Kottayam (India), SVM News, August 05, 2008: We are sad to announce that Rev. Paul Ciniraj, the esteemed founder and the Director of the Salem Voice Ministries resigned from the Directorship of the SVM.

Rev. Paul Ciniraj was under treatment for “leukemia” since last January. Recently it was found that the Lord has healed him from leukemia, but he was affected by liver cirrhosis and undergoing its treatment. Doctors say cancer medication and treatments are very hard on the body and they may cure the cancer, but can create other medical issues like liver cirrhosis and other major sickness.

Paul Ciniraj Mohamed resigned from the Salem Voice Ministries at the General Body which was held during the month of April. But the General Body compelled him to withdraw the resignation and unanimously re-elected him as its Director. So he was continuing the position.

Recently he found uncomfortable in the position of directorship because of unhealthy situation, he called for a special Governing Board meeting and declared his resignation again. Then he handed over all the records to Rev. Shaji Ipe, the secretary of the SVM.

Pastor Paul Ciniraj said in the meeting, “Lord Jesus has saved me from sin and death. And Lord has chosen me for His ministry. I believe I have faithfully and truthfully done it according the Word of God by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Whenever our Lord thinks my service is enough in this world, He has to call me back at any time to be with Him. I am always ready for it”.

“I never earned or gain anything worldly for my wife and children from the ministry. I hand over the ministry and all of its assests, programmes and activities to the Governing Board in which my wife or children are not the members”, Paul Ciniraj continued.

“Our Lord weighs our minds and hearts. He knows all of us very well. Do not misuse His physical and economical gifts for worldly pleasures like the sons of the Prophet Samuel. Do not misuse His spiritual gifts like Ba’laam. Yet we may be reviled, persecuted and experienced all manner of evil against us falsely. Certainly It strengthen our spirituality when it comes from gentiles and outcasters. But it is very difficult to tolerate if it comes from our dear brotheren of whom we love and trust in the name of Jesus. They may be called as missionaries, pastors and evangelists. Such experiences from them will make us desperate, depress and discourage. It affect both our body and spirit”. 

“This so called Christians may have power of money, power of the support of foreign agencies and  power of human strength which they might have bought from money or throwing them some favours and small positions; but they may not belong to God.  Those are false currencies or coins. They not know what they do. The Word of God teaches that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Phil 3:18-19).

“But we must careful that there are true and valuable currencies. It is indeed necessary for any transactions. That’s why false currencies are spreading widely. But realise the false currencies have no value and it is to be destructed. Also handling the false currencies is a big crime. So distinguish the good and evil spirits. Our Lord allows the tares with the wheat together until the harvest. So recognise them by their fruits. Don’t be cheated. Our Lord is the Burning Fire too”, Pastor Paul Ciniraj continued. 

“The harvest is plentiful; but the labourers are few. So our Lord asked to pray to the owner of the harvest for sending suitable labourers. In certain places, there were such a vast and beautiful harvest to reap.  But unsuitable labourers got down the field and reaped some of it for their own use (not for the Lord) and destructed the rest of the harvest and soil became hard by their feet and made the fields desert. Even no more cultivation is possible. Then how can we reap? India is a best example for it.
60% of the land of the Kingdom of Israel is desert. It is not too far those desert lands can be formed as gardens. It can be possible by culturing the sea-water and make it flow to the desert lands.

The Bride Church of our Lord is called as the Israel of the New Covenent. Certainly still there are plenty of harvest to reap, but not full of harvest. Harvest must be reaped. But at the same time 60% of the New Covenant Israel also keep going on desert land. We have to sow the seed. Before sowing the seed, the land must be plouged and watered. Water must be coming from the sea as cultured, useful drinking water.

Sea water is salty and it is the synonym of sin. The religions of Muslims, Hindus, Budhists, Communists, Nominal Christians etc.around us are great oceans. By our deep faith and prayer we can culture the salty oceanic water which is sins of this world by the precious blood of Jesus and make it flow to the desert minded hearts and plough it by our loving deeds and dedicated services by the Holy Spirit and sow the seed of the Word of God. The Kingdom of God is not barren. There is no desert. There is no sea. It is the tabernacle of God with HIS Bride and He will be dwelling among us. For that we have to serve the Lord. He is not a Godly labourer, if a person comes for harvest without thinking of how such a desert land makes plenty of harvest. So sow with tears and reap with cheers,” Rev. Paul Ciniraj added in the meeting.

Paul Ciniraj was a Muslim by birth, accepted Lord Jesus as his personal saviour and converted into Christianity in his early twenties while he was studying in the university. Since last 33 years he was serving the Lord and won thousands upon thousands of souls unto the fold of Jesus Christ, especially from Muslim community. He is a prominent Gospel preacher in India. Many times he was beaten, attacked, burnt and poisoned. Still he is being threatened.

Mercy is the wife of Paul Ciniraj, a member from the Roman Catholic Church who accepted Lord Jesus as personal saviour and involving ministries with her husband. They have two sons and a daughter. Elder son Besly is a biginner student of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Daughter Hepzy is a Bible College student as well as studying first year Degree Course. Younger son Lesly studying VIII grade in a Hih School.

Kindly pray for this family. Also pray for his good health and total healing. They have no income to maintain their family and educate their children. Due to the financial crisis, his family suffered a lot for his recent treatments too. SVM Governing Board requested him to be the Patron of the society. He did not give any reply. But we expect he will encourage us as a patron for the growth of its activities and evangelisation.

Once again we thank Paul Ciniraj and family and offer our prayers on behalf of the prayer partners and well wishers of the Salem Voice Ministries. We request his prayers and guidance again and again.

Family Worship Center in Paso Robles, CA.  had 10 days of meetings with 4 guest speakers.  Meetings included prophetic speakers Michael-John Toste, Dennis Tinerino and Don Pirozok.  Also, the Lord moved in miracle healings through the ministry of Hamilton Filmalter.  Please see the special audio feed on ChurchFeed at:

ChurchFeed Audio Feed

Jerusalem Report from the founder of the Jerusalem Prayer Team

Iran is at the brink of going nuclear and will reach the point of no return of its nuclear program within a year. Most Israeli terror deaths are from Iran’s proxies: Hezbollah and Hamas. Most U.S. deaths in Iraq are from the Mahdi Army and Iranian IED’s.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad believes he will usher in the Mahdi through Armageddon and all infidels (Jews and Crusaders) will be instantly converted or beheaded once he has an atomic bomb.

Iran has threatened to wipe Israel off the map and says that America will disappear.

The world refused to believe Hitler would kill millions of Jews until it was too late.

VOTE YOUR OPINION NOW

Should America stand by Israel if Israel is forced to destroy Iran’s nuclear reactors?

Yes, America needs to stand by Israel if Israel is forced to attack.

No, I don’t believe America should support Israel.

Your Vote results will go to the Prime Minister of Israel and President Bush.

VOTE NOW

Read the article below published in the New York Times.
 

WASHINGTON: Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Several American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military’s capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with which Israel views Iran’s nuclear program.

More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters participated in the maneuvers, which were carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece during the first week of June, American officials said.

The exercise also included Israeli helicopters that could be used to rescue downed pilots. The helicopters and refueling tankers flew more than 900 miles, which is about the same distance between Israel and Iran’s uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, American officials said.

Israeli officials declined to discuss the details of the exercise. A spokesman for the Israeli military would say only that the country’s air force “regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel.”

But the scope of the Israeli exercise virtually guaranteed that it would be noticed by American and other foreign intelligence agencies. A senior Pentagon official who has been briefed on the exercise, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political delicacy of the matter, said the exercise appeared to serve multiple purposes.

One Israeli goal, the Pentagon official said, was to practice flight tactics, aerial refueling and all other details of a possible strike against Iran’s nuclear installations and its long-range conventional missiles.

A second, the official said, was to send a clear message to the United States and other countries that Israel was prepared to act militarily if diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium continued to falter.

“They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know,” the Pentagon official said. “There’s a lot of signaling going on at different levels.”

Several American officials said they did not believe that the Israeli government had concluded that it must attack Iran and did not think that such a strike was imminent.

Shaul Mofaz, a former Israeli defense minister who is now a deputy prime minister, warned in a recent interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot that Israel might have no choice but to attack. “If Iran continues with its program for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack,” Mofaz said in the interview published on June 6, the day after the unpublicized exercise ended. “Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable.”

But Mofaz was criticized by other Israeli politicians as seeking to enhance his own standing as questions mount about whether the embattled Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, can hang on to power.

Israeli officials have told their American counterparts that Mofaz’s statement does not represent official policy. But American officials were also told that Israel had prepared plans for striking nuclear targets in Iran and could carry them out if needed.

Iran has shown signs that it is taking the Israeli warnings seriously, by beefing up its air defenses in recent weeks, including increasing air patrols. In one instance, Iran scrambled F-4 jets to double-check an Iraqi civilian flight from Baghdad to Tehran.

“They are clearly nervous about this and have their air defense on guard,” a Bush administration official said of the Iranians.

Any Israeli attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities would confront a number of challenges. Many American experts say they believe that such an attack could delay but not eliminate Iran’s nuclear program. Much of the program’s infrastructure is buried under earth and concrete and installed in long tunnels or hallways, making precise targeting difficult. There is also concern that not all of the facilities have been detected. To inflict maximum damage, multiple attacks might be necessary, which many analysts say is beyond Israel’s ability at this time.

But waiting also entails risks for the Israelis. Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed fears that Iran will soon master the technology it needs to produce substantial quantities of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.

Iran is also taking steps to better defend its nuclear facilities. Two sets of advance Russian-made radar systems were recently delivered to Iran. The radar will enhance Iran’s ability to detect planes flying at low altitude.

Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, said in February that Iran was close to acquiring Russian-produced SA-20 surface-to-air missiles. American military officials said that the deployment of such systems would hamper Israel’s attack planning, putting pressure on Israel to act before the missiles are fielded.

For both the United States and Israel, Iran’s nuclear program has been a persistent worry. A National Intelligence Estimate that was issued in December by American intelligence agencies asserted that Iran had suspended work on weapons design in late 2003. The report stated that it was unclear if that work had resumed. It also noted that Iran’s work on uranium enrichment and on missiles, two steps that Iran would need to take to field a nuclear weapon, had continued.

In late May, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran’s suspected work on nuclear matters was a “matter of serious concern” and that the Iranians owed the agency “substantial explanations.”

Over the past three decades, Israel has carried out two unilateral attacks against suspected nuclear sites in the Middle East. In 1981, Israeli jets conducted a raid against Iraq’s nuclear plant at Osirak after concluding that it was part of Saddam Hussein’s program to develop nuclear weapons. In September, Israeli aircraft bombed a structure in Syria that American officials said housed a nuclear reactor built with the aid of North Korea.

The United States protested the Israeli strike against Iraq in 1981, but its comments in recent months have amounted to an implicit endorsement of the Israeli strike in Syria.

Pentagon officials said that Israel’s air forces usually conducted a major early summer training exercise, often flying over the Mediterranean or training ranges in Turkey where they practice bombing runs and aerial refueling. But the exercise this month involved a larger number of aircraft than had been previously observed, and included a lengthy combat rescue mission.

Much of the planning appears to reflect a commitment by Israel’s military leaders to ensure that its armed forces are adequately equipped and trained, an imperative driven home by the difficulties the Israeli military encountered in its Lebanon operation against Hezbollah.

“They rehearse it, rehearse it and rehearse it, so if they actually have to do it, they’re ready,” the Pentagon official said. “They’re not taking any options off the table.”

Click here to purchase a copy of Dr. Evans’ book Showdown with Nuclear Iran.

Your Jerusalem World News: www.myjwn.com

Your Save Jerusalem Site: www.savejerusalem.org

 A Norfolk Church is about to launch the best 60`s party around as original performers and musicians from well-known bands of the era re-create the exciting sights and sounds of their generation and share some stories behind the songs and their personal journey to faith. 

Commercial theatre producer and Director of Christians in Entertainment, Chris Gidney has teamed up with several brilliant musicians to form a unique evening featuring original 60`s music. “Heavens Jukebox is a fusion of great music played by some of the original performers alongside some funny, moving and challenging stories about the lives behind the songs,” explains Chris.

Heavens Jukebox features the talents of Cliff Hall from The Shadows, Eddie McManus from Mathews Southern Comfort & Marty Wilde; Chris Hunt from Lonnie Donegan & Jools Holland Band and John Perry from numerous Cliff Richard & Everly Brothers tours. Front-man, John, who sang on the original version of Hey Jude with the Beatles, easily recalls working with the fab-four at the famous Abbey Road Studios, “Today the thought of me standing around the microphone with John, Paul, George and Ringo is almost impossible to imagine except it really happened! Heavens Jukebox is a great idea and I’m looking forward to taking the show across the UK, particularly as sixties music attracts audiences of all ages these days.“

Eddie McManus, who has toured with the original Elvis Presley Band, remembers the heady days of drugs and Rock n Roll before he found his faith, “A wrestler called Sky High Lee carried me back from a USA downtown bar one night to my hotel room where I slept non-stop for four days! Now I’m about to order my first Zimmer-frame but there’s nothing better than still seeing audiences love the music so much that they just cant resist getting up to dance!“

Alongside hits from The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Monkeys, Harry Nilsson, Stealers Wheel, Spencer Davis, Roy Orbison, Bill Haley, and Elton John, the band will be playing classic rock-gospel numbers from Sir Cliff to Larry Norman.

The Band hopes this event will “…show that Christians can and do have fun, while presenting a clear message of how faith can change lives. Even those of a hardened Rock `n Roller!”

Heavens Jukebox  appears at Stalham Baptist Church on Friday 25^th April and is produced by Chris Gidney and managed by Nick Page from Shorehill Arts who looks after many Christian celebrities including Cannon & Ball, Syd Little, Paul Jones & Fiona Hendley and Jimmy Cricket. Interviews, pictures and booking information for the Band from nickpage@shorehillarts.co.uk / www.shorehillarts.co.

Malabar (India), SVM News, December 30, 2007: Underground house church of Salem Voice Ministries demolished by Muslim extremists at Sunnam Potty in Malabar on December 29.

A mob of 10 to 15 people came by cars and vans with spade, pick axe, iron bar and other tools and weapons and totally demolished the church on Saturday night.  Suspecting the attackers were the activists of SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India).

The demolished church

Around 50 people were attending in that church every week for worshipping service since last few months. The majority were individual muslim youngsters from various families.

There was a baptism service held on Saturday early morning. Eight youngsters and three couples were baptised. Though it was a secret service, the news somehow leaked out. That might have provoked the extremists to demolish the church. 

Pastor Paul Ciniraj visits the demolished church

The church building was leased from a believers family without any rent. That family is living in a distant place. They were threatening by unknown people since last few days for giving this house for prayer and worship.

Pastor Mildad and family are ministering in this area. They face death threat.

Pastor Paul Ciniraj, Director of the Salem Voice Ministries  visited the demolished church. He condemned the incident and requesting prayers for the pastor and family, house owner and family and the believers.

Gansu (China), SVM News, November 28, 2007: In China, a christian pastor was sentenced 18 months imprisonment for distributing tracts in Gansu province and a rector of a Catholic seminary and one of his seminarians arrested and jailed in Yujiang. 40 house church leaders also were detained in Henan. Pastor Liu Huiwen (38) was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by Gansu Dongxiang Nationality Autonomous County People’s Court on October 25, 2007 for Distribution of Christian Literature Among Muslims. The document released by the court on November 27.

Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service reports that Pastor Liu Huiwen was detained on April 28, 2007 after distributing flyers at a funeral and was arrested on May 31.  He  was  charged against discriminating work and insulting people of ethnic minorities when he published and distributed a flyer called “A Letter to Our Muslim Friends.”

Beijing Defence Attorney Li Dunyong, the defense counsel for Pastor Liu, argued that his public letter neither contain any discrimination  or insults against people of ethnic minorities nor exceeded the boundary set for freedom of speech. But the court rejected his arguments and said Pastor Liu’s public letter arised indignation from the Muslims and some of them used curse words and threatened to physically assaulted him, so he fled from the scene. After that, the police officers arrived on being informed of this incident and took Liu Huiwen to the public security bureau. In the meantime, the police officers confiscated 153 copies of the public letter that they collected from the people in the local area and confiscated 9,000 copies of the public letter, 523 copies of the Bible, 1,745 discs and some tapes and propaganda photos and other objects from the room Liu rents. Cout said Liu’s conduct has violated the provisions set in Article 250 of “The Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China” and constitutes the crime of publishing works that discriminate against and insult people of ethnic minorities. And the court has sentenced him 18 months imprisonment as per Article 210 and Article 64.

In the southern province of Guangdong in Central China, a Roman Catholic priest, Father Zeng Zhongliang, rector of the Yujiang diocese seminary in Jiangxi and one of his seminarians, Wang Bin were arrested by the police on November 25. Both are being held in a prison in Yujiang. Father Zeng had organised a meeting with the entire diocesan clergy at Fuzhou town, whose members are mostly affiliated with the underground Church. He acted on behalf of his local bishop Mgr Thomas Zeng Jingmu of 85-years of age who has been under house arrest. The diocese of Yujang has about 15,000 underground Catholic believers and priests; Catholics that is who are not registered with the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and therefore not recognised by the government.

In another incident of christian persecution in China, a group of PSB officers raided China Gospel Fellowship (CGF)  and  detained 40 house church leaders  while they were having a Bible class on November 18 at Peichang village of Fanhu town in Xiancheng county in Henan  “CGF is one of the largest house churches in China. All the detainees were the senior leaders of CGF and among them Pastor Shen Yiping, it’s founder also included,” Bob Fu of China Aid Association said. Out of 40 detained leaders, 21 of them were released on November 24 and 19 are still being detained at the county detention center.  The family members of the 19 detainees were notified by the Police Department to send blankets and 360 yuan ($50) for 15 days’ living expenses.

COLUMBUS, Ga. - A victory for a children’s soccer team composed of orphans and abandoned children in India has done more than win them a championship.

The soccer team from a Hopegivers International-sponsored “Hope Home” in Kota, India, recently won the Rajasthan state championship in their age bracket.

“Though the team was nearly denied the opportunity to participate in the tournament, they played and carried themselves like champions,” said Hopegivers Founder Dr. M.A. Thomas. “Our children are proof that every life matters and is precious to God.”

After the historic victory, the children were greeted with jubilation, and a parade was held in their honor. The children hold the distinction of being the first team from their district to win a soccer state championship since the tournament began in 1947. A celebration surrounding orphaned and abandoned children is a wonderful thing, Thomas said.

“People from the public came and took the children on their shoulders and danced with them. Then they began to give them gifts and brought food items and fruits and all these things for them,” Thomas said.

The victory testifies to the team’s hard work and also serves as a reminder that Hopegivers-sponsored orphans are getting the chance to be well-rounded and simply ‘be kids’, said Thomas.

Despite the enormous amounts of difficulty faced during this last year because of his outreaches’ faith-based approach, Dr. Thomas believes that this victory can go a long way to unite and bring communities together.

“My dream is to rescue one million children and make them as stars, make them as ambassadors for God in various fields,” he said.

Hopegivers (www.hopegivers.org) is a faith-based, not-for-profit humanitarian agency based in Columbus, Ga. Hopegivers exists to bring “help for today and hope for eternity” by rescuing homeless children, widows, the sick and needy, regardless of caste or creed, primarily in India, Malawi and Haiti.

NAMPA, Ida. - Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a faith-based, nonprofit organization that serves missions and isolated people around the world with aviation, communications and learning technologies, is integrating its field operations worldwide under one international umbrella that will function as an operations entity.

The new structure which takes effect on January 1, 2008, combines the field programs of the U.S.-based MAF with the field programs of other MAF entities in Canada, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
“The MAF leadership group and board of directors determined that MAF will accomplish more ministry as one organization than each MAF group does by operating independently,” said Kevin Swanson, MAF president in the US. “Coordinating, maximizing and sharing financial resources, aircraft and personnel to match increasing needs and opportunities around the world are the goals of the integration,” he said.

“When we first began to explore the possibility of uniting efforts with other MAF organizations, the potential benefits quickly became apparent. I do believe this movement is of the Lord, working His sovereign plan of the ages to build His Kingdom. He led us as we deliberated over the benefits and challenges of integrating MAF operations worldwide,” said Swanson.

“Each national MAF organization will retain its own identity and respective board of directors, even though efforts and resources are combined,” Swanson said. “Also, the various MAF groups, including the U.S.-based MAF, will continue to recruit staff as well as develop funding and resources within their home countries. Each will be fully responsible for the use of donor gifts, grants and their outcomes, remaining accountable to donors and foundations, as was the previous practice,” Swanson explained.

“Since MAF is internationally chartered and registered, such a unified front will gain freer access in difficult places,” said Swanson. “This has already happened in Sumatra and Pakistan, where such relief coordination amplified the MAF impact. A faster and more comprehensive response to disasters in these countries was made possible through combined efforts,” he said.

The new structure for field programs will be led by three regional directors - Dave Bochman, Bill Harding and Chris Lukkien. The three directors also serve jointly as acting chief executive officer until the appointment of an international CEO. A search committee has been formed to find the new executive.

Founded in the United States in 1945, MAF (www.MAF.org) deploys a fleet of 134 aircraft worldwide to serve in the remotest regions of 53 countries. Some 1,000 Christian and humanitarian organizations in isolated areas depend on MAF to carry out their work. The ministry’s pilots fly more than 50,000 flights a year, transporting missionaries, medical personnel, medicines and relief supplies, as well as conducting thousands of emergency medical evacuations. MAF also provides services in learning technologies as well as in telecommunications, such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems.

John Boyd to Succeed Kevin Swanson in January

NAMPA, Ida. – Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a faith-based, non-profit ministry that serves missions and isolated people around the world with aviation, communications and learning technologies, has named John Boyd as its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding Kevin Swanson.

Boyd, a native of Scotland who grew up Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, has served with MAF for 15 years. His varied experience with the ministry includes the roles of pilot, chief executive officer of MAF South Africa, and vice president for ministry advancement. Boyd’s fields of service have included Zaire/Congo, Haiti, Lesotho and South Africa. In 1993, Boyd interrupted his successful business career when he felt the strong call of God to enter Christian ministry.

Boyd will continue in his present role until Jan.1, when he assumes his new position. Most of his time in the next few months will be spent in Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa on previously planned ministry trips.

“I’m filled with humbleness, yet also with joy and excitement about the future,” Boyd said. “We are on the threshold of such great ministry opportunities. My vision is that MAF will become even more strategic and significant in taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.”

Kevin Swanson joined MAF in 1979 as a pilot/mechanic and rose through the organization, becoming a board member in 1995, vice chairman in 2003 and president and chief executive officer in 2004. At his request, he accepted the role of president for a limited term. His mission was to lead the MAF relocation from Redlands, Calif., to Nampa, Idaho, as well as direct the expansion of various ministry operations.

With the completion of those key initiatives, Swanson will finish his term at the end of December. He plans to relocate to California where an aging parent requires his personal attention. Despite his inability to remain in Nampa, Swanson looks forward to continuing serving in ministry.

John Boyd

“For the past several years”, said Swanson, “I’ve felt called to direct church ministry and have communicated that calling to our board of directors. Several opportunities have been presented to me, and I’ll make my decision over the course of the next few months.”

“I’m delighted, and thankful to God and our staff, with how smoothly the move to our new headquarters in Idaho took place. MAF is now well positioned for expanded operations and future growth,” Swanson said. “As for my successor, I’ve worked very closely with John, and I truly believe God has been grooming him for his new position as MAF president,” Swanson said.

“Under Kevin’s direction, the relocation of the MAF headquarters to Idaho went extraordinarily well,” said Julie Shimer, chairman of the board of MAF. “We’ve also seen expansion in the ministry’s aviation services, program growth in Central Asia and new opportunities in learning technologies.”

As for Boyd, she said, “John’s field experience will be of great value as the new president of MAF. His international perspective, along with his vision and passion, will benefit MAF for many years into the future.”

Founded in 1945, MAF (www.MAF.org) stations some 200 missionary families in the remotest regions of 26 countries on five continents. MAF serves more than 600 Christian and humanitarian organizations. The ministry’s pilots fly approximately 40,000 flights a year, transporting missionaries, medical personnel, medicines and relief supplies, as well as conducting thousands of emergency medical evacuations. MAF also provides telecommunications services, such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems, in isolated areas.

The entertainment business may seem full of glitz and glamour, but it can be one of the loneliest, most insecure and isolated places to work in, claims showbiz charity Christians in Entertainment. They are asking churches and individuals across the UK to spare a thought and a prayer for those working in front of the footlights, microphone and camera. Churches are being offered a free DVD with star interviews and backstage glimpses of the charity’s work, which have never been seen before.  “As part of our 25 year Celebrations we have dedicated Sunday December 2^nd as a day to pray for this most unusual of professions,” explained the founder and Director of Christians in Entertainment, Chris Gidney. “Entertainment is a service industry but because of its very nature it’s easy to forget that those who work in it are often under a huge amount of pressure whether it be unemployment, separation from their families, or the stress of keeping a career alive in a fast moving industry.”  “We support those in the profession who are working away from family, friends and perhaps church. Through our backstage discovery groups, dressing room Bible placements, one-to-one visits and our prayer textline, we also offer opportunities for performers at every level of the profession to explore what the Christian faith might mean to them. “ “Entertainment Sunday has been linked to the weekend of the Royal Variety Performance, so that when we as an audience laugh, enjoy the music, be inspired by dance or moved by drama we will remember to send up a quick prayer for all those involved in the world of showbiz.” 

PRAYER FOR ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY

Dear God, we praise you and thank you that you are the giver of all that is good and worthwhile and that you have created gifts of entertainment to be used in your world. We ask that you will inspire and encourage all who work in theatres, television and radio.We pray for all those working in the entertainment business, including actors as they bring drama to life, comedians as they remind us how to laugh, dancers as they provide elegance and beauty and singers as they offer the wonder of music. We pray that all entertainment will be used as a tool for understanding, healing, relaxation, enriching and to express your love for humanity. Amen.

For Further information please contact Chris Gidney 07803 050714/chris@cieweb.org.uk/www.cieweb.org.uk