Los Angeles County Edition Vol. 23, No. 3 March 2012 www.christianexaminer.com Phil Cooke Cal Thomas Music Is the pioneering age of Losing liberty: A slippery Palau, Vujicic head FREE religious media over? slope that is an avalanche speakers team for Spirit West Coast page 4 page 5 page 7 Human Traffi cking What is the church’s role in curbing this seedy side of American culture? By Lori Arnold inger Shaw has spent the better part of two decades Genmeshed in church life by PHOTO BY AMIHAI MAZAR leading Bible studies and training Dr. Bob Mullins, associate professor of biblical studies at Azusa Pacifi c sessions, coordinating Vacation Bible University, supervises his students during excavations at Tel Rehov in the Jordan School and Angel Tree projects. Valley. The trip was part of a two-week tour to the area. The university is now These days she prefers the craggy planning its own excavation at Abel Beth Maacah. asphalt of truck stops. “I was so inundated with what was going on in the church,” she said, History: Dig It adding that the Lord had some- thing else in mind for her. “He re- APU plans excavation project vealed to me that I needed to get out there, and not just out of my comfort zone. He said I needed to near biblical area of Dan get out there ‘doing the call I have for you.’” By Lori Arnold career path while visiting a Philis- It was that command that led her tine temple site. to this place, where she straddles AZUSA — Bob Mullins digs dirt. “That got me excited that these her life between the comfort and At a time when graduating se- people weren’t fi gures of our imag- safety of her church and the seedy niors like to plan celebratory trips ination but were people with real side of American culture—human to Hawaii, Europe or the Carib- lives, in real time and real space,” traffi cking. bean, a diploma-clad Mullins was the professor said. Shaw is a regional coordinator headed to the Middle East for a In the years since, Mullins has Many girls are lured into human for California Against Slavery, a two-week study trip at an excavation participated in numerous digs traffi cking because they were nonprofi t human rights group that site in Israel. across Israel and into Turkey and showered with love, shelter and is pushing for a statewide ballot “I’ve had an interest in archeol- Palestine. gifts. A new California law trying measure to make it easier to pros- ogy since I was quite young,” said In May a group of his students to qualify for the November ecute cases involving human traf- Mullins, associate professor of bibli- will embark on their own journey ballot would eliminate current fi cking. statute requiring “force” for cal studies at Azusa Pacifi c Univer- into the past as part of a survey prosecution. sity. See TRAFFICKING, page 2 His interest was morphed into a See DIG IT, page 8 Harvesting America August Anaheim Harvest Crusade to be live streamed nationwide By Lori Arnold transfer. The man told of how he John Collins, executive pastor at note evangelist, preaching a service was able to share the gospel by Harvest Christian Fellowship, said at their Orange County satellite RIVERSIDE — The email to gathering some people together in the long-distance email came to campus in Irvine while it was being What: Orange County Harvest Christian Fellowship came a fi eld during the middle of night mind while he was watching Greg streamed to other locations. Harvest Crusade from a former member who had to watch a Harvest Crusade live Laurie, the congregation’s senior “I was watching this unfold and When: Aug. 25-26, 2012 moved to Africa because of a job streamed on his laptop. pastor and Harvest Crusade’s key- realizing that it doesn’t matter Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim where Greg Laurie was preaching, What: Los Angeles the response to the gospel was the Harvest Crusade same,” said Collins, whose main du- ties include oversight of the congre- When: Sep. 8-9, 2012 gation’s large crusade ministries. Where: Dodger Stadium, LA It’s a big job. Info: harvest.org/crusades For 22 years, the church has hosted Harvest Crusades around the globe. The large stadium-style attle, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Colo- events are reminiscent of the evan- rado Springs, Phoenix, Albuquer- gelistic outreaches made famous by que, New York City, Philadelphia, Billy Graham. Honolulu, Akron, Ohio; Eugene, Since 1990, the Harvest Crusades Ore.; Augusta, Ga.; Fayetteville, have been presented annually in Ark; and Raleigh, N.C. Anaheim, with several other loca- International crusades have been tions each year, including the Cali- held in Canada, New Zealand and fornia cities of Los Angeles, Sac- Australia. ramento, San Diego, Long Beach, Combined they have drawn more Riverside, Visalia, Ventura, Santa than 4.4 million people, with at Barbara, Santa Monica, San Jose Since 1990 Riverside pastor Greg Laurie has led evangelistic crusades at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. and Turlock, as well as Chicago, Se- See HARVEST, page 7 For information about advertising, subscriptions, or bulk delivery, please call 1-800-326-0795 2 • CHRISTIAN EXAMINER • March 2012 LA www.christianexaminer.com pects of the campaign are going to “We need to call members of the TRAFFICKING… be important.” church not to tiptoe around the Continued from page 1 Rogers said the initiative drive issue and shake their heads with is the second grassroots effort in compassion, but to stand up and “I think we kind of abdicated the California and, if approved, would be courageous enough to step into role of the church in taking care of create the toughest anti-traffi cking the fray here and rescue our women orphans, widows and the needy,” laws in the nation. In the two years and children,” she said. she said. “Our role is not only to since the last statewide attempt, It was the notion of moving from serve as a witness to Him, but to Rogers said the proposed law has compassion to action that prompt- also do good in His name. more organizational support and ed Shaw and several other women “Someone who is on the street funding. to start FreeThem Road, a road doesn’t have anyone to look after “We have a lot of volunteers.”, ministry that seeks to raise aware- them, and, in my mind, that is an she said. “It’s really just a matter of ness of human traffi cking at truck orphan. They are abused. They are getting it on the ballot. We really stops, fast food restaurants, hotels, enslaved. Jesus Christ himself was don’t have any opposition to this. community centers and libraries. the most holy person in the world, People really do care. They are ea- Volunteers with the ministry dis- and he mingled with these people. ger to sign, they are eager to help.” tribute literature and fl iers from Why wouldn’t I?” Despite little opposition, both the National Human Traffi cking Shaw’s heart for anti-traffi cking Rogers and Shaw said the ballot Resource Center, which lists the 24- ministry evolved out of her volun- approach is necessary because ef- hour hotline. Among their prime teer work with World Concern, a forts to get the laws through the targets is Interstate 5, because it Seattle-based ministry that special- legislature have been futile. Shaw runs the length of the state. izes in disaster response and de- said her daughter, who worked as On a recent road trip to Las Ve- velopment programs to help the a legislative director in Sacramento gas, the team visited 24 truck stops global poor pull themselves out last year, helped to draft four bills and posted more than 60 signs, pri- of poverty. Shaw became involved directly targeting human traffi ck- Ginger Shaw, second from left, and Scharme Hettinga, a friend from Seattle, marily in stopover restrooms. Up- with the ministry’s Women of Pur- ing. Like many of the nearly 3,000 right, visit a couple of young women during a World Concern trip to Thailand. coming road trips include Arizona pose outreach while living in Se- bills introduced in the chambers, Shaw has become involved with anti-traffi cking issues and is a local coordinator in March and Las Vegas in April. attle a decade ago. Women of Pur- all four failed to clear committees. of a signature drive to get the Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act on the “It’s God’s heart and he calls us to pose linked American women with A major factor in derailing the ef- November ballot. it,” she said of serving orphans and their poor counterparts, prompt- fort, Shaw said, was the increased widows. “That’s why I’m involved. ing several trips to Thailand, an costs of enforcement and limited ers said. “It’s beyond comprehension,” That’s why we should be involved. international hotbed for human prison space. Most of the victims of sex slav- Shaw said. “Yes, it’s risky. It’s not pretty. It’s traffi cking. In the meantime, the sex slave ery are tricked into the practice not fun. It’s hard work. It’s hard While still working with World trade has mushroomed, particular- by beguiling men who shower the Easing legal parameters work emotionally to be a voice.” Concern, Shaw began to investi- ly in Southern California. women and youth with love and The new law, Shaw said, will gate America’s own big, dark se- “California truly is an area where gifts under the guise of being a make it much easier to prosecute “boyfriend.” those who are enslaving women • Visit www.CASEAct.org to learn cret: human traffi cking is a vibrant, human traffi cking is high density,” more about the initiative, to fi nd out underworld business.