Diane Bickle contributes all the profit from her Glad Heart Realty to the International House of Prayer
Diane Bickle, wife of International House of Prayer (IHOP) founder Mike Bickle, started a real estate company in 2001 that is a model for effective marketplace ministry. “God told me to do it,” she said. “When God speaks, you don’t know why, you just do it.”

When she heard that still, small voice, Bickle was working for a real estate company while serving as co-pastor of a 3,000-member church in south Kansas City, Mo. She started working in real estate in 1997 for the broker of a small company. “I was in real estate previously, but it was a switch to start my own company.”

The start of Glad Heart Realty coincided with the launch of the IHOP ministry, which facilitates 24-hour prayer and worship. “People were moving here to be a part of the ministry,” she said. “As the CEO, I could set up the company to facilitate and serve the ministry.”

The connection between IHOP and Glad Heart Realty shows in the prayer meetings that the staff have weekly and their commitment to fast for the first three days of every month. “The House of Prayer has prayer for us on a daily basis,” she said. “I have a prayer meeting with the agents once a week. We pray for our clients, for their health, finances and communication, and we pray for one another.”

In the last five years, 17 people have joined her staff. They are all Christians with a heart to reach the city. “We’re making an impact on the community,” Bickle said. “It’s not uncommon for us to lead clients to the Lord. We’re a presence of light and salt as we move into the community.”

Glad Heart Realty owns the building it’s housed in. The 50,000-square-foot shopping center includes IHOP, a food pantry, a child care center, a coffee shop, a bookstore and an international missions center.

Glad Heart contributes all its corporate profits to IHOP. “After the agents and the bills are paid, everything goes to the International House of Prayer,” Bickle said. “We’ve contributed tens of thousands every year. An example is the first year we were in business, we installed stucco on the outside of the shopping center.”

The agents are actively involved with IHOP, and Bickle leads a prayer meeting every Wednesday at 6 a.m. for professionals who want to reach the marketplace. She also has the freedom to pray in the Healing Room for two hours every Thursday.

Bob Frasier, founder of the Joseph Company, said he asked Bickle to lead the prayer meeting. “Diane is an example of where God is leading many business people, to make Jesus the center of their pursuit and prayer as their chief methodology,” he said.

Glad Heart client Cindy Dodd said Bickle’s faith-based business approach set her apart from other real estate companies. “When Diane came to look at our house, she said we had three strikes against us but because of our motive for selling the house, she believed God would move on our behalf,” said Dodd, who wanted to sell her 3,800-square-foot home because of the time it took to care for it.

“The first person who looked at our house decided to buy it,” she said. “I was so glad to have a real estate agent who trusts God.”

Since Glad Heart opened its doors in 2001, Bickle says there has been an impact on the community. “Property values have risen around the shopping center because of the quality of residents moving in who are joining IHOP,” she said.

IHOP also has purchased two apartment complexes near the shopping center. The complexes are full of hundreds of students attending IHOP’s ministry-training center.

Bickle said she drew the name of her company from Scripture. “Hebrews 1:9 says Jesus was the gladdest person who lived,” she said. “This truth that Jesus is kind and happy about people has really impacted me. I decided this would be the personality of this business. I wanted Glad Heart Realty to reflect the gladness Jesus has when He reaches people.”

The name piques people’s curiosity and sets the tone for the working relationship with clients. “All of the agents have a reputation for honesty and hard work,” Bickle said. “Our clients and other real estate companies know that we are different.”

What’s the next step for Glad Heart Realty? “I’m praying for wisdom and expecting miracles in my business,” Bickle said. “I’m expecting that we are going to lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. It’s about the harvest, that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Leilani Haywood in Kansas City, Mo.

Attorney General Seeks to Overturn Pledge Ruling

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the Justice Department would fight to overturn a federal court ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance can’t be recited in public schools because it refers to God, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Gonzales said the Supreme Court has affirmed “time and again that such official acknowledgements of our nation’s religious heritage, foundation and character are constitutional, Gonzales said in a statement. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton in San Francisco could put the issue before the Supreme Court, which declined to hear a similar case last year. The high court said the plaintiff, atheist Michael Newdow, did not have standing to file suit on behalf of his daughter because he did not have custody of her. In the current case, Newdow is acting as attorney for the three parents who challenged the pledge because it contains the words “under God.” After Karlton’s ruling, the Senate unanimously approved a resolution stating that the phrase “one nation under God” is “fully constitutional,” the AP reported.

Appeals Court Permits Ten Commandments Display

A Nebraska federal appeals court ruled Aug. 19 that a Ten Commandments monument could remain in a Plattsmouth city park, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The 11-2 decision reversed a previous decision, citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that it was constitutionally permissible for a Ten Commandments monument to remain on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. In that decision, the high court determined that the monument was a legitimate tribute to the nation’s legal and religious history, the AP said. Writing for Nebraska’s 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Pasco Bowman said the park display “makes passive and permissible use of the text of the Ten Commandments to acknowledge the role of religion in our nation’s heritage.”

Abstinence Program Funding Suspended

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suspended funding for the Silver Ring Thing abstinence program Aug. 22, saying it “includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded,” the Washington Post reported. Officials ordered the group to submit a “corrective action plan” in order to be considered for a $75,000 grant this year, the newspaper said. The move came three months after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against HHS, saying its activities and materials were “permeated with religion.” Joel Oster, senior litigation counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing Silver Ring Thing, said the group offers both a religious and a secular program, though its Web site said a secular program was “in development,” the Post said.

Appeals Court Overturns Big Idea Ruling

A Texas appeals court has overturned a decision that helped push Big Idea Productions, creator of VeggieTales into bankruptcy. The Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled in August that Big Idea did not breach an agreement with Lyrick Studios, creator of Barney, over distribution of products. The reversal of the April 2003 decision means the $11.5 million award Lyrick received will go to Big Idea’s creditors. After the 2003 ruling, Big Idea’s assets were sold in a bankruptcy auction to Classic Media, the New York distribution company that owns the rights to Lassie. Classic Media continues to produce new VeggieTales products through Big Idea. VeggieTales founder Phil Vischer said he had “total peace” with the outcome. “The great thing about the higher court’s decision is that everyone who worked at Big Idea Productions in those dark days can rest now knowing that we did, in fact, act with integrity,” said Vischer, who has launched a new company called Jellyfish.

Shariah Law Rejected in Ontario

The head of the Canadian province of Ontario said Ontario will not become the first Western government to allow Shariah, or Islamic law, the Canadian Press (CP) reported. “There will be one law for all Ontarians,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said. The province has allowed Catholic and Jewish groups to use faith-based tribunals to settle family disputes since 1991. The Ontario government revisited the practice when Muslim leaders began demanding the same right. McGuinty has promised to outlaw the tribunals, CP said. “Ontarians will always have the right to seek advice from anyone in matters of family law, including religious advice,” he said. “But no longer will religious arbitration be deciding matters of family law.”

California Governor to Veto bill that would have legalized Gay Marriage

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger planned to veto a bill that would have legalized gay marriage in his state, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The bill passed in the State Assembly Sept. 6 in a 41-36 vote, the minimum number needed for passage. However, Schwarzenegger said the legislation would conflict with the intent of voters when in 2000 they approved Proposition 22, which stated that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,” the AP reported. Gay-rights advocates accused Schwarzenegger of pandering to the right. Some conservative groups expressed concern that Schwarzenegger’s decision to let the state appeals court decide the issue would invite socially liberal judges to legislate from the bench. Meanwhile, on Sept. 14, the Michigan legislature rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage and create civil unions, the New York Times reported. Last year, the ban received preliminary approval in a 105-to-92 vote. In September, it was rejected 157 to 39 by a joint session of the House and Senate. Observers say the turnaround reflected the fact that some legislators now consider same-sex marriage more acceptable politically.

Church Removes Sign Claiming Hurricane Was God’s Judgment

A Massachusetts church was criticized in September for posting a sign suggesting Hurricane Katrina was divine judgment, the Boston Herald reported. New England Baptist Church in Medford removed the sign that read “New Orleans: Natural disaster? Or God’s anger with sin?” after a journalist questioned one of the leaders about it. “It’s not supposed to be a slight against the people of New Orleans,” said church Deacon Brian Codi. “All it is, is a wakeup call.” Stephen DeFerrari, who escaped from New Orleans on a canoe, said he didn’t know which God the church worshiped. “It certainly isn’t mine,” he said. “There’s been a lot of churches down here, but they’re all busy helping, not preaching.”

Canadian Teacher Suspended for Views on Homosexuality

A Christian high school counselor in Canada who was suspended without pay in 2002 for stating “homosexual parents don’t make a good fit to raise children” recently had his appeal to the Supreme Court of British Columbia overturned. The presiding judge said Chris Kempling, who made the statement in a letter he wrote to the Quesnel (British Columbia) Cariboo Observer, could jeopardize his need for impartiality as a public educator because of his views on homosexuality. A second three-month suspension was imposed in April after Kempling wrote a letter to the same newspaper describing homosexuals as promiscuous and objecting to Canada’s gay marriage legislation. Kempling planned to appeal the decision.

Michigan Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Declared Unconstitutional

A federal judge ruled in September that a Michigan law banning partial-birth abortions is unconstitutional, the Associated Press reported. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood said the law was vague and placed an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to choose. Hood said the act “does not describe any specific procedure to be banned … [or] distinguish between induced abortion and pregnancy loss.” The Michigan Catholic Conference said it would urge Attorney General Mike Cox to appeal the decision.

My Turn

Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.’s column about ministry in prison was excellent and honorable (“Church Behind Bars,” June). As an inmate called to ministry and scheduled for release within the next three years, I have seen quite a bit of apathy directed at men “behind the wall.” But what Christians on the outside fail to realize is that this place is fertile ground for spiritual harvest and revival.

God called me and six other elders (in cooperation with chapel staff) to start Allenwood Word of Faith Christian Center in this prison. The response has been phenomenal. The church grew from seven members to 70 in about a year and a half. The congregation hovers around 50 to 70 people on any given Sunday.

In celebration of our fourth anniversary, our vision for the year is “Pursuing Holiness: Lining Ourselves Up With the Standard of God’s Word.” Keep us in prayer.
Gary Mabry
White Deer, Pennsylvania

The Next Generation

Your issue (“Youth on Fire” by Lou Engle, September) is awesome! I’m 20 years old and agree that this is the generation the church must focus on. Youth are so different now and are exposed to so much. Thank you for recognizing our need for attention from God’s people.
Sarah McCormick
Seattle, Washington

The article by Lou Engle may encourage a view of nonviolent “sieges” on abortion clinics. These may seem less deadly than clinic bombings, but they are still dangerous. The Christian community needs to understand that closing abortion clinics will do little to decrease the number of abortions in America. Children will still die.

Abortion needs to be stopped, but abortion and the clinics are only symptoms. Christians are making women who abort feel victimized and persecuted by the community. The anti-abortion movement should be about the individual, not the institution.

The current methods used to “combat” abortion are flashy but superficial. They attract media attention but do nothing for suffering women. They paint an image of a church that is detached from and judgmental of the community it could help heal.

We should remember that when Jesus wanted to change a life He didn’t throw a protest. Jesus sat down and had dinner with the people He wanted to save. Loving is more difficult than passing judgment. Too many Christians are taking the easy way out.
Aubrey Wilson
via e-mail

True Healers

Thank you for the wonderful article about John and Paula Sandford (“Healers of the Wounded Soul” by Julia C. Loren, September). They are loving and wise, yet tough when they need to be. The principles of emotional healing promoted through their Elijah House ministry have changed my life! Everyone could benefit from the classes, books and tools for recovery.
Teri Hamrick
Marietta, Georgia

I enjoyed reading about the Sandfords. They seem to care about people. It’s wonderful when Christians are concerned with what concerns God. May the Lord bless their work.
name withheld

Cry from Catholics: Stop Bashing Us

I was disheartened to see all the negative comments from your readers about the Catholic Church after you published “Vicar of the Spirit” by Stephen Mansfield (June). I hadn’t realized so many fellow Christians feel such disdain for Catholics. Thank you for including Catholics as part of the “body of Christ.”
Brenda Rice
Horton, Kansas

I was shocked at the number of your readers who complained about your coverage of Pope John Paul II. It appears that many of your readers aren’t knowledgeable of Catholic beliefs. For example, our respect for the pope’s authority dates back to Jesus’ words to Peter, “You are the rock and on this rock I will build my church.” We respect our popes as successors to Peter.
Patricia Baldwin
Rocky River, Ohio

If we call ourselves Christians, then where do we get the right to judge someone else who is preaching and teaching God’s love?
name withheld

I am a Catholic charismatic and very much a Christian. There are a lot of Catholics who read your magazine, and we respect everyone in other denominations. Please let your other readers who have hate in their hearts for Catholics know that we forgive them. Love is the message of Jesus. We love the Lord, too.
Vangie Santos
Oakdale, California

I would like to thank you for the feature on Pope John Paul II. As a Catholic, I was disheartened by some letters bashing Catholic brothers and sisters. As baptized children of God, we need to stand together for Christ. In Him there is no room for a superior attitude among Christians.
Susan Kennedy
Bella Vista, Arizona

We all have been deceived at one point or another, regardless of our religious background. Don’t just pray for Catholics, pray for all denominations. We all have some form of idolatry; it’s a heart condition. I know many Catholics who have encounters with the living God. It’s time to stop judging.
Carla Schobeck
Toledo, Ohio

I read the comments about Pope John Paul II. Some of them saddened me. In his teachings, this pope defined four laws of God. One of them reiterates the commandment to “honor your father and mother.” The conclusion he reached in his book says that to have reconciliation in churches, we have to honor our “parent” religious group. So shouldn’t Protestants at least desire to honor Catholics for giving them a spiritual heritage?
Marie Nield
Masterton, New Zealand

I am disturbed by all the letters filled with anti-Catholic bigotry. Is Charisma the forum for the ignorant and intolerant fringe? These pitiable people do not speak for me or the church of Jesus Christ. These critics need to remove the planks from their own eyes and learn something about the faith they supposedly follow.
David S. Roberts
Lumberton, North Carolina

Casting stones at Catholics must stop. We are followers of Jesus Christ, too!
Kathy Reder
Tuolumne County, California

I was saddened to see so much Catholic bashing by your readers in the August issue. Thank you for your efforts to promote unity in the body of Christ.
Scott Schmitt
Winter Park, Florida

I bought your August issue and was very disappointed with how people responded in their letters to the editor. To those who wrote the letters, you sounded like the Pharisees when they questioned Jesus. I’m a charismatic Catholic, and for once I would like to pick up a Christian magazine and not have to read about people putting down Catholics.
Imelda Garcia
Modesto, California

I have been reading Charisma for years, but I have always felt left out because I never see any writings from charismatic Catholics. I was thrilled to read your June issue with articles from Ralph Martin and Al and Patti Mansfield. There are many born-again Christians who live in the Spirit within the Catholic community.
Pat Baldwin
Rocky River, Ohio

Many of your readers’ comments reflected an ignorance of the Catholic faith and the theology of John Paul II. Some readers claiming to be filled with the Holy Spirit found an opportunity to disparage Catholic beliefs. The gifts of the Spirit include wisdom, which should increase our capacity to love others as Jesus would.
Peter J. Bernot
Howell, New Jersey

I am appalled at the letters to the editor regarding Pope John Paul II and Catholics. To think people honestly believe the church teaches witchcraft or idolatry is absurd! What happened to “love thy neighbor as thyself”? It pains me to think there are people who call themselves Christian and yet publicly beat up other Christians.
Michelle J. Dougherty
Waverly, New York

Changing of the Guard

I was very encouraged by J. Lee Grady’s recent comments regarding the end of the charismatic era (Fire in My Bones, August). I am a pastor with strong charismatic roots, but recently I realized I’ve been chasing a version of Christianity rather than Christ Himself. We are living in changing times and I would love Charisma to continue to address this change.
Peter Magelssen
Kenmore, Washington

Tomorrow’s Church

It was wonderful to see the variety of young leaders you profiled in your anniversary issue (“30 Emerging Voices,” August). It’s very encouraging to see that the future of Christian leadership includes women and men, singles and people of various racial backgrounds. I look forward to the day when the leadership of our churches reflects the same mix.
Gayle Robinson
Raleigh, North Carolina

Excuse Me, Mr. Colson?

Charles Colson worries that people may elevate environmental concerns over human needs (People & Events, July). His two examples do not bear this out.

Energy needs in the U.S. could easily be met by a major switch to clean, green energy such as wind farms and solar energy. Green energy would make the U.S. self-sufficient and would provide the complete energy security that is so desired.

Many Brazilians live in poverty, but clearing away the rainforest will do nothing to alleviate that poverty. The human cost of clearing the rainforest is, first, genocide because at least 50 isolated tribes still live there.

In addition, ranchers often use slave labor to work their loss of the rainforest also means the loss of all the medicinal plants that grow there that might save lives.

Environmental concerns and human needs are not in conflict. It is only by honoring environmental concerns that human needs may truly be protected.
Elizabeth Moberly
Durham, England

Through billboards and TV commercials, World Vision hopes to help bring sex tourists to justice
Tourists arriving in Cambodia get the message. Posters at customs kiosks; the city’s largest billboard, on the road from the airport to downtown Phnom Penh; notices in high-traffic tourist spots and advertisements in slick travel magazines warn them. If they have come in search of sexual encounters with children, they are not welcome-and Americans, if caught, could land in jail back home.

Launched in 2004, the Stop Child Sex Tourism campaign () not only saturates Cambodia and other nations known as hosts of the underage sex trade with warnings, but also posts messages for would-be offenders at every point along their international itineraries.

On select flights from the U.S. to Asia and Latin America, in-flight videos alert passengers to the penalties for exploiting children. Similar messages can be found in banners on Internet sites such as Yahoo and MSN. CNN estimates that 2.2 million people see the Stop Child Sex Tourism commercials on its network at 39 international airports and in hotels in major cities.

The Christian relief organization World Vision International and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement department are behind this campaign to stop child sex tourism, an aspect of sex trafficking too long overlooked, says World Vision’s project director Joe Mettimano.

Funded by $300,000 in private contributions, a $500,000 U.S. State Department grant and a $1 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant, the Stop Child Sex Tourism campaign posts its messages at departure, transit and destination points, particularly in Asia and Latin America. It also runs a hotline to which anonymous callers can report violators.

“By partnering with humanitarian groups like World Vision, we enhance our law enforcement abilities overseas,” said Michael J. Garcia, assistant secretary for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We’re sending a message to these individuals that if you prey on children-whether in the U.S. or abroad-you will be brought to justice.”

The billboard near the Phnom Penh airport features a photo of a child’s eyes and the inscription: “I’m not a tourist attraction. It’s a crime to make me one.” Another ad reads “Abuse a child in this country, go to jail in yours.”

Also in Phnom Penh, World Vision purchased several hundred helmets and distributed them to drivers of mopeds, which in Cambodia serve as taxis. Emblazoned on the back of the helmets is the “I’m not a tourist attraction” message. Similar warnings alert visitors in Thailand, Costa Rica and Mexico. For Mettimano, this is just the start. Brazil may be next, and other nations may follow.

“There’s a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable,” President Bush said before a United Nations Assembly in September 2003. “The victims of the sex trade see little of life before they see the very worst of life-an underground brutality and lonely fear. Governments should inform travelers of the harm this industry does, and the severe punishment.”

World Vision estimates that the worldwide commercial sex trade entraps about 2 million children, some as young as 5 years old. Most adult “customers” are nationals, but a growing number come from foreign countries. “In this campaign, we decided to target our own guys [Americans],” Mettimano said.

The U.S. PROTECT Act of 2003, which President Bush signed into law, enables the arrest and prosecution of Americans who go abroad and engage in sexual activity with a child under the age of 18. Punishment can be up to 30 years in jail.

Americans make up about a quarter of all sex tourists. In the first 18 months after the PROTECT Act was passed, more than 20 U.S. citizens were arrested, and five were convicted of having sex with minors in a foreign country. The arrests came in Cambodia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Offenders fall into two categories, Mettimano said. The preferential offender is a pedophile who travels overseas with the specific intent to find a child and engage in sexual activities. A situational offender visits a country for legitimate reasons such as business or vacation and decides to experiment. World Vision targets both groups.

For World Vision, countering sex tourism goes beyond preventative warnings. Staff members work with the U.S. State Department and destination nations so that they can enforce the law. “What World Vision brings to the table is our presence,” Mettimano said. “We are in more than 100 nations working directly with these kids who are at risk.”

World Vision seeks local permission to work in a nation and assists governments with training. “The governments [that] do acknowledge the problem usually want to partner with us,” Mettimano said. “They know that they have a problem with their own people. The last thing they need is for foreigners to come in and make the problem worse.”

In Cambodia, a 12-year-old girl told World Vision workers about her foreign “boyfriend.” After some detective work, the perpetrator was identified and his native government notified.

“Our goal is to protect children from exploitation,” Mettimano said. “We are going to do everything we can to remove anyone who exploits them. Even if we are able to deter one guy and protect one child, the whole program is worthwhile.”
Steven Lawson

MUSIC

Glory Train
By Pat Boone, Oak Records.

“Thank You, Billy Graham,” co-written by Pat Boone, is the title cut of the famous crooner’s new CD, Glory Train, and is bound for a lot of airplay. But the included DVD of the song is the highlight of this package. It’s a moving tribute to the evangelist, a universally celebrated hero of our faith.

Clips of Graham over the years, showing him preaching and making an impact on huge audiences as well as heads of state, are intermixed with studio shots of a who’s who list of artists and entertainers who contributed their voices to this recording—Bono, LeAnne Rimes, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, dcTalk and others. The film has a patriotic, country beat with a “We Are the World” edge.
The rest of the CD doesn’t sound anything like the title track. The other 12 cuts all sound much the same. They are gospel tunes recorded in the 1970s and sung solo by Boone with simple accompaniments added. The old recordings were found in dusty boxes, repaired and digitized.
Marsha Gallardo

World Through Your Eyes
By Reuben Morgan, Rocketown Records.

Reuben Morgan, with Darlene Zschech, has been central to the Hillsong Music invasion from Australia for several years, penning widely known “Lord, I Give You My Heart,” “My Redeemer Lives” and “Hear Our Praises.” His explosive worship anthems are reshaped into modern-rock and pop gems on this solo debut with Morgan offering pop versions of his worship hits. Morgan is well-known in worship circles, but pop and rock music lovers should not overlook this impressive release.

DeWayne Hamby

Purified
By CeCe Winans, PureSprings.

CeCe Winans is one gospel artist whose songs have been transcendent. If Purified, the Grammy winner’s new CD, follows that path, new listeners will hear about topics ranging from holiness to diversity. “You Will,” about healing and reconciliation, pairs her with the dynamic Born Again Choir. Siblings Angie and Debbie join her on “Always Sisters,” a reminder of the need for family. The lyrics of “Colorful World” address diversity, while the title track beckons God to flow through and purify.
René Williams

Day By Day
By Yolanda Adams, Atlantic Records.

With the beat-banging lead track, “Victory” (on the soundtrack for The Gospel), Yolanda Adams opens her first CD in four years with a dose of funk and hip-hop. She’s joined by gospel superstars Mary Mary and Donnie McClurkin on the powerful “Lift Him Up” and Kirk Franklin on “Tonight.” Making up for lost time since Believe, Adams hits hard on Day By Day, delivering superb, unapologetic spiritual songs.
René Williams

All to You
By Lincoln Brewster, Vertical Music.

Lincoln Brewster carries the torch for guitar players and shows that new and old songs have their place in “modern worship” on this live CD recorded at his church in Sacramento, Calif., where he serves as worship leader. Musical highlights fill the entire album, from explosive guitar solos on “Surrender” to the two-minute dynamic instrumental break on “All to You.” Enough memorable musical and “God” moments fill the CD to make it worth the buy, especially for youth and young adults. All to You: Live showcases Brewster’s fun ability to put a new spin on well-known worship songs.
Matt Fehrmann

BOOKS

Soul Obsession
By Nicky Cruz with Frank Martin,
WaterBrook Press, softcover,
240 pages, $.

Nicky Cruz, the angry son of a witch and warlock in Puerto Rico, was a dangerous hood-warlord of the Mau Maus gang in New York City in the late 1950s and early 1960s when David Wilkerson’s bold street evangelism became the catalyst to his conversion. He now writes after 40 years of ministry about the passion, mercy and vision it takes to change humanity and stand up to the devil.

In Soul Obsession: When God’s Primary Pursuit Becomes Your Life’s Driving Passion, Cruz gives us a perspective from his platform as an international evangelist. He shows us what it’s like to live amid the crowded inner-city apartments in the Bronx, to be taunted in Norway by Muslim teens—a surprising majority among minorities in Europe—and to come face to face with a hardened, tattooed Houston gang leader.

The story of his mother’s deathbed experience is worth the price of the book. Cruz includes illustrations of other brave crusaders of the gospel who have inspired him.
Advocating an outwardly focused Christian life, he writes: “Instead of striving to be comfortable and wealthy and well-fed, pray that God will use you to help others find comfort and shelter and food.”
Marsha Gallardo

Wicca’s Charm
By Catherine Edwards Sanders,
Shaw Books (WaterBrook Press), softcover,
256 pages, $.

Pagan spirituality is on the rise, and Catherine Edwards Sanders has found out why. Her quest started when she was given a routine magazine assignment and it grew into a yearlong, cross-country venture of interviews with pagans and witches.
In the process, Sanders’ eyes were opened to several truths: Many TV shows include witchcraft; paganism commands a large market in chain bookstores; witch-promoted political activism and events for children are common. She also found the church has gaps paganism is filling, such as a concern for the earth, the empowerment of women, the need for ritualism in the practice of faith and others.

Her conversations with Wicca followers—which ranged from interviews with a mother of five who worked at Dairy Queen to a pair of teens who hung out in Starbucks—gives Christians an inside look into this growing spiritual trend, dispelling preconceived stereotypes and showing ways the church can improve.

Sanders’ findings expose the blatant need, especially among women, for holistic and authentic worship experiences.
Marsha Gallardo

Foolish No More!
By Ted Haggard, WaterBrook, hardcover,
224 pages, $.

Don’t let the light-hearted tone of this amusing book fool you. Ted Haggard—pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and current president of the National Association of Evangelicals—delivers a serious message that’s meant to help Christians shed the legalism that blunts their effectiveness.

Using references to both the apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians and modern-day anecdotes, Haggard illustrates that the same problems Paul addressed still afflict the church. He points out that too many believers, instead of growing toward maturity, are still caught up in maintaining appearances and rule-keeping.

A must-read chapter is the next-to-last, “Pick Your Fruit,” in which Haggard reviews how we can be equipped to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Haggard writes that no amount of striving for perfection will ever produce the kind of Spirit-empowered living people need to break free of the sin nature and chains of human indulgence. He prescribes regular prayer, fasting and surrendering to the Spirit.
Ken Walker

Fiction

THRILLER

Comes a Horseman
By Robert Liparulo, WestBow Press,
hardcover, 498 pages, $.

This international thriller finds FBI agents Brandy Moore and Alicia Wagner investigating a series of brutal murders. The two uncover a conspiracy a thousand years in the making that reaches from the mountains of Colorado to the caves of Jerusalem-and puts their lives in danger.

ROMANCE

Remember Me
By Deborah Bedford, Warner Faith,
softcover, 304 pages, $.

During summers at Piddock Beach, Sam and Aubrey became childhood friends and eventually fell in love. But Aubrey and her family move away. Now a pastor, Sam is still single and questioning God’s call on his life. He returns to Piddock Beach and discovers Aubrey has done the same. With so many hurts and unanswered questions, can these two face their pasts without crossing their personal boundaries?

YOUTH FANTASY

The Door Within
By Wayne Thomas Batson, Tommy Nelson,
hardcover, 320 pages, $.

The Door Within introduces a new fantasy trilogy. Aidan Thomas finds an ancient scroll that invites him into the medieval kingdom Alleble. He encounters kings, knights and warriors, and his journey develops into a fight between good and evil. Will Aidan risk everything and trust the one true king?

NEWS

‘Prince’ Among Preachers

The biography of Derek Prince, a charismatic pioneer, includes new details about his life.

Best-selling author Stephen Mansfield has uncovered new revelations from the life of Bible teacher Derek Prince—who helped shape the charismatic movement in the 20th century—in the new book Derek Prince, A Biography: Father, Statesman, Teacher, and Leader (Charisma House).

Many who have observed the Cambridge-educated, staid British personality who became a famous preacher might conclude that “he never had a wild side, that he was never human. … But in fact it’s just the opposite,” Mansfield says.

During the research process, the New York Times best-selling biographer unearthed details even Prince’s family weren’t aware of, but which they chose to retain in the book. Among the surprises was the revelation that Prince had an affair before his conversion that resulted in a child being born out of wedlock.

The author explained that the story was included not for its shock value but to help people see that “no matter what your flaws, no matter what your failures, greatness can be accomplished if you live for a great cause.”

Mansfield, who has authored many biographies, including The Faith of George W. Bush, took on the project when Prince’s family members asked him to write a substantial work on the academic scholar turned Bible teacher.

He had the full cooperation for the project from his subject until Prince died of heart failure in 2003 at age 88. Mansfield agreed to write about Prince’s life with the understanding that he would not write a “preacher puff piece.”

The book chronicles Prince’s birth in India in 1915, his years as an atheist and philosopher at Cambridge University, his conversion to Christ while serving in the British army during World War II and his worldwide teaching ministry. He lived in Israel off and on beginning in the 1940s and had a teaching and healing ministry that spanned some six decades. He became known for helping to launch the Discipleship, or “Shepherding,” Movement in the 1970s, though a decade afterward he renounced what the movement had become.

Prince’s almost nine decades were marked by great change in the world. He served as soldier in North Africa during World War II and was in the Holy Land when the state of Israel was born. His ministry influence expanded exponentially through the advent of the cassette tape.

He taught on such themes as the breaking of generational curses, praying for nations, discarding replacement theology in favor of an appreciation of God’s chosen people, and deliverance from demons, a teaching that led to a parting of ways with the Assemblies of God.

“Almost every major doctrine that you think of as being uniquely charismatic, Derek either helped give a quantum leap to or was a pioneer of,” Mansfield says. “When you think about the charismatic movement as distinct from the Pentecostal movement, Derek was the innovator.”
Christine D. Johnson

Gospel Artist Gets Kids Rapping God’s Praise

When Grammy and Dove-winning gospel recording artist Kirk Franklin stepped away from the microphone to write a children’s book, he didn’t realize the significance the message of his Scripture-based How do Alligators Praise the Lord? would have in the months to come. 

He couldn’t have known the swamp and bayou setting for his book would soon be rocked and torn apart by a forceful hurricane named Katrina.

Franklin’s first children’s book, published by CharismaKids, stars alligators and boasts colorful swamp creatures splashed magically across the pages in vivid greens, reds, oranges, blues and purples, care of graphic designer Jason Carrier. Each book includes a rhythmic reading of the book on an accompanying CD with enough sound effects to make the story truly come alive.

The book and CD portray “greasy green gators,” “big fat carp,” otter, dragonfly, crayfish, snails, water bugs, lizards, snakes and other “swamp critters” as they march, jump, shout, dance, sing and praise the Lord in every way they know how.

Children of all ages will be captivated with the lively, haunting chorus and bright children’s voices of the CD, as well as the unforgettable swirl of swamp animals that preen and peer from the pages of the book. Do Alligators Praise the Lord? concludes with the Scripture on which it is based, Psalm 150:6: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (NIV).

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the bayous and swamps of Louisiana and Mississippi became the focus of the world. TV reports showed water rising around individuals and entire families trapped in their neighborhoods or sheltered in churches, motels or public buildings.

Franklin rushed to help, trekking to the shelters at the Reunion Arena in Dallas and the Astrodome in Houston. He visited with survivors and offered them his help. He described in his Web diary the accounts of the disaster as the “worst picture of people suffering that I’ve ever seen.”

The gifted music artist knows what its like to lose loved ones and to feel homeless. He never knew his father, and his mother abandoned him when he was just a baby. He was raised by his Aunt Gertrude in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fortunately for Franklin and the music world, his aunt collected and sold enough aluminum cans to pay for his piano lessons.  Franklin started taking lessons when he was 4. By the time he was 11, he was leading the adult choir for the Mount Rose Baptist Church in Fort Worth.

Barring a few years of rebellion as a teenager, curbed by the sight of his best friend being shot to death, Franklin walked a sometimes slow, often laborious, but for the most part fairly straight path from the choir loft of the Baptist church of his boyhood to the gospel stage. Grammy and Dove awards have marked the past few years as well as the most recent, a Gospel Recording Artist of the Year award.

When he penned his first kid’s book, Franklin may have thought that God was giving him a simple child’s tale that he could set to music. The gospel star didn’t know that the setting and the Scripture would end up meaning more to the children and their families who made it through Hurricane Katrina, some of whom received the book as a gift in aftermath of the storm.

Now, after Hurricane Katrina, Franklin’s swamp critters are “still praising”—though perhaps they’re a little paler, a little more disheveled, a little more bleary-eyed than before the storm. But they’re still dancing and singing and thanking God for the blessings found even in this tragedy—as perhaps, we all should be.
Marcia Davis-Seale

Book Line Helps Kids Build a Spiritual Foundation

In an effort to provide parents with books written for kids from a charismatic perspective, Strang Communications has launched a children’s book imprint, CharismaKids, with works by popular authors.

In her first children’s book, A Heart for Jesus, Juanita Bynum explains to youngsters what it means to receive Christ. Bynum’s engaging story line and strong evangelistic content draw kids into a compassionate yet thought-provoking presentation of the gospel. A Prayerful Heart, the author’s second children’s project, releases fall 2006.

Well-known pastor Jack Hayford takes kids on a journey in The Acts Bible Storybook by retelling many of the stories of Acts while revealing who the Holy Spirit is. Hayford’s storytelling encourages young readers to welcome the Spirit into their hearts.

CharismaKids books communicate spiritual truths to help children develop a strong Christian foundation. “A Christian parent’s greatest joy is knowing their children have received salvation through Jesus Christ,” says Maureen Haner, marketing manager at Strang.

David and Tessie DeVore’s Happy Birthday to Me encourages adults and kids to embrace cultural differences. My 100 Best-Loved Bible Stories, by best-selling author Bruce Wilkinson (The Prayer of Jabez), focuses on God’s providence and the believer’s relationship with Jesus. Other releases include Big Bad Bible Bullies by pastor Scott Hagan and Tell Me About God by speaker Karyn Henley.
Valerie G. Lowe

There is some good news coming out of Iraq. Christian churches are growing at an unprecedented rate.
Beneath the rubble of news about bombings, hostage-taking and political wrangling in Iraq lies a more positive picture of young evangelical churches.

In the northeast, Iraqi Kurdistan offers a haven for Christian activity as the two rival Kurdish governments grow in their toleration of Muslims becoming Christians. In the south, the evangelical church is growing rapidly.

In Baghdad, a total of 15 evangelical congregations have started since the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 2003. Officially, only two evangelical churches-both Presbyterian and led by Egyptian nationals-existed in the capital during Hussein’s rule. Now there are Baptists, Methodists, and Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) congregations, all led by local Iraqi pastors.

“The people are open like never before,” says Ghassan Thomas, pastor of a CMA church in Baghdad. “It is because we have no peace. This is how we connect our message to the nation: I preach on the topic, ‘How do we get peace?’ and everyone listens, especially when I talk about the deeper peace that Christ brings.”
Most of the members of the new churches come from the Presbyterian Church, and some come from historic Christian denominations such as the Chaldean Catholic or Syrian Orthodox, which have been in Iraq for centuries.

“Muslims, too, want peace,” Thomas says. “Many of them are frightened. When the hostages are killed, often a Quranic verse is used to justify it. So many Muslims are scared of their own god. When we preach that God is love, it is so liberating to them.”

Southern Iraq is deemed too dangerous for foreign Christian workers. Most have pulled back to the more stable Iraqi Kurdistan. More than 4 million Kurds reside in this northern mountainous region, which has enjoyed autonomy since the first Gulf War in 1991.

Two Kurdish political factions control the area. Arbil is the main city of the domain of Massoud Barzani’s Kurdish Democratic Party, and Sulemaniya is the power center of newly elected Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

In both regions Kurdish refugees are flooding back. There is little street crime, and authorities have severely curtailed the activities of Islamic extremists. This has brought much prosperity to the area, which many believe is one reason the respective administrations-in their courting of Western investment-have markedly improved their defense of religious freedom.

“The last 10 years have been a golden time here, and it is set to continue with Talabani becoming president,” says Yousif Matty, a leading pastor of the Kurdish Evangelical Church, a denomination in the north comprising Kurdish and Arabic Christians. “He has been very strong on emphasizing the rule of law. Also, the Kurds have suffered at the hands of Islamists and have no love for them.”

Matty’s churches have a few hundred members, from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds. He runs four bookshops, two schools and other projects, and he received a $500,000 plot of land from the government to build his church. The government has also welcomed other Christian nongovernmental organizations.
The other evangelical denomination in the north is the Kurdish Language Evangelical Church, which is exclusively Kurdish-speaking and made up primarily of Kurds.

“There is always persecution from the family when a Muslim becomes a Christian,” says the Kurdish pastor of one fellowship in Arbil. “That will not change any time soon, but it used to be that the new convert would face persecution from the state also, yet this is less true today.”

Resisting Islam

The influence of the Kurds, who represent 25 percent of the Iraqi population, is important to the future of the country. President Talabani has less power than the Shiite prime minister, but some Christian leaders believe the best bulwark against a strongly Islamic Constitution may be the influence of the Kurds.

Though Sunni Muslims, the Kurdish people are one of the least observant groups in the Middle East. They were expected to oppose the Arabs, whom they believe have humiliated them for decades. Last summer, Nestorian Bishop Issac of Dohuk correctly predicted the Kurds would keep the constitution from becoming too Islamic.

“’Shariah’ is really Arabic, and the Kurds will resist all attempts to Arabize the culture of Iraq,” Issac says. “If we go the Shariah route, it will be like in Iran where our [Nestorian] church is less than 10 percent of the strength it was before [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini took power.”

Another point of light for the Iraqi church is that many of the 40,000 or so Christians who fled after a spate of bombings in August 2004 have returned to the country. Yet the numbers of those still in refugee camps in Jordan and Syria remain significant-perhaps 10,000, though precise figures are not available.

“It’s not the end of the world that so many Christians have fled, because it has spread the Iraqi church over the world,” Issac says, “and the new communities established in America and Australia are providing many resources we would not have received if we had all remained in the land.”

The news is not all positive, of course. Iraq remains a country in crisis. At a recent conference for 70 Iraqi pastors, all had to travel early in the morning to avoid trouble on the roads. And although they stressed that the streets gradually have become safer since the beginning of the year, church meetings throughout the south are held at 4:30 in the afternoon-with everyone at home behind locked doors by 7:30 p.m. for fear of insurgent and looting activity.

Law and order still has not been adequately restored, nor have basic services. Patience has run out with U.S. and British forces’ failure to restore stability after two years in the country.

“No population will support an army that cannot protect it,” one pastor says. “The goodwill has completely gone.”

Middle-class Christians are also continuing to emigrate in alarming numbers, as those in key professions such as medicine are targets of kidnapping and extortion. This exodus has decimated some newer evangelical churches.

Strife From Within

The Iraqi churches also face internal challenges. Some priests from the historic churches have bullied the new evangelicals. In Baghdad, a priest from the Chaldean Catholics told those who had left his church to attend Baptist services: “We will not bury your relatives who attend our churches.” Some leaders of the older church denominations have slandered evangelical congregations as “part of a Jewish conspiracy to control Iraq.”

Also, though the evangelicals are skilled in evangelism, the church is young and immature. “Our outreach activity is so much stronger than the discipling function of the church,” Matty warns. “We have radio outreach, schools, bookshops, but the church itself is not concentrating in deepening its life, nor are the leaders getting trained enough.”

Some church leaders see the splitting of the evangelical churches into so many new-and often foreign-backed-denominations as an indication of disunity. And not all missionary aid is well-spent. Some pastors have used foreign support to buy expensive cars and upgrade their lifestyles, leading to envy among other pastors.

Yet for all these challenges, the mood among 70 evangelical pastors meeting in April was guardedly optimistic. A pastor of one of the three Baptist congregations in Baghdad, who did not wish to be named, forecast three trends.

“One, the evangelical church will grow stronger, but many of its numbers will leave,” the pastor says. “However that’s not so bad. They will probably come back with more teaching and maturity, and it will benefit the church in the long term.

“Two, the historic churches will get even more negative. I see them as the major persecutor of the evangelicals in the future. It is as it always was.

“I am translating a book called The Trial of Blood, which calculates that the institutional churches killed 50 million Christians from 315 to 1570.

“Three, the Islamic extremists will moderate, though it may take a generation.”

Yet even when conflicts are at their sharpest, there are hopeful signs. Pastor Thomas from the CMA church in Baghdad tells of an incident that occurred when he received death threats written on cardboard after erecting a sign outside his church that said, “Jesus is the Light of the World.”

On the cardboard was scrawled: “Jesus is not the light of the world. Allah is, and you have been warned.” It was signed, “the Islamic Shiite Party.”

Thomas loaded up a van full of children’s gifts from a Christian relief agency, together with some Bibles and medicines, and drove to the headquarters of the Islamic Shiite Party. When he came to the compound, he demanded to “see the big sheikh, I have gifts for him.”

He was taken to meet the leader, and he introduced himself as a pastor.

“We respect you,” the sheikh said.

Thomas said, “Christians have love for you, because God is love, our God is a God of love.”

Again the sheikh replied: “We respect your God. We respect Jesus.”

This was the opening Thomas had been praying for. He said, “If you respect Jesus, would you let me read you His words?” He took out his Bible and read the words of Jesus from John 8, “I am the light of the world.” Then he brought out the cardboard with the death threat.

The sheikh read it and looked ashamed. After a brief pause, he said: “We are sorry. This will not happen again. You are my brother. If anyone comes to kill you, it will be my neck first.” The sheikh even attended Thomas’ ordination as the pastor.

“No one is expecting the situation to improve for the better quickly,” Thomas says, “but we believe that God is moving in these times and that the future will be more peaceful, especially if Christians will befriend good Muslims and work together.” ?

The Church of the Forgotten

Christians have worshiped in Iraq for hundreds of years, but their suffering has been overlooked by the world.

Though reports of church growth in Iraq have begun to surface only recently, Christians have been living in the region for centuries. Centered in northern Iraq, in the land once known as Nineveh, the Assyrian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the history of the faith. No stranger to difficulty and persecution-most recently during the pernicious rule of Saddam Hussein-the Assyrian Church is once again in dire straits.

Although the Assyrians and other minorities in northern Iraq praised the capture of Hussein by U.S. and allied forces, those groups have been leaving the country in droves. According to a recent statement issued by the Religious Freedom Coalition, in the last year more than 60,000 Assyrians and other minorities have fled Iraq. Those who remained are being subjected to increasing pressure and persecution.

A chief source of frustration is the inequitable distribution of reconstruction funds and resources. Michael Youash, executive director of the Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project, says these funds are being distributed through Kurdish authorities to the detriment of Assyrians and other non-Muslim minorities. He says even basic infrastructures such as electricity and water are being selectively disbursed based on religious and political grounds, leaving non-Muslim areas virtually uninhabitable.

The Assyrians and other minorities also feel disenchanted with the new regime. The Assyrian International News Agency, , is reporting that voter fraud and irregularities in the most recent elections resulted in the massive disenfranchisement of the Christian electorate.

Perhaps the most critical issue currently facing the Assyrian Church and non-Muslim minorities, however, is the looming specter of an Islamic Republic of Iraq. This fall, a critical vote was to be taken on Iraq’s new constitution. At press time, controversy surrounded Article 7, which read, “Islam is the official religion of the State.”

Under Hussein’s regime the country remained largely secular. Observers feared the push for Islamic rule was being fueled by outside extremists who received monetary support from international sources dedicated to the spread of Islamic fundamentalism. In July, grave reports already were surfacing of Christian persecution at the hands of Islamic extremists, including intimidation, kidnapping, church burnings and murder.

Internally, the push to institute Islam is coming from the new leadership, many of whom returned to Iraq after the liberation and are characterized as out of touch with Iraqi people. Iraq’s new prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaffari has been quoted as saying, “If we do not put Islam as the religion of the state, the people would revolt!” This despite evidence that the Iraqi people themselves desire a secular state.

There is some hope that the new constitution will grant the Assyrians some level of autonomous governance. Yet many are concerned that a premature withdrawal by American forces might leave them in the lurch.

“We are extremely grateful for what the Americans did,” says Ken Joseph Jr. of , “but 1,500-plus American heroes did not give their lives to create the Islamic Republic of Iraq.”

Meanwhile, Assyrian believers say they are facing a challenge from Christian organizations which, instead of empowering and equipping the indigenous church, are eroding its base by establishing new churches from existing congregations.

In the end, Joseph says, “One of the key indicators of a country’s health is its ability to protect and preserve its minorities.” In this respect, the plight of the Assyrian church and other non-Muslim minorities should be a sign of great concern.
David Mundy

SPOTLIGHT

No Limits

Israel Houghton says nothing is impossible for God

Recording his latest CD live in South Africa was a dream come true for worship leader Israel Houghton. Live projects capture the crowd’s energy and excitement anyway. But in South Africa, where Houghton says he didn’t have to “convince the people that they’re hungry” for God, the experience exceeded his expectations. Houghton says Alive in South Africa has some surprises—like the moment when “God showed up” as the crowd sang along to “Alpha and Omega,” an African worship chorus. But what he hopes leaves the strongest impression on listeners is a prophetic declaration “that there is absolutely no limit in God.” Right now, he says, “the favor of God is extra pronounced. If you sow you will most definitely reap. There’s no limit.”
Adrienne s. Gaines

Prayer Point

Thousands of families have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, which rocked the Gulf Coast in late August. Charisma invites you to join us in praying:

Representatives of India’s Dalit Christians are demanding that the government expedite its decision on whether they will be given the same legal rights and protection as Dalits of other faiths.

Churches and Christian institutions observed a nationwide week of fasting and prayer in late August in support of the demand.

In India’s caste system, Dalits are the lowest of the lowest and considered “untouchable.” Though they are entitled to “reservations,” a government plan that reserves 26 percent of jobs and educational placements for Dalits, Christians have been denied those rights.

“The Dalit Christians’ rights were taken away by the 1950 presidential order, which confined the rights to those practicing the Hindu faith,” said charismatic leader Rev. Moses Swamidas, president of Bible Faith Mission in Tamil Nadu.

Dalits of the Sikh and Buddhist faiths won back their rights, but currently Dalits who convert to Christianity or Islam are still denied them.

This discrimination against Dalit Christians was apparent during the tsunami relief operations. John Mary, a 45-year-old Dalit Christian, knocked on scores of doors for help. But being an “untouchable” Christian, she and hundreds of others in southern Indian states were denied government relief assistance.

John Mary was one of the 573 witnesses from the southern Indian states who participated in a public tribunal in August held by the All-India Catholic Union where Dalit Christians demanded equal rights. The hearing was supported by Catholic and charismatic church leaders.

After the hearing, the tribunal determined that Dalit Christians should be given the same rights as Dalits of other faiths. The matter was to be heard before the Supreme Court in August but was handed over to the Justice Rangnath Mishra National Commission for Linguistic and Religious Minorities, an advisory panel that investigates economic and social problems among religious minorities.

John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, said the referral was simply a delay tactic. His group is working to see a law passed that guarantees Dalit Christians equal rights.

As human rights groups work to rid Dalits of the untouchable stigma altogether, observers say a favorable response from the government would improve Dalit Christians’ quality of life. “We face a terrible situation in our villages in southern India,” said B.P. John, a Christian activist in Karnataka state. “Rich and upper-class families confiscate properties of lower caste converts to Christianity. Not long back two of our brothers were killed by goons of a local elected representative who sides with them. It’s a war unleashed by the upper caste on us Dalit Christians.”

The Supreme Court was to hear the case Oct. 18.
Joshua Newton in Madurai, India

Participants wait in line for hours to get into the 5 a.m. meetings led by preacher Juanita Bynum
More than 2,000 people from across the U.S. are gathering at World Revival Church in Kansas City, Mo., for prayer at 5 a.m. Led by popular preacher Juanita Bynum, the Tuesday morning services have caused traffic jams at 3:30 a.m. with lines of people who wait more than 10 hours to get into the meetings.

Bynum said she received a vision for the prayer services in June while she was preaching at World Revival Church. “I saw myself standing in the middle of the aisle wearing a white dress and white head wrap,” said Bynum, noting that the attire symbolized her coming before God in sackcloth and ashes. “I knew God had called me to lead prayer at 5 a.m. in Kansas City.”

Host pastors Steve and Kathy Gray were jubilant when Bynum announced that she would start leading prayer in the next few weeks. “This was the second biggest surprise in ministry,” Steve Gray said. “The first surprise is when the power of God hit me in 1996, which led to the Smithton Outpouring. I was taken completely by surprise, but we grabbed it because we were ready for God to do anything.”

“This is a different kind of revival, a prayer revival,” Gray added. “We’re pretty excited and grateful that God picked this place out of all the places in the world.”

Bynum said the services, which began July 5, are in line with her passion to teach Christians about intercession and strategic spiritual warfare. For seven years she led a prayer meeting in New York City that grew from 25 people to more than 800 at its peak. Since those meetings, Bynum led prayer services briefly in Dallas.

“I felt lost after I finished leading prayer in New York City,” she said. “God sent us to World Revival Church. It’s multicultural and [reflects] people from different walks of life. There’s something about this prayer meeting in Kansas City that’s going to affect the world.”

People stand in line for hours to get into the services. Evangelist Diane Lee of It Is Written Worship Center said she waited 11 hours to get into the service because she was hungry for an outpouring. “There’s a great need for prayer in Kansas City,” she said. “I’m thirsty for God and have a hunger for the Word.”

“This prayer service was mandated by God,” said Elder Mike Beasely of Place of Peace Family Worship Center. “The city has been focused on killings and violence. We can’t do anything to pull down the strongholds of the enemy except call on the power of God.”

Bynum said she’s teaching principles on intercession that she has never taught anywhere else. “I’ve never taught on this level on strategic prayer,” she said. “[My book] Matters of the Heart represented the levels of purification. My new book coming out in September, The Threshing Floor, is who I am. This book is Juanita Bynum.”

She added that she wanted to be remembered as someone who provoked the nation to prayer. “In my last hour, my mantle is to provoke a people to prayer to take responsibility for the nation,” she said. “We’ve been given the power to alter and change the course of history.”

At press time, Bynum planned to continue the Kansas City prayer services indefinitely. “We’re going to other cities all around the nation,” Bynum said. “Next year, we may be going to Atlanta.”
Leilani Haywood

in Kansas City, Mo.