Global Fire Advance Reports On Recent India Outreach

I recently returned from a very productive trip to four church planting locations in India. Presently, we have a total of five training sites and they are doing exceptionally well. We were in Ranchi, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai, which combined, has more than 50 million people. Only 2% of this 50 million plus are Christian. The rest are mostly Hindu with maybe a little less than 10% Muslim.

By Ronnie Hepperly

India is very hot most of the time, congested and vibrant! Anti-conversion laws in some places and rising Hindu nationalism make it a little dangerous in some places.

In the last six months alone, nearly 600 new churches have been planted in these four cities and surrounding areas. Traveling can be difficult and experiencing new food can be unsettling, but our team of four persevered even through bouts of sickness.

It’s undeniable that God is doing something supernatural in India. There is unprecedented New Testament growth!

The dedication of our trainers and pastors is amazing. I could give example after example of unlikely men and women from all backgrounds and cultures planting multiple churches against all odds. One of our most courageous lady church planters from Mumbai was imprisoned recently for three months for preaching the gospel. I know her well. I’ve helped train her for several years and I’ve seen God raise her up and use her in a remarkable way.

One young 26-year-old church planter has planted 35 churches. He sent me a photo of the bruises he received from a recent beating. I could go on and on about Pastor Lalu and his beatings, as we planted and built his church beside the Hindu temple among the unreached people group where he lives.

Then there is young Pastor Sameer, 30 years old, who is conducting church services under a big tarp and feeds the neighborhood once a month at his new church plant. He is impacting his whole village for Jesus and with our help he wants to begin building a church.

One last story is about Pastor Manohar, who rented the rooftop of a building and had a handful of people worshipping under a piece of plastic. Now, with our help, he has over 500 regular Sunday attendees in his new church building that we assisted him with.

All these stories and reports are folk, who against all odds are seeing God show up to help us, help them. The doors are open now. The harvest is ripe now. Thank you, Jesus!

Please visit the GFA website globalfireadvance.org for more information on how to help.

Ronnie Hepperly serves the Church of God as superintendent of Southeast Asia.

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