Evangelicals

Friday concluded five days of prayer and discussion for more than 9,000 evangelical church leaders from over 60 countries who assembled in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, for the World Prayer Assembly (WPA), a grand Evangelical event that kicked off Monday after four years of preparations.

The WPA, believed to be the world's largest Christian intercessory prayer event, reportedly received permission from the government of the predominantly Muslim country, and home to the world's largest Muslim population, to invite Christians from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Laos, Vietnam, Egypt, China, and even North Korea. The WPA events were held at the 11,000-seat Sentul International Convention Center in Jakarta and other venues.

Each day, participants were able to select from a dozen or more workshops and seminars addressing a variety of issues confronting the global church. All week, a 24-7 prayer room has been filled with people, sources said. more >>

The impact that evangelical leader and Prison Fellowship Ministries founder Charles W. "Chuck" Colson left on the lives of his family, friends and the Christian world was celebrated during a public memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.

Thousands, including politicians and notable Christian leaders, filled the pews of the historic church to pay tribute to Colson, who was remembered by loved ones as a dedicated "champion" of the Christian faith and an extraordinary man who glorified God in everything he did, whether it was through loving his family or sharing the love of Jesus to prisoners.

His daughter, Emily Colson, said the memorial was a celebration for a life "well-lived." She testified that Colson always put God first and his family next. Still, he was "fully present" for his family, calling her once a day to talk and always clearing his schedule to spend time with his 21-year-old grandson Max, who is diagnosed with autism. more >>

Maude Aimee Humbard, wife of late broadcasting pioneer and the world's first televangelist Rex Humbard, passed away Monday at age 89.

Aimee Humbard was a "vital part of this outreach for Christ. Her anointed gift of song and ministry touched the lives of countless thousands around the world. In addition, God gave her a gift to personally help those in need; feeding, clothing and serving lost and searching souls," her family said in a statement Tuesday.

Aimee Humbard, born in Dallas, Texas in 1922, married Rex Humbard, her childhood sweet heart, in 1942. more >>

Grant Jeffrey, a Canadian Bible teacher known as an expert on Bible prophecies, an advocate of dispensationalism and host of TBN's "Bible Prophecy Revealed," passed away over the weekend after a cardiac arrest. He was 64.

"He is now without pain, he is healed and now with his Heavenly Father. He will be missed sorely," reads a statement published on the Grant Jeffrey Ministries website. The funeral will be held in Toronto, at a location to be announced soon, ministry officials said.

Jeffrey was hospitalized in Toronto, Canada, on May 7, in critical condition. The ministry said in a statement Saturday that Jeffrey died after suffering a cardiac arrest Friday night. He is survived by his wife Kaye, with whom he had been in full-time ministry since 1988. more >>

Televangelist Pat Robertson suggested on his "700 Club" show Monday that although Mitt Romney is far from being Jesus, the GOP candidate is still an adequate alternative to President Barack Obama for Christian voters.

"It looks like the people who were worried about his Mormonism ... at least that crowd is diminishing somewhat. The question is, if they have two candidates, you don't have Jesus running against someone else. You have Obama running against Romney," Robertson said on his Christian news program, which ran an interview with the former Massachusetts governor.

The Christian Broadcasting Network founder and chairman expressed last month that he believes Romney, who gave a speech at Liberty University over the weekend, can carry the country forward, despite previously insisting he would not back a candidate. more >>

Minister Franklin Graham appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) this week, co-hosting its signature ministry program "Praise the Lord" with network co-founder, Jan Crouch, just as the network is facing scrutiny over allegations of financial dishonesty.

Graham, son of famous evangelist Billy Graham and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and the humanitarian aid ministry Samaritan's Purse, hosted Crouch at BGEA's picturesque retreat and training center, The Cove, in Asheville, N.C.

Graham and Crouch, who created TBN with her husband, Paul, in 1973, discussed evangelism in foreign countries, in particular Asian countries like India and China, as well as conflict-torn African countries like Sudan and South Sudan, where Samaritan's Purse is particularly active. Graham acknowledged the challenges, but focused on the role Evangelical Christians have in spreading the Gospel, or as the co-hosts put it, "bringing the word of God to the end of the world." more >>