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Technorati“And an opportunity to pray for those dedicated Christians who are being persecuted,” he added.
Meanwhile, other Christian mission groups around the world have said they plan to evangelize at the Beijing Games despite China’s ban on foreign missionaries.
Due to security concerns, some Christian organizers cannot reveal details of their plans, but some have said they plan to put on cultural and sports events – which China allows – and use them to share about their faith, according to AP.
The Southern Baptists, for example, will bring thousands of volunteers for humanitarian work, sports clinics, first aid sites and other projects.
Furthermore, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) – an international Christian ministry well-known for its Olympic outreaches – is planning a “2008 Olympics Discipleship Training School” in Brazil next year, after which it will send volunteers to the games.
"With a draw like the Olympics, we just pray our 'forces' will be so large that we will be able to form many relationships," said Mark Taylor of Awaken Generation, a ministry for college-age Christians. The Fla.-based group plans to send evangelism teams of eight to 12 people around China during the competition.
Critics of Beijing’s intelligence efforts have warned that its activities could be more harmful than helpful to its public image, according to AP. The communist government could draw negative media reports if it is found guilty of withholding visas or using harsh tactics to suppress protests – a risk China is aware of given the recent growing protest coverage against China’s human rights and religious freedom violations.
