Church growing in Orissa despite persecution, says Mission India

Orissa is one of India's poorest states, with 66 percent of the population living below the poverty line. It also has one of the worst records for anti–Christian violence. However, according to Grand Rapids, Michigan–based Mission India, the believers have wonderfully managed to overcome all hardship and persecution allowing the church to grow.

"Almost all the Christian churches were just baptizing people in secret, or ignoring the law because it was virtually impossible to conduct a baptism following the rules that this anti–conversion law had laid down," said Mission India’s Dave Stravers, adding that the mission body’s literacy classes and church planting fellowships have enabled the Gospel to penetrate the deep corners of the state and turn the heart of the people back to Christ.

According to Stravers, people in rural areas and slums, where literacy is the lowest, are struggling to live with severe problems that come from their inability to read, write or handle mathematical operations such as long division or loan interest computation. Literacy gives these people new self–confidence, he said, adding that it has opened doors for better jobs, better standards of living, and responsible citizenship.

Mission India has developed a one–year, five–nights–a–week, 2–hours–a–night literacy course designed for areas where literacy is low. This course is now available in 17 languages and can be effectively taught by instructors who have little formal education themselves.

Components of Mission India's literacy program include teacher training, teacher's manuals, a kerosene lantern, a class chalkboard, three primers for each student, slates and chalk for students, two Scripture books, and a post–literacy reader focusing on employment issues and income–generating projects.

Church planting runs a very close course to the track ploughed with the literacy classes, Stravers said. It is all about relationship and opening eyes and hearts to truth, he added.

Mission India has also developed a two–year training program that includes approximately 8 months of classroom study and a total of 16 months in villages and communities, where they make themselves available to share the Gospel.

However, once they do so, the threats pour in from Hindu extremist groups who often resort to violence and social oppression.

Despite the persecution, Stravers said that their teams are active and raring to go. In fact, they have also shared their vision for the future. "In the last three days I've talked to different church leaders here who are involved in evangelistic ministry. They're all very positive. They say they can see the Lord moving in their state, and they believe that the state of Orissa is coming to Christ. In fact, they talk about sending workers to other states," he said.