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A respected Cuban church leader who was unexpectedly arrested and tried in court last week has been cleared of all charges after his accusers gave contradictory evidence against him. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Reverend Roberto Rodriguez, was allowed to return to his family and is recuperating at home after being found not guilty of ‘threatening behaviour.’ The pastor was forced to hitchhike from Cardenas to Santa Clara. They arrived at 1am and the following day travelled to the town of Placetas, in Central Cuba, where Rodriguez stood trial on 2 Sept. Prosecutors recommended that Rodriguez be given a one-year prison sentence, following what CSW called the contradictory evidence given by his accusers, the tribunal had no choice but to find him not guilty, although the court handed down a fine to the church leader. Praise: God for justice and the release of Rodriguez. (Am.5:24)
Cuba is seeing one of the fastest church growth rates in the world - the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) says that this is evidenced by the fact that there just aren't enough churches to hold all the believers. In 1960, Cuban Baptist churches numbered 210. Growth was slow over the next three decades, increasing that number by just 28. However, within the last 20 years, a church-planting movement began sweeping the island nation. Today, according to the IMB, the number of Cuban Baptist traditional churches, missions, and house churches exceeds 6,200. Church growth is surpassing the speed of construction for places of worship, which leaves some of the congregations worshipping in houses, garages, yards or on rooftops. The leaders also find they need tools to cope with the other needs of their burgeoning congregations. So, IMB missionaries regularly form teams to help train and disciple new leaders. Praise: the Lord for the growth of His Church in Cuba. (Eph.3:21)
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) has marked the start of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with the launch of a new social networking site. CT Connect is a free website for local Churches Together groups to access CTBI’s online resources. CTBI hopes the website will facilitate groups sharing resources for worship and spirituality and publicising events. More importantly, they want to see groups use the website to interact and discuss current issues locally, nationally and internationally. CTBI General Secretary, the Rev Bob Fyffe said: ‘It’s about building an on-line community. Significantly, it will allow Christians at a local level to engage directly with each other and with the many organisations in the ecumenical family.’ Praise: God for this initiative and pray that interaction via CT Connect will be a blessing to God’s Church. (Ph.1:1-2)
Crucifixes can be displayed in school classrooms across the European Union, the Court of Human Rights has ruled. The decision overturned a previous ruling that the crucifix could breach the rights of non-Catholic pupils. The case was initially brought in Italy by Soile Lautsi, a Finnish-born mother whose two children attended a state school and objected to crucifixes being present in every classroom. In November 2009, the court in Strasbourg sided with Mrs Lautsi, ruling that the presence of religious symbols violated the children's right to secular education and to ‘freedom of thought, conscience and religion’. In Friday's final ruling, the court decided that ‘while the crucifix was above all a religious symbol, there was no evidence before the court that the display of such a symbol on classroom walls might have an influence on pupils’. The ruling will be binding on all 47 countries that are members of the Council of Europe, the continent's human rights watchdog. (See Prayer Alert 4509) Praise: God for this ruling and answer to prayer. (Pr.25:11) More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8391092/Crucifixes-can-be-displayed-in-EU-schools.html
Violent assaults in Northampton have dropped by around two-thirds after church volunteers took to the streets.The volunteers, known as Street Pastors, have been working in conjunction with local police officers since 2008, and in the twelve months to March this year there were only 38 violent incidents recorded. This is a significant drop from the previous year when there were 110 recorded violent incidents. Rev Mark Lees, the local architect of the national scheme, said: ‘I think it is reassuring for people to see somebody else there that’s obviously involved and cares.’ Earlier this year it was revealed that prayer and the work of the Street Pastors was helping Devon and Cornwall police tackle crime. Churchgoers in the Barnstaple area were asked to pray that crime detection rates, which were then at 26 per cent, would increase. And in February it was revealed that the detection rates had risen to 40 per cent, one of the highest in the country. (See also Prayer Alert 0910)
Praise: God for the way He uses His people in prayer and practical action to make changes that transform the community. (1Ch.29:10-11)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/crime-drops-after-street-pastor-patrols/
Wellington Town Council has rejected a controversial motion calling to scrap the traditional saying of prayers at the start of its meetings. Independent councillor Pat McCarthy claimed compulsory Christian prayers discriminated against atheists and people of other faiths, and said he wanted a separate service before meetings with official council business starting 15 minutes later. The Council decided to reject the calls as none of its members was in favour of the ban. Rt Revd Mark Rylands, the Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: ‘I fully support Council members in continuing to offer prayers before their meetings begin. The saying of prayers before meetings is an integral part of the British system of government. ‘Prayers remind councillors that they are answerable not only to themselves but also to those beyond the Chamber. Those who pray remind themselves they are answerable to God’
Praise: God for all those who have supported our Christian roots of prayer. (Ps.88:13)
More: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=1077
Last Wednesday Bedford Council threw out an application made on behalf of the ‘Saints and Sinners’ nightclub to allow lap dancing/sex entertainment to take place on the second floor of its venue. The Council rejected the applicant’s proposals on the basis that such a licence would be inappropriate in that location. Local business owners and residents, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, argued that such a venue was not suitable in an area where there were schools, churches, shops and homes. More than 1000 letters of objection were received by the Council in advance of the hearing. The finding demonstrated that it is possible to successfully challenge lap dancing/sex establishment licences and that Councils are aware of the real risks and detriments of allowing a sex club to operate in city centres.
Praise: God for the outcome for the people of Bedford. May this encourage other communities to object to similar applications. (Ps.106:3)
More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/social/council-refuse-lap-dancing-licence-for-bedford
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe this week passed a resolution calling on its 47 member states to accommodate religious beliefs in the public sphere. The resolution asks member states to guarantee freedom of thought in relation to health care, education and the civil service ‘provided that the rights of others to be free from discrimination are respected and that the access to lawful services is guaranteed’. The resolution was passed on Wednesday by 148 votes to three. It also called on States to ‘ensure the right to well-defined conscientious objection in relation to morally sensitive matters’. The Christian Legal Centre, welcomed the outcome. The advocacy group recently asked the European Court of Human Rights to grant a hearing at the Grand Chamber on the cases of two British Christians who lost their discrimination claims earlier this year.
Praise: God for the resolution by the Council of Europe and pray for its outworking. (Jam.2:12)
A council in Staffordshire is facing criticism after it ditched the saying of prayers at the beginning of its meetings. The move comes despite the Government writing to all local councils in England telling them that new laws restore their power to hold prayers at official meetings. The original case was brought against Bideford Council by the National Secular Society, after councillor and atheist Clive Bone complained about the prayers (See Prayer Alert 07 & 08-2012) Bideford town council has decided not to reinstate their prayer meetings due to concerns that new Government powers to protect the practice are not strong enough. A church minister usually leads the prayers at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, but following a ‘compromise’ move, people who want to pray at council meetings must now do so separately 15 minutes beforehand. The move has provoked criticism from The Daily Express newspaper which said in an editorial: ‘The role of Christianity in our national life does not threaten freedom but bolsters it’.
Pray: that prayers within council meetings will continue to be recognised as central and that the recent judgement will be strengthened. (Ps.9:19)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/concern-at-council%E2%80%99s-move-to-scrap-prayers/
Who would've thought that the very city identified as the ‘former murder capital of the world’ by Ambassador Charles S. Shapiro would be the place where 2,500 youth leaders would be inspired to touch the world for Christ? In Medellin, Colombia, Global Advance partnered with Youth Solutions to bring their Youth Leaders Missions Conference to over 2,500 youth plus 3,500 viewers online. The conference was held in early June and included several inspiring speakers, worship sessions, and a time of response from the attendees. These youth attending the conference face many challenges within their own country. It's not only identified as being the ‘former murder capital of the world,’ but according to the CIA, Colombia is also the world's largest producer of cocaine and a major producer of other illicit drugs. Also, nearly half of Colombia's population is below the poverty line.
Praise: God for the move of His Spirit among the youth leaders and pray that their influence will bring much fruit. (Jn.15:16)
More: http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue13162.html