CHURCH PLANTING |
|||||
NMM is blessed by God and has experienced rapid growth. Within a period of over 25 years, God has enabled NMM to plant over 1,000 churches. These churches are meeting the needs of local people groups. They meet together for worship, fellowship and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Today NMM has pioneered and firmly established vibrant churches among 60 people groups in India. Evangelism and church growth is at the heart of NMM’s purpose. Bringing people to faith in Christ, starting churches, and discipling new believers to take up the task has always been our goal. Read the stories of church planting... |
|||||
| 1. The story of Kesa Bhai | |||||
| Kesa bhai comes from a village in North India. He belonged to a highly revered stratum of the village community. He used to be the chief sorcerer that villagers approached when they were sick or in trouble. He was no ordinary bhopa (witchdoctor) because he had attained this evil supernatural power from a very famous bhopa in North India. During the course of his training he had to go to the shamashaan (crematoriums and graveyards) to invoke the evil spirits and have face-to-face encounters with them. |
 |
||||
Primitive But Powerful Native Missionary Movement co-workers in the rural fields are simple, barely educated people who know nothing about the modern conveniences and the technology that you and I take for granted. But in the things of God they are giants: literally “miracle workers!” Every day our workers encounter poverty, disease and a near stone-age primitiveness. I asked what it takes to plant a church in these difficult areas. Kesa said, "Here the demonic forces are so real that the only effective evangelism is done through the visible demonstration of God’s power. Preaching alone is not enough." These village pastors gather with some of their co-workers for days of fasting and praying. Healing takes place frequently but the casting out of evil spirits is almost inevitable in every meeting. Many new Christians are disowned by their families. They cannot drink water from the community well and no one will touch the food which they have touched," said Kesa bhai. “And yet they continue to be Christians?” I asked. "Yes, when they witness the power of Jesus demonstrated through healing, they believe with all their hearts. To prove their conversion was genuine they allow us to remove all their charms and fetishes." Witchcraft fails to cure Kesa’s son Kesa bhai’s spiritual domain extended over ten villages. Every Tuesday hordes of men, women and children used to come to the bhopa at the deora (a large platform built under some sacred tree). They would carry a handful of grains, a coconut, flowers and money all decorated in a large plate for the usual pooja (ritual). But those coming for the cure of any grave illness would carry live roosters or goats to be sacrificed. But a day came when Kesa bhai’s own three year old son fell ill. He spared no magical device he knew and practiced for others to restore his son’s health. Kesa bhai and his wife ate no food for many days as they could not bear the sight of their son breathing his last. When the villagers heard that the bhopa’s son has succumbed to death they were shell shocked. Every mouth had only one say, "the evil spirits whom he worshipped have snatched his child probably because they were displeased". No sooner had he recovered from the trauma of the loss of his son than his only surviving child, his seven month old daughter was struck with jaundice. A layman witnesses to a hopeless witchdoctor It dawned on Kesa Bhai that if black magic could not save his son how could it do any good to his daughter. He ran with his daughter in his arms to the government clinic where he met an unusual old man Vakta. Vakta Ba, as he is respectfully called, did not hesitate to tell this well known ‘healer’ about the real healing power of Jesus. Moments later Vakta Ba and Kesa bhai with the sick girl walked towards the home of our Pastor Tajendra Masih . He was very receptive to the gospel that was shared and hope dawned in his eyes. He repented of his sins and accepted Jesus as the Lord of his life. Within three days his daughter was healed. Once a witchdoctor; now a soul winner Word spread in the village about the miraculous healing of the bhopa’s daughter. The villagers raised a hue and cry against the conversion of their bhopa. They felt as if they were totally abandoned. "He experienced a sign of peace he had never done ever since he began indulging in witch craft. He learned to read the Bible from Pastor Tajendra and pledged to spread the news of salvation through Jesus alone," told Kesa. He first witnessed to his family and brought 14 relatives to Christ. God empowered him with the gift of healing in the name of Jesus and soon a chain of miracles took place. As a result many put their faith in Christ. Now Kesa bhai is one of the most zealous preachers of Native Missionary Movement. The gospel preached by him and others has brought about drastic social change too. People have been liberated from the clutches of alcoholism and polygamy, they have learned about health, hygiene and have started sending their children to schools. |
|||||
|
|||||
The centre of opposition becomes the centre of God’s love In 1994 Kesa bhai further extended his area of ministry to a new
village in North India which has a population of nearly two thousand
people. A few years ago two of our missionaries were beaten up brutally
by anti-social elements. Both were harassed separately on two different
occasions within a span of six months. At that moment they had ordered
our missionaries to give up eating meat and to stop talking about
Christ’s name, let alone preaching about Him. But the torturers
could not make our missionaries relent. |
|||||
