AP

CHINA –  NEW RESTRICTIONS OFFICIALLY PROHIBIT FOREIGN MISSIONARY WORK
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has formally banned foreign missionaries from preaching, evangelising, and doing other missionary work in its newly enacted restrictions starting 1 May. This move is based on the newly revised “Implementation Rules for the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners in the People’s Republic of China” released in April, along with government interpretations. According to the newly published rules, this is a continuation of the refinement and completion of the Regulations on Religious Affairs from previous years. The new rules specifically target foreigners. Removing the standardised and overly principled statements at the beginning, the main impacts are as follows:
1. All religious events involving foreign nationals (including but not limited to participation, preaching, exchanges, religious ceremonies, organising religious activities, missionary work, etc.) must be approved by relevant authorities; otherwise, they are considered illegal.
2. Foreign nationals entering China must ensure that any religious books, audio-visual materials, or documents they carry do not exceed personal use quantities. Otherwise, they must obtain approval from relevant authorities and declare them at customs. This effectively prohibits the public importation of religious books.
3. In summary, these new rules effectively prohibit foreign religious individuals from engaging in any religious activities in China under a personal capacity unless they go through official channels. However, through applications, approvals, or invitations from the Three-Self Church (government-sanctioned churches), foreign religious activities may still be possible, albeit under stricter scrutiny. The future environment for foreign religious institutions and missionary work in China will become more complex, and domestic religious organisations may face increased pressure as a result. However, in context and in history, the execution of these strengthened regulations may vary from place to place. In one area, these regulations might be strictly imposed/observed, but in another it might be loose.  [Source: Premier Christian News]

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND’S HISTORIC MAGAZINE TO CLOSE AFTER 146 YEARS
The Church of Scotland has announced that its long-running magazine Life and Work will cease publication later this year due to financial strain and falling readership. Speaking at the General Assembly in Edinburgh, leaders said the magazine, first published in 1879, can no longer be sustained. Editor Lynne McNeil, who has led the publication for 23 years, noted that print media is facing “diminishing returns”, especially with declining church attendance.
Source: Premier Christian News]

NEPAL’S CHRISTIANS FEAR GROWING CALLS FOR RESTORATION OF MONARCHY
There’s growing concern among Christians in Nepal over calls for the restoration of the monarchy and of Hinduism as the state religion. The Hindu-majority nation became a secular republic at the same time, as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war in which more than 16,000 people were killed.
Open Doors, the persecution watchdog, reports that people have grown discontented with the government. Thousands of supporters of Nepal’s former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu this week, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments. There have been 13 different governments since 2008 and people are fed up with the corruption and the problems they still find themselves in. So now, people are demonstrating to bring back the monarchy, to make Nepal a Hindu nation again, thinking that this will solve their problems. But what does this means for Christians, who have been keeping an eye on India and are very worried that the idea of a Hindu nation could mean more attacks against Christians.. A Hindu State benefits the majority Hindu communities but massively persecutes the other minority religions, like Muslims and Christians.
Nepal is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing Christian populations. Estimates of the exact number of Christians in the country range from around half a million to more than 3 million. Even though Nepal is supposed to be a secular state,  recent anti-conversion laws mean it is now illegal to try to convert anyone to a different religion.. Many of the Christians in Nepal are converts from Hinduism, which could mean that there will be  more attacks against Christians. The nation’s last king, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu since being toppled. [Source: Premier Christian News]

IS THERE A GENUINE HOLY SPIRIT REVIVAL HAPPENING IN THE USA?
For many, there is no doubt that an incredible spiritual movement is taking shape in America. From college campuses to beaches on both coasts and evangelistic outreaches in small towns, there is evidence that the Spirit of God is moving as people give their lives to Jesus Christ. This has been most noticeable on University campuses. In 2023, Ashbury University in the USA, experienced what has been described as a significant ‘Outpouring’ or ‘Spiritual Revival’ that drew national attention and continued for several weeks. This event, which began after a regular chapel service, involved spontaneous worship and prayer meetings. The gathering attracted numerous students from other colleges and universities, and even people from various countries.  After the initial 16 days of continuous prayer, the university has reported ongoing spontaneous worship and prayer gatherings, indicating a continued sense of spiritual renewal among students.
And now nearly 20 months after the initial Ashbury experience, tens of thousands of American university and college students are continuing to attend campus revival meetings across the country. Another incredible work of God happened when 8000 students attended a Christian revival event at the University of Kentucky, with many giving their lives to Christ as a result, and being baptized on the spot.
The Unite US Movement,** has also seen God working in a remarkable way at events they arrange at Universities. Earlier this month, at the University of South Carolina, hundreds of the 4,000 students who attended made a ‘decision’ to follow Jesus and were baptized. Thousands of students recently gathered at a University of Arkansas event to seek Jesus Christ and find salvation in His name. The Unite US Movement reported that around 10,000 students from 67 different universities gathered at a stadium in the city of Fayetteville,  North Carolina. “Jesus met us there. We were blown away by His presence…… It was a night we’ll never forget,” the ministry posted on social media.

CHALLENGES FACING THE MINISTRY OF THE AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS MINISTRIES
The work of AIM began among local indigenous people in Botany Bay in 1894. In 1905, in Singleton in the Hunter Valley, a local committee of  the Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia was formed. It is now known as the Australian Indigenous Ministries, with Churches throughout Australia. From the very beginning, the ministry was aimed at establishing Aboriginal Christians to lead and guide their own people. However, the demands of administration work  in  recent years, seem to take up most of the time and energy.
Providing and maintaining ministry involves great commitment in personnel and resources. There is a continuing need for specially gifted and qualified people to be a part of this work, coupled with the need for the ongoing support of the wider Christian community in this important field of ministry opportunity in our own ‘backyard’. [Source: AIM Newsletter and Website]

ONE MORE NAIL IN THE COFFIN – PLANS TO EUTHANIZE DEMENTIA PATIENTS
The inventor of the Sarco gas chamber assisted suicide pod, Dr Philip Nitschke, has announced the creation of a ‘kill switch’ implant for people with dementia, that would automatically release a lethal substance into the user’s body once they stop responding to daily prompts. Nitschke, who is nicknamed “Dr Death” has said that his ‘kill switch’ implant is nearing the test phase. The device would be sewn into a patient’s body – most likely in the leg – and set to beep and vibrate daily to warn the patient to turn it off. If a patient’s dementia becomes so advanced that they ignore the beeping and vibrations, the mechanism would then release a currently unknown lethal substance into their body. Nitschke said: “You won’t forget to press it otherwise, because after the time comes it’ll start beeping and buzzing. ….If you don’t know the risks that are involved by not acting, that is, that you will die, then you’re getting your wish from when you had it implanted”. The pro-suicide campaigner believes his ‘kill switch’ could solve the so-called “dementia dilemma” – “the situation whereby someone suffering from the disease is seen as lacking the mental capacity to consent to their death”.
Nitschke’s proposals are already raising serious issues – especial ethical and moral issues, not to mention the fact that it puts one more nail in the coffin in regards to the sanctity of life. Considering the proposals, Emily Lawford from Prospect magazine underlined the dangers of the mechanism: “It’s macabre – and would be impossible to regulate and safeguard against abuse or pressure, let alone to find doctors willing to insert the implant”. Source: Right to Life UK.

FAMILY MONTH IS BEGINNING TO REPLACE PRIDE MONTH
The last 10 years or so have witnessed numerous momentous changes in Western culture. One of the biggest was this: the normalization and celebration of “Pride Month” or for Australia – the “Sydney Pride Festival” – with the Prime Minister this year happily leading the March. After years of feeling like strangers in our own land, things are beginning to shift – a lot faster is in other countries, than in Australia. In the US, numerous corporations and organizations that used to shout their praise of Pride Month to the skies, have gone quiet regarding it. Instead of promoting radical gender ideology and pagan sexuality, they seem to have returned to what they are ostensibly in business to do: selling computers, hairdryers, and lawnmowers, etc. What a wild idea for a company!
Moves are under way in the US to remove “Pride Month” from the calendar, and instead to celebrate “Family Month.” [Taken from the article by Owen Strachan, who is the Senior Fellow for Family Research Centre (FRC)  for Biblical Worldview. Source: Premier Christian News]

– compiled by Guido Kettniss