Billy Graham said the nation’s 40th president was ‘a man of tremendous integrity, based on his religious belief’

Former President Ronald Wilson Reagan has been lauded as one of the nation’s greatest U.S. presidents, an exceptional communicator who helped redefine Republicanism. Yet the actor-turned-politician–who died June 5 at the age of 93 in his Bel Air, Calif., home after a 10-year battle against Alzheimer’s disease–was also a man of faith, say those who knew him best.

“Mr. Reagan had a religious faith deeper than most people knew,” said evangelist Billy Graham, who described Reagan as “one of my closest personal friends for many years. … The President was a man of tremendous integrity, based on his religious belief.”

Biographer Mary Beth Brown, author of Hand of Providence: The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan, which released from a Thomas Nelson subsidiary in March, said the nation’s 40th president accepted Christ at the age of 11 and was subsequently baptized. Though his father was Catholic, Reagan grew up in his mother’s denomination, the Disciples of Christ, then attended Presbyterian churches as an adult.

Family members said his faith was a guiding force. “My father lived as close to his maker as it is possible for a mortal to be,” said adopted son Michael Reagan, a Christian and conservative radio-show host who will release an autobiography and political commentary, Twice Adopted, in October. “Every morning he put himself in God’s hands, accepting whatever happened as the will of the Lord with absolute confidence that he would receive whatever he needed to cope with whatever the Lord put in front of him.”

Some Christian leaders say Reagan felt a sense of calling to the presidency. Christian broadcaster and author George Otis said he prophesied to then-Gov. Reagan at his home in the late 1960s that he would one day occupy 1600 Pennsylvania he walked uprightly before God. “We realized we had heard the voice of God,” said Otis, who was accompanied by entertainer Pat Boone and evangelist Harald Bredesen at the meeting.

Reagan acknowledged the prophecy to Boone after his first inauguration in 1981, indicating that he felt guided by a sense of divine purpose, Otis said. Observers have said that Reagan’s role in ending the Cold War, stimulating the economy and restoring a sense of optimism to America helped the nation through a critical juncture in its history.

Brown noted that Reagan’s faith informed his views, saying his resistance to communism was prompted in part by his opposition to its atheistic tenets. And his “reverence for the dignity of human life” motivated his pro-life stance, she added.

Because of his declining health, Reagan remained out of the public eye for much of the last decade and was cared for by his wife, Nancy. In her own autobiography, the former first lady wrote that she admired her husband’s faith, but did not share his passion and consulted astrologers because she was a habitual worrier and feared that her husband would be assassinated, Brown noted.

Though Reagan reportedly was private about his faith, he spoke several times to Christian groups, giving his well-known “evil empire” speech before the National Association of Evangelicals in 1983. “Yes, let us pray for the salvation of all those who live in that totalitarian darkness–pray they will discover the joy of knowing God,” he told them.

“But until they do, let us be aware that while they preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the Earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world.”

Though some Christians were critical of Reagan’s cuts to social programs that benefitted lower-income Americans, others praised his policies. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, who served on several White House commissions, said Reagan was “a true friend to the defenders of traditional values.” In 1988, Reagan signed a law establishing the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

Millions of Americans watched Reagan’s public funeral, held in the National Cathedral June 11. He was buried at his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.
Eric Tiansay and Adrienne S. Gaines

England-based Operation Mobilization recently purchased a new ship in an $18 million venture that will allow for expansion
A fleet of the world’s largest floating bookshops is about to get bigger.

Operation Mobilization (OM) recently bought a new ship in an $18 million venture that will enable the England-based missionary organization to expand its ministry distributing Christian literature and helping with community projects in ports around the world.

OM founder George Verwer, a native of New Jersey, described the purchase as the group’s “biggest single project.” Scheduled to enter ministry service in May 2005, the new ship–a 10,000-ton ferry that has been renamed Logos Hope–is the fourth motor vessel to be used by OM since 1970.

All the crew and staff are Christian volunteers, who serve in a variety of roles, from captain to cook, and raise sponsorship to fund their time onboard. Living expenses are covered by the ships’ funds.

OM and floating bookshops were Verwer’s brainchild. He converted to Christianity as a teenager during the 1950s and soon sensed a call to missions. He said he saw many lost people in the United States, “but at least they had a chance. I felt my life must be for those who have never heard. That’s one of the things God built into me, this vision for the more unreached places.”

Verwer said the name Operation Mobilization was inspired in the early 1960s, and expressed the group’s mission, to “mobilize the people of God” to reach the nations. Eventually OM began transporting truckloads of books from Europe to India.

He explained why OM chose to use ships: “We had these 125 vehicles, driving all the way to India. I thought, We need a ship, because we were very geared to moving people, moving large quantities of literature.”

In 1970 OM bought the Umanak, which became the Logos, meaning “word” in Greek. She was joined in 1977 by Doulos, which means “servant.” The Doulos is the oldest active ocean-going passenger ship.

Logos was shipwrecked in 1988 and replaced by Logos II. The group Educational Book Exhibits owns Logos II, and Doulos is owned by the German charity Güte Bucher für Alle, meaning Good Books for All. Both are ministries of OM.

However, Logos II has become too small, and Logos Hope, which is three times its size, will succeed it. “We need more facilities,” Verwer said. “The ship sometimes is having 100,000 people come on the weekends, so a lot of people just have to go through the exhibit and they have to leave. With the new ship there will be many more departments, so you won’t have to leave.”

Logos II has a staff and crew of roughly 200, while Doulos has about 300. Each member who joins must be over 18, speak English, be committed to the beliefs of the ship’s community and be able to raise financial support for their time onboard; the cost varies depending on the stage of development their home country is in.

Jaylene Schlichting, from Iowa will soon leave Doulos, but plans to continue working with OM. “I’ve been interested in missions all of my life,” Schlichting said. “I saw a brochure [about the Doulos] and thought, I could do that. Everyone’s really behind me–I raised my support in one month.”

Doulos visitor James Rowntree, of Southampton, England, was impressed by the ship and its staff. “The people onboard work as a big family, and must really enjoy what they do,” he said. “It’s good for religious people because it promotes the Word of God.”

As well as money raised from volunteers’ sponsorships, which accounts for about 60 percent of each ship’s running costs, finance is raised through book sales and corporate support in their numerous destinations.

Though he recently stepped down as president of OM, Verwer remains active in ministry, speaking at churches and conferences and working on special projects such as the distribution of AIDS awareness literature.

OM is one of the world’s largest missions organizations, with more than 3,000 members from 83 nations. It assists in planting churches, distributing Christian literature and offering humanitarian relief around the world. Verwer said OM has distributed the gospel to about 1 billion people, 100 million through its ships.
Sarah Louise Nicholls

Randy Clark, known for helping spark the Toronto Blessing, says another healing revival is coming to the church
The man credited with sparking the Toronto Blessing says a healing revival is on the horizon.

That’s why Vineyard pastor-turned-revivalist Randy Clark is touring the nation, leading a series of four-day healing schools. He said he hopes to prepare Christians to minister healing and walk in the miraculous. “I want to equip people with models that teach them how to move naturally in the supernatural,” Clark told Charisma.

The first healing school was held May 12 in the Seattle area, with about 250 people attending. Another was to be held June 21 in Harrisburg, Pa. “God wants to anoint you to heal, to bring people into the kingdom,” Clark told attendees in Seattle. “People are drawn to Jesus when they see His healing power, and that is what gives success to missions.”

Assisting Clark is Norwegian minister Leif Hetland, who Clark describes as one of the most influential Christian leaders in Muslim nations today. Hetland was pastor of a small Baptist church in Norway when Clark prayed that he would receive an impartation for power evangelism and healing ministry. Today Hetland is based in Alabama but ministers frequently in Muslim nations.

“In the last nine years since we prophesied over him and an impartation came, over 1 million people have been saved through his ministry,” Clark said of Hetland. “It is one of the most miraculous ministries in the world right now.”

Clark said he launched the schools to correct wrong theology and equip Christians to minister healing. “I believe that we are going to see another healing revival, so I wanted to do a school where there could be a solid biblical basis for both the models and the theology behind healing and power evangelism,” Clark said. “People like the models I learned in the Vineyard and the balance, so I do expect that there will be a multiplication of healing in churches, communities and nations as a result of our healing schools.”

The Seattle healing school covered three main categories: information, activation and impartation. The information segment discussed ecclesiastical history of the phenomena of God’s presence, past and emerging models for healing, and the role of power evangelism in international church growth. Clark described “power evangelism” as the Word of God being demonstrated by the Spirit of God through signs and wonders.

The activation time covered such topics as how a person can align himself with the heart of God, the role of healing in the ministry of Jesus and the Great Commission, and training on how to activate the gifts of word of knowledge, healing and deliverance.

During nonteaching times, healing school participants received prayer for the impartation of spiritual gifts. Evening sessions were open to the public, giving students an opportunity to activate words of knowledge and begin to minister healing.

Jean Andrews, a technical writer and grandmother from Suwanne, Ga., said she was influenced by Clark’s “Spend and Be Spent” message. “I was going on mission trips as they fit into my life,” Andrews told Charisma. “But when Randy said, ‘Spend and be spent for the reward of His suffering,’ I felt like totally surrendering. How can we sit back and go just when it’s convenient?”

The message also had an emotional impact on Ryan Adair, 23, of Puyallup, Wash., one of Clark’s interns. “I’ve heard [Clark] preach it multiple times, but God just came and touched me,” Adair said. “I felt like I was supposed to surrender myself [to the Lord] again–‘Do what You want to do with me; take me where You want to take me.'”

Mark Moody, whose Northwest Awakening organization coordinated the Seattle meetings, said he believes the schools are effective training tools for Christians. “Northwest Awakening’s vision is to provide conferences and resources to enable people to walk in new dimensions of the power of God both in and through their lives,” Moody said. “I believe this school brought about a marriage of understanding and experience for many.”

Healing schools are scheduled for Redding, Calif., beginning Sept. 29 and Englewood, Fla., beginning Nov. 17. Clark’s ministry organization, Global Awakening, is also planning 10-12 additional healing schools to be held in 2005.
Julia C. Loren in Seattle

Sam Der-Yeghiayan came to the United States and attended Evangel University, thanks to an Assemblies of God missionary

The first person of Armenian heritage to ever become a federal judge keeps a low public profile. Sam Der-Yeghiayan (dare-yea-ge-yan) doesn’t grant interviews, to avoid giving political adversaries fodder for misconstruing his Christian views.

But that doesn’t stop others from loudly applauding his accomplishments.

The one-time Assemblies of God missionary who helped him enter the United States isn’t surprised that his protégé now sits on the U.S. District Court for Northern Illinois.

“Sam always had the drive to be somebody and not just be another person,” said William Ilnisky, pastor of Lighthouse Christian Center International in West Palm Beach, Fla. “That’s what made me willing to invest time in him and help him out.”

Born in Syria but raised in Lebanon, 52-year-old Der-Yeghiayan came from a Christian family. But as a teen he generally spent more time with gangs than in church, Ilnisky said.

The two met soon after Ilnisky went to Beirut in 1969 to establish a campus ministry near American University. His first year the missionary also taught at a high school for Armenians.

While Der-Yeghiayan “played a lot of games,” at 18 he accepted Christ and was filled with the Spirit, telling Ilnisky, “I’ve traded my gun for a sword.”

Despite this change, “I realized if he stayed in Lebanon he would probably be dead quickly because of uprisings between Muslims and Christians,” Ilnisky recalled. “In Lebanon, everyone carried a gun for protection.”

Because of his connections to Evangel College, which became a university in 1998, Ilnisky arranged for Der-Yeghiayan to obtain a visa and enroll. His first home in Springfield, Mo., was with the school’s president, the late Robert Ashcroft, father of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

After obtaining a social sciences degree, Der-Yeghiayan went on to the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, N.H., and became a naturalized citizen. After graduating in 1978, he became a trial attorney for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Chicago.

Four years later Der-Yeghiayan became counsel for the INS Chicago district, overseeing a three-state area. He held that post until becoming an immigration court judge in 2000, where he served until joining the federal court a year ago.

Rated “qualified” by the American Bar Association, Der-Yeghiayan was approved by Congress 89-0.

Der-Yeghiayan is the third Evangel grad to hold high public office. The others are Adm. Vern Clark, chief of U.S. naval operations, and Todd Tiahrt, a five-term congressman from Kansas.

The first alumnus on the federal bench, Der-Yeghiayan has a legion of admirers in Springfield. His alma mater recently presented him its 2004 Regius Award, which honors social sciences alumni for outstanding professional achievement.

While in Missouri Der-Yeghiayan visited Bryan Sanders’ administrative law class, where the professor said the judge “captivated” his students.

A former real estate developer and attorney, Sanders believes the skilled graduate’s integrity enables him to walk a fine line between his Christian beliefs and upholding the law.

The professor is also impressed with the judge’s humility, saying “it’s like a breath of fresh air” to see someone of importance avoiding an arrogant stance.

“He’s very well reasoned and cautious in the things he says and does,” Sanders said. “He’s not a knee-jerk judge. I think that’s what has gotten him credibility. I didn’t perceive in him a political bent. He truly looks to the written law.”

Robert Spence, who succeeded Ashcroft as president and knew Der-Yeghiayan his senior year, remembers a focused, dedicated student–one who opened a pizzeria during college to help pay his tuition.

Sometimes challenged by struggles with language differences, Der-Yeghiayan “had to work a little harder and excelled,” Spence said. “It was obvious to those who knew him that he was going somewhere.”

J. Calvin Holsinger, a semi-retired professor who continues to teach a course in public history, echoes that sentiment. He described his former student as a “go-getter,” and Holsinger said he was touched by the people who came from long distances to attend the spring dinner honoring the Evangel graduate.

“People from his past who heard about it made an effort to be there,” said Holsinger, who heard the judge praised as a capable, helping person. “He seeks to do his best for the country.”

During Der-Yeghiayan’s swearing-in ceremony, Attorney General Ashcroft said the Founding Fathers knew individuals who would lead this nation best were those committed to fundamental maxims of liberty.

“This nation needs more men and women, more boys and girls, who will follow in Sam’s footsteps,” Ashcroft said, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported.

On Evangel’s campus, many would add a hearty, “Amen.”
Ken Walker

Organizers say the Appleton, Wis., shopping and activity center will help churches reach out to teens in their community
In 1954 Appleton, Wis., opened the nation’s first fully enclosed shopping mall. Now, 50 years later, the Valley Fair Mall is getting a major makeover to become the nation’s first youth mall.

But this isn’t some corporate leech trying to tap into the $90-per-week wad of cash the average teen spends. This is a faith-friendly, community-based effort that sees dollar signs as secondary.

“What good does it do to gain the world and lose your soul?” asks Dave Lehman, founder and executive director of the nonprofit YouthFutures, a faith-based community organization. “This could be very profitable, but that’s not our passion. We want to take that money and invest it in kids.”

The investment begins with the pending purchase of the dying Valley Fair Mall with an Aug. 21 Grand Reopening planned. “Part of the concept behind the mall is that there are 94,000 teens in this four-county region, and like a lot of other communities, there’s not that much for teens to do,” said CEO Greg Books, a former pastor and currently an elder at Evangel Worship Center in Menasha, Wisc.

“Teens really don’t have that much to do, and it’s a breeding ground for trouble,” Books said. “What we want to create is a venue where there’s entertainment choices–a skate park, theater, paintball, stores, food court, places to sit, a comedy house–there’s just a plethora of choices, but none of those choices will get you into trouble.”

An inexpensive theater, skate park, PC gaming venue and hip-hop clothing store already are open, and other attractions should open their doors in time for the Grand Reopening. With an eye toward investing in teens, Books and Lehman describe their concept as a town square. Community involvement is essential and gives the church space beside government and commercial establishments.

“Richard John Newhouse wrote a series of books where he coined the phrase ‘naked public square,'” Books said. “And his concern was that in political debate and in public debate you can be involved no matter your motivation–unless that motivation is religious, and then you’re required to check your beliefs at the door as the price of getting into the square.”

YouthFutures wants its mall to be a place that welcomes faith. The plan calls for a major anchor to be Matt’s House, which will occupy a former Kohl’s department store, and offer a café, climbing wall, inflatable games, a recording studio and practice rooms, and more.

“Matt’s House is really a bridge for the churches into the community,” said Rob Strauss, president of Matt’s House and former pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Neenah, Wis. The name for Matt’s House comes from Matthew the disciple, who Strauss said essentially threw a party for his friends to introduce them to Jesus. Matt’s House isn’t its own church or youth group, but instead it is a point of contact for the 34 local churches involved.

While Matt’s House is a Christian-based tenant, organizers say the mall itself is more of a venue that allows faith to have a voice, distinguishing Valley Fair from other wholly Christian ventures, such as the Concord, N.C., mall owned and operated by First Assembly of God.

The whole idea is the brainchild of Lehman, who’s been mulling the prospect for more than 10 years. Three years ago he resigned from Appleton Community Evangelical Free Church to pursue the project full time. “Dave showed me the concept on the back of an envelope–that’s where all great ideas are birthed,” Books said.

So far Lehman and Books aren’t alone in thinking this is a great idea. At least 13 corporate donors have signed on with substantial gifts. Appleton Mayor Timothy M. Hanna and U.S. Congressman Mark Green are both on the YouthFutures board of advisers. The Chris Farley Foundation plans to open the Chris Farley Comedy House at the mall. Teens have signed up as well, eagerly joining a Teen Advisory Board and committing to raise $250,000 for the mall themselves.

And the youth mall concept doesn’t end in Appleton. Said Books: “There are literally hundreds of cities that have that same combination of a dead or dying mall, a teen population with nothing to do, and a strong, vibrant faith community.”
Kevin D. Hendricks in Appleton, Wis.

The inner-healing method is being used worldwide amid concerns that it is a form of guided-imagery therapy
Even as an adult and devout Christian, “Mary” struggled to overcome a childhood marred by incest. She was seeing a Christian counselor on a weekly basis. But feelings of guilt and shame still crippled her to the point where she was taking antidepressants and a host of other medications.

Her counselor, meanwhile, was facing his own struggles. Ed Smith had been a Southern Baptist pastor for 17 years before opening a Christian counseling
practice in Campbellsville, Ky., in 1991. He thrived on helping others but by 1996 was completely burned out, discouraged that his clients were not seeing significant results.

Smith, who had a doctorate in pastoral ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., was using cognitive therapy–the same as many other counselors, Christian and non-Christian.

Week after week, often growing into year after year, Smith would discuss with his clients their past trauma, such as rape, incest or abuse. “I would look for ways to apply biblical truths,” he said. “I would tell them these truths repeatedly.”

Yet his clients still struggled with guilt, shame and other emotional pain.

“What I was doing was a farce,” Smith said.

It dawned on him that he was actually standing in God’s way. So he came up with a simple approach and used it in his next session with Mary (not her real name). Instead of discussing her painful past, Smith told Mary to “go to the memory” of her childhood abuse. He then prayed aloud a simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, what is it You want Mary to know in this memory?”

The results were dramatic, Smith said, as Mary encountered God’s presence and healing power. What’s more, he said, for the first time Mary grasped that she was not at fault for what had happened to her as a little girl.

The guilt and shame were gone and Mary soon no longer needed to see Smith nor was she in need of prescription drugs. Her medical doctor was stunned and called Smith. “He wanted to know what I had done,” Smith said.

Smith explained to him the concept, which he named “theophostic prayer ministry”–“theo” meaning God and “phostic” meaning light. The doctor was soon referring a host of other patients to Smith.

That was eight years ago, and since that time Smith changed his practice into a ministry–International Association for Theophostic Ministry–and focuses on training people in theophostic prayer ministry (TPM). Smith doesn’t know how many pastors and laypeople minister in TPM, but one indication of its growing popularity is that his office receives an average of 800-1,000 requests per month for basic training kits. Based on those requests, TPM is being used in more than 100 countries.

“Theophostic ministry is shining the light of Christ into darkness,” said Jean LaCour of Orlando, Fla., who has been ministering with TPM since 1999. “We simply lead the person to the feet of Jesus through prayer, and allow God to reveal His truth to their wounded heart and mind.”

Smith said that oftentimes the woundedness stems from what he calls lie-based pain. “I believe that emotional pain in people’s lives is almost always rooted in what they believe–not what is, but what they believe,” he said. “That’s why in traditional counseling, people have to keep going back over and over again. Because counseling can’t give them the experience that God wants to give them.”

TPM is used in various churches–from charismatic and Pentecostal to Baptist and Roman Catholic. Recognized leaders such as John and Paula Sandford, Paul Meier of New Life Clinics and Charles Kraft of Fuller Theological Seminary also use the method. Smith has recently spoken at annual conventions for the American Association of Christian Counselors and the Christian Association of Psychological Studies.

But TPM is not without its critics, who say the method is actually guided imagery and age regression therapy. David Entwistle, a Christian psychologist who has researched and written about theophostic prayer ministry, said several elements of TPM troubled him. For one, he said TPM techniques may not offer adequate safeguards to distinguish true from false memories.

But for Entwistle, the most central issue is how to understand the presence of Jesus in the “memories” of people undergoing TPM. “On what basis are we to conclude whether the appearance of Jesus in TPM is literal or figurative, based on revelation or imagination?”

Smith said TPM training seminars and resources stress that TPM facilitators are never to engage in guided imagery or recovered memory therapy. “We don’t do that,” he said. “We’re not implanting or suggesting any kind of memory content. We’re to be careful that we’re not the ones trying to give the person the truth.”

However, Smith said, he cannot monitor everyone who claims to use theophostic ministry. “Theophostic is simply a tool and people can use it improperly,” LaCour explained.

She added that she believes God has been using TPM all along. “It is profound how Jesus expresses His tender love to people,” she told Charisma. “His love that I have seen poured out is more tender, more fierce, more cleansing than I could ever imagine.”
Nancy Justice

Pakistani Pastor Released on Bail

A Pakistani pastor imprisoned on blasphemy charges since December has been released on bail, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) reported. Jailed in Lahore, Pakistan, Anwar Masih was accused of insulting various prophets. His accuser, Nasser Ahmed, a recent convert to Islam, is said to have a grudge against Masih and previously was accused of severely beating a neighbor. In a May 28 letter to Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf, the Rev. Hans Stuckelberger, president and founder of CSI, called for a broader review of the blasphemy law, calling it an open incitement to violence.

Christian Children Lured To Buddhist Monasteries

Children from Christian families in Myanmar are being lured from their homes and placed in Buddhist monasteries. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the children between the ages of 5 and 10 reportedly have their heads shaved and are trained as novice monks, never to see their parents again. During a visit with Chin and Kachin refugees in India in March, CSW officials also heard other accounts of persecution and discrimination. The government of the Southeast Asian nation, located between India and Thailand, offers incentives to impoverished villagers to convert from Christianity to Buddhism in Chin state, an area that is 90 percent Christian.

At least 350 People Die in Religious Clash in Nigeria

Two months after Muslim militants killed a pastor and 48 members of his church, fresh religious violence has erupted in the town of Yelwa in the central state of Plateau. The Muslim-Christian clash in May resulted in the deaths of at least 350 people, Compass Direct reported. Elsewhere, more than 120 people were killed and thousands more displaced when inter-religious violence erupted in Sarkin Kudu and Dampar villages in the northern state of Taraba in April. The skirmishes followed the murder earlier this year of a Church of Christ in Nigeria pastor and members of his congregation. Samson Bukar died on Feb. 23 when Muslim militants attacked his church in Yelwa.

Authorities credit Marcos Pereira da Silva with bringing an end to a three-day prison revolt in Brazil that left 31 dead

A controversial Pentecostal pastor is credited with ending a three-day riot at the Benfica detention center in Rio de Janeiro that left at least 30 inmates and one guard dead in late May, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

After calling in representatives from the Roman Catholic Church to negotiate peace, police allowed in Marcos Pereira da Silva, pastor of the Assembly of God of the Last Days, located outside Rio de Janeiro, three days after the riot began.

Popular among gangs and known for mediating riots, Da Silva persuaded inmates to release the remaining hostages in exchange for a promise that prison guards would separate detainees from rival gangs, the New York Times said.

“If the pastor didn’t resolve this, the police would have stormed the place … and the tragedy would have been much greater,” Astirio Pereira dos Santos, the head of Rio’s prison authority, told GloboNews, the Times reported.

The uprising began May 29 when inmates attempted to escape. When authorities tried to stop them, prisoners attacked the guards, took their guns and held 26 guards and staff hostage. Authorities said bodies were decapitated, mutilated and burned, the Times reported.

Rebellions are common in Brazilian prisons, which are often criticized for overcrowding and abuse, the AP said. The bloodshed at Benfica marked the worst prison riot since 1992, when police killed more than 100 inmates at Carandiru prison in Sao Paulo, the Times said.

The following reports were released during the last month by Charisma NOW. Go to our Web site at to subscribe to the free weekday service or to access full-length versions of each day’s stories. The site also includes a search engine so you can access archived news.

PASTOR GOES ON HUNGER STRIKE TO PROTEST STRIP CLUB
When a gay strip club set up shop next to his rescue mission and Christian school, San Francisco pastor Roger Huang went on a 30-day hunger strike, refusing to eat or drink anything besides a cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. Sitting on a chair in front of City Hall, Huang called for, among other things, closure of the Chez Paree strip club and a ban on liquor licenses in the area, the San Francisco Examiner reported. Ending his strike on May 6, Huang said progress had been made. Local officials were looking at ways to limit liquor licenses, increase police patrols and clean up the area, the Examiner reported. Huang also said the owner of Chez Paree offered to sell him the building for $1.4 million, which the ministry is working to raise.

BLACK PASTORS DENOUNCE GAY MARRIAGE
Pentecostal Bishop Paul Morton and charismatic pastor Fred Price were among a group of African-American ministers to denounce Massachusetts’ move to legalize same-sex marriage beginning May 17, the anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, which desegregated U.S. public schools. At a Washington, D.C., press conference May 17, the leaders criticized efforts to liken the push for gay rights to the gay civil rights movement. They called on the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose civil unions and support legislation declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman.

DEFAMATION CASE AGAINST JEWS FOR JESUS DISMISSED
In May a West Palm Beach, Fla., judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the nation’s largest Messianic Jewish organization that arose out of “a praise report” in a Jews for Jesus (JFJ) newsletter. Circuit Court Judge Catherine Brunson threw out the suit filed by Edith Rapp, who claimed that JFJ defamed her in a July 2002 newsletter by saying she was a “Jewish believer.” In the newsletter, her stepson, JFJ employee Bruce Rapp, said Rapp accepted Christ while the two were visiting his dying father. On Dec. 11, Edith Rapp sued JFJ, claiming the conversion account was fictitious and that JFJ knew the account was false when it published the newsletter. Liberty Counsel, which represented JFJ, filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that it was not defamatory to call someone a Christian. Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver said the lawsuit was an attack against JFJ because of its evangelism activity among Jews.

CHURCH RECONCILES AFTER 50-YEAR-OLD RIFT
The reconciliation of a Pentecostal church in Texas that mended a 56-year split has reportedly empowered members to influence the community. According to the Assemblies of God News, Family Worship Center was Full Gospel Assembly of God when it opened in 1935 in McKinney, now part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. But 12 years later, half its members left because of leadership differences. The group that departed formed Southside Assembly of God, which later changed its name to DaySpring Christian Fellowship. In 2003, both congregations voted unanimously to reunite and combine staffs. Since the merger last fall, the church has registered a record-high attendance of 316 during a January service, at which 11 people received Jesus.

Andraé Crouch Honored With Star on Walk of Fame

Hollywood has a new star–on its legendary Walk of Fame. Eight-time Grammy-winner Andraé Crouch was to become the third gospel artist to be honored with a star on the famous Hollywood Boulevard walkway, joining singer Mahalia Jackson and the Rev. James Cleveland. Best known for songs such as “My Tribute” and “Just Like He Said He Would,” the pastor of New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ was to be honored in a ceremony June 4.

James Dobson Launches Political Group

In April, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson launched a political sister organization called Focus on the Family Action, aimed at lobbying for socially conservative causes, the New York Times reported. Dobson has been making speeches across the country supporting bans on same-sex marriage, and this summer his group plans to begin a voter-registration drive targeting young Christians. Dobson said he will endorse conservative candidates as a private individual, the Times reported.

Shock Rocker Receives Honorary Ph.D.

Legendary shock-rocker Alice Cooper was awarded an honorary doctor of music from Grand Canyon University on May 8. A longtime supporter of the Phoenix-based Christian university, Cooper, 56, accepted Christ 13 years ago and launched the Solid Rock foundation to help youth avoid gangs, guns and drugs. Cooper, who has been married for 28 years and has three children, said he is honored by the recognition. “So they’re making me a doctor of music? A Ph.D.? Dr. Cooper? I guess school’s never really out!”

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By Pat Robertson, Integrity,

Hardcover, 240 pages, $.

Sadly, this book has little chance of widespread use in the arena where it is needed most: America’s public schools. However, although few outside Christendom are likely to pick up this book (except to mock it), one can argue that churches need The Ten Offenses: Reclaim the Blessing of the Ten Commandments as a refresher course.

Robertson’s book is a practical guide to the positive aspects of following God’s law–and the consequences of disobeying it. Not only is this material excellent for Christian schools and home schoolers, but it also provides fertile ground for small-group discussions.

Especially useful is the appendix, which includes preambles to all 50 state constitutions, all of which honor God in some way. The strongest call to Christians to correct their ignorance of the law appears in the epilogue, where Robertson notes: “If we live the commandments of God, then our lives will prove a far more effective testimony than any stone tablet, no matter where it is situated.”
Ken Walker

High Calling
By Evelyn Husband with Donna

VanLiere, Thomas Nelson, hardcover,
233 pages, $.

On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated in Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crewmembers on their return from a 16-day space mission. Evelyn Husband, wife of Columbia Commander Rick Husband, writes a poignant account of the courageous life and faith of her spouse of 20 years.

Her testimony is supported with accounts about Rick Husband’s character from his acquaintances and friends. He was a Christian after God’s own heart: kind, compassionate, selfless, honest–no matter the personal cost.

Rick Husband’s faith makes High Calling so much more than a wife’s tribute to her husband. It comforts us with an awareness that Christ and His people ultimately triumph over death. Evelyn Husband and her children, Laura and Matthew, are not left behind.

Their own faith moves them ahead in preparation for Christ’s kingdom. They witness to the value and sanctity of lives boldly lived in Christ here and now.

As was Lisa Beamer’s account of the courageous life and faith of her husband, 9/11 hero Todd Beamer, High Calling is an excellent example of the new genre of survivalist literature. In the chaos of a world on the verge of a terroristic holocaust, our nation needs to look to its Christian heroes for strength and direction. You will cry with joy along with Evelyn Husband as she shouts in closing her book: “All is well. Hallelujah!”
Pamela Robinson

Throne Room
By CeCe Winans with Claire Cloninger,
Integrity, hardcover, 144 pages, $.

CeCe Winans, a favorite among traditional gospel and contemporary Christian music fans alike, recently released her praise and worship follow-up CD, Throne Room. This is a collection of songs to help listeners bask in God’s presence.

In her book by the same name, Winans continues the theme of worship by opening up and allowing us to delve into her personal worship experiences. She teaches Christians in a simple yet informative way how to worship.

Winans provides two keys to worship and describes the life changes that result from stepping into the secret place. The many cited Scriptures about praise and worship will enlighten the reader about the power and the blessings of entering the throne room of God.

She also speaks about worship and its power in spiritual warfare and why it should be a part of every Christian’s daily routine. Personal examples, such as her brother Ronald’s revival from death, 9/11 and memories from her youth of her father’s worship practices, reveal Winans’ warmth and transparency.

Throne Room also provides the background and the inspiration of each song on the CD. The book closes with reflective questions to help readers examine their own personal worship routines. Throne Room is a wonderful book for those who yearn to have a more intimate relationship with the Lord.
René Williams

The Glorious Disturbance
By Ernest B. Gentile, Chosen Books,
Softcover, 285 pages, $.

Author Ernest B. Gentile makes a solid case for what he calls the “Peter Pattern” in his newest book, The Glorious Disturbance. Taken from Peter’s first sermon of Pentecost (see Acts 2:38-39), the Peter Pattern is the sequence of conversion, water baptism and Spirit baptism accompanied with speaking in tongues. The pattern appears normative in the early church and the author maintains that it is the birthright of all Christians today.

The Glorious Disturbance seems to be written particularly for those who want a thorough theological basis for accepting Gentile’s belief as normative today and for those who may have been prejudiced against speaking in tongues by current doctrines and traditions. Gentile addresses the role of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts.

The author approaches the subject in a thoughtful, scholarly manner with interesting side notes and charts, making his book more comprehensive than a basic how-to-be-filled booklet. Gentile gives us an understanding of worship in early Jewish tabernacles and how the church was born out of this.

He methodically discusses every form of baptism and how they correspond with one another. He also accurately examines many of the main denominations of Christianity and how they have traditionally defined the experience of Spirit baptism. This book is a great resource for anyone who teaches on the baptism of the Holy Spirit as well as those doing personal research.
Deborah L. Delk

MUSIC

Abandon
By Jason Morant, Integrity Music.

Jason Morant is a new talent to watch for on the modern worship scene. The melodic, haunting intensity with which he worships draws listeners in and pierces their souls on debut album Abandon.

Citing influences that range from Keith Green to U2, Morant creates piano- and guitar-infused modern-rock melodies. The strength of this album is that Morant never tries to straddle the fence of both artist and worshiper. He simply praises the Lord, and his songs stick right in the heart.

The 12 songs are packed with straight-forward titles and lyrics such as “Bless the Lord,” which states: “I left my heart in worship/Taken by the truth/That You are God” or the catchy, guitar-backed “Great Is the Lord” that says: “Forever I’ll say/Great is the Lord/Great is the Lord/You’re the one who set me free/You’re the king who rescued me.”

This stunning album is consistently good throughout, but standouts include Morant’s take on the classic praise song “I Love You Lord” (indeed a “sweet, sweet sound”) and the piercing “Sing Over Me.”
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

7 Sons of Soul
By 7 Sons of Soul, Verity Records.

Washington, D.C., is home to a number of gospel greats including Richard Smallwood, Byron Cage, William Becton, Maurette Brown Clark, Stephen Hurd and Patrick Lundy.

The 7 Sons of Soul have recently added their name to this burgeoning list. The group consists of six members–Cliff Jones, David Lindsey, Deonte Gray, Sam Kendrick, Nathaniel Fields and Paul Edwards, with Jesus Christ being the seventh nonsinging member of the group.

Their self-titled debut includes a number of traditional, almost quartet-sounding songs including the popular “Run On,” “Show Me The Way,” a song dedicated to the late Willie Neal Johnson of the Gospel Keynotes, and a beautiful harmonizing rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Not to be pigeonholed, the group also showcases an urban vibe on the laid-back “He’s So Real” featuring R&B crooner Raheem Devaughn and the hip-hop-flavored tunes “Job” and “Need You.”

“He’s Coming Back” and “Prayer Changes Things,” both with a down-home feel and driving rhythm, find the group reaching back to the roots of gospel. Gospel’s current premiere artist, songwriter and producer Fred Hammond, as well as Pam Kenyon Donald, make guest appearances on a tasteful remake of The Hawkins Family classic “What Is This.”

Most new groups do contemporary gospel well; few are able to transition so easily from the traditional to the ultracontemporary as the 7 Sons of Soul are. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from these young men.
René Williams

VIDEO

Bells of Innocence
Good Times Entertainment.

Starring Chuck Norris, Bells of Innocence is a “faith-based” thriller in which belief in God determines the outcome of a battle between heaven and hell.

The plot involves Jux (Mike Norris, Chuck’s oldest son and the film’s executive producer), Conrad (David White) and Oren (Carey Scott), who are on a mission trip bound for Mexico when their plane loses power and crashes in the Texas desert.

The friends end up in Ceres, a town that doesn’t exist on any map and whose residents wander aimlessly. The only communication to the outside world is a short-wave radio, belonging to Matthew (Norris), a mysterious rancher who lives on the outskirts of town.

Joshua (Marshall Teague) controls the town and plots to fulfill an ancient prophecy of sacrifice and destruction. The visitors realize that the only way to leave is to become “agents of redemption.”

Bells of Innocence is spooky and engaging but is not recommended for young children because of its occult theme, scary scenes and violence.
Eric Tiansay

Munizzi grew up singing Southern gospel. Now, as a thirtysomething independent artist, she’s singing in a black gospel style and loving it.

Munizzi, a wife and mother, recorded her latest CD, The Best Is Yet to Come, at Lakewood Church in Houston. She wasn’t sure how the crowd would like her brand-new songs, but the experience turned out to be “so incredible,” she says. “It felt like we stepped into something way beyond ourselves.”

This album has taken her ministry () to new levels and brought her songs to the forefront of the music industry. Karen Clark-Sheard, Vicki Yohe and Ron Kenoly have recorded her songs. Kenoly says: “Martha leads worship with power, excitement and authority. Her sensitivity in worship helps you to know that she has spent much time in personal prayer and devotion.”

Munizzi also likes to talk about topics beyond music. Molested as a child, she used to bite her nails because she had a spirit of anxiety.

God has since healed her. And despite her parents’ divorce, she sees how her own marriage can be stronger. Munizzi does not dwell on her past.

“If I wrote a book, the molestation would be a chapter, not the whole book,” she says. “I’ve talked to others … who have had far worse experiences than I did. My childhood, for the most part, was happy. … These days, if I am led to share my painful past experiences with people, I love to say: ‘Look what God has done. He has been faithful.'”
Mark Weber

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

1. Pigs in the Parlor
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond

(Impact Christian Books)

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

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

4. The Final Quest
Rick Joyner (Whitaker House)

5. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

6. Matters of the Heart
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

7. A Divine Revelation of Heaven
Mary K. Baxter with T.L. Lowery (Whitaker House)

8. Within the Gates
Rebecca R. Springer (Christ for the Nations)

9. The Torch & The Sword
Rick Joyner (Destiny Image)

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