Call for Prayer for 21 Coptic Christians Beheaded by ISIS

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Religious Leaders Call for Action, Prayer Feb. 22 for 21 Coptic Christians Beheaded by ISIS    Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Dr. Russell Moore, Gabe Lyons, Mark Burnett & Roma Downey Lead Multi-confessional Effort Contact: Kristin Cole, A. Larry Ross Communications, 972-267-1111,[e-mail] SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 20, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Religious leaders from around the nation are calling upon all Christians to allocate a minute of silence onSunday, February 22, followed by a prayer reflecting upon the memory and for the grieving families of the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians murdered by the hands of ISIS terrorists. A variety of denominational and cultural faith leaders have joined in the efforts, including:  Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)/Conela;   Dr. Russell Moore, President of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC);    Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, Award-Winning Television Producers;   Gabe Lyons, Founder of Q Ideas;    James Robison, Founder of LIFE Outreach International;    Johnnie Moore, Speaker, Commentator and Author of "Defying ISIS;"   Mathew D. Staver, Esq., Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel; Dr. Mark Williams, General Overseer of The Church of God;   Dr. Doug Beacham, General Superintendent of The International Pentecostal Holiness Church;    Dr. Glenn Burris, President of The Foursquare Church; and others. "The Christian faith is the place where conviction marries compassion and truth joins hands with love," said NHCLC/Conela President Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, who serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals throughout the world.   "We stand convicted and convinced that terror and intolerance cannot, and will not, extinguish the light of God's grace, truth and love," Rodriguez continued. "We hope leaders around the world will join us in honoring those who have lost their lives, praying for those suffering, and repudiating all acts of terror."   A short video available to be played in worship services and gatherings prior toSunday's minute of silence is available for download in both English and Spanish at21martyrs.com.   "Persecution of Christians wakes a slumbering Church," said Q Ideas President Gabe Lyons. "This call to remembrance and prayer reminds us that the blood of the martyrs has always been the seed for a revived Church. May we remain sober-minded and fall to our knees in prayer for God to stir our hearts to obedience."   Additionally, these leaders are urging President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to do more to specifically address the persecution of Christians by ISIS, Islamic totalitarianism and regimes in the Middle East; and call upon the United Nations to convene a summit on Christian persecution around the world.   "In a time when the world is on fire with the threat of Islamic jihadist extremism and religious persecution, the church must be the people who know how to engage our neighbors with the gospel that reconcile," said ERLC President Dr. Russell Moore. "At the same time, our government must do its duty, and Christians are right to pray for swift action against this terror. We stand in solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters, as the people of the cross."   For more information, visit 21martyrs.com.

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Pentecostal Leaders Call for Prayer for Persecuted Christians By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST and ASSIST News Service MARINA DEL REY, CA (ANS – Feb. 21, 2105) --Thirty-five leaders from six U.S. Pentecostal enominations met in Southern California this week for a historical three-day summit designed to bring unity to the body of Christ. According to John W. Kennedy, writing in PE News (http://penews.org), all six executive leadership team members of the U.S. attended the Monday through Wednesday gathering in Marina del Rey: General Superintendent George O. Wood, Assistant General Superintendent Alton Garrison, General Secretary James T. Bradford, General Treasurer Doug Clay, AG World Missions Executive Director Greg Mundis, and AG U.S. Missions Executive Director Zollie Smith. Richard Hammar, general counsel for the Fellowship, also attended. Among the top officials of other Pentecostal denominations represented were International Pentecostal Holiness Church Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham; International Church of the Foursquare Gospel President Glenn C. Burris Jr.; Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr.; Open Bible Churches President Randall A. Bach; and Church of God General Overseer Mark Williams. Kennedy’s story went on to say that through times of prayer, worship, devotional study, and discussion, the agenda included hot-button issues affecting all groups, including same-sex marriage, the church’s role in racial harmony, the impact of terrorism, social media and technology, biblical training and higher education, cooperative efforts in evangelism and missions, and future ongoing relationships. “Whatever steps we take are important for us, for our country, and for revival,” Beacham said. The group also focused on the mass executions of Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya last week by ISIS militants. The Pentecostal leaders agreed to jointly ask those who attend their representative churches to pray for the persecuted church. Wood urges Christians to lift up in urgent prayer those who face suffering to the point of death. “The recent beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians is a reminder to the body of Christ that even in the 21st century Christians are being martyred,” Wood says. “Please set aside timethis Sunday and/or subsequent Sundays to pray for believers all over the world who are facing persecution, discrimination, marginalization, and even death.” The story states that in a separate statement, Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, called upon all Christians on Sunday to allocate a minute of silence followed by a reflective prayer for the murdered Christians and their families. “Recognizing that today’s complacency is tomorrow’s captivity, as followers of Christ we recognize that silence is not an option,” says Rodriguez, leader of the largest Christian Hispanic organization in the U.S. and an ordained AG minister. “Despite the troubling times, both Wood and Rodriguez encourage followers of Christ to remain hopeful and courageous,” wrote Kennedy. “May we not fail to remember our eternal hope in Christ, which no one can take away,” Wood says. “Those who risk greatly for the cause of Christ never lose, even when it appears they may.” “Terror and intolerance cannot, and will not, extinguish the light of God’s grace, truth, and love,” Rodriguez says. Photo caption:  The Egyptian Christians headed for martydom Read more