Assemblies of God Caught Up in Middle East Violence
Over the last few days, Assemblies of God personnel have made several reports of AG families being caught in harm’s way and tragedy resulting.
Late last week, AG workers in the Middle East reported that two young brothers from the Lighthouse School in Gaza were killed when a missile fired from an F-16 jet fighter hit their home.
In Iraq, increasing chaos surrounds believers as a militant terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (also called ISIS) tightens its grip in and around the city of Mosul. All Christians have been ordered to leave the city (leaving all of their property behind) or be executed.
Reports are that many fleeing families were stopped at checkpoints and stripped of money and personal possessions. It is believed that most Christian families have now fled Mosul.
Then, last weekend, Dutch officials released the names of passengers from the Netherlands who were aboard the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was reportedly shot down over the Ukraine with no survivors.
Among the passengers were Arnoud Huizen, his wife, and their 2-year-old daughter. Arnoud was a former student at Azusa Theological Seminary in Amsterdam. He worked with Chi Alpha at Free University in Amsterdam and had done an internship with Teen Challenge.
Tim Southerland, area director of Northwestern Europe, states, “Arnoud was a diligent student who loved the Lord. His death is a great loss to the Dutch Assemblies of God and also among the missionary family who knew and loved him.”
Two women from AG churches in Indonesia also were killed.
“Our hearts go out to families and individuals who are suffering in the collateral damage of the civil conflicts taking place throughout the world,” says AG General Superintendent George O. Wood. “These trying times afford a challenge to the church of Jesus Christ to offer comfort to the suffering and convey the compassion, love and message of Christ wherever we can.”
To read the AG World Missions full report, click here.
