News briefs

An ill wind that blows good

Witnessing For Christ, an indigenous ministry based in Burma (Myanmar) that is assisted by Intercede International based in Fort Erie, Ontario, has been delivering aid to several thousand Christian and Buddhist victims of the May 2 Cyclone Nargis. It reports that "two or three dozen people" have become Christian believers as a result of the aid.

Multicultural learning opportunity

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is hosting six intercultural symposiums to help church leaders learn how to reach their multicultural communities more effectively. Solutions, models and ideas will be presented by David Macfarlane, EFC Director of National Initiatives, and Sam Owusu, pastor of Calvary Worship Centre in New Westminster, BC, a congregation composed of people from over 45 nations. The symposiums will be held September 16 in Ottawa, September 17 in Toronto, September 18 in Winnipeg, September 19 in Edmonton, September 22 in Vancouver and September 25 in Calgary. Participants are asked to register ahead of time. A previous set of symposiums, in September 2007, attracted over 200 participants in five cities.

Christians give back

LifeSiteNews is reporting that nine Order of Canada awards have now been returned to protest the granting of the honour to abortionist Dr. Henry Morgentaler. They include musician Alphonse Gerwing, former New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Finn, Monsignor A.J. Goski, Madonna House founder Catherine Doherty, Father Lucien Larre, Frank Chauvin and three recipients who wish to remain anonymous. The site is encouraging Canadians to sign a petition calling for the rescinding of Morgentaler's award. Stephanie Gray, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform, is asking those who sign the petition to also spend a day in prayer and fasting for Morgentaler's conversion.

Fathers taking leave of their census

A Statistics Canada study reveals that in 10 per cent of Canadian fathers took government-funded parental leave from work when a baby was born in 2006. That is unchanged from 2001, but the average amount of leave is now 17 weeks, up dramatically from 11 weeks in 2004. The federal government changed the law in 2001 to allow parents to receive up to 55 per cent of their previous income for 35 weeks. About 60 per cent of eligible women took such leave in 2006. In Quebec, which has an even more generous provincial program, 56 per cent of new fathers took paid paternity leave. -- Today's Family News

Happy with hate ruling

Mustafa Taj has been sentenced to a year in jail and a year of probation for attacking four teenagers at a transit station in Calgary in November 2006. Taj expressed hatred of Jews and called one of his victims a "Jewish piece of (crap)" while slapping her and pulling her hair. He then punched the others, who were trying to stop the attack. Taj received a longer sentence because Provincial Court of Alberta Judge Bill Cummings ruled that this was a hate crime. The Canadian Jewish Congress issued a statement saying it was pleased with the ruling and the longer sentence.

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This movie's rated BG

Billy: The Early Years, a new movie due out this fall on the early years of evangelist Billy Graham, now has an official website. The movie follows Graham's life from his youthful days on a North Carolina farm, through his courtship of his wife Ruth, to his decision to enter Christian ministry. The film uses Charles Templeton, the Canadian evangelist who later abandoned Christian faith, as a symbol of "the rising tide of disbelief into which Graham launched his crusades."

Answers to questions Catholics ask

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued several new resources: a six-page brochure called What Does Marriage Add to Your Love? A pastoral message to young couples on marriage and family in the Catholic Church; a 20-page brochure called Marriage in the Catholic Church: frequently asked questions; a seven-lecture DVD called Parents: You, your children and their Catholic faith; and the 2008 Directory of Roman Catholic dioceses and agencies in Canada.

Canadian churches say let my prisoner go

The Canadian Council of Churches has written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling for terror suspect Omar Khadr to be released from the US prison in Guantanamo Bay and repatriated to Canada so he can be reintegrated into Canadian society.

Canadian Christian students write real good

Creative writing students from Trinity Western University in Langley, BC have won two of the three first-place awards in the North America-wide 2008 Student Writing Contest sponsored by the Conference of Christianity and Literature. Jay Jameson won first place in the non-fiction category for his essay 'Trojan,' and Katherine Hartline won first place in the poetry category for her poem 'Young Entrepreneurs.' The third award was also won by a Canadian student. Michael Doyle of Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario won first-place in the fiction category for his short story 'Stars over Triglav.' Doyle won third prize in the same category for his story 'Desert Fathers.'

July 31/2008