New research analyzes the 364 populations that are hardest for evangelists to reach
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Of the world's 20 ``least-reached'' ethnic groups, 15 were in Asia, including five each in Afghanistan (Hazara, Pashtun, Tajik, Turkeman, Uzbek) and China (Han, Han-Gan, Kham, Salar, Tu) and two in Nepal (Magar, Rai). Other groups on the list were located in Djibouti, Guinea, India, Iraq, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Pakistan.
A broader index of the most difficult areas for Christian missionaries to reach showed 173 in Africa, 97 in Latin America and 94 in Asia. In all, two-thirds of the regions had little or no Christian ministry in place.
The ``Operation Access'' report was in preparation since 2000. It focuses on ``pockets of people who are either forgotten or unreached,'' and the problems that ``prevent or impede peoples' access to the Gospel'' such as inaccessible locations, language barriers, economic factors, laws and religious opposition. It also lists any Christian agencies with contacts in each area.
The Protestant fellowship provides 40,000 flights per year, as well as communications and other support services for missionaries and nongovernment organizations in remote areas. It conducted the research to set its own plans for the next 15 to 20 years and help other evangelical groups with strategy.
http://www.operationaccessMAF.org
Senior Church of England bishop says Britain should assert Christian identity
LONDON (AP) -A senior Church of England bishop said Britain should assert its Christian identity rather than becoming a ``multi-faith mishmash.''
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester also said Prince Charles was misguided in saying he wanted to be ``defender of faiths'' rather than ``defender of the faith'' when he is king.
In the coronation service, the monarch ``takes oaths to defend the Christian faith,'' the bishop told BBC radio May 27.
``If by saying that he meant that he wanted to uphold the freedom of people of every faith, then I have no quarrel with that,'' the bishop said. ``But you can't defend every faith, because there are very serious differences among them.''
Nazir-Ali said respect for Christian roots doesn't mean ``we don't welcome other people.''
``The basis for British society is Christian, constitutionally. Many of its institutions are based on Christian ideas,'' he said. ``All our values come ultimately from the Bible.
Nazir-Ali, who was raised Roman Catholic in Muslim Pakistan, was among several runners-up in 2002 for appointment by Prime Minister Tony Blair to be archbishop of Canterbury and lead the Church of England and international Anglican Communion.
Though more than 70 percent of Britons consider themselves Christian, less than 10 percent attend church regularly.
European Union and religious leaders urge mutual respect for beliefs, freedoms
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ European Union and religious leaders called for greater mutual respect of religious beliefs and democratic freedoms at talks in the wake of violent protests over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
The talks last week involved 16 religious leaders from Christianity, Islam and Judaism as well as Buddhism's Dalai Lama.
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, the EU president, co-chaired the sessions with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
``All the speakers of Islamic communities repeated they understand the concerns of European citizens to defend their freedoms, to defend their rights of expression, of publication ... and of course on the other side there was a clear will to understand the sensitivity of religious symbols and feelings,'' Schuessel told reporters.
Barroso said all participants agreed the problem over the drawings was ``not about Islam,'' but finding a balance between freedoms and respect for other points of view.
The Brussels-based Rabbinical Center of Europe complained because the two Jewish representatives were Ashkenazi, and did not fully represent Europe's Sephardic community.
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