WASHINGTON (BP) – Countries used COVID-19 as an excuse to persecute religious minorities and sometimes blamed certain religions for the pandemic itself, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its 2021 Annual Report. USCIRF’s report focuses on religious freedom violations and progress in 26 countries in the calendar year 2020, identifying severe violators of the International Religious Freedom Act and other countries that should be monitored. USCIRF … [Read more...]
MBTS faculty lectures aired on South Korea TV network
KANSAS CITY (MBTS) – This past January, Christian Global Network Television, a prominent South Korean Christian broadcasting group, announced the addition of a series of lectures from Midwestern Seminary faculty members to its regular programming schedule. Founded in 2005, CGNTV produces and provides inspirational Christian content 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, and ranks among the largest Christian broadcasting networks in South Korea. The network, which aims primarily to equip and … [Read more...]
After military coup in Myanmar, Southern Baptists called to prayer
EDITOR’S NOTE: * denotes name changed. MYANMAR – Fear, unemployment and poverty covered the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar (formerly Burma) last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted stay-at-home orders and business closures. “People were starving here,” Paul McGeorge*, a Southern Baptist fieldworker in the region, told The Pathway in early March. In some of the nation’s poorest communities, according to Reuters, people ate rats and snakes to survive. “They’ve had almost all their … [Read more...]
‘Daunting task, but I’ll persevere,’ IMB missionary says
MEDELLIN, Colombia – Travis Burkhalter and his wife, Beth, have served with the IMB in Central and South America since 2010. In those years, their Spanish language skills have steadily improved, and they converse easily with most people in their city of Medellin, Colombia. When God directed Travis and Beth to serve Indigenous people groups, however, they noticed a communication barrier. Many of these groups do not speak Spanish well, and some do not understand it at all. “The people group … [Read more...]
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering hits cumulative $5 billion
RICHMOND, Va. (IMB) – International Mission Board leaders are celebrating a monumental milestone in Southern Baptist life: On March 31, 2021, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® surpassed $5 billion total gifts since collection to send missionaries to China began in 1888. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is an annual offering collected by believers around the world to support international missions. The offering is unique because 100% of the gifts are used to provide for missionaries … [Read more...]
After 20 years, ‘Jesus Freaks’ book continues to open Christians’ eyes about persecution
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – In 1999, The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an Oklahoma-based ministry that advocates for the persecuted church globally, joined with the Christian band dcTalk to publish its first edition of the book, Jesus Freaks. Late last year, the ministry released a new edition, commemorating the book’s 20th anniversary. With a title inspired by the 1995 hit album by dcTalk, Jesus Freaks tells the stories of Christians from both the past and present who’ve stood firm in their faith … [Read more...]
Looking behind the lens
IMB photographer shares story about IMB, Missouri DR partnership CEBU CITY, The Philippines – As a photographer with the International Mission Board, I have had the privilege of working alongside Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) partners on numerous projects in Asia. For more than 50 years these “yellow shirt” volunteers drawn from many state conventions have been among the earliest responders to natural disasters, both at home and around the world. In fact SBDR has grown to … [Read more...]
Widespread gospel broadcast reaches peoples of Northern Africa and Middle East
NORTH AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST – If you had to get an urgent message out to a million or more people but could not physically access any of the countries where those million souls lived, how would you get the word out? For one Christ-follower, the answer was clear: radio. Ibrahim* had a life-changing message to share—a message about love, forgiveness, salvation and the one true God. Determined to share that message effectively, he has devoted himself to learning and working full time to see … [Read more...]
IMB’s Nehemiah Teams launches gap-year program
RICHMOND, Va. – Taking a gap year is an appealing option for many recent graduates, and studies show growing numbers of students are choosing to pursue other interests before starting college. Significant influences in students taking gap years include the desire to travel, experience new cultures, take a break from school, gain life experience and volunteer. The International Mission Board’s Nehemiah Teams program is providing an opportunity for students to take a gap year to serve on … [Read more...]
Polish believer learns real meaning of Easter amid centuries of tradition
POLAND (IMB) – For Mateusz Kowalski*, a Polish believer, Lent and the Easter holiday changed meaning when he gave Christ lordship over his life more than ten years ago. Kowalski is a member of Biblia i Misja, one of five Baptist churches in Kraków, Poland, a city of 750 thousand. An overwhelming majority of the country identifies with Roman Catholicism. Poles consider Easter their oldest and most important holiday, with traditions dating back to the 10th century. The holiday is … [Read more...]
IMB family ministers among Italy’s refugee population
MILAN, Italy – The piazzas are empty. The selfie-snapping, sneaker-wearing tourists who normally frequent Milan’s historical squares are no longer visiting Italy due to COVID-19 restrictions. And, like the majority of the world, lockdowns keep citizens indoors. Many refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa who live in Italy make their living by selling souvenirs to tourists. The tourism industry plummeted due to lockdowns and ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, and this took away the ability for many … [Read more...]
Seven college students build homes in Mexico, weather blizzard in Texas
MEXICO – A global pandemic has stopped a lot of things, but it hasn’t stopped people from needing homes, and it hasn’t stopped MBCollegiate Campus Missionary Scott Westfall from helping build them. From Dec. 26 - Jan. 2, Westfall led a team of seven students and three other adults on his sixth trip to Mexico since March with Casas Por Cristos. As usual, the team spent a week building a house for a family in Mexico, constructing not just walls but a bond that lasts well after the trip is … [Read more...]
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