Barnabas Aid May/June 2012

8/2/2019 Barnabas Aid May/June 2012

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MAY/JUNE 2012

THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.org

IN THIS ISSUE

The Trinity:one God in three

Persons

Partnershipwith the persecuted:

lessons from

Philippians

New threatto Nigerias Christians:

eradication from

the North


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To order these books, please visit

www.barnabasfund.org/shop.

Alternatively, please contact

your nearest Barnabas Fund

ofce (addresses on back cover).Cheques for the UK should be

made payable to Barnabas Fund.

In this issue, we promote a new devotional resource featuringthe moving stories of Christians who have been martyred fortheir faith, a new booklet about the Muslim Isa (Jesus), and acollection of essays that explores ideological conicts.

7.99

0.50

RESOURCES

9.99

5.99


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WELCOME FROMTHE DIRECTOR

Esthr, th 16-yar-ld daughtr

a Christian pastr in Uzbkistan,

was brutally batn by th plicuntil sh was uncnscius bcaus sh tid

t pvnt thm m haassing h ath.

Sh sud appalling injuis and is nw in

a whlchai.

A small Brthrn assmbly in nrth-ast

Knya has sn tw its mmbs mudd

in a th-mnth pid, nt lng at a

Bthn chuch-plant in Uganda had bn

killd.

Ugandan Past Uma Mulind, wh

sught t stand up his aith, was butally

attackd with acid in th ac, and his y wasbadly damagd.

Ths cnt stis a but a w

ampls th gwing catalgu dath,

injuy and sh butality that is bing mtd

ut t Chistians in many pats th wld.

Thy ais a qustin: why? Why ds Gd

allw His ppl t su t such a dg?

Why ds H nt intrvn? Why is H silnt?

Th ppht Habakkuk in chapt 1

his bk aiss a simila qustin. In vs

1 h is dscibd as a psn wh saw

a budn (NKJV). Th Hbw wd

Gds acls, which was tn usd by th

pphts, als mans budns. Th budn

that Gd causd Habakkuk t s was that

his ppl bing cushd by a butal invading

rc. Thir surings wuld b appalling. H

cis t Gd, but Gd sms t b silnt (1:2).

This is all the more difcult for Habakkuk to

cmphnd sinc h knws that Gd lvs

His ppl. S hw can a lving Gd bing

allw such butality ths H lvs?

Habakkuks qustin is natual, h

lvs his Gd and h lvs his ppl. Many

hav aisd th distubing issu suing,whth it b th ppht Jb Jsus u

Saviu dying n th css with th cy, My

Gd, My Gd, why hav Yu sakn M?

(Matthw 27:46). Th apstl Paul and his

cmpanins wr burdnd bynd masur,

abv stngth, s that w dspaid vn

li (2 Crinthians 1:8, NKJV). Burdn quals

prssur, and th prssur can b s havy that

ns vy li is squzd ut by it.Chistians tday wh su pssus

that sm bynd thi ability t ba sldm

qustin thi cicumstancs. It is ths us

watching m th utsid wh ask why. It

wuld b asy t shut ur ys t what is taking

plac simply bcaus w cannt bar t s th

suring ur brthrs and sistrs. But i it is

Gd wh causs us t s ths vnts and i it

is H wh placs ths budns upn us, thn

can w ightly vad thm? In 2 Cinthians

1 Paul uss his pinc immns, li-

crushing prssur t cmmunicat t thrs ind t ncuag thi pay and suppt.

Is Gd ally silnt? In chapt 2

Habakkuk dcids that h will watch t s

what Gd will say t him (2:1). B lng

h is ady t spak Gd bing in His hly

tmpl with all th arth in silnc br Him

(2:20). In chapt 3 Habakkuk dscibs Gd

as a maching amy that will vanquish ths

wh hav prscutd and brutalisd His ppl

and dliv His ppl in th ultimat victy.

In chaptr 2 h had alrady sn th rmarkabl

vision of the day when the earth shall be lled

with knwldg th glry th Lrd as th

wats cv th sa (2:14).

But what nw? Nw w must liv

with uncertainty and potential difculties: the

barren g tree and vine, the empty cattle stall

(3:17-18). But thugh th Ld may sm

silnt, H is wking His pupss ut, bth

amng th pscutd chuchs and amng

us, His wn gly, in which w shall sha

n day.

In th wds th ancint Litugy

St Jams:

Let all mortal esh keep silence,and with a and tmbling stand;

Pnd nthing athly-mindd,

with blssing in his hand,

Chist u Gd t ath dscndth

u ull hmag t dmand.*

D Patick Skhd

Intnatinal Dict

To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments, names may have been changed or omitted. Thank you for your understanding.

Front cover: These Afghan Christian refugees are assisted in another country by Barnabas Fund

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission for stories and images used in this publication. Barnabas Fundapologises for any errors or omissions and will be grateful for any further information regarding copyright.

Barnabas Fund 2012

ContentsBuilding up faith through Bibles

and books; care for pastors

daughter beaten by police

4 Compassion in Action

Genocidal anti-Christian violence

in Nigeria; shadow of sharia in

Tunisia

8 Newsdesk

What does the Bible say about the

Trinity?

PULL-OUT Equipping the Church

Petition makes strong start;

schools receive Christian

resources from Barnabas Fund11 Campaigns

Qatar: key player in the Arab

Spring

12 Analysis

Partnership in Philippi and withBarnabas

14 Biblical Refection

Barnabas UK Supporters Days,

June

16 In Touch

Imprisoned and intimidated in Iran

18 Learning from the PersecutedChurch

The paper used in thispublication comes from

sustainable forests and

can be 100% recycled

The Silence of God

* tanslatd by Gad Multi

3BARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


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how barnabasCOMPASSIONIN ACTION

Im feeling a little bit better thanthe way I came in. The doctorsare doing very hard to make meimprove every day. Ugandan pastorUmar Mulinde said this during therst weeks of his stay in an Israeli

medical centre where, with help fromBarnabas, he was receiving acuteand rehabilitative care for the burnshe suffered in an acid attack.

Over half of the skin grafts that burnspecialists have placed on to theburned tissue have been successful.At the time of writing eye doctorshave delayed a decision on whether

to remove his right eye, becauseUmar has started to see some lightand shade through it.

Last Christmas a man ung the

burning liquid on his face, neck andface, severely damaging his righteye. The attacker ran away shoutingAllah Akbar [god is great]. Umar,who came from a strict Muslimfamily and was a sheikh before hededicated his life to Christ, thinks

that the attack was prompted byhis outspoken warnings against theintroduction of sharia to Uganda.

We have seen livelihoods improvedas families who were previouslyunable to feed themselves nowhave surplus to sell. Thanks to ourlatest training grant to Christians inZimbabwe, over 4,800 throughoutthe country have learnt a simplebut innovative farming method. Byapplying it, they were able to providefor their families, thus helping 20,000Christians break free from hungerand poverty.

They learnt the method from 24trainers, who travelled many milesthroughout all ten provinces ofZimbabwe to share their knowledgeand help their suffering compatriots.Barnabas Fund paid their salariesfor one year. The agricultural trainingis combined with sound teaching inChristian principles of discipleship.

Through a recent grant Barnabas isalso helping to feed 1,500 orphans,

who live at ve orphanages. Wealso support many widows throughon-going feeding programmes.

You came at just the right timefor us. You arrived at 4pm and myfamily had no food to eat for dinner.Thank you for coming at the righttime. A grateful Christian mothersaid this to a local church member,who had brought them sustenance.

Barnabas stepped up our feedingprogrammes in Egypt after the ArabSpring of 2011. Sadly, the uprisinghas brought deepening povertyresulting from high ination, as

well as increased political powerfor Islamists and greater violenceagainst Christians. In one of theadditional programmes added sincethe Arab Spring, Barnabas sent51,000 (US$80,000; 61,000) tohelp Egyptian churches provide foodto over 3,000 vulnerable Christianfamilies who are living in areas thathave been particularly affected bythe revolution.

The total sent for feeding in Egypt in2011 was 186,000 (US$294,000;222,000).

Specialist care forUgandan convertpastor after acidattack

Zimbabwe:long-term andimmediate food

Relieving hungerof beleagueredChristians in Egypt

Projectreference00-3

45

(VictimsofViolenceFund)

Projectreferences91-7

51(farm

ingtraining)

and91-7

21(feeding)

Projectreference

11-2

20

3,311 for medical

expenses

(US$5,200; 4,000)

38,109 for feeding orphans

(US$60,300; 45,700)

49,800 for teaching

farming methods

(US$78,700; 59,700)

51,000 for food(US$80,600; 61,100)

4 BARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


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is helpingCOMPASSIONIN ACTION

Some rare good news has come outof Indonesia! Horale, a beleagueredChristian village, has won animportant legal battle. BarnabasFund is supporting them by payingthe legal costs.

We reported in 2008 on thedestruction of this remotecommunity by a Muslim mob froma neighbouring village, who burntdown 120 houses and torched threechurches, killed four Christiansand wounded another 56. Oursupporters generously helped at thetime with the rebuilding of the guttedChristian homes and other buildings.

Soon after the attack, the Christian

villagers faced more opposition inthe form of a lawsuit brought by theother village that contested theirownership of the land. The caseeventually went to the SupremeCourt and in early 2012, almost fouryears after the assault, Indonesiashighest court ruled that the landbelongs to the Christian inhabitants.Since Horales villagers are mainlyimpoverished farmers who earnabout 150-200 (US$240-310;

180-230) per year, Barnabas Fundhas covered the balance of the legalfees.

Twelve converts from Islam (ve

of them ministry leaders) are nowsupporting themselves through a

translation agency in St. Petersburgthat Barnabas helped them to start.All have emigrated from CentralAsian countries where the pressureon Christians, especially thosefrom a Muslim background, canbe severe. Using the languagesof their homelands, they have askill that enables them to supportthemselves.

The group plans to use some of the

prots from the agency to enableother Christian migrants in theirchurch set up a new business.

Studying at university level is anunheard of achievement for manyyoung, talented Christians aroundthe world. Their families are so poor,often due to discrimination, that theyhave no possibly of paying the fees.Sometimes Christian applicantsare unjustly blocked from entrancebecause of their faith (see details ofa recent case in Pakistan onpage 10).

This is why Barnabas helpsChristians living in contexts ofpersecution to attend university; byhelping some to obtain professionalskills we can strengthen an entireChristian community. In 2011,we supported 142 students inIndonesia, Iraq, Pakistan and

Syria to study subjects such asengineering, accountancy, businessand medicine.

The entire time at the medicalschool and hospital has reallyhelped me learn the clinical skillsand to be a true ambassador[for Christ] being a doctor, saidAmbrose, about to graduate fromuniversity in Pakistan. Also an activeworship and youth leader, he gave

thanks to God for using him for Hisglory in the specic capacities andduties and places He has assigned.

Christian villagewins lawsuit

Russia: self-

sufciency forconverts in ministry

Helping victimisedChristians graduate

Projectreference

22-7

53


56

(SmallBusinessStart-upFund)


031

(StudentSupportFund)

Our brothers and sisters in Christ tell us timeand again how encouraged they are by thehelp they have received from Barnabas Fund.Through your support you are sending thema message of love in their time of need. Thankyou! These and the following pages presentjust a sample of the many ways you are helping

persecuted Christians. Please pray as you read.

12,224 for legal fees

(US$19,300; 14,600)

3,427 for translation

agency start-up costs

(US$5,400; 4,100)



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COMPASSIONIN ACTION

bringing hope,

Medical help for Christian teenagerbeaten by police in Uzbekistan

Esthers family were not at home on 21 May2011 when three policemen arrived on theirdoorstep. Both her brother and her father, apastor, had recently been arrested and held incustody for several days. Their house had alsobeen searched and all literature conscated, a

frequent occurrence for Christians in Uzbekistan.

The 16 year-old schoolgirl told them nobodywas at home. When one of the ofcers tried to

break into their car, Esther attempted to stophim, because she knew that the police oftenplant drugs or illegal literature in the property ofChristians to provide a pretext for arresting them.The ofcer bent her arms, grabbed her by the hair

and repeatedly smashed her head against a walland on the car until she lost consciousness. Hermother found her lying alone beside the car.

When the medical staff at a local hospital heardshe had been beaten by police they werereluctant to help her and even more so when they

heard she was a Christian. That same night thepolice came to the hospital, and soon afterwardsthe doctors asked Esther to leave. After beingturned away from another state hospital, monthsof fruitless visits to private hospitals followed;although she was diagnosed with severe injuriesto the brain, the medical treatment she received

was inadequate. Her parents decided to take herto Russia for an operation. The Russian medicalstaff were horried by her condition and said it

was a miracle she could still move parts of herbody.

Esther has now started on the long road back torecovery. Although she is only starting to regainreexes in her hands or feet, she is learning to

walk again. Barnabas Fund is helping pay themedical bills, which her parents could not affordeven after selling their car, computer and other

appliances. The family are standing strong in faithdespite continued harassment from authorities.

The church brings us greatcomfort and solace.Mrs Chandrakala, a Sri Lankan Christian

Five newly constructed church buildings inthe north of Sri Lanka now contain ourishing

congregations. Their original buildings had beendestroyed during the civil war. Christians tell ofjoyfully gathering in their simple but beautiful

churches to praise and worship the Lord. Eachchurch also has a new pastors house builtalongside it.

After returning to their war-torn villages in 2009,some Christians gathered for worship in homes,while others were reduced to meeting in wattleand daub huts or in small groups under trees.During heavy rains, those worshipping in hutshad to break off their services as the oors got too

muddy for them to sit on mats.

Ananthan Yalinis congregation is in a Hindu-majority area. She told us, We prayed in earnestto God as we did not have a church to worshipin our area. Even though we resettled in ourown areas after being displaced, we were stillworshipping in a temporary structure. The presentchurch constructed brings much joy and refuge.This church is a great blessing in our village.Christians in Sri Lanka regularly experience

discrimination, harassment and even violence, butthe involvement of the Christians in communitylife in this village is drawing new believers to thechurch.

Barnabas has funded 75% of the constructioncosts of seven churches with attached pastorshouses, two of which are still being built. A furthergrant is helping to build another ten churches.Altogether there is an estimated need for at least100 churches.

Project reference 00-345

(Victims of Violence Fund)

Project reference 85-927

3,600 for medical costs(US$5,683; 4,300)

Sri Lanka: new churches reunite

shattered congregations

74,022 for seven churchbuildings with attachedpastors houses(US$117,000; 88,700)



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COMPASSIONIN ACTION

transforming livesOwn-language resources: lifelines for persecuted

Christians

Christian literature:

10,000 in Burma(US$15,800; 12,000)

43,021 in Kyrgyzstan(US$68,000; 51,580)

3,500 in Turkey(US$5,500; 4,200)

17,824 in Kenya and Tanzania(US$28,200; 21,400)

Project references00-360 (Christian Literature Fund)

00-362 (Bibles and Scriptures Fund)

Until recently Lhaovo Christians in Burma didnot have a Bible they could read in their ownlanguage and unique writing system. The veryfew that had owned a foreign-language Biblelost them when the Burmese army came totheir villages, destroying and burning. Last yearBarnabas Fund enabled the printing of GodsWord in Lhaovo. At the time a partner let us knowthat Lhaovo pastors are thrilled that these Biblesare being printed and are higly anticipating theirarrival into Burma. Early this year Barnabas

partner brought them a truck full of the Bibles.

A childrens magazine is written, translated andmade available in three Central Asian countriesin their own languages. In Kyrgyzstan, whereit is forbidden to distribute Christian resources inpublic places, this is the only Christian magazineavailable in the Kyrgyz language. Althoughintended for children and full of pictures, riddlesand crossword puzzles, many parents are just asexcited to get a copy as their children. Particularlyin remote areas the bi-monthly magazine is read

out loud to the whole family and entire churchgroups. A grandmother wrote to the editors, Idlike to receive a new issue every month. Im

reading it also for my own. But sometimes mygrandchildren are taking it out of my hands inorder to read it for their own. This magazine isvery helpful to grow in faith.

In Kenya and Tanzania Barnabas helpedprovide a pastors book pack to 500 pastors andother Christian leaders. Each pack containedover 60 books and booklets. Many of the leadersare ministering in isolation in the Muslim-majoritycoastal and north-eastern areas of Kenya where

Christian resources are scarce. One of thedistributors wrote, The tremendous response tothe project by the pastors and church leaders hasbeen overwhelming. More and more pastors arecalling in wanting to know when the next bookdistribution will be held.

This book will be a great encouragement tothe believers and it will take them deeper anddeeper in Christ, wrote our Christian partner inTurkey about the devotional My Utmost forHis Highestby Oswald Chambers. Last year it

was translated into Turkish and handed out free tobelievers. Barnabas is paying for a reprint.

Persecuted Christiansare often starved of goodChristian resources in theirown language. This is why

Barnabas Fund is activein translating, printing anddistributing Christian booksand DVDs. We provided1,480,834 pieces of Christianliterature, including Bibles,New Testaments and otherScriptures, to persecutedChristians in the past twoyears.



8/24

NEWSDESK

SHArIA LAW ToGoVerN TUNISIA

UNDer DrAfTCoNSTITUTIoN

TUNISIA:Post-revolution Tunisia

is moving in an increasingly Islamistdirection with a draft constitutionthat denotes sharia as the principalsource of legislation.

Popular List, a party in coalitionwith the main Islamist party, Ennahda,

which took the largest share of thevote in the elections for the NationalConstituent Assembly in October,has been tasked with drawing up thecountrys new constitution.

Shortly after Ennahdas electionvictory, in an apparent attempt toreassure secularists, leader RachidGhannouchi said that the firstarticle of the Tunisian constitutionshould remain unchanged, and inNovember 2011 he said, There will

be no other references to religion inthe constitution. But Popular Listfounder Hachmi Hamdi said that the

draft was more Islamic than expected

because the public that voted for usis a conservative public that wantssharia as the principal source of theconstitution.

In addition, a self-appointedcommittee for the promotion of virtue

and prevention of vice has beengiven legal status by the Tunisiangovernment, further frustratingWestern hopes that the revolutionwould lead to the establishment ofa secular democracy in Tunisia. Thecommittee, called Centrist Association

for Awareness and Reform (CAAR),states that its objective is to call oncitizens to be righteous and followsharia. The name of the newly-formed

organisation relates to a Quranic verse

commanding good and forbidding evil,which is enshrined in sharia as thebasic duty of an Islamic society.

BoKo HArAM DeCLAreS IT WILL erADICATeCHrISTIANS froM PArTS of NIGerIA

NIGERIA:Militant Islamist group

Boko Haram has declared war onChristians in Nigeria, saying that theyare planning coordinated attacks toeradicate Christians from certainparts of the country.

On Sunday 4 March a spokesman

for Boko Haram said, We will createso much effort to end the Christianpresence in our push to have a proper

Islamic state that the Christians wontbe able to stay.

Boko Harams actions over recent

months indicate that this is no idlethreat, with churches in Jos beingtargeted by suicide bombers. At leastten people were killed after explosives

were detonated at the gates of a

church on Sunday 11 March, while

on 26 February two women and an18-month-old child were killed andaround 50 people were injured as avehicle exploded three metres fromthe Church of Christ headquarters.

On 6 March, two days after issuing

the threat to eradicate Christians aspart of their campaign of terror, thespokesman also said that the groupwould put into action new efforts tostrike fear into the Christians of thepower of Islam by kidnapping their

women. He said that they would notharm or sexually assault the womenbut would demand as ransom thatthe families leave our Islamic areas.

Pastor freed after

13 yearsLAOS: Bounchan Kanthavong,a pastor in Laos, was set free on2 February after being locked upfor nearly 13 years because of hisChristian activities.

Bounchan had been introducedto Christianity in January 1997 whenhe spent the night with a Christianfamily while away on business. When

he returned to his home in Vanghai

village, Udomsai province, he beganto spread his new faith. People cameto his clothing shop from

other villages, keen tohear and embrace theGospel. Bounchanswitness led to around 70

people accepting Christ.

The Lao authoritiesrepeatedly warnedhim to stop believing,practising and spreading the Christian

faith and ordered him to ceaseall worship activities at the shop.They were concerned about people

leaving the traditional Lao religion(spirit worship), embracing a foreignreligion and becoming loyal to apower other than the Lao authorities.Bounchans actions were perceivedas a threat to national security, and inJune 1999 he was arrested. He wasthen sentenced to twelve years in jailfor treason and sedition.

Bounchan is married with ve

children. Following his detention,his wife Sengkham took over the

leadership of theirChristian community,which has grownto more than 3,000believers today. In April2011, the authoritiestold Bounchan that they

were willing to releasehim if he renounced

Christ and separated from Sengkham,

but he clearly did not as his detentionwas prolonged.

Bounchanswitness led

to around 70people accepting

Christ



9/24

NEWSDESK

CHUrCHeS TArGeTeD, CHrISTIANS ArreSTeD

IRAN: Christians have beentargeted in a recent wave of arrestsand persecution in Iran. During theearly months of 2012, a number ofChristians were rounded up and

held in custody, including a 78-year-old woman. House churches andregistered churches have been

raided, and Christians were seized intheir homes and workplaces.

In addition, two registeredchurches that hold Friday servicesin Farsi in Tehran have been ordered

to stop doing so. The pastors ofEmmanuel Protestant Church andSt Peter Evangelical Church were

issued with the order by the Ministryof Intelligence and Security andannounced it to their congregationson 10 February. It is thought that this is

the latest attempt to prevent Muslimsfrom hearing the Gospel in their ownlanguage, as Farsi is spoken by theMuslim majority in Iran.

There are now no Christianservices in Farsi on Fridays in anyofcially registered church in the

capital. The order was not appliedto Sundays, but Friday is the mainweekly holiday in Iran, and it can bedifcult for people to attend church

on any other day because of workcommitments.

In a separate case, theIranian authorities have given anunprecedented penalty to a Christianconvert from Islam. Fatemeh Nouri,an art student at a university in Tehran,

was given a sentence of deprivationof education for one year followingcharges of attending a housechurch, insulting sacred gures and

activities against national security.She had been arrested at her homein September 2011 and spent nearlythree months behind bars.

CHrISTIANS SUfferING IN SYrIA

SYRIA: Christians in Syriacontinue to suffer grievously in the

conict between President Assadstroops and anti-government forces.On Sunday 18 March a violentexplosion rocked the Christianquarter of Aleppo, Syrias secondcity, killing three people and causingdevastation. This attack was one oftwo bombings in the Christian area,though otherwise there has been little

violence in Aleppo, and another bomb

was detonated in the Christian sectorof Damascus. A Christian leader said,

We pray to God that Christians wouldnot be targeted and become a victim

and scapegoat of what is going on.At the height of the ghting in

Homs in February, Barnabas Fundreceived reports of Christians beingused as human shields by theanti-government Free Syrian Army(FSA). Around 70 homes belonging to

Christians were invaded and pillagedby the opposition forces; they also

occupied an evangelical school andhome for the elderly, which were

then shelled by the army. Christiansin Homs have suffered kidnappingsand gruesome murders., Almost theentire Christian population of the city,some 60,000 people, have ed and

are now homeless and jobless.Following the announcement on

1 March that the FSA would pull outof Homs, a major humanitarian relief

effort got underway to help residentswho were without power in freezing

weather and in desperate need offood and basics. Prices had rocketed,

supplies were running low, and often itwas too dangerous to go out.

On Wednesday 29 February, abomb fell on the roof of an 81-year-old female church worker. She wasnot in the room at the time.

Barnabas Fund is working directly

with Christian partners in the countryto get emergency aid to needyChristians throughout Syria, especially

in and around Homs. Please senddonations to the Middle East Fund

(project reference 00-1032).

We pray to God that Christians would not be targeted

and become a victim and scapegoat of what is going on.

House churches and registered churches

have been raided, and Christians wereseized in their homes and workplaces.



10/24

NEWSDESK

Pastor released from labour camP

TURKMENISTAN:PastorIlmurad Nurliev (46) was unexpectedly

set free from a labour camp inTurkmenistan along with around 230other detainees in a presidentiallydecreed amnesty to mark Flag Dayon 19 February.

Pastor Nurliev was arrested inAugust 2010 and given a four-yearsentence on charges of swindling.His congregation insisted that thesecharges were fabricated to punish him

for leading the unregistered church.Barnabas Fund sent fnancial support

to buy food, clothes and medicinefor the pastor, who is diabetic, andhelp with legal costs when he was

imprisoned. His wife Maya said, Hisrelease was so unexpected It is

such a joy I cant tell you. However,Pastor Nurliev must still report to thepolice every Saturday evening.

Despite this good news, BegjanShirmedov (77) was detained on 3February by a religious affairs ofcial

and questioned for six hours bypolice after he tried to print copies ofa small book of his Christian poetry.He was forced to write a statementand banned from travelling outsidehis home region of Dashoguz in

northern Turkmenistan while the caseis investigated.

PreSSUre oNCHrISTIAN GroUPS

KAZAKHSTAN:Hundreds ofsmall religious groups have recentlybeen stripped of their registrationin Kazakhstan as a senior religiousaffairs ofcial says that their activity

is now banned under new rulesintended further to restrict religiousfreedom in the country.

Kairat Lama Sharif, chair ofthe Agency of Religious Affairs,described the 13% fall in the numberof officially-recognised religious

groups as a positive dynamic in thesystematisation of the total number ofreligious associations. He said thatthe number would probably decrease

further as the new Religion Law isenforced.

A number of local congregationsfrom a range of Christiandenominations are among the 579religious groups that have beenderegistered. A religious group mustnow have at least 50 adult membersto be registered, and leaders ofsmall churches have received ofcial

warnings to stop their activity and hand

back their registration certifcates. For

many it will not be possible to collect

the 50 signatures required, becausethey do not have sufcient members

or at least not enough willing to givetheir personal details to the authorities.

Small churches are still meetingfor services, but they face harassment

from the state. A representative ofone church said, Now our believersare afraid each time they gather forworship We are worried aboutpossible punishments from theauthorities.

In addition, churches have beenraided, leaders ned and Christian

literature confiscated in recentmonths. In just one example fromFebruary 2012, Aleksei Asetov, afather of ten, was ned 485,400

tenge (2,060; US$3,300; 2,440) an estimated average local wagefor 18 months for leading a smallunregistered church that meets inhis home in Ekibastuz in PavlodarRegion. Aleksei is the fourth Christian

known to have been ned since the

harsh new Religion Law and changes

to another associated law came intoforce in October 2011.

CHrISTIAN STUDeNTDeNIeD exTrA MArKSAWArDeD To MUSLIMS

PAKISTAN:A Christian student

missed out on a place at state medical

school under the discriminatorysystem in Pakistan that awards anextra 20 marks to Muslims who havememorised the Quran.

Haroon Arif, fromDera Ghazi Khan inPunjab, got A grades inboth his matriculationand intermediate exams

but was just 0.0255% offthe mark required in hisfnal aggregate to attend

a government-run medical university.He argued that his knowledge ofthe Bible was equivalent to that ofa Muslim who had memorised theQuran, and that he should thereforequalify for the extra 20 marks theyreceive; this would boost his nal

result by about 2%.Haroon tried to show the

university his three certicates in

Bible education, but the authoritiessaid they had no policy to acceptthem. Mohammad Atif, head of publicaffairs at the University of Health

Sciences, which conducts the medical

tests, said, We realise this is againsthuman rights and have debated a loton this policy, since minorities arebeing marginalised but we followgovernment orders.

Haroon took thecase to court with thehelp of a human rightsorganisation, arguingthat his rights had been

violated. He submitted aletter from the Church of

Pakistan and one fromthe Bishop of Islamabad, stating thatHaroons religious education was ona par with any Islamic education. Butthe court did not acknowledge that this

was a human rights issue. Punjabseducation minister said, We cannotchange the system because of anominal amount of people.

A state-run medical school, whichcharges only 10% of the cost of aprivate university education, wasHaroons only hope of training tobecome a doctor. His parents arelow-paid health workers.

We realise

this is againsthuman rights ...but we follow

governmentorders.



11/24

EQUIPPINGTHE CHURCH

Intductin

C

hristians and Muslims bth bliv in n Gd,

and many ppl tday think this mans that

Chistianity and Islam a basically th sam.

At all (thy say), u blis abut Gd a

th undatin vything ls that w bliv, and iw hav ths in cmmn, thn w must b agd n all

ssntial matts. on this viw, i th a dincs

btwn Chistians and Muslims, ths must b abut sc-

nday issus that d nt matt vy much.

In act, hwv, th is a undamntal and vital

dinc in what Chistianity and Islam tach abut Gd.

Muslims bliv nt nly that th is n gd, but als

in that gds abslut unity. H has n quals, patns

assciats, and t cnnct him with ths is th wst

sins (knwn asshirk). Thus Muslims dny that thi gd

has a sn, that it is pssibl him t hav n.

Chistians, n th th hand, bliv that th n

Gd is a Tinity psns: th fath, th Sn and th

Hly Spiit. each ths psns is ully Gd, and ach

is distinct m th ths, yt thy a n Gd and nt

th. This undstanding Gd maks Chistianity ut

dcisivly m bth Islam and Judaism (th th li-

gins that bliv in n gd) and shaps vy aspct

Christian thlgy in a distinctiv way. far rm giving us

cmmn grund with Muslims, th Christian viw Gd

puts an can cla wat btwn us.

In this aticl w shall cnsid what th Bibl tlls

us abut th natu th n Gd wh is th psns.

W shall als lk at sm th Muslim bjctins t its

taching and hw w can spnd t thm.We can nd all the building blocks for a clear and

chrnt dctrin th Trinity in th Bibl. It is grundd

in th ky statmnts, which w will xamin in tun:

Th Tinity in th Bibl1. th i n n G

Th bli that th is nly n Gd is undamntal

t old Tstamnt (oT) taching and aith. Th basic Jwish

cnssin aith, th Shema, afrms it unambiguously:

Ha, o Isal: Th LorD u Gd, th LorD is n.Lv th LorD yu Gd with all yu hat and with all

yur sul and with all yur strngth (Dutrnmy 6:4-5).

S althugh th oT acknwldgs th istnc

vaius havnly spiitual bings, such as angls (Gn-

sis 28:12; Psalm 148:2), it ds nt put thm n a lvl

with Yahwh, th Gd Isal, wh is th n tu Gd.

H is th vlasting Gd, th Cat th havns and

th ath (Gnsis 1:1; Isaiah 40:28). H is th King

th whl wld (Psalm 47:2; 97:5), wh uls v all

things as th svign Ld (Psalm 9:8; 103:19). H is

th rdm and Saviu His ppl (Dutnmy

32:15; Isaiah 60:16). In all ths ways H is uniqu (Isaiah

44:6-8; 45:5-6).

Th implicatin this bust cnssin th n

Gd is that th gds wshippd by th th natins hav

n al xistnc. Th oT nt nly insists that th is

n th gd apat m Yahwh (Dutnmy 4:35, 39;

Isaiah 45:18-25); it als mcks th pwlssnss th

bjcts wrship, whthr idls wd and mtal (Isaiah

44:9-20) psud-ditis such as th Canaanit gd Baal

(1 Kings 18:25-29). Thus th Gd Isal is nt nly in-

cmpaabl; H is abslutly uniqu.

Th bli in n Gd was n th basic and c

cnvictins th Jws in th pid btwn th Tsta-

mnts and int Nw Tstamnt (NT) tims. Th NT writrsnever challenge it, but afrm it explicitly in several places

(.g. 1 Cinthians 8:6; 1 Timthy 2:5; Jams 2:19), and

lswh simply tak it gantd. It is an imptant ba-

sis th NT tachings, such as Pauls undstanding

of justication by faith for Jews and Gentiles alike (Ro-

mans 3:29-30) and th unity th Chistian cnggatin

(ephsians 4:3-6).

S whatv th NT wits say abut Jsus Chist

and th Hly Spiit, it is claly nt thi intntin t un-

drmin th cnsistnt Biblical tstimny that thr is nly

n Gd. Thi taching must b undstd within this

amwk, vn i it als dvlps it in nw and unx-pctd ways.

Our series on key teachings of the Christian faith continues with a discussion of the triunenature of God.

What does the Bible sayabout the Trinity?

1. There is only one God.

2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and

the Holy Spirit is God.

3. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

are distinct persons.

IBARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


12/24

EQUIPPINGTHE CHURCH

What ds th Bibl say abut th Tinity?

2. th fh i GTh oT rrs t Gd as fathr (Dutrnmy 32:6;

Isaiah 63:16; 64:8), and in th NT this bcms a qunt

dsignatin Him. In th Gspls Jsus bth spaks and

s t Gd as fath (Matthw 11:25-27; Jhn 16:31

17:1), and H tlls His discipls t addss thi pays

t Gd in th sam way (Luk 11:2). Th a als many

ncs t Gd as th fath in th pistls (.g. r-mans 6:4; ephsians 3:14). Th dity th fath is

assumd thughut th NT; th titl is a way ing

t th n Gd.

In n passag all ppl a said t b th sping

Gd bcaus H is thir cratr (Acts 17:26-28), but th

nam fathr is usd spcially t dnt His athrly rla-

tin t His wn ppl. S r Christians H is nt nly th

fath wh mad us and all things, but u fath wh

has givn us nw bith and adptd us int His amily as

His childn. Th Lds Pay invits us t addss Him

as u fath (Matthw 6:9), and bth Paul (in rmans

1:7 and many th his gtings) and Jams (Jams1:27) us th sam dsciptin Him.

But it is signicant that God is also identied re-

patdly in th NT as th fath Jsus, and that this

latinship is psntd as uniqu. Thus Jsus Himsl

quntly s t Gd as my fath (.g. Matthw

7:21; Jhn 5:17), and in th lttrs Gd is smtims calld

th fath u Ld Jsus Chist (.g. Clssians 1:3;

1 Pt 1:3). ecpt in th Lds Pay, Jsus nv uss

th phras ur fathr, nly my fathr (s abv) and

yu fath (Matthw 5:16), and H s t Himsl

just as the Sn (Jhn 5:19-23). Als th mssag snt

by th isn Chist t His discipls in Jhns Gspl says,

I am ascnding t my fath and yu fath, t my Gd

and yu Gd; it maks ut His latinship with Gd as

fath m that His discipls (Jhn 20:17).

Considered by itself, this usage could reect noth-

ing m than Jsus spcial latinship with Gd as His

anintd king (Chist) and psntativ n ath (sn

Gd). But whn it is put tgthr with thr NT vidnc it

pints t smthing vn gat than this: an tnal la-

tinship btwn a fathr and a Sn wh ar bth ully Gd.

2. th sn i G1

Th NT wits psnt Jsus Chist as a uniqu

human bing, a gat than any th. H is givn thaltd titls th ppht (Jhn 6:14), Chist (rmans

9:5), Sn Gd (Luk 3:22) and Sn Man (Matthw

20:28), and in His suctin and altatin H has als

bcm th Ld (Acts 2:32-36). Paul shws that H nw

shares many of the roles fullled by God Himself: He is

th bjct aith (Galatians 2:20); H givs salvatin

and tnal li (1 Thssalnians 5:9; rmans 6:23); and

H will cm as judg t gath His ppl (2 Cinthians

5:10; 1 Thssalnians 4:16-18).

But Pauls ltts and Jhns Gspl in paticula g

much uth than this. In Philippians 2:6-7 Paul indicats

that Chist istd b th wld was catd (s alsGalatians 4:4) and that H was qual with Gd. Clssians

1:15-20 says that Christ reects the very image of God, and

that H is Gds agnt in catin as wll as cnciliatin.

In Him Gds p-istnt Wisdm has bcm a human

bing, in whm th ullnss dity dwlls bdily (Cls-

sians 2:3, 9). S Chist has a havnly igin b tim

bgan, and H is Himsl divin; h may vn b calld

Gd (rmans 9:5).

For John, Jesus is the Word, who is to be identied

with Gd Himsl (Jhn 1:1). This Wd, wh was withGd in th bginning and is His agnt in catin and v-

elation (John 1:2-5), has now become esh among us (John

1:14). As the incarnate Word, Jesus is the supreme and nal

vlatin th fath (Jhn 14:7, 9) and His pincipal

agnt n ath, pming th ull ang divin tasks

(.g. Jhn 3:17; 17:2), spaking th faths wds (Jhn

14:10) and pming His wks (Jhn 10:25). Thmas

cnsss Him as his Ld and Gd (Jhn 20:28), and th

rst letter of John calls Him the true God (1 John 5:20).

oth NT witings dvlp ths idas in vaius

ways. fr xampl, th lttr t th Hbrws prsnts Christ

as th xaltd and uniqu divin Sn (Hbrws 1:2-3) whis suprir vn t th angls (Hbrws 1:4-14). And in th

bk rvlatin th xaltd Chist civs wship

alng with Gd (rvlatin 5:8-14), t whm aln it is

said t b du (rvlatin 19:10).

So the NT afrms the deity of Christ, both explicitly

and in th chaactistics and ls ascibd t Him. Its

psntatin Jsus claly shws that th divin fath

has an qually divin Sn.

2. th H spii i GIn th oT th Hly Spiit is usually knwn as th

Spiit Gd th Spiit th LorD (Yahwh). H is

Gds agnt in catin (Gnsis 1:2). H cms in pw-

n Isals judgs th pmanc gat dds

(Judgs 6:34; 14:6), and n Saul and David th task

kingship (1 Samul 10:6; 16:13). H is vn putd t

catch ppl up and tak thm lswh (1 Kings 18:12;

2 Kings 2:16). In sht, H is Gds pw in actin.

Th Spiit is assciatd with th divin gits wis-

dm, undrstanding and skill (Gnsis 41:38; exdus 31:3).

H is als th Spiit pphcy, wh inspis ppl t

spak Gds wd (Numbs 24:2-3; 2 Chnicls 20:14-

17; Ezekiel 11:5). He is identied so closely with God that

bllin against th Spiit Gd amunts t bllin

against Gd Himsl (Psalm 106:33).In th NT th Spiit dscnds n Jsus th ul-

lment of His divine mission (Mark 1:10-11), which in-

cluds th pclaiming th Gspl and th pmanc

pwrul wrks (Matthw 4:23). In th bk Acts th

cming th Spiit n th discipls at Pntcst is sn

as th pmisd utpuing th Spiit pphcy n

Gods people (Acts 2:17-18), and He lls them to speak

Gds wd (Acts 4:8; 13:9).

Bcaus th Spiit is th vhicl Gds pw

and Gds wd, H is quatd dictly with Gd. Lik

Gd, H is tnal (Hbws 9:14) and all-pwul (Luk

1:35); H knws vything (1 Cinthians 2:10-11) andgivs nw bith (Jhn 3:5-7). Wh th Spiit livs, Gd

II BARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


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EQUIPPINGTHE CHURCH


livs (1 Cinthians 3:16), and t li t th Spiit is t li

t Gd (Acts 5:3-4).

Both Paul and John afrm that the Holy Spirit is the

Spiit Gd (rmans 15:19; Jhn 3:34), but thy als

idntiy Him clsly with Jsus. fr Paul H is nthing lss

than th Spiit Jsus Chist (Philippians 1:19), whil

Jhn H is a placmnt Jsus th sam kind (Jhn

14:16). This cnnctin is a uth indicatin th dity bth th Sn and th Spiit.

S th Bibl bars a clar and cnsistnt witnss that

th Hly Spiit is th Spiit Gd th fath, and th NT

adds that H is th Spiit Gd th Sn. His wn dity

llws natually m ths pmiss.

3. th fh, h sn n h H spii iin pn

Th Bibl tachs that thr is nly n Gd, and that

th fath, th Sn and th Hly Spiit a all Gd. Hw

a ths statmnts t b cncild? Th asist slutin

is t s th fath, th Sn and th Spiit as n m thandint ways in which th n Gd pats and vals

Himsl, ith at dint pints in histy at th sam

tim. on this viw th is n al distinctin btwn th

th; thy a just altnativ nams th sam Gd.

However, this simple idea is rmly denied by the

Nw Tstamnt, which maintains that th fath, th Sn

and th Hly Spiit a distinct psns. Th fath is nt

th Sn th Spiit, th Sn is nt th Spiit, and th th

a in latinship with n anth.

Th is plnty NT vidnc that th fath is dis-

tinct m th Sn. In th sam plac wh Jhn says that

th Wrd was Gd, h als says that th Wrd was with

Gd (Jhn 1:1), thus dintiating Him m Gd th

fath. Jsus is als said t b u advcat and pist b-

th fath (1 Jhn 2:1; Hbws 7:24), which implis

a distinctin btwn thm. Mrvr, Jsus xprinc

th fathr and prayr t th fathr (.g. Jhn 12:28) maks

n sns i thy a nt dint individuals; in ct H

wuld b cnvsing with Himsl.

In th oT th Spiit is nt sn as a psn in His

wn right, distinct rm th fathr. But in th NT th Spirit

is distinguishd m th fath (rmans 8:27), and H

is said t ngag in a ang psnal activitis, includ-

ing spaking (Acts 8:29), baing witnss (rmans 8:16),

bidding ctain actins (Acts 16:6-7) and appvingths (Acts 15:28), bing givd (ephsians 4:30), and

dciding th distibutin gits (1 Cinthians 12:11).

And althugh th Gk wd Spiit is nut, H is

dntd by masculin pnuns in Jhn 15:26 and 16:13-

14, which als pint t His psnal natu.

Th Sn and th Spiit a als xplicitly distin-

guishd m ach th (Jhn 14:26; 16:7). Jsus is

anintd by th Spiit (Luk 4:18), spaks abut th Spiit

as smn distinct m Himsl (Matthw 12:32) and

baths th Spiit n th discipls (Jhn 20:22).

Th latinship btwn th th psns is n

activity and agncy. Th fath cais ut th wk catin and dmptin in th Sn and by th Spiit (C-

lssians 1:15-20; rmans 8:3-4). Thus H can b said t

snd th Sn (Galatians 4:4) and th Spiit (Jhn 14:26)

to accomplish His purposes. The Son also fulls His work

thrugh th Spirit (Acts 10:38), and H t is said t snd

th Spiit (Jhn 16:7).

S th NT bings tgth its cnssin n Gd

with its afrmation that the Father, the Son and the Holy

Spiit a all Gd in tms th distinct divin psns

in rlatinship with n anthr. It is this undrstanding thatallws th writrs t link th thr s clsly tgthr, bth

dictly (Matthw 28:19; 2 Cinthians 13:14) and m

bliquly (1 Cinthians 12:4-6; ephsians 4:4-6; 1 Pt

1:2). And it is this that pvidd th undatin lat

Christians t cnstruct th ull-rbd dctrin th Trinity.

Th Tinity and Chistian missinThis Biblical undstanding Gd pvids an -

ctiv spns t Muslim bjctins t th Chistian dc-

tin th Tinity. In this sctin w will lk at th

ths bjctins: that Christians dny th unity Gd; thatw bliv in a tinity Gd, May and Jsus; and that

th claim that Jsus is Gds Sn amunts t blasphmy.

th g?Th Quan spaks ut stngly against assciating

patns with th n gd. Q 4:116 says, Allah givth

nt [th sin ] jining th gds with him. Ths wh

tach th dctin th Tinity a said t b sacilgius

and will b punishd mst svrly r thir nc: Thy

d blasphm wh say: Allah is n th in a Tinity:

th is n gd cpt n gd. I thy dsist nt m

thi wd [ blasphmy] vily a givus pnalty will

ball th blasphms amng thm (Q 5:73).

S in Islam th unity th n gd is abslut, and

Muslims citicis Chistians svly suppsdly dny-

ing this unity and assting that th a th gds. Thy

cndmn this bli catgically, as n btt than pagan

plythism (bli in many gds) and idlaty. Thy als

suggst that th Tinity is nt a Biblical dctin, but that

it was invntd by th Chistian cuncils in th 4th and 5th

cntuis.

Sm Muhammads arly advisrs wr ebinits,

mmbs a sct that cnssd Jsus as th Mssiah but

dnid th dctin th Tinity as incmpatibl with th

oT bli in n gd. S it is phaps unsupising thataly Islam cam t undstand th dctin as invlving

bli in th gds.

But u viw th vidnc shws that th Bibl

is cla and cnsistnt in its wn taching that th is nly

n Gd. This is nt nly n th basics oT aith; it

is bth assumd and asstd by th NT wits t. W

hav als sn that th fath, th Sn and th Hly Spiit

a psnal distinctins within th n Gd, nt nams

th spaat gds.

It is tu that th systmatisatin th dctin

th Tinity was nt ully dvlpd until sm cntuis

atr th NT was writtn, but it was cratd by th churchsbasd n th Sciptus. Indd, it was thughly and

slidly gundd n Biblical tstimny, and was intndd

IIIBARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


14/24

UK

9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX

Telephone 024 7623 1923

Fax 024 7683 4718

From outside the UKTelephone +44 24 7623 1923

Fax +44 24 7683 4718

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Number 4029536

New Zealand

PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City,

Auckland, 2241

Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805


Australia

Postal Suite 107

236 Hyperdome

Loganholme QLD 4129

Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365799

Fax (07) 3806 4076


Jersey

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Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB

Telephone 700600 Fax 700601


USA

6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101

Telephone (703) 288-1681

or toll-free 1-866-936-2525

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International Headquarters

The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey,

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From outside UK

Telephone +44 1672 564938

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BARNABAS FUND HOPE AND AID FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

EQUIPPINGTHE CHURCH

www.barnabasfund.org


as a chnt and systmatic pssin that tstimny

in th languag and cncpts th tim.

G, m n J?Sm Muslims bliv that Chistians wship a

Tinity cmpsd fath, Mth (May th mth

Jsus), and Sn (Jsus Himsl). Q 5:116 says, And b-

hld! Allah will say: o Jsus thsn May! Didst thu say unt

mn, Wrship m and my mthr

as gds in dgatin Allah?

H will say, Glry t Th! Nvr

culd I say what I had n ight t

say.

It appas that Muhammad

thught Chistians blivd that

Gd had had a physical latin-

ship with May, which sultd in th bith Jsus. Th

Quan suggsts that this llws ncssaily m th viw

that th n gd has a sn: Hw can h hav a sn whnh hath n cnst? (Q 6:101).

It is pssibl that th was an tm sct in th

tim Muhammad that did wrship a trinity Gd, Mary

and Christ. But mr prbably th misundrstanding ars

nly rm th grat vnratin accrdd t Mary by sm

th Christians whm Muhammad mt. Th viw that Mary

is n th prsns th Trinity is nt und in th Bibl;

in act it is a cud caicatu Biblical taching, which is

that th Trinity is cmprisd fathr, Sn and Hly Spirit.

Althugh Scriptur prsnts Mary as highly avurd

by Gd, it nv cms cls t suggsting that sh is di-

vin. Sh is ptayd as just a human bing, whil ach

psn th Tinity is shwn t b ully Gd. N d th

cncptin and birth Jsus aris rm any kind sxual

ncunt btwn Gd and May. Instad th angl tlls

h that th Hly Spiit will cm upn h and th pw

th Mst High will vshadw h (Luk 1:35). N,

that matt, ds Gd th Sn bgin t ist nly whn

Jsus is cncivd; as w hav sn, H xistd as Gd

vn b catin.

G n hv n n?fr Muslims it llws rm th abslut unity th

n gd that h can hav n sn. Q 112 insists, Say: H is

Allah, th on and only; Allah, th etnal, Abslut; Hbgttth nt nr is h bgttn; and thr is nn lik unt

Him. And in Q 19:35 we read that It is not betting to

(th majsty ) Allah that h shuld bgt a sn. In Islam

Jsus is nly n ppht amng many and much ini

t Muhammad. T claim that h is th sn gd, that

th n gd can hav a sn at all, is blasphmus: Thy

say: (Gd) Mst Gacius has bgttn a sn! Indd y

hav put wad a thing mst mnstus! (Q 19:88-89).

Th Quan ds nt dny th xistnc Gds

Spirit as it dnis that his Sn, but it als ds nt prsnt

th Spirit as a distinct prsn; t d s wuld als cntradict

its taching n th unity th n gd. As in th oT, spirit

sms t b nly a nam divin pw; ampl,

Q 58:22 says, H has wittnaith in thi hats and stngth-

nd thm with a spiit m him-

sl.

But th Biblical taching

that th fath, th Sn and th

Hly Spiit a distinct psns,

wh lat t n anth within

th li th n Gd, und-

mins th Muslim viw. As w

hav sn, this is hw th NT cncils th ctain tuth

that th is nly n Gd with th qually su act that

the Father, Son and Spirit is each fully God. It afrms thatth fathr can hav a Sn, and a (prsnal) Spirit t, with-

ut th divin unity bing cmpmisd in any way. Th

divin Snship Jsus llws natually m His dity,

but in Sciptu it ds notthn llw that th must b

m than n Gd.

CnclusinS ach th th ky statmnts that mak up

Biblical taching n th triun natur Gd can b usd t

addss n th Muslim bjctins t th Tinity. Chis-

tians d nt bliv in th gds; th is nly n Gd.

W d nt wship a tinity Gd, May and Jsus; it is

th fath, th Sn and th Hly Spiit wh a ach ully

Gd. And n blasphmy is invlvd in u cnssin that

Gd th fath has a Sn a psnal Spiit; ths th

a distinct psns latd within th n Gd.

Yt th natu Gd is a pund mysty that

can never be fully understood by nite human beings.

Th Bibl is cla that Gd is Th-in-on, and it tlls us

smthing abut what this mans. But actly hwthat is

pssibl can nvr b cmpltly xplaind, and ultimatly

ur prpr rspns t th triun Gd is t all dwn br

Him in wrship and adratin and t r ur livs t Him

in worship and sacrice.S it is nt nly th sak u missin t Mus-

lims and ths that w shuld undstand and uphld this

dctin. It sts ut t us th natu th Gd whm w

wrship and srv, wh calls us t acknwldg and hnur

Him as n Gd in th psns, th blssd Tinity. May

w knw Him and cnss Him as nthing lss than this.

1 The person of the LordJesus Christ was discussedin detail in the pull-outsupplement of the March-April2012 edition ofBarnabas

Aid. The conclusions of thatarticle regarding His deity aresummarised here; please referto it for further information andBible references.

H, h, h! l G

aigh!a h wk h pi h n,

in h n k n ;H, h, h! mi n

igh!G in h pn,

tini!

IV BARNABAS AID MAY/JUNE 2012


15/24

Reaching our Muslim neighbours for Christ

The rapid growth of the Muslim populationin Western countries is both a challengeand an opportunity for churches. Although

there are thousands of Muslim converts to Christ,many more Muslims need to hear the savingmessage of the Gospel. Muslims are generallymuch more willing to discuss their religion thanmany Christians, so there are great opportunitiesto share Christ with them.

How do the churches respond to this challenge?Is your fellowship prepared to engage with thegrowing Muslim community? Perhaps you haveMuslim friends, neighbours or work colleaguesand would like to know more about what theybelieve and how you can best explain your faithto them? Operation Nehemiah has produced aspecial Evangelism Pack with resources that aimto equip Christians with what they need to engagewith Muslims.

TOWARDS THE SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETIES

Schools across UK receiveChristian resources:

Thank you so much for the superb

resources you delivered to school last week.

The teachers have looked at them and are

very pleased with the contents. I am sure

they will be a very useful addition to our R.E.

resources.

A headteacher from West Sussex

Owing to the kind generosity of churches andindividual Christians, over 85 primary schoolsin the UK have now been provided with a freeresource pack on Christianity. ACTS (AssistingChristianity Teaching in Schools) contains over450 worth of material. As Religious Educationis often one of the rst areas to be affected by

budget cuts, it is no surprise that the resourcesare being very well received. Each pack containshigh-quality books, posters and DVDs that arerich in Christ-centred content, providing a valuableinvestment in our childrens classrooms.

In Llandudno, Wales, eight schools received anACTS pack after a consortium of seven churchesin the town rallied together to raise funds. And 13schools in Aberdeenshire have received packs.

The complete packs are available for a donation

of 250. For more information please visitwww.barnabasfund.org/operation_nehemiah

Operation Nehemiah

The pack contains:

Unveiled: A Christian Study Guide to

IslamThis is an invaluable resource for personaland group study. It will help you understand

what the religion of Islam teaches, and howit impacts the thinking and culture of Muslimsacross the world. Each chapter includes aBible study and questions for reection and

discussion. The last chapter explains how towitness to Muslims.

Breaking through the Barriers: Leading

Muslims to ChristThis popular book lifts the veil on Muslimculture, practices and faith to nd the points of

contact that will help Muslims to respond to theChristian Gospel.

A selection of tracts and booklets

addressing some of the key issues andquestions that Muslims have:

Can I know God?

Has the Bible been changed?How can God have a Son?

Love my enemies? Is it possible?

Who is the God of Abraham?

Sure of going to Paradise?

Did someone else die in Jesus place?

And more, including the background bookletsWhat is Islam?, What is Sharia?, Islam

and Truth, Islam and Slavery.

The packs can be ordered at a cost ofonly 10 each. Please contact your local Barnabas Fundofce or visit www.barnabasfund.org/operation_nehemiah to reserve your copy.

The Proclaim Freedom campaign andpetition have got off to a very encouragingstart with people enthusiastically

promoting the petition among family, friends,churches and neighbourhoods. One supporter inGlasgow asked for 100 copies of the petition formfor distribution among local churches, then cameback twice for further batches of 100 copies.

Within just the rst four weeks of the campaigns

ofcial launch, 6,754 people had already

signed the petition. We thank the Lord that atpresent there does seem to be more concernamong media and politicians about the issues ofanti-Christian persecution and minority rights, sonow is the perfect time to build on this, make ourvoices heard and proclaim freedom.

For more copies of the petition form pleasecontact your local Barnabas ofce (addresses on

back cover) or download them fromwww.barnabasfund.org/proclaim-freedom-petition.

You can also encourage people to sign thepetition online, and it is also available in German,Russian and Spanish from the non-Englishsections of our website.

The Proclaim Freedom campaign calls forWestern governments to use their inuence with

other governments to promote global humanrights, religious freedom and justice for allminorities, especially Christians.


PROCLAIMFREEDOM


16/24

Shaping the region

Qatar is a tiny, thumb-shaped,former pearl and shing

settlement which is nowat the forefront of gasand energy supplies, withWestern Europe increasingly

dependent on Qatars gas. In a 2 billion dealannounced in April 2011 Qatar agreed to supplyLiqueed Natural Gas (LNG) to the UK for the

next three years. In 2010, Qatar supplied the UK

with 15 per cent of its total gas demand. Qatar lieson the eastern border of Saudi Arabia, just to thenorth of the United Arab Emirates, and is itself an

Emirate, ruled by the Al Thani royal family. SheikhHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is its supreme ruler. Itis a non-democratic monarchy, usually regardedas absolute, that practises the Wahhabi form ofSunni Islam as the state religion.

Despite its small stature, Qatar is playing asignicant part in shaping the region through

religion, politics and economics. During the Arabuprisings Qatar has sought to assert its inuence

by channelling nance and weapons to opposition

forces in Libya, and it has led calls for the same tobe done in Syria. In 2011-2012 alone Qatar hasalso been engaged in the following initiatives:

Opening of a political ofce for the Taliban in

the capital, Doha (January 2012)

Brokering of a peace deal between Hamasand Fatah (February 2012)

Leadership of the international effort forregime change in Syria

Leadership in the Libyan oppositions groundassault and in reconstruction post-Gadda

Hosting of a very large American airbase justoutside Doha

Qatar also exercises crucial inuence through the

Al Jazeera television network. Al Jazeera is the

The Middle East has seen a wave of uprisings over the last year. It has been a time oftumultuous change, and the region is likely to be unsettled for quite some time. In themidst of this chaos, who are the key players?

QatarAn inuential force

Picture sources: West Bay buildings: Wikipedia.org, Kangxi emperor6868. Aeroplane: Flickr.com, Peter Russell. Television studio: Flickr.com, Laika


ANALYSIS


17/24

leading Arab and (more recently) internationalnews provider focused on the Middle East. Ithas been incredibly successful, exercising ahuge inuence over opinions and events, and

it has helped to re-shape Arab broadcastingboth regionally and internationally. The networkarguably helped to make the Syrian uprising into

an international event, as it did those in Tunisia,Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

Why Qatar?So why is Qatar seeking to proclaim its power?What motives lie behind its efforts to gaininuence and shape events, and what groups are

involved with it?

Islamic Groups: The role of Islamic groupsis central to the whole region and is consideredto be particularly relevant to the agenda of the

Qatari regime. Qatar has played host to inuentialIslamists, such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptianwho regularly preaches on Al Jazeera, Ali Salibi,a prominent Libyan Islamist, and Khaled Meshal,the political leader of Hamas. Qatar has acted asa broker in discussions with Palestinian groupsand also enjoys close ties with the MuslimBrotherhood in Egypt. In the 1960s and 1970smany Islamists ed from Syria and Egypt to Qatar

for refuge, and from these beginnings Qatarhas built a network of relationships with politicalIslam, which are proving valuable to it today. Bymaintaining close relations with the leadership ofthe main Islamist groups in the region, the regimehopes to avoid a terrorist threat within Qatar andalso to promote a stable environment for Qatariinvestment abroad. The Qatari emir recently said,We will spare no effort to continue carrying themessage and spreading the tolerant teachings ofIslam in the whole world.

Libya: During the military campaign tooverthrow Gadda, Qatar armed and trained

the Libyan opposition forces. At the time thehead of the National Transitional Council (NTC)

acknowledged that success was as a result ofQatari engagement. However, in recent monthsthe NTC has been highly critical of Qatarscontinued engagement with Libyan Islamistgroups. Although the council is committed tomaking sharia the main source of law in the newLibyan Constitution, it is also broadly secularand views the Islamist groups as an obstacle toLibyas economic progress.

Syria: Within the Middle East Qatar has soughtto build tactical regional alliances aimed at

establishing inuence over the next generationof political leaders. Their motivation is bothreligious and political. In Syria Qatar is supporting

what is primarily a Sunni revolt against a statedominated by an Alawi Shiite minority. But it isalso attempting to realign the region by helpingto turn a state friendly to Iran into one morefavourable to other, competing, regional powersi.e. the Sunni Gulf states. Qatar has led calls foraction on behalf of the anti-government forces

both within the Arab League, where its inuenceis increasing, and more widely. For example, in arecent visit to Norway the Qatari Prime MinisterSheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani said, I thinkwe should do whatever is necessary to helpthem, including giving them weapons to defendthemselves. Many suspect that Qatar is alreadyhelping covertly to arm the Free Syrian Army.

Balancing East and West: Qatarappears to be increasingly adept at balancingdifferent and at times conicting perspectives.

For example, the recent opening of an IslamicEmirate of Afghanistan ofce that will serve as adiplomatic mission for the Taliban in Qatar mayseem to conict with Qatars good relationships

with the West. However, by doing this Qatar isboth keeping itself in favour with the Taliban andother extremist groups and positioning the countryas a mediator between the West and groupswith whom the West is reluctant to engage orat least have direct dialogue. The Taliban havestated that the purpose of the Qatar ofce is to

come to an understanding with other nationsand that they have ruled out negotiations with theKarzai government. One analyst has noted, Byseeming reasonable, Taliban leaders may hopeto encourage the United States to leave morepromptly while they harbour plans to go for theAfghan democratic leaderships jugular later ondown the road.

Qatar in EuropeQatars enormous wealth has also enabled itto fund many initiatives in Europe. In the UKQatars investments include stakes in Barclays,Sainsburys, Harrods, the Shard complex in

London, Canary Wharf and the 2012 Olympicathletes village, as well as energy investments inWales. Qatar also has interests in France. In 2011the country was encouraged to buy a majoritystake in the French football team Paris-St-Germain, and Al Jazeera, the Qatari owned newschannel, also bought the rights to Ligue 1, theFrench equivalent of the English Premier League.

In December 2011 Qatar announced the creationof a 50 million (US$67 million) investment fundaimed at supporting entrepreneurs from Frances

deprived suburbs. According to reports, theserelatively poor communities are already beingexploited by Muslim preachers in an attempt

to create separate Islamic societies or furtherto marginalise and possibly radicalise existingMuslim-majority areas. Concerns have beenraised at the motives that lie behind these largeinternational investments. Qatar is clearly keento promote its own interest and seek to gaininuence where it can; however, this investment

may be driven by a desire to promote Islamicideologies and strengthen Muslim-majoritycommunities abroad.

Qatar and ChristianityThere are small groups of Christians, Jews,Bahais and Hindus from the internationalcommunity within Qatar, but non-Muslim publicworship is prohibited as it is considered to disturbthe public order. Converting to another religionfrom Islam is technically a capital offence,although there has been no recorded punishment

for such an act since the country gainedindependence in 1971.

The future of Qatari inuenceQatars political strategy appears to have given itthe edge over the traditional power holder (SaudiArabia) in the Middle East in the context of thecurrent seismic political shifts. As the regionmoves into a new era, Qatar is likely to emergeas the regional power broker, backed by itsenormous wealth.

Many are concerned that the Church in the MiddleEast is being put at further risk owing to Qatarsinuence over the Arab uprisings. The exporting

of its ideology has contributed to the pressure andattacks experienced by Christians and churchesduring the last year, in Egypt and especially inSyria, which have increased to the point wherethe very existence of the Syrian churches is nowin question. Many fear a future where Islamistgroups dominate their countries governments,leading to further restrictions on Christians.Qatars inuence in Europe may also lead to the

radicalising of Muslim communities there (for

example, in France), thus posing new dangersto individual countries and to the continent as awhole.

Qatar will probably be the enabling powerbehind a number of Islamist groups within theMiddle East for as long as such groups havethe potential to affect its stability. Many analystsbelieve that Qatar is investing in the Islamists toensure its own survival in the medium term. Thestrategy that Qatar has adopted towards Libyaand Syria testies to its emerging position in the

international community as the most importantplayer in the Middle East.


ANALYSIS


18/24

Partnership is a New Testament idea, derivedpartly from the Greek word koinnia, whichmeans participation, fellowship, association.It reects the fact that the Christian life is not

meant to be lived in isolation from others, but inconnection with them. This partnership betweenChristians takes many forms, and several of

these are identied by the apostle Paul in hisletter to the church in Philippi. They help us betterto understand how we can all work together tosustain our Lords persecuted people in theirdistress.

Partnership in the Gospel (1:5)At the beginning of his letter Paul expresseshis affection for his Philippian readers, and hiscondence in them, by saying that he always

prays for them with joy. The reason for hisgladness is their partnership in the gospel from

the rst day until now. This partnership is theChristians active participation, with Paul, insharing and furthering the Good News of Christ,as they both live it out in Philippi and supportPauls wider ministry. Through their collaborationwith him, Gods power is at work as the LordJesus is proclaimed in word and deed. And thisassociation is a long one: it dates from the timeof Pauls preaching to them and their conversion,and has lasted to the present.

All Christians are called by the Lord to be partnerswith one another in the work of the Gospel. Thisinvolves both consistent Christian living whereGod has placed us, and providing assistance tothose who are making Christ known elsewhere.In doing this, we have the immense privilegeof experiencing Gods power at work throughus, and of seeing lives transformed through thewonderful message of the Lord Jesus. And aswith Paul and the Philippians, it is meant to be along-term commitment.

Barnabas Fund and our many co-workers andsupporters are dedicated to this partnership in

the Gospel. We seek to live out the Good News

through our prayers, concern and gifts for ourpersecuted Christian family, and by supportinglocal believers who provide them with practicaland spiritual resources in their need. We rejoiceto see the great difference that this help so oftenmakes to them, as individuals, churches andcommunities. And we are in this partnership for

the long haul as long, in fact, as our work isneeded.

Partnership in the Spirit (2:1)At the beginning of chapter 2, Paul appealsfor unity among the Philippian Christians, overagainst the self-centred attitudes that so easilydisrupt it. One basis of his appeal is the believerssharing or partnership in the Holy Spiritof God. God Himself has shared His Spirit withthe Philippians, and by their partnership in thatSpirit they are united to Christ, to Paul and to

one another. Therefore they must express thatunity in their relations with one another and theirengagement with those outside the congregation.

The Spirit also empowers all that God is doingamong the Philippians and all that they aredoing in the Name of the Lord Jesus. It is inand by the Spirit that they are able to stand, tocontend for the faith of the Gospel, and not to beintimidated by their opponents (1:27-28). But thissteadfastness is also grounded in the unity thatthe Spirit brings, in the common life that is theirsthrough their sharing in Him.

For Barnabas Fund our partnership in the Spirit,with persecuted Christians and those who helpus to help them, is at the heart of our ministry.United with each other by the Spirit, we all takeresponsibility for supporting one another, and westand together against the destructive forces andideologies that threaten and oppress our Christianfamily. This unity in the Spirit also enables allof us, and especially our suffering brothers andsisters, to remain faithful to Christ in the face ofgreat pressure to compromise our commitment

to Him.

Barnabas Fund

works in

partnership with

many others in

our work of bringing hope

and aid to persecuted

Christians. We partner with

our brothers and sisters incontexts of pressure and

hostility, and their leaders

often help to shape our

strategies. We partner with

the many churches and

Christian organisations

that work tirelessly to

channel our funds to

suffering believers. And

we partner with our

supporters and local

representatives (churchand area partners), whose

warm generosity and

unstinting commitment are

essential to our ministry.

Partnershipin Philippi

BIBLICALREFLECTION



19/24

Partnership in Christssufferings (3:10)In chapter 3 Paul explains to his readers what hehas gained in becoming a Christian, beyond and

instead of his former privileges as a Jew. Thisgain is to know Christ and to be united to Him,and it involves both experiencing the power of Hisresurrection and sharing or partnership inHis sufferings.

This teaching implies that suffering on behalf ofChrist is part of our normal Christian experience.It may range from the social pressure and hostilitythat the Philippian church was probably havingto endure, to the imprisonment and possiblemartyrdom faced by Paul. But remarkably,whatever form it takes, it is a partnership inChristssufferings. It is the channel throughwhich the effects of Christs passion and deathare applied to us and to others; it is the way inwhich His risen power is released in and throughus.

Persecuted Christians throughout the worldknow very well what it is to be partners in Christssufferings, and their faithfulness and fruitfulnessin trying and even tragic circumstances bearswitness to the power of His resurrection at workamong them. In the West the experience of

suffering for Christ is generally much less severe,but in our commitment to our Lords persecutedfamily, Barnabas Fund tries to identify with theirpain and thus to relieve their anguish. The oftensacricial giving of our supporters, and the costly

and seless service of our project partners, are

also a sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and theybring His life-giving power to believers in distress.

Partnership in giving andreceiving (4:15)

In the last main section of his letter, Paul afrmshis happy relationship with the Philippian churchand indirectly thanks them for it. This relationship

has included their partnering with him in givingand receiving; this includes their sharing theirmaterial means with him, but it also involves muchmore.

In the early days of Pauls mission in Macedonia,when he was preaching in Thessalonica, thePhilippian church gave him aid more than once.Now, in his imprisonment for the Gospel, theyhave sent him another gift. But this is not a one-sided relationship, in which they do all the givingand he the receiving. He is their apostle, throughwhom they have received the word of the Lord;and both they and he are in Christ, in whom theyare related as equals.

Barnabas Funds network of associates andsupporters, and the persecuted Christiansto whom we bring assistance, also form apartnership in giving and receiving. Like Paulin his Roman prison, our suffering brothers andsisters are deeply grateful to the fellow-Christianswho share and relieve their burden throughgenerous nancial gifts. Yet this relationship

too is not one-sided: through their example ofpatient endurance and infectious joy in the midstof intense grief, these believers also give tous: through them we receive encouragement,inspiration and guidance for our own discipleship.

We are all equal in Christ, and that equality isexpressed in a genuinely mutual exchange.

ConclusionChristian living and Christian ministry involvepartnership: in the Gospel, in which Gods poweris mightily at work; in the Spirit, who unites us toeach other and enables us to stand rm in our

faith; in the sufferings of Christ that convey to usHis resurrection life; and in giving and receivingin an equal and mutual relationship with one

another. It is this partnership that Barnabas Fundseeks to create and maintain, and in which weinvite our supporters to share.

Questions for personalstudy or group discussion

1. Why should the Christian life

not be lived in isolation? What

benets do you experience

through partnership with other

Christians?

2. We are called to be partners

in the Gospel. What does it

mean to live out that Gospel

where you are? How can you

and your church help those

who are making Christ known

elsewhere?

3. How should we express the

unity that results from our

partnership in the Spirit? How

does it help us to stand rm for

Christ under pressure?

4. What experiences do you

have of partnership in Christs

sufferings? In what ways did

they help you to know andshare His life-giving power?

5. How do you partner with

other Christians in giving and

receiving? How costly is that

partnership to you, and how

benecial?

6. Think of one action you

can take to express your

partnership with persecuted

Christians.

BIBLICALREFLECTION


BIBLICALREFLECTION


20/24


21/24


22/24

EXPERIENCING

GODSPOWER

Ayoung Christian couple in Iran wereimprisoned for their faith. ArashKermanjani and his wife Arezoo

Teymouri told of their inner struggles in prison,their release and their subsequent ight from Iran.

The rst few days were the most difcult, said

Arash. I was afraid of what may happen toArezoo and prayed for her all the time, asking myLord to protect and save her. On the day of theirarrest the couple were at the house of Christianfriends, Vahik Abrahamian and Sonia KeshishAvanesian, in Hamedan when plain-clothesagents broke into the house, arresting bothcouples without charges and bringing them to asecret prison of the Ministry of State Security.

The husband and wife, both in their late twenties,were put in solitary connement for days on end.

During this time alone Arash prayed continuouslyfor his wife. Soon he received an answer fromGod. He gave me His calm and assurance

concerning her fate and I was able to accept Hisdecision in humility; I realised that Gods power isfar greater than my fears. From then on my mindwas at peace and could clearly see the hand ofGod protecting us.

Mockery and accusationAfter eleven solitary days, Arezoo was transferredto Hamedans main female prison. The wardensharassed her incessantly because of her Christianfaith. Arash, who suffered a total of 43 days ofsolitary connement, experienced the same

mockery. My Christian beliefs were questionedand it was denigrated to the level of childishthoughts and a passing trend.

Before giving their lives to Christ, the couplehad both led turbulent lives, which the guardsused as a weapon of attack. Arezoo said, Wellaware of my past life, they used it to crush mepsychologically and reduce me to confessing towhat they demanded. But their attacks did nothave any effect on her resolve to trust in the LordJesus Christ. She stood rm in the truth that He

will protect His ock. Our Lord Jesus Christ,

who upon the Cross took our sins unto Himselfis standing right by me, Alive, Comforting andProtective, proving their falsehood.

During their captivity the couple heard that theyhad been accused of being ideological thievesand members of a Zionist group opposing theIslamic Regime. Arash was also put underconstant pressure to confess to having helpedforeigners against his country. He said that inresponse to these accusations we only spoke ofour own personal experience with Jesus Christ.After eight months I guess they realised they were

wrong about us and caught on the fact that weare but simple witnesses to Christ.

Set freeOne day without notice the couple and SoniaKeshish Avanesian, one of their Christian friendswho was arrested at the same time, wereperemptorily ordered to leave the prison. Thrownout without any form of transport, they had to walka long way before reaching a main road. As soonas they got into a hired car, three motor-cyclistssurrounded it screaming obscenities and hurling

bricks. All the way to Tehran the three Christiansfeared for their safety and their lives.

But although Arash and Arezoo were out ofprison, they were still not safe. Arash said, Wefeared attack by Islamic vigilantes and agentsof the Islamic regime. All venues of work andemployment were closed to us and we wereconstantly under surveillance. Fleeing the IslamicRepublic was the only way forward for them.At the time of the interview Arash and Arezoowere in a neighbouring country awaiting relocation

by the UNHCR. They would prefer not to havebeen forced to leave the country of their birth, but

hope to be able to serve the Lord wherever theyare sent.

Based on an interview from the Farsi

Christian News Network

Our Lord Jesus Christ, whoupon the Cross took our sinsunto Himself is standing rightby me, Alive, Comfortingand Protective, proving theirfalsehood.

LEARNING FROM THEPERSECUTED CHURCH



23/24

Ys, I wuld lik t hlp th pscutd Chuch

Here is my gift of______________________

Please use my gift for

Wherever the need is greatest (General Fund)

Other ___________________________________________*

I enclose a cheque/voucher payable to Barnabas Fund.

Please debit my

Visa Mastercard American Express

Maestro CAF card /other charity card

Number

Maestro issue number or issue date /

Expiry date / Signature____________________________

I do not require an acknowledgement of this gift.

I would like to give regularly through my bank. Please send me

the appropriate form. (UK supporters may use the Direct Debit

form below.)

Alternative Gift CardTo make an alternative gift for a loved one, please

contact your national Barnabas ofce.

DIRECT DEBIT for UK supporters who would like to give regularly

I/We want to bring hope and aid to the persecuted Church by a regular gift, to be used

where it is most needed (General Fund) or for ________________________________*(give reference number of project to be supported)

Gift Aid Declaration (Applicable to UK tax payers only)I authorise Barnabas Fund, registered charity no. 1092935, to treat alldonations I have made since 6 April 2007 and all subsequent donationsas Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise.

Signature___________________________________Date____________

If you have previously signed a Gift Aid Declaration for Barnabas Fund, you do not needto sign again. To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax mustat least equal the amount of tax reclaimed on donations to registered charities in the taxyear. Please inform us if you change your name or address or stop paying tax.

Name (Mr,Mrs,Miss,Ms,Rev,Dr)

Address

Postcode Telephone

Email

Please return this form to Barnabas Fund at your national ofce or to the UK ofce.

Addresses are on the back cover. Barnabas Fund will not give your address or email

to anyone else.

Phone 0800 587 4006 or visit our website at www.barnabasfund.org to make a

credit card donation. From outside UK phone +44 1672 565031.

Registered Charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536

*If the project chosen is sufciently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts either foranother project of a similar type or for another project in the same country.

Supporters in Germany: please turn to back cover for how to send gifts to

Barnabas Fund.Mag 05/12 Mag 05/12

Name (Mr,Mrs,Miss,Ms,Rev,Dr)

Address

Postcode

I would like to give a regular gift of _______________________________

(amount in words) _____________________________________________

Starting on 1st / 11th / 21st _________________ and then everymonth/quarter/year (delete as applicable) until further notice.

This Direct Debit is a new one / in addition to / replaces an earlier StandingOrder / Direct Debit in favour of Barnabas Fund. (delete as applicable).

THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEEThis Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Barnabas Fund will notify you 14 days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed.If you request Barnabas Fund to collect a payment, conrmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Barnabas Fund or your bank or building society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from from your bank or buildingsociety.If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Barnabas Fund asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Writtenconrmation may be required. Please also notify us.

*If the project chosen is sufciently funded, we reserve the right to use designated gifts either for another project of a similar type or for another project in the same country. Mag 05/12

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct DebitPlease ll in the whole form including ofcial use box using a ball point penand send it to: Barnabas Fund, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society

Name(s) of account holder(s)

Bank/building society account number Branch sort code

Service User Number 2 5 3 6 4 5Reference (Barnabas Fund to complete)

Signature(s)

Date

Instruction to your bank or building society: Please pay Barnabas FundDirect Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to thesafeguards assured to by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that thisinstruction may remain with Barnabas Fund and, if so, details will be passedelectronically to my bank/building society. DD18

Please send the following free resources (indicate quantity required):Proclaim Freedom petition forms ___

A Christian guide to making and changing your will___


8/2/20

Documents

Barnabas Aid May/June 2012