In Brief
In Brief
Saturday, July 1, 2006; Page B09
Evangelical Author Heads to North Korea
Evangelical pastor Rick Warren has been invited to preach this summer to about 15,000 Christians in North Korea.
Warren, author of the best-selling book "The Purpose-Driven Life," told about 5,000 worshipers at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., that he would make the trip as part of a nearly 40-day journey to meet with the leaders of 13 countries.
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He said the North Korean government would allow him to preach in a stadium seating 15,000 but that he could preach in a larger venue if he could fill the seats.
Since 2001, the State Department has designated North Korea a "country of particular concern" for religious freedom violations. The communist regime prohibits citizens from belonging to unauthorized religious groups. Believers who proselytize or have ties to evangelical groups in China are arrested, tortured or executed, a 2005 State Department report said.
"I know they're going to use me," Warren said, responding to a question about whether he was concerned that the invitation could be a ruse to draw out Christians so that the government could punish them.
"So I'm going to use them."
-- Religion News Service
Religious Groups Seek Allies Against Poverty
Solving the problem of poverty in the United States requires the cooperation of leaders and activists from across theological and political spectrums, according to organizers of a conference in Washington this week.
Organized by Call to Renewal and Sojourners, two Washington-based social justice groups co-founded by the Rev. Jim Wallis, the Pentecost Conference drew about 600 social activists to the nation's capital to meet with politicians, network and introduce a "covenant" that lays out a blueprint for eradicating poverty.
Wallis and Sojourners hope to draw religious and political leaders away from divisive issues such as gay marriage and abortion to a new common ground against poverty. At the same time, religious activists hope that targeting one topic will help unite the various factions of the religious left into a cohesive political force.