| Emergency field hospital being delivered to Samaritan’s Purse Canada On Tuesday, March 19, Samaritan’s Purse transported one of its Emergency Field Hospitals to Calgary to increase Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s capacity to launch international, life-saving medical responses. The hospital will be strategically positioned in the Samaritan’s Purse Canada warehouse and have customizable units that include an emergency room, laboratory, surgical facilities, and everything needed for in-patient and out-patient care in the event of an international crisis. “As our world faces increasingly large and frequent disasters, all of our global Samaritan’s Purse offices are committed to responding in Jesus’ Name at a moment’s notice,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Our emergency field hospitals have helped us save lives and bring the hope of the Gospel in the midst of crises around the world, and this facility will equip our Canadian office to respond wherever God calls us next.” Since 1973, Samaritan’s Purse Canada has been providing desperately needed relief around the world in Jesus’ Name – including food, water, and temporary shelter for victims of war, poverty, disease, and natural disasters. “We are thankful that the Lord has provided us with this resource,” said Fred Weiss, executive director of Samaritan’s Purse Canada. “We’ll be able to deploy this field hospital along with Canadian disaster responders to provide expert care that will save lives and reduce suffering while sharing the message of eternal life through Christ.” Visit SamaritansPurse.ca for more information. Christian Newswire Rebel News presents Church Under Fire: Canada’s War on Christianity A new documentary exposing the persecution faced by Christian pastors during COVID-19. Rebel News, Canada’s largest independent news company known for its bold investigative journalism, recently released the documentary, Church Under Fire: Canada’s War on Christianity. This compelling documentary, the fourth produced by Rebel News’ head documentarian, Kian Simone, sheds light on the relentless persecution experienced by Christian pastors in Canada during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The film can be watched at ChurchUnderFireMovie.com. Amidst unprecedented challenges brought on by the government’s response to the COVID hysteria, many pastors across Canada found themselves at the centre of a controversial struggle between following their interpretation of the Bible and obeying the decrees of public health agencies. Church Under Fire takes audiences on a trip back to this pivotal time, showcasing the unwavering faith and resilience of religious leaders as they stood firm in their commitment to worship God and serve their communities. Sheila Gunn Reid, Chief Reporter at Rebel News and a passionate advocate for religious freedom, leads you through the documentary. With her unwavering determination, Reid delivers the powerful stories of these courageous pastors and exposes the persecution they faced for standing up for religious liberty. Church Under Fire provides a thought-provoking examination of the struggles endured by pastors from six different churches across the country, as each, in their own unique way, refused to compromise their faith in the face of government demands. Christian Newswire Iran’s Christians live in a ‘1984’ style nightmare Life for Christians and other minority faiths in Iran is increasingly resembling the dystopia portrayed in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. That is the conclusion reached by one of the authors of a new report by the group, Article 18 (in collaboration with partner organization Open Doors, Middle East Concern, and CSW) on the persecution of Christians within Iran. Faceless Victims – Rights Violations Against Christians in Iran a report launched in Parliament last month. “The parallels between Orwell’s 1984 and the experiences of Iranian Christians are not mere fiction but a harrowing reality,” said Mansour Borji, Article 18. “Christians have long been under surveillance and violently pressured in Iran, it’s the extent of this which has grown – especially the use of new sophisticated forms of cyber surveillance that is so shocking. It’s a call to the global community to recognize and respond to the systemic suppression faced by Christians in Iran.” “The report chronicles a brutal clampdown by the Iranian regime last year, with over 100 Christians arrested,” said Gary Stagg, Executive Director of Open Doors Canada. “This information mirrors the 2024 World Watch List results, which ranks Iran as #9 in the annual list of 50 countries where being a Christian costs the most. But God is still working and moving among His people there and continues to grow the church in Iran.” According to the report “By the end of 2023, at least 17 of the Christians arrested during the summer had received prison sentences of between three months and five years or non-custodial punishments such as fines (and) flogging. “We call on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all Christians detained on charges relating to their faith and religious activities. And they need to clarify where Persian-speaking Christians may worship freely in their mother tongue, without fear of arrest and prosecution,” said Borji. About Mansour Borji Born in 1974 in Saqhez, a city in Iran’s Kurdistan province, Mansour Borji grew up in Tehran due to local armed conflicts in the region at that time. After coming to faith in 1992, Borji went to London five years later to study theology and later joined various Christian organizations to work in evangelism, pastoral ministry, and theological education. But in 2008 he founded Article18 to devote himself to advocacy on behalf of the persecuted church. MCC’s work in Ukraine continues after two years of conflict By Jason Dueck February 24 marked two years since the escalation of the war between Russia and Ukraine and the large-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian military forces. Since February 2022, Mennonite Central Committee has raised more than $14.4 (CAD 19.5) million for emergency relief response projects in Ukraine. And while there are no clear signs of a peaceful end to this conflict, neither are there signs of the end of MCC’s commitment to peace in the region. Of that $14.4 million raised for Ukraine, more than $12.5 (CAD 16.9) million has been spent on program costs, locally purchased goods and material resources shipments to support more than 151,000 people. As of today, MCC has shipped 30 containers to Ukraine, including: 63,822 comforters 72,000 hygiene kits 25,339 relief kits 123,840 pounds of canned meat Through the faithful support of MCC donors and the incredible work of MCC’s partners in Ukraine, 331,976 meals have been served to the hungry, 131,406 food packages distributed and 3,810 people provided with temporary shelter. It’s one of MCC’s most significant disaster responses, possible only because of generous donors and committed local partners. MCC support helps partners carry on Natalia* is a project coordinator for MCC partner Center for Social and Rehabilitation Assistance (RCL), based in Zaporizhzhia, a city just inside the territory currently controlled by Ukraine. RCL provides education, social support and resources for children with mental and physical disabilities. Natalia says without MCC’s support, they wouldn’t have been able to operate beyond the first few weeks of the invasion. “Before, the parents paid some fees to cover the costs of our programs,” she says. “But when the war started, so many of the parents lost their jobs, the economic situation was very difficult. They couldn’t give money to education; they didn’t always have money even for food. We can only pay our teachers and social workers because MCC has increased its giving to us.” Natalia came to RCL initially as a parent: her son has an intellectual disability and needed additional support when he started school. She eventually joined the staff and now coordinates programming for the 135 in-person students and approximately 40 learning online. Two years ago, when the invasion began, Natalia fled the country with her sister, some friends and their children. They were able to cross the border in Poland and eventually found short-term shelter in a hotel for a few months. She would cross back into Ukraine to send money to her parents, who live near Zaporizhzhia and weren’t able to leave safely. After nearly half a year, she decided to return home and continue her work with RCL, a move only possible, she says, because of MCC’s continued financial support of the project. Support is needed more than ever Other MCC partners continue to find ways to create safety, building and offering relief as the war continues: New Life Charitable Fund is distributing food and comforters, several MCC partners are providing support to help people deal with the trauma of war, and Uman Help Center is providing a wide variety of survival materials, like fuel and food to those who have need. Through the uncertainty and risk, MCC’s local partners continue to do essential work that is valued by the communities they serve says Bruce Guenther, MCC’s director of disaster response. “A group of external evaluators found that our responses provided food packages and other items that were of high quality, timely and met urgent needs, especially for vulnerable people who were not being supported by other organizations,” he says. But two years later the conflict continues and there are still significant needs. “Our partners are doing incredible work in conditions that continue to be difficult, and they still need your support more than ever.” *Names shortened or withheld for security purposes |
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