News, June 2007

News from the Churches

7/7/7 united witness opportunity. Kim Phuc visits Spain. Evangelical Federation negotiating tax back options for members. New online magazine, UNO. Demonstration in Alcalá de Henares over restriction of freedom to preach on the streets. 10,000 mourn the Turkey 3 in silent demonstrations all over Spain. This and more... Read on!

07/07/07 at 19.00 This is an opportunity being encouraged by churches from all backgrounds to witness in the open air across Spain. Above all it is an invitation to pray for Spain and declare the country 'God's Land' (as opposed to 'Mary's land' as the late Pope named it). Church groups will meet on the opan iar sites such as town squares which they (should) use regularly for their open air witness. Likewise, churches and groups are invited to spend time leadin up to this event in concentrated prayer for Spain. P4S regrets that we are unable to add more specific pointers at this time, but please make use of the wide range of information available on this web.

Kim Phuc, the Vietnamese girl, now UNESCO ambassador and Christian, has been in Spain representing Save The Children. 8th June was the 35th anniversary of the famous photo. An article in El Mundo gave testimony to her faith and the power of forgiveness.

29th May. The Evangelical Federation FEREDE has today started negotiations with the government to have an option on tax returns for church members to have 0.7% of their tax bills paid to the Federation, just as Roman Catholics can give to their church. In the evangelical case the money will not be usde for financing of 'worship' or the payment of pastors' salaries, but could be used to support their social work and such tings. Already for the past two years the Evangelicals, Muslims and Jews have participated in a 'Plurality and Living together' fund which supports social and other projects of the historically established religious groups. The minister has also anounced that new from this year to the groups conceded this status - previously the evangelicals only got in due to the presence of believers at the time of the 16th century Reformation- are the modern sects Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.

UNO is the name of a new online evangelical magazine. It plans to cover news and a variety of topics including access to the Online Bible.

Evangelicals in Alcalá de Henares are very upset by demands from the local authorities for fees for street preaching, an activity expressly allowed (one supposes without charge) in the Constitution. So they held a demonstration on May 20th. initial reports say it went well, with many supporting it, despite a torrential downpour half an hour into the event. A manifesto was handed to the City Council on 21st May.

The King may come to the 7th evangelical Congress in December, according to a delegation which visited the palace recently to take the invitation. But then again, he may send his own delegation!

For earlier news from the churches, click here!
For other news from the churches we remind you that Protestante Digital is likely to keep going until late July, when they will take their turn for a summer break.