African Churches Under Attack

Christian students rally around the flagpole again, outgoing leader of Anglicans worldwide condemns churches’ sexual activism, and other stories from online sources from around the world

Christianity Today September 1, 2002

Raids on churches leave worshipers dead, abducted Churches throughout Africa were the victims of deadly attacks this weekend. In Kisii, Kenya, reports The East African Standard, a “gang of about 100, armed with all sorts of crude weapons including arrows, simis and machetes,” invaded a Roman Catholic Church, “attacking followers indiscriminately.” Two worshipers were killed and several others injured in the attack, which reportedly lasted 90 minutes.

Cornellius Okindo, recovering in the city hospital from deep cuts, told the Standard that the mob “started attacking the faithful indiscriminately without saying a word.” Some reportedly poured gasoline in the church and lit it, though early reports that the church had burned down turned out to be untrue.

The attackers were thought to be “hired goons,” and the attack seems to be politically motivated as parliamentary elections approach.

Meanwhile, church attacks in Nigeria over the weekend appear to have been financially motivated. Robbers attacked a church in the Lagos suburb of Ojokoro, killing worshiper Yinka Egbe and stealing N25,000 ($200) and other items.

In Aba, Abia State, robbers severely beat, then shot a Roman Catholic priest in the groin after robbing his church. Monsignor Theophilus Okere says that when the priest was rushed to the hospital, “he was denied treatment by those on duty, who insisted it was a police case.” He died from his wounds. It was the second attack on the church this year.

South Africa also experienced such terror. About ten armed men stormed a church service at Randfontein College and abducted one of the worshipers. Three vehicles were stolen in the raid.

More articles

See You at the Pole:

Carey says Anglican unity at risk:

Homosexuality:

  • Bill to mandate gay sensitivity for foster parents | Governor has yet to decide whether he will sign a bill by Assemblywoman Judy Chu that would force foster parents to undergo sensitivity training in order to better serve gay, lesbian or transgender youths (San Gabriel Valley Tribune, California)
  • Gay couple moves by Falwell church | “We just want Lynchburg to see us,” says Mel White (Associated Press)
  • Also: Falwell welcomes gay couple to church | White got some smiles and casual hellos, but no one else made a specific effort to greet him (The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.)
  • Gay activists split despite successes | With inheritance and other benefits signed into law, California is seen as second only to Vermont as a gay-friendly state. Some say it’s not enough (Los Angeles Times)
  • Christian group opposes anti-gay protests | Fred Phelps plans pickets anyway (KMGH, Denver)
  • Gay couples fight for equal rights | The people of Zurich will vote on Sunday on whether to grant greater equality to homosexual couples (Swissinfo)
  • Ottawa finds flaw in gay marriages | The Justice Department is advancing the argument that gays and lesbians do not meet the “core opposite-sex requirements” of marriage that are based on procreation and raising children (Southam News)
  • The gay non-question | It is a mark of the effectiveness of the gay lobby that the question of how to treat homosexuals is now threatening to split both the Anglican Church and the Tory party. (Editorial, The Daily Telegraph, London)
  • Also: Preaching and prying bigots | The wrath Anglicans and Tories visit on gays shows their squalor. (Hywel Williams, The Guardian, London)
  • Gay songs to be heard in church | On Sunday, as part of its service, St. Paul’s Cathedral will host a performance of Watershed Stories, a series of eight songs based on interviews with people in the gay community and performed by the Prairie Pride Chorus (Leader-Post, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Church life:

Sex abuse scandals:

Money and business:

  • Corporate scandals tainting donations | The recent investigations of some of America’s richest corporate executives have created a moral dilemma for universities, museums, charities and politicians wondering whether they have been the inadvertent beneficiaries of ill-gotten dollars (The Washington Post)
  • Tim McGuire to write work/spirituality column | Former editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune was recent president of American Society of Newspaper Editors (Editor & Publisher)
  • Churches’ labor finds role in marketplace | More than ever, houses of worship are including business ventures in their focuses on ministry and outreach (The Baltimore Sun)
  • A whale of a job | Local VeggieTales marketers going overboard to promote feature-length ‘Jonah’ (Nashville Business Journal)
  • NavPress plans to expand | Changes due to success of The Message (Publishers Weekly)
  • Bigger not always better | When it comes to stressing strengths at Franklin-based Resource Agency, Mike Keil won’t be ‘Left Behind’ (Nashville Business Journal)

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