Died • Donald Hoke, director of the 1974 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, on November 15, following a stroke. From 1974 to 1978, Hoke served as the first director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He then became the senior pastor of Cedar Springs Presbyterian in Knoxville, Tennessee, and retired in 1990.
Resigned • Joel Hunter, as president-elect of the Christian Coalition (CC) on November 21. The megachurch pastor and critic of the Religious Right said transition meetings with the board revealed he would be unable to expand cc priorities beyond abortion and same-sex marriage.
Honored • Simon Deng, a Sudanese Christian, by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for working against genocide and slavery. adl, known for opposing anti-Semitism, recognized Deng with the Ina Kay Award on November 14. Deng suffered for more than three years as a slave in northern Sudan, where he refused to renounce his Christian faith.
Murdered • Dionisio Diaz Garcia, an Association for a More Just Society (AJS) lawyer, on December 4 in Honduras. Garcia was driving to court, where he planned to advocate for the labor rights of 10 security guards. ajs, a Christian agency and partner with International Justice Mission, seeks social justice for the poor in Honduras.
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Related Elsewhere:
The Billy Graham Center archives has a memorial page for Donald Hoke.
The Orlando Sentinel reported on Joel Hunter‘s resignation. He is expected to disclose the content of talks between evangelical leaders and scientists about global warming today.
Simon Deng was one of four people honored by the Anti-Defamation League. A transcript of his speech at a symposium on victims of jihad and an interview are available online.
The Association for a More Just Society (Honduras) issued a press release on Dionisio Diaz Garcia’s work and death.
