A 50-village outreach program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in India culminated this past weekend in evangelistic efforts in areas surrounding the city of Ongole
A 50-village outreach program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in eastern India culminated this past weekend in evangelistic efforts in areas surrounding the city of Ongole.
Reporting from India, Don Noble, president of Maranatha Volunteers International, co-sponsor of the mega evangelistic outreach, said that on the final day of the public outreach, January 20, the total number of baptisms reached 15,018.
Commenting on the report from India, Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Adventist Church worldwide, said, “The reports that have been coming out of Ongole, India, are a powerful testimony to what God can do through servants wholeheartedly committed to Him. The field is ripe for harvest. There is no doubt about that. Good plans have been laid. Many have prayed for the reaping. And yet the outcome almost takes one’s breath away!”
Paulsen could hardly hide his excitement on hearing the news. He said, “The Lord’s blessings can take matters so far beyond our expectations. Did we dare to think that 15,000 to 20,000 new decisions for Christ would be made and expressed in baptism? I praise the Lord for His everlasting presence with His people, and I thank you, His servants, for your commitment and for the energy and resources you have given to this outreach initiative.”
“What we witnessed in Ongole and the area churches is beyond any expectations. When we had our last event of the evangelistic campaign on Sabbath [Saturday] evening, those who attended were in excess of 40,000 people,” Nobel reported.
According to Pastor Michael Ryan, director of Global Mission, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s international outreach department which coordinated the India evangelistic initiative, some 100 Global Mission pioneers completed training and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ in 50 villages surrounding Ongole beginning in September 2000. Addressing a group of local Global Mission pioneers, he said, “Never in my experience have I seen an evangelistic campaign of this size.”
Noble reported that the great spiritual hunger of the people in India was graphically demonstrated in the deep interest portrayed by the huge crowd.
Trucks, buses, taxis, motor scooters and bicycles, along with those who walked, brought this crowd together for the final night to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Great crowds pressed around the campaign leaders after the meeting to request prayer and to enjoy the last moments of what had been a great spiritual feast. The outreach program included witnessing activities and evening Bible study programs conducted mostly by lay preachers.
The last Sabbath of the campaign included many church dedications and baptisms. “Though the final count of baptisms was more than 15,000,” Noble said, “the church leaders in the area expect another 5,000 baptisms in the next few weeks as a result of the meetings.”
Among those who participated in the last few days of the outreach was Pastor Don Schneider, president of the North American Division regional territory of the Adventist Church. He said that it is “impossible to describe what is happening here. It seems that the Holy Spirit is being poured out in latter day strength in this part of India.”
Pastor Ron Watts, president of the church’s Southern Asia Division regional territory, said, “The deep spiritual hunger of the people of India brought this on. God worked through a wonderful combination of lay members, Global Mission pioneers and ministers to bring about this result. And we have just begun. Global Mission pioneers and leaders, along with pastors, will nurture these new members, most of whom will be able to worship in new churches built by Maranatha Volunteers International, a lay Adventist organization based in Sacramento, California, U.S.A., specializing primarily in building churches. But the rest of India awaits with eager anticipation for us to bring the Gospel to them.”
The India outreach includes a major effort to build houses of worship for the new believers. Maranatha has constructed new churches in some of the villages surrounding Ongole, though the project is part of an ongoing initiative undertaken in cooperation with Adventist church leaders in India and Global Mission that calls for at least 500 new churches to be built in the country.
According to Kyle Fiess, Maranatha marketing director, the organization has 270 projects in India that are completed or in various phases of completion. Maranatha began its work in India in 1998, and at one point were completing churches at the rate of one per day, Fiess said. “Many volunteers, mostly from the United States, have taken part in the India construction, but the majority of projects have been completed with local crews.”
“We were astonished when Ron Watts presented us with a proposal for 10,000 churches in India. That seemed like a fanciful number until we began working there and witnessed the immense potential. As we have completed each project, many in areas with no prior Christian influence, we have seen the Holy Spirit move in incredible ways throughout India,” Fiess explains.
“After many experiences like the one in Ongole, we no longer consider 10,000 churches to be an unrealistic goal, but an unparalleled opportunity. Maranatha’s experience in India has reinforced our commitment to constructing simple houses of worship as an effective way to spread the Gospel throughout the world.”
Noble said that “for years people have thought of India as unreachable in terms of Christianity, but we are finding that exactly the opposite is true today. These people are extremely eager to hear the Christian message.”
The Adventist church has been present in India since the early 1900s, but until a few years ago, had only around 250,000 members within the entire sub-continent. Fiess says that the growth rate has been accelerating and cites the “vision for growth” of church leaders in India, as well as the work of 200-plus Global Mission pioneers-Adventist national lay workers.
Fiess also points out the similarity between the Adventist lifestyle-with its emphasis on vegetarianism and health issues-and some aspects of Hindu, the predominant religion in India. On the other hand, Fiess notes, the Christian teaching of eternal life offers a hope that is in contrast with the Hindu belief in a repeated cycle of reincarnation.
In conclusion of his report from India, Noble referred to a Bible text: “The beautiful text, Isaiah 45:22, seems to be a wonderful theme for India at this time. ‘Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.’ India is ready to receive Jesus, and He is giving all of us a wide-open opportunity to share the Gospel with them. The Ongole evangelistic campaign is only a sample of what can happen all over India. Please pray and do anything you can to help accomplish this great opportunity that God is opening to the church.”
The Global Mission pioneers are expected to stay in the villages for five years to further establish the church ministry that is going on in India.
