EDMONDS, WASHINGTON  (ANS) -- With its roots going back to 1846, World Evangelical Alliance is an international body that networks and facilitates the discipling of nations through national and regional evangelical alliances in 123 countries. In a year-end report released December 30, the WEA highlights trends in major trouble spots around the world.

"As 2002 draws to a close, it is important for Christians to prayerfully commit to freedom for people of all faiths as part of our Christian faith. Some say it is impossible for people of various religions to live together. It may be possible to find ways to co-exist, but to develop a stable civil society, religious freedom and security must be integrated. A level playing field gives everyone freedom to worship" said Kathi Graham, North American Representative for the Religious Liberty Commission of World Evangelical Alliance.

"The Religious Liberty Commission of World Evangelical Alliance identifies global trends to alert people to the ongoing struggles faced daily by believers worldwide," states Rev. Johan Candelin, Executive Director of the commission. "Christmas is a time to meditate on the mystery of God and His gift of life through Jesus Christ and the impact of that gift as people live out their daily lives."

WEA Religious Liberty Commission Researcher Elizabeth Kendal presents significant trends of 2002 that will impact the church in 2003. Portions of her article follow. The full textof her report is available at http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/postings.

Trend One: A continuing struggle in Communist Asia between increasing openness and maintaining control.

"China leads the way in this struggle and has the potential to be a strategic positive influence on its neighbors. There is a long way to go, as the case of Hong Kong's Article 23, the persecution of the South China Church and Pastor Gong Shengliang, and the re-arrest of pastor Peter Xu all demonstrate," said Kendal.

"Yet we are not without hope. A leading Chinese evangelical recently said that he believed the Chinese leadership was realizing that it could not win its battle against the Church and was gradually giving up and accepting that it has to learn how to live with it."

North Korea continued to fluctuate wildly, however, 2002 saw massive changes induced by total desperation. "One wonders how much longer the regime of Kim Jong-Il can maintain its consistent, relentless, appalling cruelty and repression," Kendal said.

Vietnam is one Communist Asian nation where the situation has markedly deteriorated. The Hmong tribe, located in Vietnam, Laos, China and Cambodia, is under intense persecution. This will be a major issue in 2003.