News from Australia -  and around the world

INDEX

AUSTRALIA:
1. JESUS MARCH TELECAST ON ACC   (Squawk Newsletter)
2. NINTH U.C. ASSEMBLY MEETS IN ADELAIDE  (Assembly Update)
3. PRESBYTERIANS BOYCOTT PILGRIMAGE  (Southern Cross)
4. EXTRA $2 MILLION TO CATHEDRAL FUND  (Focus-Qld)
5. BIKER PREACHERS ON BULLY-FREE ENVIRONMENT (The Queensland Bapt)
6. LOCAL TEMPLETON WINNERS    (Insights-NSW)

OVERSEAS:
7. DRUMCREE STATEMENT FROM ARCHBISHOP  (The Church of Ireland)
8. BAPTISTS IN SIBERIA THREATENED WITH ARREST (Keston News Service)
9. CHURCH CONCERN IN PACIFIC ISLANDS   (Methodist Recorder-UK)
10. UK GOVERNMENT FAILING ON MARRIAGE   (C of E Newspaper-UK)
11. PNG REQUIRES 'BETTER DEAL'    (Focus-Qld-Aust)
12. ACDP CONGRATULATES SALVATION ARMY  (ACDP-South Africa)
13. EQUALITY PLANS: LEGAL 'NIGHTMARE'  (Christian Institute-UK)
14. RESPONDING TO SALVATION MESSAGE  (Challenge Weekly-NZ)
15. EJECTED 'SURVIVOR' PREACHES AS HE LEAVES  (Charisma News Service)

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1. JESUS MARCH TELECAST ON ACC   (Squawk Newsletter)
In a first for The Australian Christian Channel, the Sydney 'March for
Jesus' was telecast live, replacing regular programming for over five hours.
Producers Ian Cook and Daryl Rogers assembled a 55-strong crew, including
Directors Ron Anderson and Peter Moss, for the 10 June event.  After an
hour-long interview program, four crews moved among the crowds, collecting
footage for edited march packages for airing.  A studio was set-up in a
Stadium Australia commentary box

2. NINTH U.C. ASSEMBLY MEETS IN ADELAIDE  (Assembly Update)
The Ninth Assembly of the Uniting Church will meet in Adelaide from Saturday
15 July until Saturday 22 July.  Highlights will include the opening
service, in which the installation of James Haire as the Ninth President of
the Uniting Church in Australia will take place on Saturday evening 15 July.
The launch of the theme "Here we are.?.send us" will take place on Sunday
afternoon and there will be a report by the Rev. John Mavor as the outgoing
President on Monday morning.  Four Bible studies will be led by Geof
Lilburne and Deidre Palmer and there will be greetings from some of the 38
overseas guests throughout the Assembly;

3. PRESBYTERIANS BOYCOTT PILGRIMAGE  (Southern Cross)
The Rev Bruce Christian, head of the Presbyterian Church, declined to attend
the Pilgrimage to the Heart.  “The reason I felt uncomfortable was that I
wasn't sure the gospel would be central to reconciliation,” said Mr
Christian. “For Christians, the thrust of reconciliation must be to God
first through faith in Christ." He was also concerned that visiting the
'sacred' Uluru site may offend Christian Aboriginals who no longer see it as
sacred.  Mr Christian said he was already committed to the March For Jesus,
held at the same time as the pilgrimage, which included a 'much better
expression of reconciliation'

4. EXTRA $2 MILLION TO CATHEDRAL FUND  (Focus-Qld)
The West Front of St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane, will be
completed on schedule in 2006, following the Federal Government’s decision
to allocate a further $2 million to the project.  The Government had already
allocated $2 million, but Prime Minister John Howard last month decided to
double the funding because of the national significance of the Cathedral.
However, fundraising will continue to complete other major work, such as the
two west towers and the millennium windows.  Archbishop Peter Hollingworth
said he warmly welcomed the funding and thanked the Government, especially
Mr Howard and Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, for its support.
Meanwhile, organisers of the annual Loaves and Fishes luncheon at the
Cathedral on June 14 were overwhelmed by the generosity of the 470 people in
attendance.  The function, which featured an address by Mr Anderson, raised
more than $100,000 – almost double that of last year’s luncheon.  The
completion fund committee is aiming to raise $25 million by 2006 and
requires about $11.5 million to reach this target.

5. BIKER PREACHERS ON BULLY-FREE ENVIRONMENT (The Queensland Bapt)
The Rev. Rhys McFadden and Byron Hill, representing the Baptist Union of
Queensland and the Christian Motorcycle Club, “The God Squad” have hosted
Real Life Seminars in high schools, throughout Central Queensland.  Arriving
on their Harley Davidsons, they immediately had the attention of the
students and found it gave them acceptance as they conducted their seminars.
They aimed at helping the students understand the issues of the growing
problem of bullying and the need to “pursue positive options in the face of
harassment”.   McFadden told local media that the issues they discussed with
the students included “love, abuse, sexuality, values, peer pressure,
choices, rights, drugs, options, bullying and stress”.

6. LOCAL TEMPLETON WINNERS    (Insights-NSW)
Stephen Coleman, a member of the Goulburn Uniting Church in New South Wales,
has won a Templeton Course prize for advancing Science and Religion in the
academic field.  He will travel to San Francisco with Associate Professor
the Rev. Dr Stephen Pickard, an Anglican priest – also from Charles Sturt
University School of Theology.  The award-winning Science and Religion
course – “Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Issues” is a totally
online subject – the first to receive the $10,000 Templeton Prize.

7. DRUMCREE STATEMENT FROM ARCHBISHOP  (The Church of Ireland)
The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland, the Most Rev Dr Robin Eames
issued a statement on Tuesday in which he declared: “At this time of tension
throughout Northern Ireland I appeal to everyone to exercise genuine
restraint in word and action. I deplore and condemn any words or actions
which could further heighten tension or encourage confrontation within the
community, particularly in Portadown.  I am well aware of the depth of
feeling at this time and I urge everyone to act within the law and to think
carefully of the consequences of their actions.  I call on those who hold
Christian convictions to pray for a peaceful and just outcome to this
dispute as I applaud the integrity of efforts which are being made to
resolve the problem.”  He concluded his statement by saying: “The Church of
Ireland cannot and will not condone any word or action which encourages
violence, intimidation or disrespect for the things of God.”

8. BAPTISTS IN SIBERIA THREATENED WITH ARREST (Keston News Service)
Members of a Baptist church in remote Siberia have been threatened with
arrest for handing out free religious literature.  The warning came from
local police after local Baptists in Tura offered Bibles, New Testaments and
other Christian publications to people at the municipal library, and in the
town center, according to a report by the Keston News Service (KNS).  Called
to the local police station for questioning after complaints by an Orthodox
priest and a passer-by, the group was told that because it was not
registered with local authorities, it was prohibited from distributing
literature in public places.  The Baptists in Tura, the regional capital,
are part of the Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians/Baptists and
refuse to register with authorities.

9. CHURCH CONCERN IN PACIFIC ISLANDS   (Methodist Recorder-UK)
Increasing concern is being expressed in England, by Church mission and
development agencies about the situation in the Solomon Islands after more
than a week of fighting by ethnic groups.  They are backing calls for an end
to the conflict and for the Churches to be allowed to take a leading role in
helping to resolve it.  The Pacific Forum of the Churches¹ Commission on
Mission, part of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), is
responding to the Anglican Archbishop of Melanesia, the Rt Rev Ellison Pogo,
who is calling on all sides to lay down their weapons. Archbishop Pogo says
the international community could play a leading role in the restoration of
peace.

10. UK GOVERNMENT FAILING ON MARRIAGE   (C of E Newspaper-UK)
Just as Britain’s Prime Minister appears to be courting Christian voters,
one of the Church of England's most senior bishops accused the Government of
abandoning its duty to support marriage.  The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt
Rev Michael Scott-Joynt said that the Churches had been "hopeful that the
government would prove explicitly supportive of marriage both in fiscal and
other supportive provisions and more generally in its language and perceived
stance," said the Bishop, who chairs the Church of England's working party
on marriage. However the Government has scrapped the married couple's tax
allowance and concentrated on 'stable relationships' rather than marriage.
One "very revealing" passage from the Government's Green Paper Supporting
Families said “the Government should not try to make people marry or
penalise those who choose not to”, adding that “to try to do so would be
wrong because it would mean interfering in peoples' lives.”

11. PNG REQUIRES 'BETTER DEAL'    (Focus-Qld-Aust)
The Anglican Synod in Australia, has called on the Anglican Board of Mission
to continue to send financial support for the running of churches in Papua
New Guinea – as well as development projects – and improve its consultation
with partner churches.  ABM recently changed its PNG grants policy to focus
on development projects, rather than the running of churches.  It will phase
in the changes over four years.  But north Brisbane priest, the Reverend Tom
Hall, said he had been told by ACPNG Primate, Archbishop James Ayong, that
this would have dire consequences for the Church’s ministry and that he had
grave concerns about the Church’s future.  "They need 20 years to become
self-sufficient," he said.  Fr Hall said Archbishop Ayong had told him there
were at least 130 parishes in rural areas of PNG that had no cash incomes.

12. ACDP CONGRATULATES SALVATION ARMY  (ACDP-South Africa)
Cheryllyn Dudley MP of the African Christian Democratic Party in South
Africa, extended thanks to the Salvation Army on the occasion of its 113th
year anniversary on Wednesday, July 5, through a statement read in
Parliament.  “The international charity was started in London by Christian
evangelist William Booth in 1887 and presently operates in over 109
countries worldwide. In South Africa the Salvation Army runs homes for the
homeless, children, AIDS babies and the elderly.  The Salvation Army is just
one example of the literally millions of Christian-run charities and NGOs in
the world today.”

13. EQUALITY PLANS: LEGAL 'NIGHTMARE'  (Christian Institute-UK)
Church leaders in the United Kingdom may face legal action for employing
Christian staff if a proposed European Employment Directive gets the
go-ahead.  The Christian Institute which has launched its biggest-ever
campaign to stop a "legal nightmare" for religious groups is contacting
13,000 church leaders, urging them to write to Tony Blair about their
concerns.  The Christian Institute claims that: ”The Government is about to
sign up to a European employment directive that would make it illegal for
organisations to refuse to employ an individual because of that individual's
religious views or sexual orientation. Religious groups could be forced to
employ atheists or practising homosexuals in key positions in their
organisations. Church schools will have to employ teachers who oppose the
religious teachings of the denomination.  There are some protections for
religious groups, but they are limited to posts like a church minister or a
religious education teacher in a Church school.”

14. RESPONDING TO SALVATION MESSAGE  (Challenge Weekly-NZ)
Ninety Christian young people from the Teen Mania outreach organisation in
the USA are in New Zealand with a passion for evangelism.  They are
travelling throughout our country performing evangelistic dramas in schools,
public squares and challenging people on the street with the gospel of Jesus
Christ.  In one week of ministry these 14-18 year olds have talked to or
performed a drama for 2429 people.  Teen Mania programme co-director
Christie Culp says they have seen a total of 78 people come to the Lord.
"For the western world I believe we are seeing a great response in terms of
people being willing to talk about spiritual things and receive salvation,"
says Miss Culp.

15. EJECTED 'SURVIVOR' PREACHES AS HE LEAVES  (Charisma News Service)
Dirk Been, the 24-year-old dairy farmer who became the fifth person ejected
from CBS' top-rated "Survivor" castaway TV contest, dismissed suggestions
that his open Christian faith had played a part in his being voted off the
island.  Mr Been from Spring Green, Wis., who was seen having devotional
times and witnessing to others during earlier episodes, said that other team
members had not been irritated by his stand. "It [just] comes off like that
in the show," he said. But "when we were in conversation or debating our
views, I would let it be known how I felt."  He left behind his Bible after
being voted off. "Just in case anybody else needed it."