Pastor Claudio Freidzon began the Operation Blessing campaign in response to his nation’s economic crisis
A leading minister in the Argentina revival movement that saw thousands come to Christ in the mid-1980s and 1990s has launched a new initiative to take the gospel outside the walls of the church.

Calling his effort Operation Blessing, Claudio Freidzon of 15,000-member Iglesia Rey de Reyes in Buenos Aires has been taking teams of volunteers to remote areas throughout Argentina to distribute food, clothing, medicine and other supplies, and to host evangelistic meetings. The pastor said the effort is an attempt to preach the gospel not only in word, but also in deed by combining evangelism with practical assistance.

Freidzon said he felt God calling him to “bless” his country after an economic crisis rocked Argentina in late 2001. Thousands were suddenly without jobs, banks
froze savings accounts, and the peso lost 70 percent of its value.

Burdened by the difficult conditions many Argentineans faced, Freidzon and his wife, Betty, launched Operation Blessing last year. The first Operation Blessing event was held in the province of Tucumán in April 2003, with more than 35,000 people in attendance and thousands reporting decisions for Christ.

In July of the same year, the second Operation Blessing took place in the province of Chubut, with the customary hospital visitations and distribution of food and medical help. The third outreach event was held in the province of Misiones in November, with 20,000 people in attendance.

This year, Freidzon decided to travel to the marginal barrios within the interior of the country. Accompanied by a group of volunteers, he visited the provinces of Tucumán, Chubut, Misiones and Chaco, thus impacting Argentina’s northern, central and southern regions.

Though many made decisions for Christ at previous events, the volunteer team was surprised at the response in Chaco, the final destination in the tour, when they visited in April. The Chaco Forever stadium was filled to capacity, with thousands waiting outside. Operation Blessing said more than 9,000 reported decisions for Christ during the outreach.

As Freidzon had done in previous cities, he collected a special offering to benefit two hospitals in the city of Resistencia, located in Chaco province. As a result of the meeting, the local newspaper ran a front-page article with the headline: “Chaco: This Is Your Time.”

The crusade also drew participation from local official Aida Ayala and other high-ranking government leaders. The governor even granted worship leader Danilo Montero the use of his plane to transport him to the event.

Some 450 volunteers distributed 20 tons of goods, including medicine and 500 books destined for Argentina’s rural libraries. The team also visited the Clorindo Omar Blanco School in Resistencia and Barrio Honda Chico School in nearby Sáenz Peña, where they donated books, school equipment, treats and even a television.

In an effort to touch every social class, Operation Blessing developed a conference geared toward professionals and businessmen, as well as a seminar for pastors and leaders that had approximately 1,700 ministers in attendance.

Volunteers also visited health centers, where they prayed for the sick and distributed diapers and baby clothing. A volunteer group of doctors, dentists and public assistants tended to the residents at the Villa Don Alberto health center.

Afterward, pastors from Resistencia reported that some local churches had doubled their membership at the end of the week. Some even said they had a renewed evangelistic zeal.

“There isn’t enough seating to seat the new believers,” one local pastor said. “Operation Blessing’s wide-reaching effect has caused our church to overflow.” Another pastor acknowledged, “This has never happened before, not seen in this way, the streets being invaded by the gospel.”
Gisela Sawin in Chaco, Argentina

Jailed Christian Students Released in Egypt

Four Christian college students arrested in January for possessing faith-based materials have been released amid international pressure for their freedom. According to the Barnabas Fund, Peter Kamel, Ishak Yessa, John Fokha and Andrew Saeed were freed on April 3. Police in the Naweeba district jailed them after raiding their rooms at a resort hotel in the Sinai Desert. Their Bibles and various Christian tapes were confiscated. “None of these materials were illegal, and there was nothing found in their possession which would have justified their arrest,” Barnabus Fund said. The students were initially charged with “disturbing the national unity and threatening the social peace.”

Pakistani Christian Dies After Torture by Muslims

A Christian who refused to convert to Islam died in early May after being tortured by Islamic militants. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that Javed Anjum, a 23-year-old resident of Toba Tek Singh District, was tortured for five days and nights by extremists from an Islamic school in the area. He was hospitalized for 11 days and died in a Faisalabad hospital on May 2. In a statement to police before he died, Anjum said he was searching for water near the school, but was accused by Muslim leaders of trying to steal a water pump. CSW urged Pakistani authorities to bring the militants to justice. “This is … an example of the threat that Christians continue to face in Pakistan,” said Stuart Windsor, national director of the United Kingdom-based CSW. “We urge our supporters to pray for Javed’s family.”

Jailed Chinese Church Leader Beaten in Prison

South China Church (SCC) pastor Gong Shengliang, who is currently serving a life sentence in the Hong Shan Prison, located in Hubei Province, has begged to be transferred. According to China Aid Association (CAA), the SCC leader recently told his sisters who visited him in prison: “If you are able in any way, please transfer me to another prison–otherwise just come and pick up my corpse.” CAA sources said Shengliang was unable to walk into the visiting hall and had to be carried in by four other inmates.

The lightweight champion and youth pastor from Tulare, Calif., says he’s able to reach people who wouldn’t visit a church

James Kindell’s reputation precedes him.

He’s known as the “punching pastor”–and it’s not because of his forceful delivery from the pulpit.

It’s because the youth pastor from Tulare, Calif., is an amateur boxer, winning a Northwest Golden Gloves championship last year and advancing to a national tournament. He even competed in the Olympic Boxing Trials, though he was disqualified after the third match.

“I encouraged him to get back into boxing,” said Dennis Sunderland, the senior pastor at Bethel Assembly of God in Tulare. “It’s a great contact with a segment of our community that doesn’t come to church.”

Kindell started boxing at age 10 while growing up in Seattle, winning a silver medal at the Junior Olympics at age 15 and five years later ranking seventh nationally in his weight division in an amateur boxing career that included 75 bouts.

A year ago, at the age of 29, Kindell returned to the ring after a seven-year layoff, winning the Golden Gloves title in Tacoma, Wash., earning top honors at a regional tournament and later advancing to nationals at the legendary Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas–placing second in the 152-pound weight class.

Nearly every day before heading to church, Kindell wakes at 5:45 a.m. and runs six miles. He trains in the ring on Tuesday nights.

“Young guys at the gym come up to me and ask, “‘You’re a pastor?'” Kindell said. “They see I’m not cussing. They see I’m different.”

Now, the 5-foot-7 Kindell mixes preaching and boxing, befriending street-tough kids who know nothing about the forgiveness of Christ.

“It’s part of my ministry,” Kindell said. “Most pastors aren’t able to reach these people. It’s a way of meeting some guys you won’t find in church.”

Win or lose, Kindell said his return to boxing has been a success because he gets an opportunity to share Jesus. Each Tuesday night at an aging boxing club, there are 20 to 30 boxers gathered, ranging in age from 15 to 25. It’s a vastly different group from those who come to Kindell’s Wednesday night Bible study at church.

“I wanted to be around street kids,” Kindell said. “Not preaching to them, just loving them, being Jesus with skin on.”

Married with three daughters, Kindell understands that he’s a role model. Tattooed above a crown of thorns on Kindell’s right shoulder is “John 14:6.”

“It’s just another tool,” Kindell said.

Ten years ago, Kindell burned his boxing shoes after becoming a Christian. It was an expression of commitment, showing that boxing would not interfere with his faith. Now Kindell doesn’t see the two passions contradicting.

“They complement each other,” he said. “I’ve been able to pray with people to receive Christ. If that wasn’t there, I’d be questioning my motives.”

Sunderland wasn’t reluctant to let Kindell climb back into the ring. He encouraged him. “He said go for it,” said Kindell, who Sunderland hired as youth pastor in 1997. “I’ve got one of the greatest pastors around.”

Kindell isn’t the first one to go from pulpit to pugilist. Former world heavyweight champion George Foreman is a pastor and is now talking about boxing again. “I listen to George, and the effectiveness he’s had for the gospel is tremendous,” Sunderland said.

As with Foreman, Kindell doesn’t consider boxing the priority in his life. He sees the sport as an opportunity to knock on the door of someone’s life. “James has a lot of passion,” Sunderland said. “He has a lot of passion about life in general. So his boxing is seen as a way of building relationships.”

Sunderland said he understands concerns about the image of a pastor trying to deck someone. “The only question people have is they think boxing is brutal,” he said. “But it’s a contact sport, no different than hockey or football.”

Kindell said he doesn’t box out of anger. He called boxing “an art,” saying it’s a sport of strategy. But Kindell admits he looks for the knockout. “I’m a puncher as opposed to a boxer,” Kindell said. “I’m a heavy hitter.”

With his fists as well as his words.
Gail Wood

Professing to be born again, the pair allegedly swindled investors out of $5 million since 2000
A Miami couple who professed to be born-again Christians have been charged with running a $5 million scam selling gold coins at two or three times their actual value, federal prosecutors said April 28.

New York native Armand DeAngelis has been charged in a 38-count mail and wire fraud indictment that may have cost investors $10 million since 2000, the Associated Press (AP) reported. He and his wife, Marcela Ospina Cardona, ran ads in Christian magazines, including Charisma, and made millions from the operations of U.S. Coin Exchange Inc., Coin and Currency Clearing Corp. and Twenty-First Century Grading Service Inc. The federal indictment said DeAngelis, who was previously convicted of securities fraud in New Jersey, controlled all three companies.

Using a Christian fish symbol and Bible quotes on its letterhead, U.S. Coin Exchange claimed to be the leading Christian coin dealer. But federal prosecutors said DeAngelis and his wife purchased low-grade gold coins and had them graded at a higher grade by Twenty-First Century Grading Service. “These inflated coins were then sold to unsuspecting investors at prices two to three times their value,” said a statement released from the office of Marcos Daniel Jiménez, U.S. attorney for the southern district of Florida.

DeAngelis’ attorney, Steven Chaykin, said his client is innocent of all charges, the AP said. Ospina’s attorney, Sam Rabin, said she “should not have been included in the indictment,” the AP reported. A citizen of Colombia, Ospina faces a conspiracy charge as president of the clearinghouse.

Federal prosecutors froze the couple’s assets, and planned to go after the $3.5 million Miami home where they live with their 3-year-old daughter, the AP said. If convicted, DeAngelis faces up to 20 years, as well as another three to 10 years for a probation violation. Ospina faces up to five years.

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!”

BOOKS

The Ten Offenses
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)

Church leaders say The Passion of the Christ has created a historic evangelism opportunity
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ sparked a new commitment to evangelism as ministries mobilized to take advantage of what many were calling one of the best opportunities to reach the lost in recent years.

“I believe The Passion of the Christ may well be one of the most powerful evangelistic tools of the last 100 years because you have never seen the story of Jesus portrayed this vividly before,” said Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Church in Riverside, Calif.

Ministries were staging theatrical plays, launching online campaigns, airing TV commercials, and taking the gospel to the streets with the help of customized tracts. The American Tract Society distributed more than 3 million Passion tracts in 10 different languages. Outreach, a Christian company, offered various Passion-related evangelism materials, from door hangers and posters to booklets and banners.

And Faith Highway created TV commercials produced to help ministries reach out to the unchurched. The first 20 seconds are approved footage from the movie trailer. The last 10 seconds contain customized church information. Company officials said 400 churches had invested about $1 million to air 500,000 commercials.

Ricky Rush, pastor of Inspiring Body of Christ Church in Dallas, said four new families visited the church almost immediately after he began airing the commercials. “We’ve had people come up to the building late at night as we are closing up,” said Rush, who also saw church growth as a result of the effort. “They had just seen the movie and wanted to come inside and pray. So we let them.”

One of the most popular outreach strategies was buying out movie theaters and letting the movie do the talking.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of The Purpose-Driven Life, booked 47 theater screens so church members could take their lost friends to see the movie. Warren also planned a two-part sermon series on the movie to bookend both sides of its release and invited more than 1,000 community leaders to a VIP premier showing.

The strategy bore much fruit. Saddleback reported that nearly 900 friends of members accepted Christ, and the average church attendance increased by 3,000 in the first couple of weeks after the film debuted.

New Song Community Church in Oceanside, Calif., rented one theater and followed up the efforts with a four-part apologetic series called “The Passion: True or False?” The ministry mailed out 25,000 Passion-related postcards inviting people to the series. Senior pastor Hal Seed said at least 57 people have come to Christ through the effort.

“This is a one-time event in our generation’s history,” Seed told Charisma. “This movie has the potential to spark revival. I see churches that weren’t interested in evangelism getting interested and others fine-tuning their focus more on outreaches.”

The Rev. David Hale, senior pastor of Christ Life Church in Madison, Miss., made tickets available to first-time visitors and has seen several families accept Christ. But he’s not stopping there.

“When the movie comes out on video and DVD we plan to make it available so our members can offer viewings in their homes,” Hale said. “We know there are still a great number of people who have not seen the movie.”

The Passion sparked conversation and controversy about who Christ was, what Christ claimed, how Christ suffered, and even who is responsible for Christ’s death. The debate continues to rage on with some unexpected reactions.

“Claims that the film is anti-Semitic are ludicrous, and we need to recognize them as such,” said Jeffrey Mann, assistant professor of religion at Susquehanna University in Selinsgove, Pa., and a Lutheran. “Even the argument that it could inflame anti-Semitism is rather weak. Could one see the film and conclude that the Jews are Christ-killers? Of course. However, I suspect even more people will see the film and conclude that the Savior of the world is a Jew.”

Yechiel Eckstein, an Orthodox rabbi who founded and heads the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, cautions Jews against overreacting to the film. “The near-hysteria that has marked much of the Jewish communities’ reaction to the movie threatens to obscure the absolutely critical need for both Christians and Jews to focus on the true enemy of contemporary western civilization and of Jews in particular–radical Islamists,” he said.

“Because Gibson’s film comes at a time when anti-Semitism is at its highest since World War II, it is that much more important to speak out against any material that raises the specter of Jews as ‘Christ-killers.'”

Messianic Jewish minister Michael Brown, president of the FIRE School of Ministry in Harrisburg, N.C., urged Christians to be sensitive to Jewish concerns about anti-Semitism. “It’s very important that Christian leaders … reach out and say evangelical Christians are the best friends Israel has in the world, and Christians that see this movie don’t blame anyone for Jesus’ death,” Brown said. “They thank God for Jesus’ death and see it as a result of their own sin. As true followers of Jesus we renounce all anti-Semitism.”

Before the movie released, Brown debated Oxford-educated Rabbi Shmuley Boteach about who is responsible for Jesus’ death. Though Brown said the film did not create any formal dialogue between Messianic and traditional Jews, he said, “People are talking about the film and understanding why Jesus died,” adding that some Jews accepted Christ after seeing the film.

Muslim reaction is perhaps the most unexpected. The Passion was released in late March in Qatar. Muslims flocked to theaters to see the film because of the anti-Semitism claims against Gibson. The film was so popular in Kuwait that theaters cancelled other films to show The Passion on all its screens.

“In two short hours, more Qataris heard the gospel than I have been able to reach in nearly five years of living here,” one church leader told Frank Dietz, minister at large with Operation Mobilization International. “The Muslims sitting around us were being moved–gasping, crying and reacting with disgust to the brutality that Jesus faced.”
Jennifer LeClaire

As tension escalated in Iraq in early April, foreign aid workers were encouraged to leave the nation until hostilities settled.

At press time insurgents in Iraq had kidnapped at least 40 foreign workers from 12 nations, prompting humanitarian organizations to remove their foreign personnel. World Vision removed all of its foreign workers in

April, continuing its efforts to distribute medical supplies, rehabilitate schools and improve water supplies with Iraqi staff. Baltimore-based World Relief did the same, relocating its only American relief worker, Brandon Pustejovsky, to Turkey.

“Iraq is clearly one of the most volatile and dangerous places in the world right now, especially for relief workers,” said World Vision spokesman Dean Owen. “Clearly the tension and the difficulty of working in Iraq for aid workers is increasing.”

Owen said that although World Vision offers extensive training for aid workers that includes mock hostage-taking incidents and executions, at least one missionary has been killed on the field in each of the seven years he has worked for the organization. “Aid workers have become an increasingly large target,” Owen said.

Since the war in Iraq ended last year, Christian groups have been working to assist Iraqi Christians in spreading the gospel within their nation. Campus Crusade for Christ launched an initiative to print and distribute Bibles, while Duluth, Equip, founded by author John C. Maxwell, planned to train Iraqi ministers as part of its effort to equip 1 million church leaders outside the United States by 2008.

As other missionaries were leaving the nation, Heather Mercer announced plans to enter Iraq to scout out land to plant a church, Waco-based KXXV-TV reported April 13. Rescued in 2001 with fellow American Dayna Curry from capture by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Mercer was to help Antioch Community Church in Waco find sites in northern Iraq, where relief workers say the situation had been calm until recently.
Adrienne S. Gaines

The couple will train 10,000 people in healing ministry during a healing crusade to be held Oct. 2 at the Astrodome
Charles and Frances Hunter have never been ones to call it quits, but on Oct. 2 the couple known for their worldwide healing ministry will host their last citywide Healing Explosion, to be held at the Astrodome in Houston.

“I think it will be a historic event because we’re going to train 10,000 people how to minister healing,” said Frances Hunter, 88. “When we anoint the 10,000 people on the healing team, do you have any idea the explosion of power that’s going to go out?”

The training sessions will be held Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and Frances Hunter believes the Oct. 2 Healing Explosion will affect people around the world. They’ve already received reservations from India, Indonesia, Korea, Peru, Ecuador and the Ukraine.

“We believe that these 10,000 people who are going to be on the healing team … [will] go back to their churches, and they’re going to start teaching their people so our churches can really come alive with the power of God.”

The Hunters have been teaching Christians how to minister healing for more than 30 years. Known as the “Happy Hunters,” the couple has hosted healing crusades worldwide since the mid-1980s, written dozens of books on healing, and produced training videos about healing ministry, which they will soon release on DVD. In 1990, they began the World Evangelistic Census, a campaign that mobilizes people to do door-to-door evangelism while taking a census of the world.

Recently, both Hunters have had their own bouts with illness. Charles Hunter, 84, had six major spinal operations between May and December 2003. Frances Hunter had a bout with breast cancer, which eventually led to a mastectomy. “In the hospital [we] still laid hands on the sick, and they’d get healed,” Frances Hunter said, adding that she led her surgeon to Christ.

The first Sunday they were able to return to their church, Lakewood Church in Houston, “a lady comes up from behind me, throws her arms around me and says: ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Five years ago I was in stage-four breast cancer. You laid hands on me, and I was totally healed.’ And there I sat with a bandage still on me.

“That’s the amazing thing. … Jesus didn’t say you had to be healthy to heal the sick. He just said you had to believe.”

That’s the crux of the Hunters’ message, teaching that Jesus gave all believers authority to minister healing. Frances Hunter hopes their ministry will reach a new generation, and they plan to teach participants at the Healing Explosion some of the new things they have learned.

“A chiropractor showed us how to get carpal tunnel syndrome healed,” Frances Hunter said. “We put our fingers on their wrists, the thumb on one side and the index finger on the other, and we command the ligament and tendons to relax. We command the carpal tunnel to open up, and we command any blockage to dissolve in the name of Jesus.”

The Hunters also encourage people to take care of their bodies, but they say there’s no substitute for God’s power. A former neurosurgeon agrees. He’s been praying for the sick since the 1980s when he was first exposed to the Hunters’ teaching.

“There are thousands of people who have learned to heal through their videos,” said Dr. Phil Goldfedder, who retired three years ago. “I remember laying hands on a man with a back problem, and he was healed. I was as surprised as he was.”

Eventually Goldfedder began to ask patients if they wanted him to pray with them, and many were healed. “The problem was learning how to write it on the chart,” he said.

Jim and Sue Daniels have been praying for the sick since they met the Hunters in 1983 at a church in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. They said when they applied the principles they learned from the Hunters, their grandson was healed from injuries he suffered after a fall. Years later, a friend of his was healed of scoliosis.

Both in their 70s, the Daniels are two of the many healing ministers who have been invited to attend the Healing Explosion, including Marilyn Hickey, Mike Francine and Rodney Howard-Browne.

“For [the Hunters] to do something like this is mind-blowing,” Howard-Browne said. “To do it when you’re in your 40s is a big deal, but to do it when you’re in your 80s is mind-blowing. I feel that if the Lord has said this is the last Healing Explosion, we as the body of Christ need to get behind them.”
Adrienne S. Gaines

Former leader Paul Risser resigned i nMarch after the denomination lost money in two alleged Ponzi schemes
Delegates from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel were expected to elect a new president during the denomination’s annual convention June 1-4 in San Francisco. Former President Paul Risser resigned in March after the denomination lost $14 million in two allegedly fraudulent investment companies.

Federal investigators claim International Product Investment Corporation (IPIC), headed by California-based Gregory Setser, bilked Christians of $160 million over roughly three years, while Orange County, Financial Advisory Consultants (FAC), headed by James P. Lewis Jr., swindled hundreds of people out of $814 million over 20 years.

Setser, who says he is innocent of all charges, was released on bail in February and awaits trial. Lewis was denied bail in March.

In a statement, Foursquare officials said neither Risser nor the corporate treasurer, Brent Morgan, who also resigned March 10 as a result of the loss, were seeking personal gain through the investments. “There was no criminal intent or conflict of interest found on the part of the President or the Treasurer,” the statement said. “Both men were acting only in a desire to further the interests and investments of Foursquare.”

Risser said he hoped the investments–roughly 6 percent of the proceeds from the $250 million sale of a Los Angeles radio station–would “advance God’s kingdom both in the U.S. and around the world,” officials said. But the denomination’s board of directors questioned whether Risser had the authority to make the investments.

Foursquare spokesman Ron Williams said Risser is still held in high regard by the denomination, which was founded by Pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Today Foursquare has 5 million members in 138 countries. Williams said Risser will continue to serve the denomination, possibly by speaking at churches and conferences and assisting the missions department.

Though both IPIC and FAC allegedly defrauded Christians in what Securities and Exchange Commission investigators say were Ponzi schemes that paid earlier investors with money from new investors, interest in FAC spread among several Foursquare leaders by word-of-mouth.

Believing the company had a 20-year track record, Jeff Miller, pastor of Mission Community Foursquare Gospel Church in Riverside, Calif., invested nearly $70,000 of his personal money in FAC after being referred to the company by other denominational leaders.

“I believe there were many Foursquare leaders involved in this fund,” Miller said. “My boss had been given a recommendation by other district supervisors.”

He questioned the fact that FAC did not have an advisory board. “But when you see such high returns, and when you see other pastors and denominational leaders investing, you think there is stability,” Miller, 52, told Charisma.

Within two years, he believed his retirement fund had grown to $100,000. A later statement put his investment at more than $140,000. But in November, FAC denied his request to withdraw money, claiming the Department of Homeland Security had frozen the company’s bank accounts. Miller received a payment in December, but he later found out the company was allegedly fraudulent.

The SEC charged Lewis with securities fraud in December. Lewis allegedly promised investors up to 40 percent returns, claiming FAC bought distressed businesses and resold them at large profits. But federal investigators say no specific information about FAC’s business ventures was ever supplied to investors.

Brick Kane, CEO of Los Angeles-based Robb Evans and Associates, the court-appointed receiver in the FAC case, said it is still unclear whether investors will recoup any of their money. He said Lewis’ assets would cover about 6 percent of what he owes investors.

Hindsight is 20/20, but Kane said there are warning signs for potential scams, such as high rates of returns, a lack of external audits and few details in annual reports. “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Kane said.

Miller said he and his wife are determined not to become bitter. “We were going to be able to retire at 57,” Miller said. “I would have loved to be able to do ministry without being concerned about income. But the Lord is our resource.”

Williams said Foursquare’s board of directors has established a bylaw committee and financial committee to cooperatively clarify who is authorized to engage in investments. He said there was no loss of money from tithes or missions giving.
Adrienne S. Gaines