Category: The Global Church

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Pray for the Persecuted Church in Pakistan!

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From the New York Times: PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide attack on a historic Christian church in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 75 people on Sunday in one of the deadliest attacks on the Christian minority in Pakistan in years. The attack occurred as worshipers left the All Saints Church in the old quarter of the regional capital, Peshawar, after a service on Sunday morning. Up to 600 worshipers had attended the service and were leaving to receive free food being distributed on the lawn outside when two explosions ripped through the crowd. Dozens of people were killed and more … Continue reading Pray for the Persecuted Church in Pakistan!

Book Reviews, Current Events, Politics & Culture, The Global ChurchLeave a comment

Review of ‘Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians’ by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea

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 Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea, Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013). $16.99, 368 pages. Saeed Abedini is a Christian minister currently imprisoned for his faith in Iran. A native of that country, Abedini converted from Islam to Christianity in 2000 and became a leader in Iran’s house-church movement. In 2005, he moved to America with his wife, Naghmeh, and became a naturalized citizen here as well. In the summer of 2012, he returned to Iran to visit his family and to build an orphanage in the city of Rasht. He was arrested and indicted … Continue reading Review of ‘Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians’ by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea

Assemblies of God, Book Reviews, The Global Church, TheologyLeave a comment

Review of ‘Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction’ by William K. Kay

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 Kay, William K. 2011. Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction. Vol. 255, Very Short Introductions. New York: Oxford University Press. Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest-growing religious movement of the modern era. Over the past 100 years, it has grown from a handful of adherents to well over 500 million. Often associated with white, right-wing, American televangelists in the public mind, it is actually populated by poor, Majority World residents whose political commitments are diverse. William Kay’s Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction ably introduces this movement by sketching an outline of its history (chapters 1–3), theology (chapters 4–5), and sociology (chapters 6–7). … Continue reading Review of ‘Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction’ by William K. Kay

Assemblies of God, Current Events, Podcasts, Politics & Culture, The Global Church, Theology1 Comment

9/11 and the Mission of the American Church

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Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11. As America remembers the enormities of that day and reflects on the State’s response to acts of terrorism, it is appropriate American Christians to reflect on the mission Jesus Christ gave his Church to make disciples of all nations. America’s response to 9/11 and American Christians’ response to 9/11 may not be the same. Dr. Mark Hausfeld, my professor at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, delivered a challenging message today on the Church’s mission. I encourage you to watch it. Continue reading 9/11 and the Mission of the American Church

Current Events, The Global ChurchLeave a comment

Can’s Syria’s Christians Survive?

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From this past weekend’s Wall Street Journal: Near the Syrian city of Aleppo, the Church of St. Simeon the Stylite commemorates the 5th-century ascetic who became an ancient sensation by living atop a tall pedestal for decades to demonstrate his faith. Krak des Chevaliers, an awe-inspiring castle near Homs, was a fortress for the order of the Knights Hospitaller in their quest to defend a crusader kingdom. Seydnaya, a towering monastery in a town of the same name, was probably built in the time of Justinian. A nun there spoke about Syria’s current crisis from within a candlelit alcove this … Continue reading Can’s Syria’s Christians Survive?

Assemblies of God, Current Events, The Global ChurchLeave a comment

Hundreds of thousands dying of malaria in Africa — AGWM organizing effort to distribute moquito nets

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From AG News: Violent conflicts, AIDS and starvation garner much of the media’s focus when discussing death in Africa. But there’s another killer that is claiming the lives of 800,000 Africans every year – nearly 700,000 of those suffering and dying being children under the age of five. The killer? Malaria. According to the World Health Organization website, the type of mosquitoes that carry and spread the disease – caused by a parasite – bite mainly between dusk and dawn, when families are sleeping. Symptoms typically start appearing within 15 days and typically include coughing, feverish convulsions, vomiting and diarrhea. … Continue reading Hundreds of thousands dying of malaria in Africa — AGWM organizing effort to distribute moquito nets