• WORLD NEWS

Surprise victory as Huckabee takes Iowa lead

Jungle hideout for Indian Baptists

By PAUL HOBSON

By PAUL HOBSON

THE BapTiST TimES Thursday, January 10, 2008 Romanian pastor’s death highlights State past

By MARK WOODS

FORMER Baptist pastor Mike Huckabee was the surprise early frontrunner in the race to be the Republican presidential candidate. Huckabee, 52, a longtime governor of Arkansas, achieved 34 per cent of the vote to win the Iowa caucus, despite being heavily outspent by rival Mitt Romney. Romney, a former Massuchusetts governor, achieved 25 per cent of the vote. There was also a surprise in the Demcratic caucus, where Barack Obama beat favourite Hilary Clinton into third. In his victory speech at Iowa, Huckabee revealed his delight at that American politics was ‘still in the hands of ordinary people’. He said: ‘People really are more important than the purse. ‘Most of the pundits believe that when you are outspent at least 15 to 1 it’s simply impossible to overcome that mountain of money and somehow garner the level of support that’s necessary to win an election. ‘Well, we proved that American politics still is in the hands of ordinary folks.’ Huckabee was serving as lieutenant governor of Arkansas in 1996 when the governor resigned. As a result, he took over as governor and won election to that post in 1998 and re-election in 2002. Prior to his political career, Huckabee was pastor of several Southern Baptist churches in Arkadelphia, Texarkana and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He did not shy away from his evangelical Christian beliefs or his pro-life, profamily positions on social issues in his Iowa campaign. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said his victory ‘illustrates that the reports of an ‘evangelical crack-up’ and the demise of ‘values voters’ in The New York Times and in other liberal print and electronic media were grossly misleading and inaccurate.’ Huckabee hoped to continue his momentum in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, before 20 states hosted their elections on February 5.

AN INDIAN Baptist pastor has revealed how Christians in the state of Orissa have fled to the jungle to escape persecuction. The Revd Pav Sushanta, of the Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association, told The Baptist Times that families have taken desperate measures in the wake of attacks on Christians over the Christmas period. ‘They are so afraid they have just gone to the jungle – husbands, wives and children – and they are afraid to come back,’ he said. ‘Hundreds of people are homeless.’ According to the All India Christian Council (AICC), several Christians have been murdered, 95 churches have been burnt down, 600 homes of Christians have been destroyed and hundreds of Christians have been displaced since the violence began on Christmas Eve. The violence originated in a dispute between Christians and Hindus in Bamunigaon village, when Christian shopkeepers were erecting a decorative Christmas arch. In a separate incident on the same day, the car of a Hindu fundamentalist leader, Swami Saraswati, was stopped by a group of unknown men, but later media reports alleged that he was physically attacked by Christians. Hindu extremists responded violently to the events, burning down a Baptist church building in Baliguda, as well as a Catholic and a Pentecostal Church. The attacks reportedly continued throughout the week, but have now begun to die down. Christians have made representations to the Indian government, calling for central troops to be deployed to bring the situation under adequate control. Government leaders have given several assurances that the violence will be brought to an end, and relief tents have been set up to shelter those made homeless. Christian Solidarity Worldwide advocacy director Alexa Papadouris said, ‘We are gravely concerned to hear these reports of violence in Orissa against vulnerable Christians. ‘We hope the promises made by the Indian government will translate into action to protect a vulnerable religious minority.’

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Relief - 10,000 pairs of the Crocs made their way to a Baptist school outside Monrovia

Crocs a‐plenty for Liberian kids

TEN THOUSAND disadvantaged Liberians received a surprise gift recently, each welcoming a new pair of Crocs shoes. Baptist World Aid provided 10,000 pairs of the super-trendy shoes for children at Ricks Institute, a Baptist school outside Monrovia, Liberia, and for the wider community. The shoes were donated by the Crocs company as part of an initiative to encourage the recycling of old Crocs

into new ones. ‘This was an exciting and practical way in which BWAid was able to assist those who are still rebuilding their lives after years of conflict in the country,’ said BWAid spokeswoman Lee Hickman. Head of Ricks Institute, Olu Menjay, said the shoes were not just practical. ‘They embody renewed hope for the people of Liberia who have literally walked on foot for miles in search for peace for the last 14 or more years.’

A PROMINENT Romanian Baptist minister has died of a heart attack aged only 62 amid controversy regarding accusations of past collaboration with the country’s secret police, the Securitate. The Revd Peter Dugulescu played a key role in the anticommunist uprising of December 1989 when he protested against the forced deportation of a Hungarian priest. Wrongly described in a BBC report as the ‘head of the small Baptist Church in Romania’, he was an effective evangelist who started a charity called Jesus, Hope of Romania which ran an orphanage and agricultural projects and supported ministry. Having served as the pastor of a large church in Timisoara, which was at the heart of the anti-Ceauscescu uprising, he was also the first Romanian Baptist to serve in his country’s parliament. However, like many Romanians under the Ceaucescu regime he was recruited as an informer for some 18 months as a young man. According to Romanian Baptist Union president the Revd Dr Oti Bunaciu, Mr Dugulescu had been the target of young bloggers, and media attention had contributed to his early death. ‘I think it is unfair that the headlines at his death only point to part of his life,’ he said. The Securitate, he added, ‘did not like what he produced, which means that he did this because he had to, and this happened with a lot of people during those days, especially pastors and especially people who had contacts abroad. ‘Therefore I am not sure how much he actually did for the secret services and I am not aware of anyone who was harmed because of Peter Dugulescu’s links with the secret services during the communist years.’

Aid calls for Kenyan children’s rescue centre

By PAUL HOBSON

A BAPTIST church in Oxfordshire has appealed for help in supporting the Kenyan children’s rescue centre with which it has strong links. King’s Sutton Baptist Church, near Banbury, directly funds the Children’s Community Society’s Rescue Centre in Eldoret. The centre was set up four years ago, and is run by Alan Perry, whose sister Jean is a member of King’s Sutton. However, its running costs are set to rise by the instability currently engulfing Kenya. Eldoret has witnessed some of the country’s worst violence, including the burning of a

church which resulted in the deaths of 30 people. Key members of the centre’s staff are Kikuyu, the tribe targeted for its perceived support of President Mwai Kibaki, whose tainted election win sparked the violence, and have fled in fear for their safety. Living costs are spiralling, including food and transport. But with a refugee camp numbering 100,000 springing up on the outskirts of Eldoret, near to the centre, its need has never been greater. The Revd Chris Young, of King’s Sutton Church, said: ‘The situation is quite desperate. ‘The cost of food has gone up 300 per cent, staff have fled

in fear of their lives, yet many in the refugee camp are going to be children.’ Before the recent chaos rocked the country, the centre would provide help to around 100 street children at any one time, up to the age of 16. Its ultimate aim is to help children move into a children’s home. The church set up a charity LARK (Linking Arms with Rescued Kids) through which it funds the centre to the tune of £2,000 every two months. Mr Young added: ‘Every penny goes towards helping the children at the rescue centre – Alan doesn’t receive any money for this. ‘There are Kenyan children

in Eldoret who need help, and we are able to help them. ‘But we are anticipating the costs to be much greater. The money we supply accounts for about two thirds of the centre’s costs, with the rest coming locally. This is unlikely to be there anymore. ‘If people want to support it, they can be sure it’s a reliable way of making a difference to Kenyan children in need.’

Cheques made payable to L.A.R.K should be sent to King’s Sutton Baptist Church, 2 Wales Street OX17 3RR

Visit www.lark.btik.com for more information on the rescue centre.
THE BAPTIST TIMES Thursday, January 10, 2008

comment • 

Benazir Bhutto’s assassination has plunged Pakistan into crisis. Eric Gaudion asks how we should respond

Praying for new life in Pakistan grace. Perhaps our love and compassion to Muslim families will achieve what our own Government’s foreign policy has so far failed to achieve – the turning away of young Muslims from extremism, hatred and violence. Despite last week’s tragedy in Pakistan, this may be a New Year of opportunity for Christian mission among Muslims. The Revd Dr Eric Gaudion is a Baptist pastor in Guernsey who writes and teaches on Islam Reaction - A supporter of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto lights a candle during a memorial service at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore

Picture: M ohsin Raza / Reuters

THIS IS a tragic time for the nation of Pakistan following the appalling scenes of chaos and brutality recently in which Benazir Bhutto was killed. She was without doubt the symbol of moderate Islamic politics. Whatever question-marks surround her previous administrations or her husband’s record she did hold out the hope that extremists might be sidelined in the coming elections. Now she is dead, and Pakistan is one step nearer to becoming a fanatical Islamist state possessing nuclear weapons. It is also a time of remarkable opportunity to show sympathy with and concern for the many Pakistani folk living in the UK. Their distress at the scenes of chaos coming out of their homeland is probably only slightly tempered by a degree of relief that Western media are focusing on an Asian story at last, even if only for the wrong reasons. I well remember my time visiting Pakistan and the impression made on me then by the people there. It is an amazingly busy place, with nearly three times the population of Great Britain and huge crowds of people jostling the cities and airports wherever you go. It is also dominated by mosques - some ancient, some very new - and the sound of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer through his loudspeakers early in the morning is an abiding memory. It is a land of contrasts, with Islamabad’s glass and concrete modernity nestling têête àà têête with Rawalpindi’s harsh garrison sprawl. Yet the Pakistani people were warm and welcoming, with a ready desire to share whatever they have with a strangers. Whenever the elections go ahead, Pakistan is at a crossroads. Its proximity to the upheaval of Afghanistan and its possession of nuclear weapons place it in the centre of the arena of the so-called ‘war on terror’ whether the people want it or not. Huge amounts of foreign aid are pouring in, from the United States and Britain on one hand and Saudi Arabia on the other, in an attempt to purchase the allegiance of its government and peoples. Underneath all that the seemingly

The Revd Dr Eric Gaudion

irresistible forces of tribal and commercial interests surge and are threatening to tear the nation apart. What should be our Baptist response? Well firstly, we should not forget the relatively large and growing number of Christians in that land. Pakistan has a population of 162 million, of which 96 per cent are followers of Islam. Christians account for 1.5 per cent of the population, or about 2.4 million people, around half of which would be Roman Catholic. They meet in all the major cities and in quite a number of rural areas also. They are being persecuted for their faith, as some recent high profile court cases have demonstrated. They need our prayers at this time. Secondly, we should recognise the very strong historic links

Perhaps our love and compassion will achieve what our own Government’s foreign policy has so far failed to achieve

between our nations and seize this opportunity to reach out to the Pakistani community on our doorsteps. Thirdly, in all the talk of Islamic extremism in the media we should not lose sight of what God is doing among ordinary Muslim men and women. Large numbers of them are following Jesus and are delighting in the teachings of the injil (gospel). Whereas years ago Muslim converts to Christianity were very rare, since 9/11 that is no longer the case. God is revealing Jesus to Muslims in their dreams. Christian radio like FEBA Radio and other media such as SAT 7 TV are reaching into previously closed lands. Muslim immigrants are coming to faith in the West and forming all ex-Muslim congregations of believers. Now is the time to pray for Muslims everywhere and to seek to befriend them whenever we can. Let them see in us that real Christianity is not the immoral, materialistically bankrupt society they see portrayed on their cinema screens. Model before them what it means to follow the teachings of the prophet Jesus, and to walk in God’s ways by God’s

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