Joint Asia Pastoral Conference – October 6th and 7th
From all over Asia, okay maybe just India and Nepal, we came to Nellore, to do the things that apparently pastors do these days when they get together, show hundreds of hours of slide shows. We saw pictures of pastors preaching, pastors teaching, pastors praying, pastors handing out medicine, and pastors leading Joey Reim and Carly Meyer through temples and over lakes all over India. Although we may have wished for a few less slides, it was certainly a wonderful reminder of all the work going on all over India by our dedicated and hard working pastors, especially the leaders in the CLCI, BELC, and HCLCN. Unfortunately the men from Myanmar were not able to attend as they couldn’t get across the border. They did still however send a report of their activities in that area of the world.
This Myanmar report I was asked to read in their absence. Being full of strange and odd ( to me ) names and places, I was forced to follow my own advice given to my members in Millston when they complained about reading old testament passages full of difficult to pronounce names and places: “read it fast and pretend you know what you are saying.” Here I think it did not work as well since the Indians and Nepali are far more familiar with these names and places then I am.
Much of the reports were talking about the considerable work already being done but there was also much said about possibilities. Virtually every report mentioned more pastors in new areas which were in contact with our leaders and asking that we would come to establish regular classes in their districts as well. At the moment we have difficulty keeping up with our current districts so expansion is not really possible. Furthermore we need to balance doing a through training program where we are with the constant desire to expand into new places. But these opportunities certainly provide us with much to pray about.
Some of the highlights from the report:
During a recent round of 17 public CLCI Gospel meetings they performed 146 baptisms.
The sermons of VS Benjamin, Jyothi Benjamin and other CLCI pastors are being recorded on CD and distributed throughout Andhra Pradesh.
A couple of BELC pastors working in Leprosy Colonies providing them with the Word as well as food and clothes.
At least one BELC pastor conducting regular health and medical camps.
The HCLCN reported around 130 baptisms this year plus the addition of two new pastors and churches.
On top of all of this there was of course an untold number of VBS programs, child evangelism, regular evangelism, training centers, pastoral training and many more efforts of constant outreach with the Word.
We thank the Lord for His grace in 2010 and look forward to the work of His power in 2011.