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Westboro told to pay family of soldier

Aussie minister calls for more aid funding

By TOM RICHES

By DANIEL GROTE

A ROGUE Kansas church has been ordered to pay $10.9 million (£5.2 million) in damages after its members picketed the funeral of an American soldier who died serving in Iraq. Westboro Baptist Church was taken to court after attending Lance Cpl Matthew Snyder’s funeral with signs reading ‘Thank God for dead soldiers’ and ‘You’re going to hell’. Members of the church, led by the Revd Fred Phelps, claim American soldiers are being punished by God because of America’s tolerance of homosexuality. ‘It will take the Fourth Circuit of Appeals a few minutes to reverse this silly thing,’ said Mr Phelps, while two of his daughters called the verdict a blow to free speech and promised to continue picketing military funerals. Father of Lancpe Cpl Snyder, Albert, said he hopes the ruling will prevent further targeting. ‘I hope it’s enough to deter them from doing this to other families,’ he said.

Jerusalem Baptists unfazed by attack

By TOM RICHES

JERUSALEM Baptists have refused to be intimidated by last week’s arson attack (The Baptist Times, November 1) as they turned out in force for their Sunday service. All four congregations that meet in the building saw a boost in their numbers last week, as they managed to hold services in the damaged building just days after the attack. Deacon Bruce Mills said there was a large turnout as a result of the fire. ‘All four congregations had a surge in attendance. And, in the community, we got letters of support and phone calls from all the different Jewish agencies,’ he added.

HIGH-profile Baptist minister the Revd Tim Costello has waded his way into Australia’s upcoming elections – and has found himself pitted against his brother, a cabinet member in the current government. Tim Costello, chief executive of World Vision Australia, has praised the stance on overseas aid of Kevin Rudd, leader of Australia’s Labor party, which is to challenge the governing Liberal party in the polls, risking the wrath of his brother Peter, treasurer in the current government. The Labor leader has pledged to increase overseas aid funding to 0.5 per cent of gross national income by 2015, up from the current 0.3 per cent. Tim Costello has said that Mr Rudd is ‘way ahead of the prime minister’ on the issue, and has appealed to his brother, and PM John Howard, to match the Labor promises. ‘Peter, John Howard, please. This is a moral issue, make it bipartisan.’ Writing in Australia’s The Age newspaper, Tim Costello says that he is ‘not campaigning against the Government, the prime minister, or my brother’, but that he has spoken out because ‘the issue of overseas aid and the position of the two main parties is crucial’. He said Mr Rudd’s commitment ‘represents the minimum amount needed for Australia to match international efforts to halve global poverty by 2015’. The Revd Dr Ross Clifford, president of the Baptist Union of Australia, has gone even further by calling on all parties to ramp up foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of gross national income by 2015. ‘Foreign aid is a significant moral issue and this should be reflected in real increases in Australia’s foreign aid budget,’ he said. ‘Alleviating poverty in the world’s poorest regions literally saves lives and ends terrible human suffering.’ Australian voters will go to the polls later this month.

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Plea – Baptist World Alliance president the Revd David Coffey called for unity among US Baptists during a visit to the country that saw him awarded an honorary doctorate by Dallas Baptist University

Coffey pleas for unity in US

By DANIEL GROTE

BAPTIST World Alliance president the Revd David Coffey has issued a plea for unity among US Baptists during a short visit to the country. Mr Coffey spoke candidly about the split between the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2004 withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance during a visit to Kentucky Baptist organisations. ‘I was very intimately involved in all the conversations that eventually led to the Southern Baptist Convention resigning from the Baptist World Alliance,’ he told crowds at Kentucky Baptist Convention-related Campbellsville University. ‘The decision saddened me and I still have

some good friends on the other side of the decision,’ he said. Mr Coffey went on to claim that ‘very, very little should divide Baptist Christians’. Citing the separation and eventual reconciliation between the Apostle Paul and John Mark in the New Testament, he added, ‘I think Christians must always hold in their hearts the hope of reconciliation.’ Mr Coffey’s US trip also saw him awarded an honorary doctorate by Dallas Baptist University, in recognition of his life ‘as a true servant leader who shepherds with wisdom, sincerity and a pastor’s heart’. Accepting the doctor of divinity degree, Mr Coffey said, ‘I believe that in honouring me you also distinguish the Baptist world family, whom I serve and represent.’

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Demand for release of lawyers in Pakistan

By TOM RICHES

CHRISTIAN Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has called for the immediate release of all human rights activists and lawyers arrested this week in the state of emergency imposed on Pakistan. Hundreds of demonstrators have been detained after president Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution on Saturday in the wake of rising Islamic militant violence and a pending supreme court decision on the validity of his re-election in October. CSW’s chief executive Mervyn Thomas called on the government to restore democratic freedoms to the people of Pakistan. ‘We are deeply concerned about the widespread abuse of human rights and suspension of basic freedoms in Pakistan,’ he said. ‘President Musharraf must restore a democratic and constitutional process immediately and stop harassing peaceful democratic activists,’ he added. Joseph Francis, chairman of the Pakistan Christian National Party, said there was fear in the country resulting from crackdown.

Missions battle as dollar declines

By TOM RICHES

SOUTHERN Baptist mission work is facing an uphill struggle due to the steep decline in the value of the American dollar against overseas currencies. Finance officials from the Southern Baptist’s International Mission Board (IMB) appealed for record fundraising as the fall in the dollar’s price hit its overseas work. The organisation said that $165 million (£80 million) in funds is needed just to sustain ministry budgets funded by last year’s record $150 million (£73 million) offering. According to Gary Stevens, leader of the IMB financial support group, the first 10 months of 2007 saw an overall increase in the cost of living for missionaries of approximately $1.8 million (£880,000), a rise of 13 per cent.

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