(dramatic music)

- [George] This week on"Christian World News."

Christians vanishing from the Middle East,

China imprisoning millions of Muslims,

and what is PresidentTrump doing about it?

- [Wendy] Plus, global protest anger

over the killing of an unarmed black man

in police custody isspreading beyond America.

In the midst of it all,the church brings a message

of peace, justice, and reconciliation.

- And who will control the Temple Mount?

We'll tell you aboutthe secret negotiations

over a site so central toChristians, Jews, and Muslims.

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to this week's edition

of "Christian World News."

I'm George Thomas.

- And I'm Wendy Griffith.

Thanks for being with us.

President Trump is throwing the weight

of the United States behindinternational religious freedom.

- He absolutely is.

The President issued a new executive order

expanding support and funding

for religious minorities at risk.

White House CorrespondentBen Kennedy has the details.

- President Trump calledupon the nations of the world

to end religious persecution.

The executive order even locksdown $50 million for programs

that advance internationalreligious freedom.

President Trump visiteda DC shrine Tuesday

honoring Pope John Paul II in an effort

to focus on internationalreligious freedom.

- Because there's so muchreligious persecution

in the world, it also hurtsall the other human rights.

- [Ben] Sam Brownback,the ambassador at large

for religious freedom saysthe executive order is needed

now more than ever, as around80% of the world's population

live in countries wherereligious freedom is threatened,

restricted, or banned.

Ambassador Brownback, what kind of impact

can this order have?

- I think it can be massive.

Part of my modeling in this program is

wanted to have religious freedom

be like the human trafficking issue,

that it'd be one that embraced everybody

and it goes grassroots.

- [Ben] Under the order,Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

will develop country-specific action plans

for prioritizing religious freedom.

To top that, all personnelassigned to positions overseas

will now receive internationalreligious freedom training.

- To sum it all up,

is it makes internationalreligious freedom

a whole of government approach

on our basic foreign policy apparatus.

- Now the executive ordercomes as Christian persecution

and anti-Semitism are onthe rise around the world.

North Korea, Afghanistan,and Somalia top the list

as the most dangerouscountries for Christians

according to Open Doors USA.

Ben Kennedy, CBN News, the White House.

- Thanks, Ben.

Christians in the Middle East

are one of the most persecutedpeople in the world,

particularly in recent years.

Their story of sufferingis told in a new book

called "Disappearing People:The Tragic Fate of Christians

"in the Middle East."

The author is Stephen Rascheof the Chaldean Archdiocese

in Erbil in northern Iraq.

Recently, our ChrisMitchell spoke with him

in our Jerusalem bureau.

(tense music)

- How would you describe the situation

of Christians here in the Middle East.

- Well, as you wellknow, Chris, it's tenuous

and becoming more so.

It's difficult to look at a situation

anywhere in the Middle East

where the situation of theChristians is improving.

And that's one of the things

we try to get at in the book.

It's not completely just about Iraq.

We talk about people in thediaspora from the ISIS war,

the Iraqi Christians that have fled

and ended up in Turkey andLebanon and other places.

We also talk about the situationof Christians in Egypt.

So it's kind of a bitacross the entire region,

although it is mainly focused on Iraq.

But I think the situation inIraq is certainly more acute,

simply because the numbershave been driven down

so drastically, but thesituation across the board

is a difficult one and we takeup that head on in the book.

- Yeah.

The title says "The Disappearing People."

What do you see as the future

of Christians here in the Middle East?

- Well, there's one oftwo ways to look at it.

Either the Christiansthat are left there now

are a remnant group fromwhich a rebirth can begin,

provided proper help, andchanges, quite frankly,

in behaviors and politics byother groups on the ground.

But the other route that is possible

is that we're looking at the end,

that this is a slow-motionend to nothing left

besides a museum caretaker type people.

And you know the situation nowin Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

This is essentially whatwe're looking at there now.

And Iraq is looking at that situation

if the trajectory does not change.

- Yeah, well it's a tragic story.

What can be done by the church in the West

and other places in the world?

- Well, by the churches in the West,

the most important thing that they can do

is to continue to pay attention.

There's a real feel amongstthe Christians in Iraq

that, in the current situation worldwide,

that their plight will be forgotten.

But for them, they'reright now in a situation

where it's a pandemic thatcame on top of a civil collapse

that came on top of a genocide.

And it's easy for their plight to get lost

in the chaos of everythingthat's happening,

both there and around the world.

So they really pray andhope that people in the West

and in the churches inparticular will not forgot them

and, hopefully, this book can help keep

that flame alive for them.

- Final question, Stephen.

How can people pray for the Christians

here in the Middle East?

- Pray that they keep their courage.

The Christians that areleft are a tough people.

And I'm sure you've seen this, Chris,

but pray that they can keep their courage

and that they can knowthat there are Christians

in the rest of the world thatare in solidarity with them

and have not forgotten them.

This means a tremendous amount to them.

- Stephen Rasche's book iscalled "Disappearing People:

"The Tragic Fate of Christiansin the Middle East,"

and you can find itwherever books are sold.

- China is terrorizingmillions of Uyghur Muslims,

locking them up inso-called re-education camps

and forcing them todenounce their religion.

A new member of the US Commission

on International Religious Freedom

is now committed to holding the regime,

the regime in China, accountable.

And as Jennifer Wishon tellsus, for him, it's personal.

- That's right, the newest commissioner

appointed to the Commissionis a Uyghur Muslim

who was actually born ina prison camp in Kashgar,

during which time his motherwas forced to deliver him

while wearing a cast from the chest down.

No doubt, he and his family understand

religious persecution firsthand.

And Commission Nury Turkel joins me now.

Sir, tell us, what is life like

for the millions of Uyghurswho are currently forced

to live in these re-educationcamps in eastern China,

also known as East Turkistan.

- Thank you very much for having me.

The Chinese government, sinceApril 2017 in particular,

has created an open airprison like situation

for the people who are not in a camp,

but according to the credible reports

based on Open Source Government data

published on Chinese sources,

their estimated number of people

being locked up is up to three million,

which is four times thesize of the population

in the District of Columbia.

China's government has been punishing,

implementing a collectivepunishment of the Uyghur people

because the Uyghurreligion, Uyghur identity,

have been perceived bythe Chinese government

as a national security threat.

They say they're doingthis under the guise of

or for the purposes ofachieving social stability,

national security, but you don't lock up

world-known scholars, religious leaders,

athletes, mothers and children, students,

soccer players in modernday concentration camps

to achieve national security.

- So when we talk aboutthe Jewish Holocaust,

we often say "never again."

Never again will we allow this to happen,

but it sounds like what you're saying

is that never again ishappening right now to Uyghurs.

- The Holocaust Museum recently recognized

that crimes againsthumanity is being committed

against Uyghur people.

This is 2020.

People should not be published

based on what their worship were,

what kind of lifestyle that they maintain,

and what kind of peoplethat they're married to.

- Well the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act

calls for financial sanctions,

visa bans against Chinesegovernment officials

who are responsible for this,

along with some additional monitoring

by the State Department and the FBI.

Will this make a difference?

- Absolutely.

This is the first time alegislative body around the world

in Uyghurs' human historypassed a significant bill

to address Uyghurs'political, economic, social,

and religious rights.

And I commend, as an American,I'm a naturalized US citizen,

I think this shows the best of my country.

- Is the plight of Uyghurs something

that Christians shouldalso be concerned about?

- Since the crisis come to surface,

we've been receivingenormous amount of support

from the Christian communities,Jewish communities,

but what is lacking isthe other faith groups.

They also should speak up.

No one should be persecutedfor their religious practices.

It's a God given right.

People should be able to practice.

And it's a matter of privacy

and government should have no business

in people's privacy when they worshiping

and when they pray.

- Commissioner Turkel, thank you so much

for sharing with us,and best wishes to you

as you begin your work on the Commission.

- Thank you very much for having me.

- [Wendy] Coming up,peaceful protests give way

to destructive riots and looting.

Can the church make a differencein these dangerous times?

We'll answer the questionright after this.

(dramatic music)

- I don't know if therehas ever been a time

when our nation and theworld needed a miracle

more than we do right now.

- [Announcer] Get PatRobertson's latest DVD,

"Do You Need a Miracle?"

In this DVD, you'll discover

God's awesome power at work today.

Featuring incredible truestories of divine intervention.

- God showed up and He worked miracles.

- Different doctors would come in

and it was like, "Wow, you're a miracle."

- I knew God had restored him.

- We've also gathered teachings

that will be especially helpful to you

with what we're facing today,

why it's so important tobelieve God and build our faith.

And this program is goingto help you do just that.

- [Announcer] Conquer fear,find hope, and be encouraged.

Get "Do You Need a Miracle?"

Yours when you become a CBN partner.

Call now, 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

Available now.

- [Efrem] I'm Efrem Grahamand this is "Studio 5."

Cruise with me as I discoverthe good things happening

in the world of music, sports,television, and movies.

- The fact that Ryan Coogler

was gonna be directing the film,

I knew that somethingspecial was gonna happen.

- [Efrem] We'll chat withartists at the forefront

of entertainment andexplore the connection

between popular culture and faith.

- I asked my pastor, I said,

"Well does that mean I'msupposed to be a preacher?"

He says, "Well no, youalready have a pulpit."

- [Announcer] Watch "Studio5" Wednesday night at 9:30.

- [Announcer] As the worldwatches from the outside.

- It's a big diplomatic tug-of-warhere in the Middle East.

- [Announcer] Go inside thestory with "Jerusalem Dateline."

- Israeli archaeologists aretalking about a discovery

that could change the thinkingabout the Temple Mount.

- [Announcer] Join CBN JerusalemBureau Chief Chris Mitchell

and get the biblical perspective

on the events shaping the world.

- What starts in Israel thenends up going to other places.

- [Announcer] Watch "Jerusalem Dateline"

Friday night at 9:30 onthe CBN News Channel.

- Welcome back to the broadcast.

The killing of an unarmed black man

in police custody here in America

is sparking international protests.

George Floyd died after apoliceman in Minneapolis

knelt with a knee on his neckfor more than eight minutes.

Outrage led to protests indozens of American cities

and it's spreading across the globe.

In Paris, thousands took to the streets

protesting discriminationagainst minorities.

The same scenes were playing out in London

and Sydney, Australia, whereaborigines joined the march

calling for an end to racism.

- I'm tired of ourpeople being villainized.

I'm tired of our people being harassed.

I'm tired of our people being killed.

- [George] In Italy, thePope condemned racism

and said the death of Mr.Floyd was incompatible

with Christian values.

- The church in America is responding.

An Atlanta-based group of pastors

and believers ralliedto end racial violence.

One Race says the church must mourn

and lament the recentdeaths of George Floyd,

Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

It's calling on believers toengage the issue of racism

both spiritually and civically.

The pastors prayed for the prince of peace

to intervene in our times.

- So Jesus come in mighty power.

Make your love and mercy known, we pray.

Oh, God, may the gospel be on our lips

in authentic and real ways.

May we give a reason forthe hope that is in us

in the context of injusticeand hurt and pain.

Deliver us, we pray, in Jesus' name.

- One Race is organizinga march in Atlanta

on Friday, June the 19th.

The group is calling on churchesto unite across the lines

of race, class, denomination, and culture

to call for an end to racism.

- The death of GeorgeFloyd has shined the light

on the issue of policebrutality and racism in America.

- Yeah, as Charlene Aaron explains,

many believe the church is the only force

that can heal the hatred andhurt locked in the human heart.

- [Charlene] Christianleaders have become part

of the growing chorus callingfor racial justice in America,

following the police-relateddeath of George Floyd.

In an Instagram post, PulseMinistry founder Nick Hall

called George Floyd his neighbor,

saying, "No, he doesn'tlive next door to me,

"but Minneapolis is thehome of Pulse Movement

"and it was George's hometown too."

Since Floyd's death,

Hall has been on a majormission for justice.

- God loves all people, that's obvious.

But what isn't obvious isthat black lives matter

in that there is a historyof racism and discrimination

that we have to confront.

- [Charlene] Hall recently teamed up

with Grammy-nominated hiphop artist Korey Dean,

also known as XROSS, to shedlight and bring healing.

Dean says this latest high profile tragedy

has become a trigger for theAfrican American community

and beyond.

- Just had the murder of AhmaudArbery several weeks ago.

It is not new to black people.

This is a historical tragedy,a historical mindset,

and a historical poison of racism

that has to be dealt with immediately.

- [Charlene] Aresponsibility Dean believes

lies mostly with the church.

- We can't be afraid, number one,

to even say the word racism.

I think that whites in America

who are Christian, born again believers,

they have to ask themselveshow they were raised,

not just by their immediatefamily, but historically,

and the position under which they have

from white privilege.

And I think, at the sametime, for black America,

we have to do some soul searching as well

in that we can't continue topreach a poor man's gospel

of being in need.

So we have to come to thetable and just be transparent.

- [Charlene] As manydemonstrations turned violent,

Hall pointed out that believersin his city and beyond

are helping to keep the peace.

- So the church in the Twin Cities

has gone to the frontlines offering prayer.

They're a part of peaceful protests.

They're offering food.

- [Charlene] As tensions remain high,

Hall says the church must model hope

for a better future beforea lost and hurting world.

- Heaven is not gonna bea bunch of white people.

It's not gonna be a bunch of black people.

It's not gonna be a bunch of Asian people.

It's gonna be all of us,every tribe, tongue, nation.

And so we should work towards that.

- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron, CBN News.

- [George] Up next, it's aholy site for Muslims and Jews

sitting in the center of a divided city.

So who will control the Temple Mount?

(dramatic music)

- [Shawn] It's about the competition.

- I kind of put that pressure on myself

and I think people had expectations.

- [Shawn] It's about overcoming.

- We use this phrase allthe time, keep chopping.

Keep practicing hard.

- [Shawn] It's about going the distance.

- You know, I think as afather, it's my job to lead.

Just be the best husbandand father I can be.

- [Shawn] Watch "Going theDistance" with Shawn Brown

Saturday night at 7:30on the CBN News Channel.

(rhythmic music)

- Orphan's Promise iscommitted to loving and serving

at risk children, to helpingkeep families together,

and to creating opportunities for strong

and sustainable communitiesaround the world.

We're working in over 60countries around the world,

and with your help, we can do even more.

There's an old Africanproverb I love that says:

If you want to run fast, run alone,

but if you want to run far, run together.

At Orphan's Promise, we want to run far

so we can touch thelives of as many orphaned

and vulnerable children as possible.

But we don't want to go alone.

We're out to change theworld one child, one family,

one community at a time.

Will you join us?

(uplifting music)

(child giggles)

- [Announcer] Discoverthe faithfulness of God

in this timely DVD from Pat Robertson,

"Do You Need a Miracle?"

Watch true stories of peopleexperiencing God's protection

in amazing ways.

Discover the immeasurable faithfulness

of God to conquer fear.

And find hope in the midst of chaos.

Build your faith and be encouraged.

Get "Do You Need a Miracle?"

Call now, 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

- Welcome back to "Christian World News."

For the first time in months,the Temple Mount is open

after being shut down tofight the coronavirus.

- New reports revealthat secret negotiations

are actually underway overwho controls the site.

Emily Jones has that storyand more from Jerusalem.

(dramatic music)

- Welcome to Jerusalem forthis "Inside Israel" report,

where we show you what'shappening in Israel

and the Middle East.

The Temple Mount re-openedfor the first time this week

after being shut down tofight the coronavirus.

Several dozen Jews, escorted by police,

visited the holy siteand Muslim worshipers

restarted prayer there.

The Temple Mount is holy toJews, Christians, and Muslims

and is the place where twoJewish temples once stood.

The re-opening comes amid reports

that Israel and Saudi Arabia

have held secret talks since December

about allowing Saudi officials

to join the Islamic Councilthat controls the site.

Jordan, which leads the council,wants the Saudis to join

to confront Turkey's growing influence

over Palestinian leaderson the Temple Mount.

Unnamed officials sayit is too early to know

where the negotiations will lead.

This week, Israelisremember what many call

a fulfillment of prophecy.

53 years ago, on June 7th, 1967,

Israeli soldiers capturedthe Old City of Jerusalem.

It marked the first time

the Jewish people controlledJudaism's holiest site,

the Temple Mount, inmore than 2,000 years.

Israel's victory in the SixDay War stunned the world

and became a turning pointfor Jewish immigration

back to the land.

- Jerusalem is the epicenter.

For 4,000 years, peoplehave wanted this city,

and the they have fought hard to get it.

And so the fact thatIsrael controls it today

is biblical, it's prophetic,but it's also complicated.

And we need to be prayingfor the peace of Jerusalem

and praying for Israel to be secure.

- To learn more about the Six Day War,

watch CBN's docudramacalled "In Our Hands."

You can find it at InOurHands1967.com.

Well right here in Jerusalem,

an Israeli archaeologistdiscovered the remains

of an altar dating back 4,000years to the book of Genesis.

Archaeologist Eli Shukron discovered

this ancient stone pillar on your screens

and says it's part of an altar

that was used for animal sacrifice.

He believes the highpriest Melchizedek himself

set up this stone as a placeof worship in Jerusalem

thousands of years ago.

Even more, this is where he believes

Abraham met Melchizedek asdescribed in Genesis 14.

- He blessed Abraham with bread and wine.

And Abraham gave him a tithe.

Why Abraham give him a tithe?

Because he was worshiping God.

What are we doing today?

The Jewish, the Christian,

we're blessing the bread and wine.

Different way, butblessing bread and wine.

- Shukron believes this small alter

predates the temples of Solomon and Herod

by hundreds of years andis an important window

into how the patriarchs ofIsrael communed with god.

That's it for "Inside Israel" this week.

For more stories like this,

watch our "Jerusalem Dateline" program.

- [Announcer] From Washington DC,

uncompromising stories, interviews,

and analysis from veteran journalists.

David Brody.

- That could be the next step

in this escalating fight.

- [Announcer] Jenna Browder.

- Robert Mueller chosehis words carefully.

- [Announcer] Ben Kennedy.

- He's asking Christiansto get the word out.

- [Announcer] Bringing you thepolitical news that matters.

- Get out and tell the story

of the progress that we'remaking in this country.

- [Announcer] Watch "FaithNation" weeknights at six

on the CBN News Channel.

- [Announcer] Nutrition,

exercise,

essential oils,

weight loss,

and more.

It's "Healthy Living" with Lorie Johnson.

- Talk about what's in this.

- [Announcer] Join CBNHealth Reporter Lorie Johnson

to get the latest information

from today's top health experts.

- This is fantastic.

- [Announcer] Find outwhat you need to know

to live a healthier life.

Watch "Healthy Living"Tuesday night at 9:30.

(bright music)

- I don't know if therehas ever been a time

when our nation and theworld needed a miracle

more than we do right now.

- [Announcer] Get PatRobertson's latest DVD,

"Do You Need a Miracle?"

In this DVD, you'll discover

God's awesome power at work today.

Featuring incredible truestories of divine intervention.

- God showed up and He worked miracles.

- Different doctors would come in

and it was like, "Wow, you're a miracle."

- I knew God had restored him.

- We've also gathered teachings

that will be especially helpful to you

with what we're facing today,

why it's so important tobelieve God and build our faith.

And this program is goingto help you do just that.

- [Announcer] Conquer fear,find hope, and be encouraged.

Get "Do You Need a Miracle?"

Yours when you become a CBN partner.

Call now, 1-800-700-7000 or go to CBN.com.

Available now.

- Finally this week,Christians across the globe

celebrated Pentecost Sunday recently.

- That's right, and forthousands of congregations

across America, it was aday to worship together

for the first time in months

and they chose the birthday of the church

to mark the moment.

♪ Lord, oh Lord ♪

Here at New Life Church in Virginia Beach,

Christians gathered togetherfor the first time in months.

They followed strict safety measures,

including keeping theirmasks on during the service

and sitting several feet apart.

But those restrictionsdidn't dampen the excitement

of finally being together.

- Oh, it feels so good.

I just could've just cried.

You know, just to be able tocome to church is just so...

(hand pats)

Oh, it's such a peace.

- [Wendy] Preachingonline since mid-March,

longtime New Life Pastor Dan Backens

was happy to see hiscongregation in the flesh.

- Just to have a room of peopleworshiping God and praying.

And the energy was there,the Holy Spirit was there.

It was like I was,

it was like this iswhat I was meant to do.

Preaching to a camera has its purpose

and I thank God for it,

but there's nothing like preaching

in front of the constitutedlocal body of Christ

that you know them, you lovethem, and they love you.

It was dynamic.

- [Wendy] Backens saysit's not a coincidence

they re-opened on Pentecost Sunday.

- It's like the birth of the church

2,000 years ago on Pentecost

and now it's kinda like the rebirth

of our local church on that very same day.

So that is more than a coincidence.

We kinda see it as kind ofa profound blessing of God,

like, "I'm with you in a special way."

♪ Hallelujah ♪

- [Wendy] Meanwhile, across town

at the Kingdom Cathedral,Bishop Michael Rogers

was not quite ready to open his sanctuary.

But that didn't stop members

from having Pentecostpraise in the parking lot.

- What God says today, thechurch has left the building.

- [Wendy] As BishopRogers preached outside,

members listened fromthe safety of their cars.

He said an older congregation

plus the fact that helost many pastor friends

in New York to the illnessinfluenced his decision

to stay closed.

- I think that we haveto be careful of rushing.

Scripture says, "In yourpatience, you possess your soul."

- [Wendy] He's hopeful COVID-19

will go as quickly as it came.

- So I really believe that

when the body of Christexperiences true unity,

we're gonna have a sudden move of God,

and I believe, justlike this pandemic came,

it will suddenly go away.

- [Wendy] Although crowdswere light and masks on,

many were thankful just to be together.

- I didn't even think about the fact

that I had a mask on.

I was just so engrossed in the service,

I forgot the mask.

It was truly awesome.

♪ Your name ♪

- I love her.- We're coming back strong.

- We're coming back.- We are,

we absolutely are.- And maybe no masks

in the future?

- I hope so.

- All right.- I really hope so.

Folks, that is it for this week's edition

of "Christian World News."

- Until next week, from all of us here,

goodbye and, as always, God bless you.

(dramatic music)