tackles sexual abuse, landed in the top 10 in the movie box office after its Oct. 1 release. Woman, Thou Art Loosed: The Movie, based on Jakes’ best-selling 1993 book of the same name, opened at No. 6 with $2.5 million, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

“We’re thrilled with the opening,” Jakes, 47, told Charisma. “We’re very optimistic about the response that we’re getting. … There seems to be a groundswell of demand for this movie.”

Starring Kimberly Elise (The Manchurian Candidate) as a woman traumatized by childhood sexual abuse who lands on death row, the movie opened in 408 theaters in 77 cities nationwide, about a tenth the number of Shark Tale, which opened as the top weekend movie with $49.1 million.

Jakes, pastor of the 28,000-member Potter’s House in Dallas, said the film would be shown in more theaters in subsequent weeks, although he didn’t have specific figures. The movie reportedly played before sold-out theaters in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Detroit and Atlanta.

“I didn’t even know what to expect with the movie [in the box office],” Jakes said. “I had no experience in films. Ignorance is bliss. I was really excited for what has emerged. I see [domestic abuse] as an epidemic in our society. I see this movie as a catalyst for deep healing.”

A collaboration between Jakes’ for-profit T.D. Jakes Enterprises and producer Reuben Cannon (Love Don’t Cost a Thing, Get on the Bus), the R-rated Woman, Thou Art Loosed intersperses gritty scenes of sexual abuse, drug use and domestic violence with Jakes preaching a Los Angeles revival and ministering to the condemned prisoner.

Jakes has not revealed the cost of the film, but he said it was funded with his own private money, as well as financing from investors, including talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, director Spike Lee and actor Danny Glover.
­Eric Tiansay

Pentecostal Bishop Charles Blake says African Americans have been positioned, like Joseph, to reach out to Africa

Seeking to replicate the level of commitment Jews demonstrate toward Israel, a bishop in a predominately African American Pentecostal denomination has launched a nationwide campaign to raise tens of millions of dollars for Africa primarily through black Christians.

The impetus for the effort is the AIDS and HIV pandemic, which thus far has killed about 17 million Africans and left 14 million children there orphaned.

Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., senior pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, founded the nonprofit Save Africa’s Children three years ago after touring the continent and seeing the ravaging effects of the disease on the population.

Now Blake, who supports orphans through $3 million in contributions, is seeking to significantly broaden the program. With the United Nations projecting that the number of orphaned children will triple by 2010, Blake is pressing African Americans to ratchet up their commitment to Africa to make a bigger dent in the problem.

“I am appealing to African Americans–but not just African Americans exclusively,” said Blake, who recently celebrated his 35th anniversary as senior pastor of the 24,000-member congregation and serves as first assistant presiding bishop in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).

“The divine providential positioning of African Americans is like the divine positioning of Joseph, who was [oppressed] but ultimately came to power and prosperity and was able to help his people,” he added. “Our purpose is to reach back and become for Africa what Jewish Americans have become for Israel.”

Save Africa’s Children is supporting 28,000 children in 160 “orphan-care projects” across Africa. The orphan-care projects include families who agree to raise the orphans; “cluster huts,” which care for 10 to 15 orphans at a time; and orphanages.

“I saw the poverty of people whose income is $200 to $300 a year,” said Blake, who last visited the continent over the summer and recruited a delegation of doctors to examine and treat the orphans.

“I saw a continent of people who are hard-working and struggling to enhance themselves, but without the resources,” he added. “Most of the orphan-care projects had twice as many children on the waiting list as are in the program.”

By 2010 Blake wants to raise enough money to support at least 50,000 children in 1,000 orphan-care projects. Thus, he is appealing to the public on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which regularly televises from his sanctuary, and to 60,000 black churches for support.

To further spread the word, the campaign will produce a documentary, an infomercial and public service announcements on the orphans, said Darrell Smith, the foundation’s executive director. “Our goal is to help Africans help themselves,” Smith said.

“The civil rights movement started in the black church,” Smith said, adding that he hopes the campaign can mobilize African Americans in a similar way.

Meanwhile, Blake, who helped found the Pan African Charismatic Evangelical Congress, has sounded the Africa theme at his home church by hosting ambassadors from nations, including Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania, as well as cultural exchange programs.

And he has urged members to join the fund-raising drive. “This is our motherland; we have to help out,” said Marcos Day, who has raised $3,000 through $5 and $10 donations dropped into an empty five-gallon water bottle at his San Fernando Valley barbershop.

Blake, who was among about 10 prominent African American ministers who helped persuade President Bush in 2001 to pledge $15 billion in aid for Africa, said: “We are more prosperous than any other black people on the face of the earth. When we use our influence, Africa will have a higher priority [among Americans] and will advance.”
Dion Haynes in Los Angeles

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For more information about Save Africa’s Children, write to P.O. Box 8386, Los Angeles, CA 90008; call 1-866-313-2722; or e-mail info@.

The nation’s leading jockey uses his fame as a platform to share Christ within the horse-racing industry

At 4 feet, 11 inches and 106 pounds, Pat Day stands tall, sharing his faith unashamedly to the horse racing community and fans alike.

“Christianity to me is not a way of life, it is life,” he said. “My heart’s desire is to share that wonderful news.”

He points to Christ in media interviews, while among jockeys and track employees, and at public speaking events sponsored by the Rack Track Chaplaincy of America Inc. (RTCA). Always pressured for autographs he writes, God loves you. John 3:16 alongside his signature.

Day’s professional credits earned him a coveted berth in the Racing Hall of Fame in 1991. An ex-rodeo cowboy, he joined the thoroughbred racing circuit in 1973. At 50 years old, he has collected more than 8,700 victories and is the leading active jockey in North America. His winning purses top $290 million.

Day learned long ago that scaling the pinnacle of success does not gain contentment. “I had fame and fortune and all that the world had to offer,” he said. “I discovered that it was very hollow and short-lived.”

Jostled out of a deep sleep in Miami in 1984, he turned on the television in his hotel room. His eyes collided with evangelist Jimmy Swaggart pleading with the audience to receive Christ. “I just got down on my knees and wept and invited Jesus Christ into my life,” Day said. “My life changed radically and instantaneously. I had come to the conclusion that the moment I accepted Christ the chains had been broken. I had been set free from the addiction to drugs and alcohol.”

In 1985 his wife, Sheila, became a born-again Christian.

Day considered leaving the racing circuit. “As I baby in Christ I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go,” he said.

Pursuing a seminary degree and becoming a minister were serious options. He shared his dilemma with an RTCA chaplain. Together they searched the Scriptures and prayed for God’s direction. “And through that process the Lord revealed to me that He saved me to work within the [racing] industry and not to leave it,” Day said.

Some jockeys knocked his conversion as a religious fad. “They called me a Jesus freak and Bible thumper,” Day recalled.

But today he is a respected role model with a national reputation. “Pat is willing to help people,” said Robert Landry, a veteran jockey. “He lets people know he believes, but he doesn’t bother you about it. He’s a great inspiration to young riders.”

Christians have criticized Day for working in a field that abets gambling and have chided him for riding on Sundays. “I don’t have any problem doing what I sense and believe God would have me to do,” said Day, who attends Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky.

Besides sharing Christ in his daily walk, Day is RTCA’s chief spokesperson to the racing industry. He recently launched an annual RTCA tour of racetracks, where he meets fans, participates in media promotions and shares his testimony. “Because of this tour Christ’s name has appeared on a lot of sports pages,” said Ed Donnally, a spokesman for RTCA ().

The association oversees 50 chaplains in 80 racetracks and training centers in the United States and Canada. About 20 of them represent Pentecostal denominations, including eight from the Assemblies of God (AG). “Salvation is at the forefront of what we do,” Donnally said. “We hope to bring in 25,000 decisions for Christ in the next five years within the horse racing industry.”

Racetrack chaplains minister to a forgotten and unchurched subculture of grooms, hot walkers, exercise riders, starting gate crews and trainers. Danger, low pay, long hours, boredom, loneliness, alcohol abuse and drugs are all part of the scene. “There’s a city behind every racetrack of 800 to 2,500 people,” says Alvin Worthley, director of AG Chaplaincy Ministries. “Many don’t leave the racetrack. The church has to come to them.”

Instead of reveling in success, Day leverages it as a platform for evangelism. “The only thing that I can take credit for is the desire to serve God,” he said. “Everything I have and all that I am is by the grace of God.”
Peter K. Johnson