Tensions serve to unite the Body of Christ in Egypt

Egypt (MNN) ― There's been an uptick in tensions between Egypt's Muslims and Christ-followers.

The alleged conversion of a 36-year old Muslim teacher lies at the heart of recent unrest. She's been missing for several days and was reportedly seen outside a church in southern Egypt with a Christian friend.

When police used force against hundreds of Muslims trying to overtake the church last week, the crowds pushed back - resulting in over 10 injured officials.

While the divide dates back to biblical times, Egypt's Christians and Muslims have been increasingly at-odds since Mubarak fell from power two years ago. National instability adds another layer of anxiety.

"Things are going down and there's no real vision, and the people in Egypt are very angry. It's very bad," says Mike*, a representative ofIN Network in Egypt. He says many Egyptians who voted for Morsi this summer have now turned against him.

"[Morsi] gave a big promise, and said that he had a great plan to change things in Egypt to move the economy and…he gave many promises," Mike says. "But now it's about 6 months since he took over and the people find out that he didn't have a plan.

"He's not qualified to lead the country, and there's no stability. The people are depressed and it's a big disaster."

How's it affecting the Church?

"Because of the pressure and because they are not sure about the future, there is a spirit of prayer arising in all the churches," he explains. He says it's also serving to bring churches into a new spirit of unity.

"The churches are going to a new season," says Mike. "We've never experienced this before, so we need to train the leaders of the churches."

That's exactly what IN Network is doing: equipping pastors to reach an ever-changing Egypt. For three to five days, hundreds of church leaders are equipped with training and the skills they need to reach their communities for Christ.

Mike says they also put a curriculum together for Sunday School teachers who work with kids between the ages of 4 and 11.

"Many families are very poor, are not able to take care of their kids," explains Mike. "So we train Sunday School teachers how to reach the children, how to help poor children and even how to support some of their needs."

The training is given free to church leaders, but it costs IN Network approximately $15 per attendant to provide this type of resource. President of IN Network USA Rody Rodenhaver says they hope to raise $5000 to cover their training needs for the next two years.

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"Egypt is a very important country, and whatever happens in Egypt, it affects the whole Arab world," says Mike, "so please pray for wisdom to the leaders, pray for stability in the government, and pray for resources, so the people do not suffer more than this."

More threats against Christians in Egypt

(Photos by Hector de Pereda)

Egypt (MNN) ― A report Friday indicated Egyptian Christians in border towns are getting threats of violence if they don't leave. One church leader suspects the threats are connected to the anti-Islam film which has angered Muslims throughout the Middle East.

In other parts of the country, the pressure has increased to the point where people are fleeing in droves. They represent an increasing number of the country's 8 million Coptic Christians were already feeling increasingly cornered.

The atmosphere chilled quickly in the wake of Hosni Mubarak's ouster and the Muslim Brotherhood's meteoric rise to power. Already subjected to anti-Christian discrimination and attacks for years under Mubarak, his fall meant no one was there to suppress the hard-liner Islamists.

The nation's Christians saw an uptick in violence against them alongside an overall rise in crime since Egypt's 2011 revolution. There are heightened concerns now that believers might face backlash amid outrage over the film, says Rody Rodeheaver with IN Network.

It's not something that dies down quickly. "Each subsequent conversation about that continues to elevate the emotional level in countries like Egypt and others." As a result, Rodeheaver says their team is very concerned about exodus of believers.

There's also the danger of the mass hysteria driving a rumor mill that comes back on the believers. For example, one of the rumors on the street is that there were six Egyptian Christians that participated in the making of the video. "There is no way of knowing whether that is true or false, but that is the word on the street, according to our staff. What that then does is just escalates the emotional extreme reaction to this whole situation."

Meanwhile, Christian leaders are trying to distance any connection--perceived or otherwise. Compass Direct News cited Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki, Vice President of the Evangelical denomination in Egypt, who said that "the film insulting Islam is a criminal act, and should not be tolerated. It must be prosecuted, and they who produced and published it are criminals."

In his statement, Zaki stressed that the Egyptian Evangelical Church "not only condemned the film, but is communicating with several American institutions to stop such films depicting the sacred, because they represent a crime against human rights."

IN Network Egypt has a team in place, committed to ministering the Gospel. On one hand, says Rodeheaver, there's the human reality of working and being part of the pressure of this kind of situation. But, "On the other, they're seeing that the God who called them is also there, working beside them, providing fruit for their efforts."

That's why Rodeheaver doesn't foresee them leaving. Practically speaking, abandoned property is often stolen or vandalized. But the other reason has staying power. "This is their home, and they need to be there as a voice for the Lord to the people to whom they serve." Plus, Rodeheaver adds, "I think what our staff is seeing is that they are experiencing a real outpouring of God's Spirit as it relates to the programs that they're conducting."

The team works through Bible correspondence courses offered to men and women across the country, encouraging them in the study of Scripture. A Bible school program equips pastors with all they need to serve their communities for God. Finally, leadership conferences bring in hundreds of people every year to be empowered to lead others to Christ.

Pray that things would not escalate. IN Network's team is now asking themselves how they can continue to minister to the people God has called them to. The threats are not taken lightly, but continued work "takes a great amount of wisdom, and courage. That becomes a real focus for the prayers of God's people." 

Fate of Turkish believers might lie in this decision

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Turkey (MNN) ― Currently the cause of unrest between parties writing Turkey's new constitution, the issue of religious freedom could act as a catalyst.

"Depending on who wins this battle, they certainly will gain more power in moving the country: either toward a more secular, European/Western country," Rody Rodeheaver with IN Network explains, "or into a closed, Islamic fundamentalist country like their neighbor, Iran."

What would this decision mean for Turkish believers?

"There is great danger here, and in the midst of this are the Christians," he said.

One point of controversy in the freedom of religion proposals is education: namely, the Religious Culture and Knowledge of Ethnics (RCKE) courses required at all public schools. In this class, kids have to memorize parts of the Koran, the history of Mohammed, and various teachings from the Koran. They're also expected to participate in various Muslim celebrations and holidays.

The RCKE course puts children of believers on the front-lines of persecution. Rodeheaver explains that a common Turkish view is: "If you're a Turk, you're Muslim." This can be very difficult for kids trying to fit in at school because the RCKE course requires them to reveal their faith, making them stick out like a sore thumb.

"Our director and his children have experienced some very hurtful things," Rodeheaver said. "The children were selected for ridicule: 'You Christians, you're just all Americans in disguise.'"

Pray for Christian children who face persecution from their peers.

Another area impacted by this decision is Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU). Turks are primarily divided into two groups; some Turks want their nation to join the European Union and adopt policies with a secular lean, while others want Turkey to become a fundamental, Islamic nation. With Turkey's interest in becoming a part of the EU comes freedom for believers.

"If this changes, [believers] will lose a lot of ground and it could become very dangerous for them."

However, a recent survey by the Turkey-Europe Educational and Scientific Research Foundation (TAVAK) shows a significant drop in Turks' desire to join the EU. The study attributes this drop in support to the economic crises in EU member states and self-assurance among Turks that "they can do without the EU."

As the government continues to drag its feet toward change, there is a desperate need for prayer. Pray for the safety of believers in Turkey.

Turkey's justice moves forward...slowly

Plaintiff lawyers Erdal Dogan (left)
 and Orhan Kemal Cengiz on the
steps of the Malatya courthouse.
 (Photo by Compass Direct News) 

Turkey (MNN) ― Compass Direct News says the suspects arrested in Turkey's 2007 Zirve Publishing House murder case were before the court last week telling their story once more.  

The original case stems from the brutal murders of three people (Necati Aydin and Ugur Yüksel and Christian German national Tilmann Geske) who sold Christian literature in a publishing house in the eastern province of Malatya.   

IN Network USA president Rody Rodeheaver explains, "There were several young men who were caught red-handed in this situation. But there has always been the feeling that the people who wielded the knives were not the people who really were behind this."

The arrested are accused of having masterminded and instigated the April murders as part of Ergenekon's plan to lay the groundwork for a military takeover. Rodeheaver says that led to more investigation which uncovered the dark underbelly of Turkey. "They felt that it was a shadowy group called 'Ergenekon' which is a terrorist group at the highest levels of the Turkish military; their goal is to undermine the Turkish government and to keep them out of the European union."

The reason the  judges of the Third Criminal Court of Malatya wanted to hear the testimony was so they could prepare another part of the case that links the suspects to the masterminds. So far, that's been a tough call. Rodeheaver says, "There is a concern on the part of the Christian church that an indictment will not really go deep enough because the lead prosecutor and the head judge were taken off the case, and there's always been a fear that this was the starting of a cover-up."

An indictment of the masterminds behind the murders is expected on April 9 if it process true justice. The trial hearings for the murders of the three Christians continued slowly last year amid advances in investigations and the replacement of key personnel--a move some think was intended to slow justice even more.

Compass Direct says while there were 20 suspects arrested in connection to last year's investigation connecting Ergenekon and Malatya, only seven of them are still in custody--five of whom are in the military. Their report goes on to say evidence garnered from a CD which surfaced was enough to connect the country's agenda, the Malatya murders, and fees for the slayings.

IN Network doesn't have a direct link to the case, but what effects one part of the body affects them all, says Rodeheaver. "If I had any message for the Christian community around the world, it would be to pray that this case would actually do what it was really intended to do -- and that would be to find those who were guilty of these crimes."

IN Network faces both the scrutiny of terrorist groups and the threat of violence. These can be very distracting, Rodeheaver admits. "There have been some spikes in some places trying to intimidate Christians: threats, assassination plots, things like that. But this is a pretty normal lifestyle for the Christians who live in this kind of environment."

Last December, an Al Qaeda plot targeting churches came to light. At the same time, Ergenekon threatened to assassinate IN Network's country director.

While the incidents are unnerving, they won't stop the outreach. Church Planting and Evangelism are carried out by a small church that was planted in Istanbul, through personal visits, discipling church members, and building them up in their faith.

The I.N. Network in Turkey also works with Internet Evangelism -- a "door-opening" forum to chat with those who do not know Christ. A new constitution is in the works, so there is some hope for believers, especially with the advocacy that's come into play with the Greek Prelate.

Turkey is poised for change, notes Rodeheaver. "Anything that changes in Turkey will change because the people of God are praying. Turkey is a very pivotal place in terms of assisting the Christian church to be the church all over the world."

Al Qaeda accused of plotting to bomb churches in Turkey

(Photo: T.C. Buyuk Millet Meclisi)

Turkey (MNN) ― A startling plot involving Al Qaeda and an attack on churches in Turkey came to light Friday.

According to reports from the daily Taraf newspaper and Compass Direct News, a homegrown terrorist cell had laid plans to attack all of Ankara's churches as well as their Christian clergy. Rody Rodeheaver with  I.N. Network USA says, "These were terrorists tied to al Qaeda, who were gathering caches of explosives, weapons, plans, maps--all that you need to bring about a terrorist attack."

The militants planned a "jihad" strategy by focusing their attacks against Turkey before waging war against the United States and other countries. He explains, "Part of the rationale behind this is that it is much easier to strike in Turkey than to take the risk of making these strikes by al Qaeda in the U.S. I think the other things that were being talked about here and planned were some bombings and continued assassination attempts on Christian leaders."

Police also discovered lists of the names and home addresses of Christian clergy and other church workers residing in Ankara. Christian leaders were caught flat-footed with the revelation of the details. However, security measures had already been beefed up with recent threats. Rodeheaver says the report comes as a reminder of the environment that Turk Christians live in. "One of the churches that was being singled out, there's actually a guard booth where the police sit 24/7 because this is a major target as well as our staff person who has a bodyguard."

Police raids netted 14 suspected Al Qaeda militants, several of whom faced additional charges December 10. Christians are soft targets, which is why, Rodeheaver notes, they are used as scapegoats by extremists. "It falls into the pattern of wanting to embarrass the Turkish government, whom they wish to see become Islamic and pull away from their secular bent."

Despite the alarm raised by the revelation of the plot to destroy Ankara's churches, I.N. Network's team in Turkey won't be deterred. On the one hand, it's a logical approach. "If they became overly concerned about these various plots, they wouldn't be able to do their ministry."

On the other hand, "There is a commitment on the part of these believers that God has called them to do what they're doing. Because He has called them, He will both supply their needs and protect them." It means I.N. Network has chosen to stay focused on their mission of developing the Church in Turkey.

Church planting and evangelism are carried out by a small church plant in Istanbul. Due to the ostracism many Christians feel, internet evangelism and a Christian children's ministry are also very important parts of I.N. Network Turkey.

Rodeheaver urges believers to "pray for the protection both for the ministry staff in these countries, the national workers, who, day in and day out, are doing their job in sharing the Gospel. I think the other thing to pray for is that the staff has great wisdom in how they communicate and how they share the Gospel."

Emotional Toll on Turkey Team Following Death Threats

Tensions rise as director of IN
 Network in Turkey is under
 government protection from terrorist
 group.

Turkey (MNN) ― Tensions are high for Christians in Turkey as the IN Networkdirector continues to be under guard and surveillance following death threats.

An assassination plot by the ultra-nationalist group Ergenekon to kill the IN Network Turkey director, as reported earlier in March. Since then, the government has stepped up measures to protect him.

Rody Rodeheaver with IN Network says, "Our staff person continues to have a bodyguard that goes with him everywhere. And there are other types of surveillance that the police are using to protect both him and his family."

Ergenekon is a group whose sole purpose is to prevent the government from entering into the European Union. The Turkish government applied for entrance in 1987 and became a candidate country in 1999. This terrorist group wants to prevent this process from going any further.

Rodeheaver states that the group hatched the assassination plot "in order to embarrass the Turkish government and impede their entry into the European Union."

While the government historically has been slow to bring justice, this case seems to have prompted more action on their part.

According to Rodeheaver, "This terrorist organization has been spotlighted by the government, and various members of that group have been arrested. Those members are in various levels of society, all the way from retired army generals to professors in universities to just the average person on the street."

With all the tension and persecution Christians receive in Turkey, this latest incident has members of IN Network a little on edge. The emotional toll on team members will not stop their ministry, but it does have an effect.

"You always have to ask the question, ‘What will happen if...?'" says Rodeheaver. "And being a Christian, I think that puts an extra edge on ministry and everything you do. They will continue to do their ministry, but the emotional impact of this can't be denied."

It makes for a confusing situation, since the government says they are committed to religious diversity. But the overarching mindset of society is this: if you are a Turk, then you are a Muslim. Rodeheaver states that Turks who go on to say they are Christians are often treated with suspicion and are seen as a threat. Unfortunately, often that suspicion turns into persecution.

Please pray that the threats on the director's life would leave. Pray for justice in the government as they handle cases of persecution in the church.

IN Network's mission to proclaim the name of Christ to the people of Turkey will not stop. If anything, the church grows and flourishes in times of trial and fire. And when the Gospel is being shared, not even threats or persecution or death itself can stop faithful followers of Christ.