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British journalist hits the top ten list of most important Christian stories of 2007

Several news articles by international journalist and broadcaster Dan Wooding, founder of ASSIST Ministries and ASSIST News Service (ANS), have made it into the Top Ten Most Impactful Stories of 2007, according to Crosswalk.com.

Commenting on its Top Ten list, Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Faith Editor, writes: "Every year since Christianity began, our brothers have experienced persecution; we've encouraged each other through great tragedies, important leaders of the faith have been called home, and outsiders have challenged the veracity of our claims."

He asks: "So what makes Crosswalk's list of the most important Religion News stories of 2007 any different? "

His answer? "Well, nothing really, except that these are both the reminders that there's nothing new under the sun, as well as the sometimes-uncomfortable reality of what Christ has called us to. None of us will spend eternity on this earth (praise God we will do so with Him), but what do we do with the time He has placed us here?"

McEvoy writes: "Do we turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers in other countries? Or do we risk being taken hostage because we're so desperate to share the Gospel? Do we fear the advance of belief (or non-belief) systems that oppose us, or do we stand firm, creating institutions that defend the biblical account?

Two of the 67-year-old award-winning British journalist Wooding's stories made it into the top four, including his articles on 'Gaza's Forgotten Christians' and "Hamas 'Complicit in Persecution of Gaza Christians'" in the category: "Christian Population Disappearing In Iraq, Gaza."

McEvoy said these stories were important, because: "We're talking about some of the world's original Christian peoples in the Assyrians and Chaldeans of Iraq, and the Christians of the Gaza Strip. Their losses and emigrations have increased dramatically in just six months. Once they're gone, who then will represent Christ in those regions of the world?

McEvoy said their importance begs the question: Have some things actually gotten worse in Iraq than they were under Saddam? What would a Middle East devoid of Christians look like?

Wooding's article "Freed Korean Hostages Recall Afghan Ordeal During Emotional Press Conference" and his piece "South Korea Rethinks Mission Strategy" made it into the Number One category of most important stories for the year 2007.

They were important, McEvoy said, because: "Any time believers are taken hostage while simply trying to spread the news of hope in Jesus it just smacks of the truth that our world is broken... reminding us clearly of the very reason why we need to take the gospel to all lands. And yet, we still don't expect, in this day and age, that Christians will give their lives in this fight. At the same time, that doesn't mean we shouldn't pray for and strive for peace and freedom in evangelism."

McEvoy said the articles beg the question: "What will it mean for the spread of the Gospel if one of the world's primary senders of missionaries curtails their efforts? Is Afghanistan unreachable? For how long? How are those who survived the ordeal recovering?"

On learning that his stories made the Top Ten list, Wooding said: "I believe that the fact that these two stories were considered so important for US Christians is a sign that American believers have finally joined the worldwide Body of Christ and become World Christians."

Wooding said that when he first arrived in the US from the UK in 1982, he could hardly get any Christian media or individuals to show even the slightest interest in what was happening to our suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

"One Christian leader told me at that time, 'You have to understand that American Christians are more interested in themselves and "what's in it for me?" than helping suffering Christians in parts of the world that they don't know or care about," Wooding said.

He said it took two years before even one radio station would allow Wooding on the air to talk about this topic and then, after talking about persecution for an hour, the first caller asked, 'Why does the British media persecute the Royal Family?'

"When Ray Barnett and myself wrote 'Uganda Holocaust,' which was about the 300,000 Ugandan Christians murdered during the terrible eight years of misrule of Idi Amin, it was a best-seller around the world and hardly sold any in the United States, where it sold a few dozen. Finally, the publisher gave away most of this hardcover history of the courageous group of Christians, to a floating bookseller that worked in the Third-World.

"It was very depressing to see the lack of any interest or concern in America," Wooding commented.

But then 9/11 happened and America finally woke up to the rest of the world, and the Church also did so and now Christians in America are among the most supportive of persecuted Christians around the world. "They pray, give and go to encourage them," said Wooding.

"US believers want to know more and more about the situation for their suffering brethren around the world and I believe this is why these two stories made the top of the Crosswalk list," he explained.

[01/23/2008]

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