Expanding Our Reach Into India

Last month I share the exciting news that our partnership with Glad Tidings India had yielded two new church plants, and I asked you to keep our first new pastor,  Phupendra Dubey, in your prayers as he begins his ministry in Uttar Pradesh.

Since then, our outreach to India continues to grow. As a result of a special Advent offering, as well as the commitment by one of our members to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $3,600, not just one but two new missionaries have been deployed into the rich mission field of India, bringing our total to three new churches since late in 2015!

The second of these will be shepherded by Simon S. K., who will serve Christ in the State of Karnataka, where the population of 61 million is currently only 1.9 percent Christian. This is a region desperately in need of the Good News. More than 50,000 women from the “Untouchable” caste are forced into temple prostitution in Karnataka, and attacks against Christians number more than 1,000 per year. Pray most especially for Pastor Simon’s safety as he strives to bring hope to these poverty stricken people.

The third congregation will be led by Pastor Pawan, who will serve Christ in Delhi, India’s capital city. Delhi is crowded with more than 11,000 people per square mile, and its population is expected to increase by more than 50 percent over the next five years. Less than 2 percent is Christian.

We can continue to support the work of our missionary pastors not only through prayer,  but by collecting Bibles that they can share with their congregations. If you have used English-language Bibles that you no longer need, please consider donating them to our brothers and sisters in India. We’ve already sent more than 1,200 Bibles to India, but as our ministry to the sub-continent expands, so does our need for Bibles. Please find me at my office at First Campus if you have Bibles you’d be willing to offer.

Bill Teate, our contact at Glad Tidings India, advises that this is an especially critical time for mission in India. The government has been to tighten its enforcement of restrictions on Christian outreach, so it is increasingly difficult for pastors to do their work. Please pray for God to open doors and to protect our pastors’ ministries.

Peace,

Pastor Bruce