http://www.barnabasfund.org Barnabas Fund serves the suffering Church and makes their needs known to Christians around the world, encouraging them to pray. It provides practical help to strengthen and encourage the Church in many different ways. Barnabas Fund was established in 1993 and channels aid to projects run by national Christians in more than 40 countries. This RSS feed is updated when we issue news reports or stories from these countries. http://www.barnabasfund.org/_Images/BF/7_Features/7_5_RSS/feed-icon-with-words.jpghttp://www.barnabasfund.orgengCopyright 2010 Barnabas FundNews and stories from Barnabas FundGenrator www.barnabasfund.orginfo@barnabasfund.orgwebmaster@barnabasfund.orgFri, 18 Dec 2009 09:00:00 GMT "A starving family in Zimbabwe decided to boil some bark from a baobab tree to make soup. But the bark was poisonous and the whole family died. A tragic incident in a tragic country, where a man-made famine has blighted the lives of most of the population. But food aid from Barnabas Fund is bringing hope and sustaining life. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=471http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=471 "In the midst of an ever-growing need, Barnabas Fund is so grateful for the response of our supporters to our appeal [link] on behalf of Christians in South-East Asia affected by last week’s disastrous earthquakes and typhoons. Thanks to your generosity we have been able to make a rapid and effective response. But much more is still needed. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=465http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=465 "Typhoon Ketsana struck the Philippines capital, Manila, and its surrounding areas on 26 September, causing catastrophic flooding which has left at least 240 people dead and nearly half a million homeless. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=463http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=463 "Relentless rain across large swathes of Sub-Saharan Africa has caused dire problems. The resulting floods in East and West Africa have disrupted and damaged the lives of well over 350,000 people. UN aid agencies say this year`s flooding may match the severity of floods in 2007 in which some 300 people died. Impoverished Christian families in Sudan, Niger and other countries have been badly affected.SudanA pastor stands on the rubble of a churchwrecked by floods in Sudan. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=462http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=462 "Local doctors and experienced news correspondents are shocked by the appalling conditions being endured by some 2,000 Christians in downtown Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. Despite being only ten minutes from health centres, two people have died in the 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) heat, with many more in danger of dying from dehydration, infection or the cumulative effects of poverty. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=460http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=460 "Seven Christians have been burnt alive, including three women and two children, when their houses were set on fire during attacks by Muslim demonstrators. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=459http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=459 "News received by Barnabas Fund in the last 24 hours describes a brutal attack on Christians during a wedding celebration in a Pakistani village, and reports twelve churches burnt down in the latest violence in Nigeria, with at least ten Christians killed including two pastors. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=458http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=458 "Coordinated attacks by Islamic militants in four states of Northern Nigeria on Sunday and Monday left an estimated 80 people dead, including two pastors. At least seven churches are reported destroyed, with other targets including four police stations, a prison and a customs post. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=457http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=457 "One household, seen opposite, had their door smashed in and their walls painted with Islamic proclamations.On Tuesday 30 June, around 600 Muslims used petrol bombs to attack at least 117 Christian homes in Bahmani Walla, a village in Punjab, Pakistan. 117 houses were vandalised and 48 properties were damaged by fire, water pumps were sabotaged and Christians who returned home the following day found they had no electricity.The violence was seemingly caused by an incident on Monday night, in which a Christian man driving a tractor requested that a Muslim man riding a motorcycle allow him to pass. The request was refused and a disagreement ensued. News of this was spread along with allegations of blasphemy against Islam. In the next few hours a mob of about 600 Muslims congregated in Bahmani Walla and began to attack the Christians living there. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=456http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=456 "Orphaned by a devastating cyclone in 2008, thousands of children in Burma are now engaged in a deadly game of hide and seek with Burmese soldiers.Reports estimate that up to 3,000 Karen villagers have had to flee their mountain communities in recent weeks, due to renewed confrontations with the Burmese military. The army attacks the mountain villages, shooting the inhabitants as they run for their lives or capturing them and giving them extremely heavy labour, literally working them to death as ‘slaves’ and sometimes even using them as human land mine sweepers. They then set fire to the villages or plant landmines around the homes and the bodies to kill anyone who tries to return. Many of those who flee to the surrounding jungle die there from snake bites, disease or starvation. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=455http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=455 "An under-reported yet devastating cyclone has hit Bangladesh and parts of eastern India, leaving at least 200 people dead and over half a million people homeless. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=453http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=453 "Sudan Day of Action on Thursday 18th June 2009 info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 26 May 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=451http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=451 "A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the north-east of Sri Lanka as the country’s long civil war intensifies once more. More than 50,000 civilians, including many Christians, are trapped in the crossfire between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE). The Christians of Sri Lanka are also suffering persecution and the effects of natural disaster.In October 2008 a major offensive was launched by the government. As the fighting escalated in January the military began to shell civilian areas, while the LTTE used the local population as human shields or forcibly conscripted them as soldiers. Over 6,000 people, including hundreds of children, are believed to have died. In April vast numbers fled from the violence. Thousands of civilians have now overwhelmed government camps and centres. They have little access to food, water and medicine and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 13 May 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=449http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=449 "Two South African speakers, who are actively involved in Zimbabwean feeding and farming programmes supported by Barnabas Fund, will be visiting churches in London, Liverpool, Reading, Truro and elsewhere, speaking from their first-hand experience. They will also be appearing on Revelation TV and Premier Radio. This Barnabas Fund tour of British churches, from 24th May to 7th June, will show what Barnabas Fund is doing to help end the severe hunger of the Zimbabwean people. Food and hopePreviously the bread-basket of Africa, Zimbabwe has deteriorated in recent years to become a place of desolation, hunger and even starvation. But Barnabas Fund is supporting a feeding programme which helps feed 15,000 people each month. Working discreetly through Zimbabwean churches, the food parcels are brought in from South Africa. The cost is just 5p per person per day. Help like this encourages Zimbabwean believers and gives them hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 05 May 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=448http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=448 "Three Iraqi Christians were murdered last Sunday and two others were injured in two separate incidents in the city of Kirkuk. These attacks take place in a context of intense hostility to Christians from militant Islamists. The following has been posted on various websites: info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=447http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=447 "In the run up to India’s general elections, Christians in Orissa are increasingly fearful that their electoral voice may not be heard. During months of violence against local Christians, attackers deliberately sought out identity papers and burnt them. With the loss of these papers, many Christians also lost their right to vote in the federal and local ballots, which start tomorrow. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) estimates that as many as 70,000 Christians, who would normally vote for opposition political candidates, may be affected, enabling Hindu extremist political parties to maintain their dominance unchallenged. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=446http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=446 "draftliveChildren at a school in Bethlehem enjoying their carnivalHope for the future?Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.(1 Peter 1:3, TNIV) info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=445http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=445 "The Christians of Pakistan, already vulnerable and beleaguered, are now in serious danger from a rising tide of radical and violent Islamism. As they fear for their very future, will you help to sustain them by your prayers and gifts? info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=444http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=444 "We have been overwhelmed with messages of support and encouragement in the last few days from around the world. Thank you so much for your concern and also for your prayers. In the midst of the difficulties we have been facing, it has really strengthened us and comforted us to discover that so many friends – known and unknown - are praying for us. We have not been able to answer everyone individually, but each message has been read and appreciated and has helped to lighten our burden.We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Martin Lee, the Executive Director of Global Connections, Jay Smith and Keith Small for their support for us at this time. Below is a statement which has been issued jointly by our international director Patrick Sookhdeo, Sam Soloman and Dennis Wrigley, and endorsed by Keith Small and Jay Smith.We are also encouraged to see the good that has already come out of this painful and potentially dangerous situation. For example, many people are discussing the issues raised, such as the place of jihad in Islam and the Islamic doctrine of taqiyya (dissimulation). It is so important that non-Muslims should be aware of these aspects of Islamic teaching. We thank the Lord that what was apparently intended to harm has worked out for good (Genesis 50:20).Please continue to pray. Pray especially for the protection of Barnabas Fund’s ministry to the persecuted Church that it may continue unhindered. We are also concerned at attempts to censor and stifle Barnabas Fund on the issues we feel called to address: info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=441http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=441 "An outbreak of violence between Muslims and Christians in the capital of Bauchi province in Northern Nigeria has left at least eleven people dead. Nine of the victims are said to be Christians, six of whom were shot and three killed with machetes. At least six churches, perhaps as many as 13, have been destroyed by fire, as well as three mosques and over 200 houses. Around a hundred people have been injured. About 4,500 people were displaced from their homes, and many of them have taken refuge in military barracks.The latest eruption arose from a dispute between the congregations of a mosque and a nearby church on 20 February, although the details remain unclear. Violence appears to have continued for at least three days. A night-time curfew has now been imposed, and a military and police presence established on the streets; the federal government has sent soldiers to the state to provide additional security. The security forces have also been deployed or placed on alert in adjoining states. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=440http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=440 "Around 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, innocent victims of the current conflict, enduring the violence and deprivations of the whole community. Will you help them at this time of desperate need? info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=438http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=438 "Barnabas Fund launches campaign for the abolition of the Islamic apostasy lawIslam is a one-way street. You can convert to Islam but you are not allowed to convert from Islam. All schools of Islamic law, shari‘a, agree on this rule and specify the death sentence for an adult male Muslim who chooses to leave his Islamic faith. Most also impose the death penalty on women apostates. The rule was established many centuries ago by Islamic scholars, but even today most Islamic religious leaders and many ordinary Muslim people agree with it. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=437http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=437 "Dear Christian friend, info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=434http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=434 "Hundreds of people were killed and an estimated 7,000 – 10,000 fled their homes in two days of rioting last week between mainly Muslim Hausa people and mainly Christian Berom people in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, Nigeria. Senior Christian leaders in the state believe that the riots were coordinated and planned, and that the political events were used as a pretext for anti-Christian violence. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=433http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=433 "Fighting between Congolese government troops and rebels under the renegade General Laurent Nkunda in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo is continuing (see the previous article). In Goma and its surrounding areas alone, around 610,000 people have been recently displaced, and an unknown number, estimated to be in the thousands, are still without access to emergency aid as they continue to wander from one place to another, trying to escape the ongoing violence. Several cases of cholera have now been confirmed, and living conditions in the refugee camps are dire. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=432http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=432 "Christians in the Middle East have been facing much discrimination, harassment and persecution in recent years, and very often the perpetrators are members of the Muslim majority. The number of Christians in the Middle East has been declining continually over past decades, and there is fear that in some countries, such as Iraq, there is a real push to drive out the whole Christian community. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=431http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=431 "The Democratic Republic of Congo, a country the size of Western Europe located at the very heart of Africa, has become the backdrop for one of the worst refugee crises in years. As rebel groups under renegade General Laurent Nkunda advance towards Goma in eastern Congo, tales of civilian suffering give a horrific insight into the chaos that results from the continuing clashes between government troops and Nkunda’s rebels: young men killed, women raped by retreating government troops, children kidnapped and forcibly recruited as child soldiers to fight a war that is not their own, soldiers and militias pillaging and looting, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people fleeing for their lives.The conflict between Nkunda and the Congolese government dates back to the time of the Rwandan genocide, when hundreds of thousands of Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered by radical Hutu. In 1994 a remnant of those responsible for the genocide fled into what was then Zaire, organised themselves into the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and continued to commit crimes, against Congolese Tutsi among others. Nkunda, a Tutsi, sees the Congolese government as well as the United Nations (UN) troops as responsible for the failure to disarm and bring to justice the “genocidaires”. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=430http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=430 "To download a Windows Media copy of this presentation for use in your church or study group right click and choose ‘save as’ here. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=428http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=428 "Thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled the city of Mosul in northern Iraq over the past week after Sunni Muslim extremists launched a deadly campaign to remove the Christian community from the city. “We left everything behind us. We took only our souls,” said Ni’ma Noail (50), a civil servant who had to abandon his home in Mosul and is now living in a church.At least seven Christians were murdered between 4 and 8 October, killed execution-style by gunmen. Other estimates suggest the number of Christians killed is as high as 25 or even 40. Christian houses have been blown up, and at least 744 Christian families (approximately 3,750 people) have left their homes to find refuge with relatives or in churches and Christian centres in seven towns and villages to the north and east of Mosul. Some are sleeping in their cars. They are in desperate need of food, clothes, bedding, items for personal hygiene and other basic necessities. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=427http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=427 "The Iranian Parliament has given provisional approval, by a majority of 196 to seven, to a bill that mandates the death penalty for apostasy from Islam. Until now Iranian judges could impose the death penalty in such cases only on the basis of Islamic law and fatwas, not on the basis of Iranian law.The bill prescribes a mandatory death sentence for any male Muslim who converts from Islam to another religion, and lifelong imprisonment for female converts from Islam. It also gives the Iranian secular courts authority to convict Iranians living outside the country of crimes relating to Iranian national security. It seems likely that this could be used against the many Iranian Christians who live outside Iran but are involved in evangelism within it. Apostasy from Islam is viewed by most Muslims as equivalent to treason. info@barnabasfund.org (Barnabas Fund)Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=424http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=424