Update on the Karen Shahan Murder

There has been a frustrating lack of updates about the investigation into the  23 July, 2013 murder of Karen Shahan, the wife of Richard Shahan, who is now the former Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama (USA).  At first, the cause of death was not released to the public, but it appears to have been the result of multiple stab wounds.  Also, Pastor Shahan’s status with the church was not publicized; he was on “leave.”  It has now become known that he is the former Associate Pastor of the church.

Some facts which have been released to the public: 1. There were no indications of forced entry, 2. Pastor Shahan insisted that he was out of town at the time of the murder, 3. The cause of death was multiple stab wounds, 4. Mrs. Shahan was not known to have any enemies, 5. There was apparently no theft of property from the murder site, 6.  Richard Shahan voluntarily went to the police station to answer questions and was held there for two days for what the police called “investigative purposes.”  He was released with no charges being filed and without him being officially named as a suspect in the killing. 

On 1 January 2014, Pastor Richard Shahan was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) while attempting to board a flight bound for Germany.  From Germany, the trip was to have continued to Kazakhtan.  Shahan insisted that he was leaving on a mission trip.  Legal extradiction proceedings have begun for his return to Alabama.  He has been officially charged with murder.

When more information is available it will be posted on this blog.

Christian Translation

Christian missions and organizations which have international reach often have need of translation services.  Christian-Translation.com is a Christian-run internet translation service which utilizes only Native Speakers, never a computer translation.  They believe that this helps preserve the meaning of their customer's messages.  They see their service as a ministry which helps others spread the Gospel.

The company will translate "writings, books, teaching materials, bible studies, sermons, messages," and other ministry materials.  The list of languages numbers in the hundreds. and "if at certain point you don't find here the language you're looking for, just contact us and we'll get that language translator for you."

The Dominican Republic based company views itself as a ministry and so, keeps its service costs as low as possible.  Their Statement of Faith on their website shows them to be a traditionally orthodox Trinitarian organization.

A Chinese Christian Song Entitled "Mission"

使命, literally, “mission.”

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Elizabeth Fairburn Colenso: (b. 1821, New Zealand - b. 1904) Missionary, school teacher,  and Bible translator in New Zealand.  She was fluent in Maori and Mota.  Her husband, Anglican missionary, William Colenso, was fired by his missionary society employers for infidelity (he fathered illegitimate children by two Maori women) and Mrs. Colenso continued in her missionary activities without his involvement. 

William Colenso: (b. 1811, Cornwall - 1899) Printer, botanist, author, explorer, politician, Anglican missionary to New Zealand.  He was a cousin of John William Colenso, Bishop of Natal.  Colenso was fired by his missionary society employers for infidelity (he fathered illegitimate children by two Maori women) and his wife (see above) carried on her work without him.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge: (b. 1772, England - d. 1834)Poet, intellectual, lecturer, pantheist.  He translated German works into English.  His understanding of Christianity was that it is primarily related to ethics.

William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine:  About 909 or 910 he founded the Benedictine monastery at Cluny, France.  The ultra-pious Cluniac rule of order was adopted by about 600 other monasteries.

James Warren Jones: (b. 1931, Indiana - d. 1978) Pentecostal social activist, founder of Wings of Deliverance Church which became the People's Temple Full Gospel Church.  On 18 Nov. 1978 he led 913 of his followers in Guyana in a mass murder-suicide by poisoning.

 

Hallelujahs

     Hallelujah (Hebrew = "praise (present imperative mood, indicating a command, a wish, or a permission)  + Ya(weh). "

     Lauren Spears, a veterinary missionary in Cochabama, Bolivia, tells of a Mexican friend who told her that the locals in Mexico call believers "Hallelujahs."  This delighted her so much that she declared, "I want my life to plainly state that I am a Hallelujah, nothing more, nothing less."

     Paul said, "... be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5: 18b, 19.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

John William Colenso: (b. 1814, Cornwall - d. 1883) aka: Sobantu (Zulu = "father of the people"). Anglican Bishop of Natal, mathematician, social activist, theologian.  He wrote Bible commentaries, translated the New Testament into Zulu, and published the first Zulu grammar and the first Zulu-English dictionary.  Controversially, he loowed converted polygamists to retain their plural wives.

Johann Koch: (b. 1603, Germany - d.1669) aka: Johannes Cocceius.  Calvinist dogmatic theologian, university professor (Hebrew, theology).  He stressed that the relationship between God and man is a personal relationship.

Demetrius: A disciple of the Apostle John. fl. ca 60-62 CE. (3 John 12) 

Steven Demetre Georgiou (b. 1948, England) aka: Steve Adams, Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam, Yusuf.  British musician, singer, songwriter, peace activist, cartoonist.  Raised as a Greek Orthodox/Lutheran/Catholic, he converted to Islam in 1977.

Ippolito Aldobrandini: (b. ca. 1536, Italy - d. 1605)  He served as Pope Clement VIII from 1592-1605.  he was known as an ecclesiatical reformer.