Seventh-day Adventist world mission leaders and administrators from the church in Southern Asia recently unveiled a new chapel in Pathari, India--a prototype designed to accommodate smaller congregations in India.
Seventh-day Adventist world mission leaders and administrators from the church in Southern Asia recently unveiled a new chapel in Pathari, India—a prototype designed to accommodate smaller congregations in India. Representatives from Maranatha Volunteers International and Global Mission were among the more than 200 people present at the special May 11 dedication ceremony.
The new chapel, designed by Maranatha, measures 16 by 30 feet and seats 100 to 125 people—significantly smaller than the typical Maranatha church in India that seats more than 250 people. Both are solid structures with concrete roofs, built to withstand cyclones and other harsh weather. The new chapel will cost $3,500, including materials and labor.
“I am so glad Maranatha has now developed a church for smaller congregations,” said Dorothy Watts, associate secretary of the church in Southern Asia. “More than half of the villages in India have congregations between 50 to 100 members.”
The new chapel will initially be built in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Maranatha and Global Mission plan to begin work in 100 villages. Already, 200 Global Mission pioneers are working within the area, which has a population of 170 million. An estimated 75 out of the 100 villages in the initiative will benefit from the new chapel design. The chapel will not replace the larger Maranatha church, which has been ideal for areas such as Andhra Pradesh.
“We don’t want to spend funds or time building a space that is too large for the village population,” said Don Noble, president of Maranatha. “But we don’t want to give them less than they will need. The new chapel provides just the appropriate amount of space for areas like those found in Uttar Pradesh.”
The chapel has been well received by church leaders and villagers alike. In a region where most buildings are poorly constructed from mud and straw, the brightly painted concrete chapel stands out. At the dedication, 175 people squeezed into the chapel with more standing outside its windows.
Maranatha and Global Mission began their collaboration in India several years ago around the time Dr. Ron Watts, president of the church in Southern Asia, pushed for stronger evangelism efforts in India, soliciting the help of both organizations. The Global Mission pioneer program helps to establish Christianity in the villages while Maranatha provides a place for the new Christians to worship, an important factor in a culture that measures a religion by its house of worship.
The Global Mission pioneer program, founded in 1993, sends Adventist lay volunteers into “unentered” areas within their own native countries with the aim of establishing new congregations. “Global Mission pioneers live among the people at the same socio-economic levels,” says Mike Ryan, director of Global Mission. “They speak the same language, understand the culture, and help the people in various practical ways. They also tell them about Jesus, and start new groups of believers.”
After a congregation is established, Maranatha organizes church construction projects in some of the villages. Occasionally the project also involves evangelistic meetings, accompanied by medical clinics and children’s programs. While most of the construction projects are completed by local workers, Maranatha also recruits volunteers from all over the world to participate in projects. Maranatha has already built over 450 churches in India since 1998.
“Global Mission pioneers help establish Christianity in the villages,” says Noble, “while Maranatha provides a place for the new Christians to worship; an important factor in a culture that measures a religion by its house of worship.”
The partnership between evangelism and a place of worship is one emphasized by Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Adventist world church. In a May interview with the Adventist Review, Paulsen discussed the importance of providing new Christians with a place to belong. Along with a church community or family, “if the people don’t have a chapel in which they can meet to worship, most of them will be gone before 12 months.”
