South India for Christ
A twelve-day tour in India took me from Delhi to Hyderabad to Vizakhapatnam to Srikakulam and back, and included strategic leaders' meetings, pastors' conferences, local church ministry, and more. Every stop showed evidence of God working through faithful ministers to make disciples and plant churches in spite of hardships and obstacles.
A twelve-day tour in India took me from Delhi to Hyderabad to Vizakhapatnam to Srikakulam and back, and included strategic leaders' meetings, pastors' conferences, local church ministry, and more. Every stop showed evidence of God working through faithful ministers to make disciples and plant churches in spite of hardships and obstacles.
At the annual South India pastors' conference in Hyderabad, more than a dozen pastors came forward to pledge financial support for a new missions outreach. There are more than 2000 unreached people groups in India, encompassing 90% of the population. Our South India pastors are making sacrificial efforts to get the gospel to these areas.
Unforeseen events necessitated last-minute itinerary changes, but large numbers of believers showed up for hastily-arranged meetings, eager to worship the Lord and listen to His Word. Most stayed for prayer well after the services ended.
In Srikakulam, dozens of chairs had to be set up in the street to accommodate the overflow crowds on a Tuesday night. Songs of praise filled the evening air, and carried to neighboring shops and homes.
We had the privilege of stopping at several village churches, where pastors and their families are pioneering works in primitive and resistant areas. These are front-line ministries that require sacrifice and perseverance. In one location, local children came to bless us by singing praise songs they had learned in church. In another location, believers spontaneously assembled during our afternoon stopover, and we held an impromptu service of worship and teaching.
These before and after photos show the church currently under construction in the village of Kosta. Believers are pitching in to donate materials and labor for the project, and even the Hindu village elders contributed, in gratitude for the blessing the church has been to the community. Pastor Rao raises up and trains church planters, who have started four daughter churches in nearby villages.