PEOPLE AND EVENTS

"Business and Faith Across Borders" is the theme for Mennonite Economic Development Associates' annual convention to be held Nov. 12-15 in Dallas, Tex. Featured speakers will be Art DeFehr, president of Palliser Furniture, Winnipeg; Keith Rheinhard, CEO of DDB Needham Worldwide Inc., the largest advertising agency in the US; and Sharon Stanley, a refugee minister from Fresno, Calif. and a leading authority on the economic adjustment of immigrant groups. Seminars will focus on issues such as international investment opportunities, the trials and triumphs of doing business in Mexico, and how to help unemployed people start businesses.--

, a program of the US MB Conference and the Pacific District MB Conference, are now partnering with an emerging church in La Mirada, Calif. Journey Community Church began Nov. 8, 1997 in the home of Durwin and Beverlee Keck and has grown into a core of 40 adults who are meeting regularly in small groups. They have chosen a cell-based church model. Durwin has served with Campus Crusade for Christ and has pastoral experience in evangelism and ministry to single adults and college and career. Beverlee, who has also worked for Campus Crusade for Christ, works on the staff of Church Resource Ministries. A prayer of thanksgiving, encouragement and sending forth was shared by Mission USA board members as they laid hands on the Kecks at a March 1998 board meeting.--

The Clayton Kratz Fellowship, a chapter of Mennonite Economic Development Associates in eastern Pennsylvania, is sponsoring four new "affinity groups" to help business leaders deal with faith/marketplace dilemmas. The affinity groups will be organized by topic and career areas, including Faith in Business, Finance and Investment, and Mentoring/Entrepreneurship. Once every quarter, the groups will meet together for informal networking, inspiration and prayer.--

Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro, Kan. will be celebrating its 125th anniversary July 31-August 1, 1999. The Gnadenau/Parkview Church was founded in 1874.--

Jan Hus, a Czech priest and church reformer who was burnt at the stake for heresy on July 4, 1416, is one of a half-dozen "heretics" whose ancient files are being reopened by the Roman Catholic Church's Historical-Theological Jubilee Committee. In preparation for the third millennium of Christianity, the Catholic Church has scheduled a "penitential procession" for March 8, 2000 "to ask pardon for its sins". Pope John Paul II has requested a report on the Catholic Church's actions towards such figures such as Hus, Florentine tyrant Girolamo Savonarola (hanged in 1496) and Dominican alchemist Giordano Bruno (burned in 1600). The question for the jubilee committee is whether the church was right to employ violence in enforcing its doctrine. From the 13th to the 17th centuries, a judicial branch of the Catholic Church called the "Inquisition", examined hundreds of people accused of heresy. Of those convicted, perhaps 2% were handed over to civil authorities for execution.--

The East Reserve 125 Steering Committee of Steinbach, Man. is planning to hold celebrations in 1999 commemorating the 125th anniversary of the 1874 Mennonite settlement of the East Reserve, now known as the Hanover municipality. A pamphlet explaining the history of the settlement of Mennonites in Manitoba, especially in the Hanover area, is being prepared. Events being planned include a historical bus tour, radio and newspaper historical sketches, a history textbook and a Low German program featuring plays by local playwrights. The committee is requesting that stories, diaries and photos be forwarded to Edna Vogt, c/o R.M. of Hanover, Box 1720, Steinbach, Man.--

Canadians for Intellectual Freedom has launched a petition to remove all references to God from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The preamble to the Charter states: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law." CIF wishes to change the wording to read: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of intellectual freedom and the rule of law." The petition also requests that the Fundamental Freedoms section, which reads: "freedom of conscience and religion", be changed to: "freedom of conscience and both freedom of and freedom from religion". CIF, concerned by the pervasiveness of religion in Canadian society, has been in existence since December. NDP MP Svend Robinson has agreed to present the petition to the House of Commons this fall.--

Paul A. Cedar, chair and CEO of Mission America, was elected executive chair of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization at the biennial meeting of LCWE March 9-12 in Toronto. Forty delegates representing national committees on all continents met at Tyndale College and Seminary to decide on the future direction of the movement, which started in Lausanne, Switzerland at a congress on evangelism called by Billy Graham in 1974. Cedar, who takes over the chair from Fergus Macdonald of Scotland, says he believes God has called LCWE to form partnerships and strategic alliances with other groups concerned with world evangelization such as AD 2000 and Beyond and World Evangelical Fellowship.--

Mennonite and Amish investors in Canada and the US are helping Mennonite Central Committee fund a $450,000 dairy co-operative in the Mennonite colonies in Mexico. The money will be lent to Mexican Mennonites to help them set up co-ops that will increase dairy output and improve sanitation, nutrition and disease control. Mexico experienced a drought 1993-95, and last winter many farmers were forced to kill or sell large numbers of diseased cattle because of outbreaks of tuberculosis and brucellosis.--

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA), the governing body for college sports in the US, has jettisoned a 35-year-old rule that provided for rescheduling Sunday games if requested by one of the schools involved. In changing this policy, the NCAA's board of governors also voted to allow Sunday games to begin before noon. More than 30 of the 300-plus members of the NCAA have protested this decision, including North Carolina's Campbell University, Stanford, Duke, Northwestern and Brigham Young. The board's decision on any rule change can be overridden by a five-eighths vote at NCAA's annual convention if 30 schools request such a vote.--

In an effort to help farmers in Honduras, Mennonite Central Committee purchased 26 tonnes of beans for $36,130, adding to a shipment of 189 tonnes of maize purchased from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Because of the drought caused by El Ninõ weather patterns, farmers in Honduras have lost 90% of the corn harvest and 70-80% of the sorghum harvest. Many farmers have lost or sold off cattle and other livestock because of a lack of water and food. The beans and corn should help feed 378 families for five months until the next harvest.--

Four people, accused of bringing Bibles into Morocco illegally, were sentenced June 5 to two months in prison, a fine of $42,000 US and confiscation of a yacht (worth $250,000 US) and a motorcycle (worth $3,000 US). Graham Hutt of Great Britain, Serge Dechoz of France, and Kelly Viinikka and Antero Ylikangas of Canada were arrested in a Moroccan marina May 30 after police found Viinikka carrying a small number of Bibles from Hutt's yacht to Dochoz's apartment. Police then searched the apartment and found 1200 New Testaments and 500 Bibles, valued at $3,988 US. Custom officials say the Bibles were not declared. The normal penalty for failure to pay a customs permit is usually $150-300. The four were taken to a police station and held for two days before being released June 1 on $1000 bail. At the hearing on June 5, the prison sentence was suspended, and an appeal against the rest of the sentence was launched. On July 15, a court upheld that sentence. Hutt left Morocco for Spain after the hearing, and the other three had left several weeks before the hearing.--

Three Christian girls in Pakistan were forcibly taken from their Christian parents Jan. 25 by their Muslim landlords, declaring it was their religious responsibility to protect them as newly converted Muslim girls. Nadia, 15, Naema, 13, and Naila, 11, were later remanded in police custody. Khushi Masih, the father, was stopped from speaking with his daughters. "They told me that my girls were Muslims now, and I am a stranger to them. So they will not be allowed to speak to me, because Islam disapproves of girls speaking to male strangers," Masih said. Masih began a token hunger strike in front of the United Nations office in Islamabad Feb. 11, and a court date, set for March 12 was adjourned for another week.--

All foreign Christians detained for religious reasons in Saudi Arabia were reportedly released July 13-15 and deported to their home countries. Seven Christians, most of them from the Philippines, had been arrested and charged with distributing Christian literature and showing the Jesus film. At least eight others had been arrested in a police crackdown on suspected Christian worshippers. While in custody, Yolai Aguilar gave birth to a daughter. She had been detained and interrogated by police after her husband fled the country June 11 to avoid arrest. With help from the International Red Cross, she will be allowed to return to the Philippines with the baby as soon as her health permits. Another Christian, Wilm den Hertog, a Dutch businessman, was reunited with his wife and three children in Holland 31 days after his arrest. He said he had been kept in solitary confinement for the first two days and questioned for many hours during the initial 17 days of his detention. He said one inmate tried to convert him to Islam so he could "preach Islam in the Netherlands". One Filipino prisoner carried marks of physical torture, including several broken bones and multiple wounds, when he was released after 14 days of interrogation. It was reported that he was forced to convert to Islam before his release. Another prisoner admitted he had been released under the condition that he not discuss his detention. In March 1997, Filipino Christian Donato Lama was deported after being subjected to 17 months in prison and 70 lashes. He was arrested when police discovered a photo of him leading a Catholic communion service in a private home. Saudi Arabia, a Muslim country, forbids the Bible and any sharing of the Christian faith.--

The Canadian Council of Christian Charities needed about $500,000 for its legal fund at the end of April, and an additional $2 million will be needed by the end of year 2000. CCCC estimates that over $1.1 billion per year in income tax reductions and credits for Christians would be lost if it abandons it current cases. CCCC is involved in two major issues with Revenue Canada. In the first, Revenue Canada is attempting to convince the Tax Court that donors who give to a religious charity should be entitled to receive tax credits only when they give out of a "detached, disinterested generosity" and receive no benefit. This could mean that there would be not tax deductible receipt if a person gave to a mission which employs one of the donor's relatives. The other issue involves the Clergy Residence Deduction, which saves about $5,000 in taxes per full-time religious worker per year. If this benefit is denied, the annual cost to the charity will increase by an average $8,000 per full-time worker on a pre-tax basis.

CANADIAN COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN CHARITIES

At least 1,600 women worldwide die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. In Latin America, the risk is one in 130 women, while in North America it is one in 3,700. In developing countries, nearly 50% of women give birth without a skilled attendant.--

MCC OTTAWA NOTEBOOK

The Canadian Council for International Cooperation, believing that global poverty can be eliminated, has published an action paper entitled, What Can We Do: A 10 Point Agenda for Global Action Against Poverty. Providing a clear understanding of poverty, it outlines actions governments, businesses, organizations and individuals can take. The agenda is part of a broader campaign called, "in common: Global Action Against Poverty". Over 100 organizations, including Mennonite Central Committee Canada, are part of this campaign, which utilizes written materials, speakers and other activities to inform the public about eradicating poverty.--

Three months after 122 countries signed a treaty banning landmines, the Canadian government is committed to spending up to $10 million over five years in Bosnia on de-mining, victim assistance and the rehabilitation of de-mined communities. Another $1 million each will be spent in Cambodia and Afghanistan for similar progams. A $2 million contribution has also been promised to help the United Nations coordinate action on landmines. These are the first programs to come from the $100 million Canadian Landmines Fund announced last December. The fund is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Department of National Defence and Industry Canada, with input from Canadian and international non-governmental organizations working on the landmines issue. Since the December conference, three more countries have signed the treaty, and eleven have ratified it. The treaty needs to be ratified by 40 countries before it can become effective.--

Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, B.C. has launched an outdoor education program this fall. Students may earn a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree or a two-year certificate in outdoor recreation leadership, suitable for people who want to work at a Christian youth camp or other recreation-related business. Most of the courses will be taught on campus. Students may receive certification in mountaineering, kayaking and related subjects, as well as take courses on "risk management and legal liability", and "Business and personnel management". Other Canadian Bible colleges that offer somewhat similar programs are Briecrest Bible College in Caronport, Sask. and Prairie Bible College in Three Hills, Alta.--

The Ontario government is making abstinence the cornerstone of its new sex education program for the province's elementary students (grades 1-8). Under the new curriculum, grade 8 students will be taught the importance of abstinence as a method of avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Policymakers in Ontario were alarmed by the increase in teen pregnancies over the last 10 years despite mandatory sex education classes (which did not focus on abstinence). While the government promotion of abstinence is good, it won't make a difference in the grim statistics, said Ruth Ewert, a member of Steinbach (Man.) MB Church who works with street youth in downtown Toronto with Yonge Street Mission. Sex education programs "mean nothing to them," said Ewert, coordinator of Evergreen Health Centre. "The kids are not afraid of STDs or pregnancy." John Vanasselt, director of communications for the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools, which represents 72 elementary and secondary schools in Ontario, said Christian schools in Ontario will continue to use an American-designed sexuality curriculum called the "Healthy Living Series" that puts sexuality in a biblical context. He doubts that Ontario's new sex education curriculum will influence teenage sexual behaviour.--

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