Buzz


SPOTLIGHT


Bouncing Back


Mandisa shares her heart in new autobiography.


When American Idol finalist Mandisa was voted off the Fox reality TV show after singing the gospel song “Shackles,” she says it was a “dark time.” Media reports accused her of gay bashing after she opened the song by saying that God is bigger than an addiction or a lifestyle. At the time, she says she felt misunderstood. But today, she’s candidly sharing her heart in an autobiography, Idoleyes, which released in May and was to be followed with the debut of her first CD this month. “I am a living witness that God can do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine,” she says. “I am so thankful for my experience on Idol, both the good and the bad. Because of it, I am living my dream.”
Marsha Gallardo


ISRAEL BUZZ


The Watchman


Paul Wilbur’s music fuses ‘the new and the ancient’.


Jewish by birth, Paul Wilbur received Jesus as his Messiah in graduate school while training under the cantor at his local synagogue. “When I started writing worship music it all came out sounding Jewish,” he says. He was later tutored in opera in Italy and now describes his sound as a “blending of the new and the ancient.” On his latest live recording, The Watchman, Wilbur seeks to create “an atmosphere for the presence of God to manifest.” He has seen this happen while performing in Jerusalem, and in those times many Jews have accepted Christ as their Messiah. He believes the decisions for Christ foreshadow Bible prophecy. “It will be the cry that’s heard around the world when Jerusalem receives” its Messiah, he says, pointing to Zechariah 12. When Jesus is embraced in Jerusalem, there will be “unstoppable weeping and rejoicing.”
Paul Steven Ghiringhelli


Prayer Point


Last April, Christian groups began preparing to respond to natural disasters in anticipation of the hurricane season, which begins June 1. This month we encourage you to pray:


  • That Christian organizations will have the resources to respond to natural disasters
  • For the ongoing relief work in the Gulf Coast and in the Solomon Islands following the recent tsunami
  • That the 2007 storm season will not be as active as weather forecasters predict.


    To get regular prayer updates from Charisma’s Prayer Initiative, visit prayer .


    Prayer Point – Israel


    Christians are admonished to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. So as Israel continues to face the threat of terrorism and the attempts of Muslim extremists to dominate the Middle East, we encourage you to pray that:


  • God will give Israel favor among Middle Eastern nations
  • The people of Israel will call upon God and not rely on natural strength, wisdom and inventions for protection
  • The Jewish people will be protected from anti-Semitic attacks
  • The plans of Israel’s enemies will be exposed.


    Drawing Strenght


    The Power Team is best known for performing feats of strength such as ripping telephone books in two and crushing bricks. But when the Dallas-based evangelistic ministry visited Israel last fall, their mission was to encourage the nation’s Golani Brigade, an elite special-forces army that lost 21 soldiers during Israel’s war with Hezbollah. “It was amazing to us because the people in Israel don’t really know that Christians actually like them,” team spokesman Kim Terrell says. “They were encouraged [to know] that Christians stood with them.” The Power Team plans to return to Israel this year.


    Riding Into Missions


    This month teenagers will follow Jesus’ example to minister in other nations. But instead of walking or riding in on a donkey, the young missionaries will use motorcyles to take the gospel to remote villages in the African nation of Zambia. In partnership with Florida-based Teen Missions International, the youth plan to build safe housing for schoolgirls; evangelize villagers through drama, puppets and the Jesus film; and share Christ with children orphaned by AIDS.


    UNSUNG HEROES


    Mission: Mobility


    Thirty years ago while in Morocco, California-based engineer Don Schoendorfer saw a woman crawling across the road because she couldn’t walk. The image haunted him and eventually inspired him to create a low-cost wheelchair that could be distributed for free in developing nations. Today through his Free Wheelchair Mission (), Schoendorfer has distributed more than 210,000 wheelchairs at a cost of $ each. But with more than 100 million people worldwide in need of wheelchairs, he hopes to distribute far more. This month the 58-year-old ends a two-month bicycle trek across the U.S. that he hoped would raise the $670,000 needed to distribute 15,000 wheelchairs. “A common explanation for why you can’t walk in developing nations is because God hates you,” he says. “So there’s a real spiritual disability there too. … It’s a real neat thing for me to see that with $, you can help change someone’s life.”
    Adrienne S. Gaines


    Making Aliyah


    Since 1995 a Florida-based Christian ministry has helped more than 65,000 Jews in the former Soviet Union make aliyah—that is, immigrate to Israel. Founded by Mel and Joanne Hoelzle, Ezra International relocates Jews to their biblical homeland to fulfill prophecy found in the book of Isaiah, ministry vice president Barry Wagner says. “The burning passion that drives [Ezra International] is simply knowing that the return of God’s chosen people to the land of Israel is God’s plan for them in these last days,” he says. Ezra’s leaders also seek to mitigate the discrimination and persecution many Jews suffer. “Anti-Semitism is sweeping across Europe,” Wagner says. “Some are reporting that it is now at the level it was just prior to the Holocaust. Swastikas are being spray-painted on buildings throughout the former Soviet Union. We are seeing signs calling for ‘Death to the Jews’ and ‘Six million Jews was not enough.'” Ezra assisted more than 6,000 Jews in returning to Israel last year, while another 31,000 are currently awaiting documentation.


    OUTREACH


    An Abundance of Compassion


    The Joseph Storehouse is helping needy Israelis


    Although financial analysts report growth in Israel’s economy, beneath the prosperity lies another statistic: At least 20 percent of Israelis live in poverty, according to government figures, and roughly one-third of Israeli children live beneath the poverty line.


    To respond to the humanitarian needs in their homeland, Messianic ministers Barry and Batya Segal founded Vision for Israel and created the Joseph Storehouse to distribute food, clothing, medical and school supplies, and assist victims of terrorism. Based outside Jerusalem, Vision for Israel and the Joseph Storehouse (visionforisrael .org) also reaches out to Israel’s Arab community.


    Last year, the ministry presented a monetary gift of $150,000 to the mayor of the northern city of Maalot-Tarshiha, which was devastated during Israel’s war with Hezbollah. The gift was funded in part by contributions from Charisma readers and is being used to rebuild a community center.


    In addition to responding to physical needs, the ministry seeks to meet Israel’s spiritual needs. Segal, who with his wife is a recording artist with Galilee for the Nations, says the continued threat of war is causing Israelis to look “to fill a void with something spiritual.”


    “People are in their own way saying, ‘What is truth?'” Segal says. “People are asking all the questions, and out of that, I think, is where the spirit of God is on the move. … We’re seeing more people coming into the kingdom than at almost any other time.”
    Adrienne S. Gaines


    MARKETPLACE MINISTRY


    Farm Doubles as Prayer House


    Bill James says his family’s pecan farm is a ministry tool


    James Pecan Farms has gained national attention for its 12,000-pound concrete pecan, which is considered the largest in the world. But farm co-owner Bill James says the business his parents founded near Brunswick, Mo., in the 1940s is more than just a tourist stop. It’s also a ministry tool.


    “In 1998 my dad passed away,” he says. “We felt called to prayer ministry, [so] we considered selling my part of the farm to support ourselves in full-time ministry.”


    Instead James and his wife, Sandy, decided to convert an old abandoned hog house into a prayer house, where the couple hosts meetings each week. As a result of the weekly prayer meetings, James says God inspired him to write a children’s book titled Wham and Petey: The Harvest, and accompanying songs, though he says he doesn’t have experience doing either.


    Farm visitors can see live performances of the Wham and Petey story, which is about a hammer and a pecan that get lost after the harvest and have to work together to find their way home. “We have a lot of church groups that realize the stories I’ve written parallel with the Bible,” says James, who formed Farmagination LLC to produce his books and music.


    He believes the books and music are just the beginning of God’s plan to use the farm (james ) to bring revival. “We live near a small town that’s declining, and now we’re hoping to revitalize the area economically and God’s people spiritually.”
    Leilani Haywood


    MINISTRY PROFILE


    Pastor Reaches Philippines’ Poor


    Elvie Go marks 25 years in ministry this month


    Inside an old warehouse in Ozamis City, Philippines, nearly 10 percent of the city’s population gather each week at Salvation and Praise Fellowship. Better known as the Happy Church, the 10,000-member congregation is dedicated to serving the poor and castaway, says the church’s pastor, Elvie Go. “When God’s people care enough for the poor, we send a message of hope that God cares [for everyone],” she says. “Enough to send His Son, Jesus.”


    Raised in an obscure mountain village, Go started a home church in 1982. When the group grew to 100 people, she began doubting herself, wondering if she was too “uneducated and untrained” to lead so many. But as she sought the Lord, she heard three times, “Feed My lambs.”


    “I feel humbled to see someone [like] Elvie Go, who has not been trained by men but by the Holy Spirit Himself,” says Mary Valdehueza, the principal of Happy Church Bible School. “It is a blessing to watch her loving the sick and hugging the dirty, smelly street children.”


    On June 11, a citywide event in Ozamis City will mark the 25th anniversary of Happy Church, which runs a health clinic, tribal ministry, prison ministry and home for the elderly. The building of another orphanage awaits financing.


    Changed Lives


    In the original Dreamgirls cast, Brooklyn, N.Y., native Ben Harney was awarded one of show business’ highest honors when he won a 1982 Tony Award for his portrayal of Curtis Taylor Jr., a role Jamie Foxx played in the 2006 film adaptation. But following the whirlwind win, Harney, a born-again Christian, eventually walked away from a business that seemed to embrace him.


    “You enter that arena called show business because of your love for the arts, but then you realize it’s all about buying and selling,” he says. “It’s about what sells, and what sells is sex, and what sells is a lot of racy issues that don’t promote what you want to make statements about.”


    But instead of abandoning the theater, Harney fused the arts with his faith. Today, he directs the youth and adult drama ministry at Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn and is the founding director of the Brooklyn-based BAMSS (By All Means Save Some) Theatre Works. The ministry develops theatrical projects for its youth theater ensemble, adult repertory company and summer musical theater camps that teach life skills and biblical principles. “Our focus is on process, because it is in process that relationships are built, that lives are really transformed,” Harney explains. “So we are building community, but we are also helping people to develop a biblical worldview.”
    Suzy A. Richardson


    FAITH & CULTURE


    Getting ‘In the Zone’


    Every night thousands of men across the U.S. sit down on their couches, turn on the television and vegetate to the background noise provided by ESPN’s SportsCenter and CNN’s Headline News—the glazed look on their faces a result of stress at work and in the home. It was that stark reality that caused CEO consultant Joe Pettigrew and sports agent Kyle Rote Jr. to create In the Zone (), a men’s ministry designed to reach 28- to 40-year-old family men.


    Launched after two years of research and planning, the traveling event recreates some of the popular sports and lifestyle programs found on sports networks. Over four hours, or “quarters,” issues such as life at work, gender differences and fatherhood are addressed using hi-tech video production, no-holds-barred discussions and energetic music performances. The 2007 tour, scheduled to hit 10 cities in 10 states, kicks off in Pensacola, Fla., on June 2 and closes Aug. 18 in Birmingham, Ala. “We tried to find people to be on our program that fit the demographics of the guys that would be there, so everybody can relate to somebody on the stage, and it’s not just a bunch of superstars that they couldn’t touch,” says Pettigrew, adding that the ministry will be more like a live TV show than a traditional men’s ministry.


    Speakers include CBS college football analyst and Super Bowl champion Spencer Tillman, comedian Thor Ramsey, author Eric Metaxes and legendary collegiate track star turned financial wizard Stephen Bolt. Pettigrew says empowering men to grow deeper in their faith by plugging into active small groups is the heartbeat of what In the Zone hopes to accomplish. “For churches that don’t have a men’s ministry, this is a great way to kick one off,” Pettigrew says. “If a church has one, this is a great way to expand it and revitalize it.”
    Chad Bonham


    NOTEBOOK


    Former National Baptist Convention (NBC) USA leader Henry Lyons in April lost his bid to regain the presidency of the Florida General Baptist Convention, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported. Lyons, 65, held that post until 1995 when he became president of the NBC. He resigned in 1999 after being convicted of grand theft and racketeering. He served five years in prison and is now pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla.


    Christianity Today Inter­national (CTI) has named Harold B. Smith as its editor-in-chief and CEO of its magazines, church resources, Web sites and periodicals. The 56-year-old served six years as executive vice president of CTI. He succeeds Harold Myra and Paul Robbins, who retired after serving as CTI’s leadership team for three decades.


    Greater Europe Mission (GEM) named Henry L. Deneen its new president. Founder of the Center for Global Strategies in Columbia, S.C., Deneen ministered in France for four years after working as lawyer, pastor and lay minister. Deneen begins his term in September and succeeds Ted Noble, who stepped down as president in May 2006. GEM has 400 staff serving in 27 European nations.


    One of gospel music’s best-known groups gave their farewell performance in a concert that aired on the Gospel Music Channel Easter weekend. Led by their mother, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, the clark Sisters—Karen Clark-Sheard, Twinkie Clark, Jacky Clark-Chisholm and Dorinda Clark-Cole—began recording together in the 1970s. Their farewell concert, Live—One Last Time, releases on DVD this month, and a related tour is scheduled to begin in September.



    • Creation Museum Opens to Capacity Crowds

    On May 28 a first-of-its-kind Creation Museum opened its doors to an estimated 4,000 people representing more than 30 states and two countries.

     
    Creation Museum Opens to Capacity Crowds
    On May 28 Answers in Genesis opened the doors to a first-of-its-kind Creation Museum that explores the Bible’s account of the world’s origins.
     
    By the days end an estimated 4,000 people representing 32 states and two Canadian provinces had toured this $27 million “apologetics museum.” 
     
    Ken Ham, president of the Kentucky-based ministry, says that the museum will help Christians defend their faith. “The purpose of the museum is to use observational science to show that the Bible is true, its history is true and therefore the gospel is true,” Ham said. “There are a lot of Ph.D. scientists who believe what the Bible teaches. Both creationists and evolutionists use the same science, and the same evidence – the difference is our pre-existing beliefs [about origins].”
     
    Complete with animatronic human figures, high-quality video, two planetariums and life-size dinosaur replicas, the museum takes visitors through what Ham calls the seven Cs of history: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, the cross and consummation. At the end of the tour, the gospel is presented through a theatrical presentation. “As they walk through biblical history, they experience it, read signs and watch videos that answer the skeptical questions of the age,” Ham says. “At the end they will understand the Bible’s history is true. It’s an evangelistic museum.”
     
    A former public school teacher in Australia, Ham believes the museum will be an important teaching tool for those who have learned about evolution in school but aren’t sure how to counter its proponents’ arguments. He also hopes it will challenge Christians who embrace evolution. Located in northern Kentucky, just minutes from the Cincinnati airport, the museum will be open seven days a week until after Labor Day . —Adrienne S. Gaines


    Millions Gathered to Pray on Pentecost Sunday

    An estimated 400 million Christians are believed to have gathered in more than 200 nations worldwide for numerous Global Day of Prayer events.

     
    Millions Gathered to Pray on Pentecost Sunday
    Roughly 400 million Christians are believed to have gathered in more than 200 nations worldwide for numerous Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) events held on Pentecost Sunday. Although detailed statistics are still being assembled, believers from countries such as Korea, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered under the prayer banner of 2 Chronicles 7:14. In Nigeria millions gathered in the economic capital of Lagos to pray for their nation and the world just days ahead of their new president taking office. In Dallas, a service hosted by T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, evangelist Luis Palau and pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas drew many to pray in Reunion Arena. In London tens of thousands of Christians from a multitude of denominations packed into the West Ham United Football Club in East London to pray for their nation and the globe. GDOP founder Graham Power and 47 others climbed to the top of the largest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, reaching the summit on Pentecost Sunday. They planted a cross, offered prayers of repentance and interceded for revival and restoration around the world. Ninety Days of Blessing follows the GDOP as an opportunity for Christians to not only continue in persistent prayer, but to also become actively involved in outreach ministry and evangelism. —Janet Sebastian in Johannesburg, South Africa


    Global Day of Prayer to be Broadcast Live Sunday

    Nations around the world will unite in prayer for the third annual Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) on Pentecost Sunday, May 27.
     
    Global Day of Prayer to be Broadcast Live Sunday
    Nations around the world will unite in prayer for the third annual Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) on Pentecost Sunday, May 27. A three-hour television special, hosted by T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House, evangelist Luis Palau and pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, will broadcast from the Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (EST). The global prayer day began in March 2001 with more than 45,000 Christians gathering to unite in prayer at Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa. Last year, 199 countries participated in the event. As part of a three-phase strategy, the celebration began May 17 with 10 days of 24-hour prayer and was to end with 90 days of blessing. The Dallas GDOP event will be broadcast live on GodTV.


    Thousands Attend Falwell’s Funeral

    Thousands attended the funeral services for the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. May 22 at his Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va.
     
    Thousands Attend Falwell’s Funeral
    The funeral service for the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. was on May 22 at his Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. Among the guests were the Rev. Franklin Graham, who spoke during the funeral; Gary Bauer president of American Values; Paige Patterson, president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Falwell was remembered as a prominent voice in the Christian conservative community. He founded the Moral Majority in 1979 and credited his organization with helping Ronald Reagan get elected president in 1980. Even after he stepped down from leading the Moral Majority in 1987, he continued to oppose abortion, gay marriage and bans on school prayer. “Jerry has been a tower of strength on many of the moral issues which have confronted our nation,” Robertson said. Falwell died May 15 after being found unconscious in his Liberty University office. “So many in politics aren't recognizing the social and moral issues in our society,” Roy Moore, the Alabama judge who fought to display a Ten Commandments monument, told the AP. “People like Jerry Falwell were bold enough to speak out.” After the service, a private burial was held on the grounds of Liberty University near Falwell's office.


    Hamas Proves to be Terror Group “˜Through and Through,” Says Olmert

    After battling Fatah and cross-border attacks on Israel, Hamas further isolates itself as a party of Islamic extremism
     
    Hamas Proves to be Terror Group ‘Through and Through,’ Says Olmert
    Top government officials in Israel last week authorized the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to respond to what has since been a week-long barrage of Kassam rockets launched from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, striking targets in Sderot and an Israeli high school in Negev.

     
    Observers say Palestinian members of Hamas, the terrorist organization involved in fierce infighting in Gaza with rival Fatah, are attempting to draw Israel into the Palestinian conflict, which could descend into civil war as Israeli air strikes on Hamas are promulgated by the terrorist group as an Israeli alliance with Fatah.
     
    At the outset of the unrest, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resisted calls to order the evacuation of southern Israeli communities. “I oppose population evacuations,” he said. “These are the exact pictures that Hamas has been waiting for and I am not prepared to grant any victory to terrorism.”
     
    Olmert said Hamas’ behavior demonstrated a bold but double-minded approach to politics. “The Hamas government is behind the terrorist actions [against Israel] and it cannot be that it also seeks international recognition and economic assistance from the nations of the world,” he said. “The Hamas terrorist organization, which constitutes a significant part of the Palestinian Authority (PA) government, has again proven to the entire world that it is a murderous terrorist organization through and through.”
     
    Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that Israel views the Palestinian government itself as fully responsible for the violence in, and spilling from, the Gaza Strip. “The situation in the last two days is unbearable,” she said last week.
     
    Livni said Israel has exercised great restraint, but that there needed to be an end to the daily attacks on Israeli civilians from the Gaza Strip—land that Israel’s former prime minister handed over to the Palestinians in August 2005 in hopes of encouraging its leadership to become viable partners in the peace process. In democratic elections five months later Palestinians gave Hamas a majority in parliament.
     
    “For no reason, and because of some internal disagreements in the Palestinian Authority, someone has decided to strike the residents of Sderot (Israel) in such a massive and severe manner. This is something we cannot accept,” said Livni.
     
    The latest violence in Gaza effectively disintegrated an already fragile Palestinian unity government formed in March in Saudi Arabia between the radical Islamic Hamas and the more secular Fatah. It also put on permanent hold potential peace talks between Israel and the PA.
     
    “We must understand that no one has a magic solution,” said Livni. “We will have to act, and the time period will be determined by the circumstances.”


    Prayer Exposed Terrorist Attack, Leaders Say

    New Jersey prayer leaders believe prophetic intercession played a crucial role in the unveiling of a terrorist plot to attack the Fort Dix Army base.
     
    Prayer Exposed Terrorist Plot, Leaders Say
    New Jersey prayer leaders believe prophetic intercession played a crucial role in the unveiling of a terrorist plot to attack the Fort Dix Army base. Chuck Pierce, founder of Glory of Zion International Ministries, was a guest prayer leader in Trenton, N.J., on May 3, this year’s National Day of Prayer. Pierce said he felt God leading him to New Jersey. “By the Spirit I knew last week [May 6-13] was key for our nation, but God said I was to be in New Jersey and not Washington D.C.,” Pierce said. Just one week before the major terrorist attack on the military base was foiled Pierce prophesied over the state of New Jersey, “within a week … there is an awakening that is beginning and you have chosen New Jersey for that awakening.” Pierce continued: “The Lord is focusing on New Jersey. We agree that the battle will be turned at the gate! New Jersey is a key place. This year New Jersey will begin to take an incredible turn. You will hear about it and you will see it.” On May 8 reports surfaced that six men had been arrested for their involvement in a plot to enter the New Jersey military base with rocket propelled grenades, intending to kill as many soldiers as possible. Since July 2006, after Pierce said New Jersey was at a crossroads, residents of the state reported having corporate prayer gatherings, along with “angelic” sightings and other signs and wonders.


    Jerry Falwell Dies at 73

    The Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, died May 15 shortly after he was found unconscious in his Liberty University office. He was 73.
     
    Jerry Falwell Dies at 73

    The Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, died May 15 shortly after he was found unconscious in his Liberty University office, the Associated Press (AP) reported. He was 73. Ron Godwin, executive vice-president of the Lynchburg, college, said Falwell had a history of heart problems, but he was unsure what caused the minister to collapse. Founder and senior pastor of 22,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church, Falwell became a prominent voice for the Christian conservative community after abortion was legalized in 1973. He founded the Moral Majority in 1979 and credited the organization with helping to put Ronald Reagan into office in 1980. He stepped down as its leader in 1987 but continued to oppose abortion, gay marriage and bans on school prayer. “Jerry has been a tower of strength on many of the moral issues which have confronted our nation,” said Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, who launched the Christian Coalition of America in 1988. “Jerry's courage and strength of convictions will be sadly missed in this time of increasing moral relativism.” Falwell made careful plans to transition his leadership to his two sons, Jerry Falwell, Jr., currently vice chancellor of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell, the executive pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. In addition to his two sons, Falwell is survived by his wife of 49 years, Macel, and his daughter.



    Reaching the Illiterate With Technology

    More illiterate people are being reached with the gospel thanks in part to a hand-held solar-powered digital audio Bible called the “Ambassador.”
     
    Reaching the Illiterate With Technology
    As technology advances in the 21st century, great evangelistic advances are being forged. Today more illiterate people are being reached with the gospel thanks in part to a hand-held solar-powered digital audio Bible called the “Ambassador.” Smaller than a cell phone it is capable of playing 10 hours of the Bible in any language. “The device is unlike any other evangelistic tool in history,” said Jim Subers, executive director of MegaVoice (), the Kansas-based company producing the devices. “When you give people access to the Word of God, it’s not just words, it is the power of God; it is living and active.” Currently there are more than 1 billion illiterate people in the world, many of whom have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. In an effort to reach them, MegaVoice has distributed more than 50,000 devices worldwide. “We’re getting testimonies from every part of the globe—from Muslims … to Hindus to Buddhists [who come to faith] through the audio Scripture delivered on these devices,” Subers said. Missionary Heidi Baker said the Ambassador has helped expand her ministry. Baker, who co-founded Iris Ministries with her husband, Rolland, has distributed 1,000 devices to people in Mozambique. “It’s like the bread of life is offered to them verbally so they can understand it.” She hopes her ministry will be able to distribute 6,000 more devices. “We’re working with groups that used to be unreached. … We’re reaching them now,” Baker said. —Suzy A. Richardson


    Universities Have More Majors in Religion

    Some officials are attributing this surge to the prominence of the religious right in politics, catastrophic events and evangelical students enrolling in secular colleges. 
     
    Universities Have More Majors in Religion
    Many American universities are seeing a surge in students interested in religion.  Compared with the last decade, “there is a greater interest in religion on campus, both intellectually and spiritually,” Charles L. Cohen, a professor of history and religious studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, told The New York Times.  Dozens of interviews with various universities showed that more students are choosing to live in dormitories where religion and spirituality are a part of the everyday conversation, and some are joining discussion groups that address topics such as what happens after death, The Times reported. In a 2004 study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, two-thirds of 112,000 freshmen surveyed said they prayed and nearly 80 percent said they believed in God. The survey also showed that half the respondents were searching for spiritual growth. Some university officials attribute the surge in religious interest to the prominence of the religious right in politics. Others believe catastrophic events—such as hurricanes, tsunamis and Sept. 11—have caused students to turn more to religion. An increase in evangelical students who now attend secular universities is also a contributing factor. Although some sociologists say there hasn't been enough research to proclaim that students' attitudes toward religion have dramatically changed, others say there has been a noticeable shift. “All I hear from everybody is yes, there is growing interest in religion and spirituality and an openness on college campuses,” said University of Notre Dame sociology professor Christian Smith. “Everybody who is talking about it says something seems to be going on.”