Saturday, May 31, 2008

Christian Band, Bread of Stone, Speaks Out About Persecution of Christians in Indonesian Homeland

Christian Band, Bread of Stone, Speaks Out About Persecution of Christians in Indonesian Homeland

NASHVILLE, May 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- With the alarming persecution of Christians happening increasingly all over the world, the most recent outbreak of attacks in Indonesia personally hits home for Christian band Bread of Stone founders, Bill and Ben Kristijanto.

While in California this past week doing a benefit concert to raise money for an Indonesian church, the brothers heard the news of the latest tragedy in their native land. An attack happened just days ago on the Christian village of Horale, where people including children, were tortured. Not only were scores of people seriously injured, but the village community also suffered a great loss as the local school, three churches and 120 houses were set ablaze.


"It's kind of ironic that we're playing to raise money for a church building, in a country where we can freely worship God, while halfway around the world a church building was recently burned down, in a country where being a Christian is a minority," says Bill Kristijanto, who was born in Bandung, Indonesia and lived the first nine years of his life in Jatibarang.

Raised in a Christian home, the Kristijanto brothers know first hand of the needs and problems as they receive daily updates from their father, Nehemia, who travels with the band and also has a ministry in Indonesia. "With my dad going back to Indonesia every year, he is able to lift their spirits up and to refresh their faith towards God," says Ben Kristijanto. "It's such an encouragement for them to have someone like my father to come to them and share with them the things that the Lord is doing in other parts of the world. I myself join in and encourage them to keep looking towards the greater goal."

In June, Bread of Stone will start a summer of ministering to various youth camps, festivals and TV tapings. In the meantime, the band wants to raise worldwide awareness to the plight of Indonesia's suffering church.

"The current news shows us how bold our brothers and sisters are in Indonesia and leads me to encourage all Christians to pray to see how we can help!" says Bill. "We are asking for agreement that God will give the Christians in our homeland the strength to continue to be bold for Christ and to love the people that wronged them."

For more information about Bread of Stone, visit http://www.BreadOfStone.com.

3mnewswire.org

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