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The Israeli Knesset gave preliminary approval Feb. 19 to a law prohibiting any literature or advertisements containing "an inducement to religious conversion", punishable by one year in prison. The bill's wording specifically prohibits the possession, production, reproduction, importation and distribution of literature or information which would persuade individuals to change their religion. The bill would amend Israel's existing anti-bribery law, which already prohibits anyone from offering material inducements to change another's religion. Although only a small minority of Knesset members voted on the bill, it passed 21-7, sending the proposed law into committee. It must pass three readings to become law. The so-called "anti-missionary" bill was co-sponsored by Moshe Gafni of the Torah Judaism Party and Missim Zvili of the Labor Party. Messianic Jews in Israel have expressed alarm over the proposed law, stating that it contradicts the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which declares the right to "freedom of thought, conscience and religion . . . to hold opinions without interference and to seek, retrieve and impart information and ideas through any media." The bill may be in response to a controversial 1996 mass mailing of an evangelistic booklet called "HaShalom" (The Peace) to a million households in Israel, which incited demonstrations.--
Compass Direct
Paul Redhead, 29, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced to 21 months in prison after soliciting funds from a church for a new wheelchair while pretending to be crippled. After receiving money for the wheelchair, he then rose from the chair claiming he had been healed. Church ministers from the Protestant church in Coventry, northern England asked to see medical proof of his disability, and were given bogus documents.--
Evangelical Press News Service
Nearly two-thirds of the 200 Church of England vicars
surveyed by the Sunday Times newspaper were unable to recall all of the 10 Commandments. Some vicars could remember only two of the commandments. Most clergy could recall the commandments prohibiting adultery and covetousness, but had difficulty with the others. The survey also found that 31% of vicars surveyed do not believe in the virgin birth, 21% do not believe in Satan, 12% do not expect Christ to return, and 5% do not believe that Christ performed miracles while on earth.--
EPNS
Pursuit magazine, published by the Evangelical Free Church in America, passed a milestone in December when the 1,000th response card was received indicating that a reader had prayed to receive Christ as Saviour as a result of the magazine, or requesting more information about becoming a Christian. Pursuit is an evangelistic magazine targeted to non-Christians, particularly for the unchurched. Though produced by the Evangelical Free Church, the magazine is available for use by any church or individual.--
EPNS
Youth With A Mission has converted a former hotel near Geneva, Switzerland into a stylish retreat house for missionaries "wounded in action". Met at the airport with flowers, guests are greeted like heroes and treated like kings during their time at Le Rucher, a 7-acre property overlooking Mont Blanc. Resident staff are on hand to talk and pray with visitors as they work through feelings of fear, anger, failure and guilt arising from serving in war zones, crisis areas and other adverse conditions. Among those who have been helped at the centre since it opened in 1996 are relief workers evacuated in emergencies, staff who faced death and rape threats, and others simply worn out by serving in areas of desperate need. In addition to group and individual debriefing and counselling sessions, visitors--who usually stay for a few days, up to two weeks--are encouraged to take time to rest and relax, and to enjoy local recreation opportunities and culture. "We believe that a nice meal, a boat trip, a walk in the mountains, a ski trip are all part of ministering to people," explained director Erik Spruyt. Staff serve other Christian organizations besides YWAM, with professional experts in debriefing and pastoral care from other parts of Europe available to be called in on short notice when needed.--
EPNS
Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., has relaxed its 25-year-old policy barring students and faculty from nonmarital sex and homosexual behaviour. Replacing the previous prohibitions is a short document that stresses individual responsibility to others rather than specific behaviour. Despite the Episcopal Church seminary's ties to the denomination's more evangelical side, there has been little reaction to the change in policy. The school has 210 full and part-time students. Enrollment, like that at 8 of the other 10 seminaries in the denomination, has been slipping in recent years.--
Christian Century
Neighborhood Church, an MB church in Visalia, Calif. is meeting in a local Holiday Inn until its new building is completed in about a year. The church had sold its previous complex to another congregation when it outgrew the building. The church has grown from 425 members four-and-a-half years ago to attendance of 700 currently, says pastor Chuck Buller (former pastor of Waterloo MB Church in Ontario). Church leaders decided to opt for the hotel instead of a school or community centre because the Holiday Inn convention rooms' monthly rent was about $900 cheaper. Buller hopes the current hotel location will attract people who no longer attend church.--
The Christian Leader
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