US–based church plans outreach in India

New Delhi – A US–based church is all geared up to launch a long–term outreach programme in India and plant churches in cities where few have heard the Gospel.

With the title of “strategy–coordinator church,” First Baptist Church in Powell, Tennessee, USA, was one of the first churches to join an effort called “Project Thessalonica.”

“They’re starting from ground zero,” Baptist Press quoted Project Thessalonica coordinator, Marc Bowman, as saying. “We are training them basically how to take the place of a fulltime person living on the field – they are responsible for coming in, doing evangelism, discipleship, church planting and showing [new Christians] how to reproduce that.”

First Baptist Church in Powell began sending mission teams to India in the spring of 2004 to train believers in spreading the Gospel by building house churches.

Jay Adler (name changed for security reasons), a mission team leader, and a local Christian, Nihl Mattah (name changed for security reasons), are spearheading the church–planting movement.

Recently, a local pastor invited Adler to preach at his “church.” The service took place in a private school near the team’s hotel. A banner across the front of a room read, “Jesus is Lord.” Adler delivered a sermon based on John 3:16 following which six people came forward to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

A year back, when First Baptist volunteers first set foot in India, the nation appeared overrun with idolatry and spiritual darkness. However, the mission team sees signs of hope.

“We didn’t think we would find any Christians –— especially any churches,” Adler said. “But there are people who truly want Christ.”

“The Lord is raising up people,” added Mattah. “[God] might see us sleeping, but He wants to wake us up.”

To learn more about serving through Project Thessalonica, e–mail project.thessalonica@neglectedfields.net or call the International Mission Board at 1–800–999–3113.