Lausanne World Pulse – Perspectives Articles – Training and Equipping Grassroots Workers in India

By G. R. Prakash

The Church in India by and large is a product of mass conversions. As a result of a treaty-like agreement, toward the end of the 1900s entire villages subjected themselves to wholesale baptisms. Caste, native influence and the incentives involved in accepting the gospel played significant roles in these events. Lower caste individuals treated with hatred and contempt by upper caste people were essentially looking for an identity and dignity; material benefits were also a factor. Together, these things shaped the majority segment of present day Christianity in India.

Conversion and Religion
Conversion is the most important component in the history and psychology of religion. Religious acts and beliefs are intimately merged with all the major interests of life and a group membership implies undeviating participation in the cult. The chief objective of missions is conceived to be conversion. In India many conversions result from the influence of tradition and example. Under such conditions the phenomenon passes into the orbit of the crowd appeal and the accompanying mass excitement.

It is a well known fact that traditional historical Indian churches have often showed a propensity toward the mystical rather than the pedagogic aspect of the faith. Stress was placed on regular attendance, tithing and participation in the religious life of the church. As a result several generations have passed which did not bother about understanding the tenets and teachings of the Bible. Thus, the Church did not fret over systematic teaching and production of sound literature. Unfortunately, church elders, pastors and evangelists are no exception. The great army of Indian evangelists who proceeded to the villages day in and day out did not feel the need to be well-versed with the message they carry. Factors other than the content of the message, such as those listed above, dominated the process.

Changing Scenario
This, however, is slowly changing. Rising literacy rate, urbanization and increased standards of living have produced a generation throughout rural and urban India whose mindset has changed. Today, most people tend to seek a proper basis before believing or following any teaching. Education and the effects of mass media percolated down to the very grassroots of India. This has posed a new challenge to our rural evangelists. It is not adequate to be simple and depend solely on the miraculous (such as signs and wonders) in order to reach the masses. People in the Indian countryside see numerous individuals of all religions performing what can be called “miracles.” And people are asking questions.

Today there is an increasing demand for scriptural training. Herein lies the problem. The majority of these workers are semi-literate and a good percentage are totally illiterate.  

The gospel workers, pastors and educated Christians started taking note of the changing conditions. A new hunger for the word of God and a competence to articulate it in a digestible form to the small groups in the villages emerged. Today there is an increasing demand for scriptural training. Herein lies the problem. The majority of these workers are semi-literate and a good percentage are totally illiterate. Many have only heard the Bible read to them. They lack any basic knowledge of the fundamentals of Christian schooling. Their ignorant ways and antiquated methodology more often than not leads to “God’s name being blasphemed among the gentiles” (Romans 2:24).

G.R. Prakash is founder of Faith Institute of Rural Evangelism, a Bible training program to train and help rural youth in India to plant churches among their own tribes. He is also founder and editor of the Indian Bible guide, Vedapatham (Bible Path), which is printed in the Telugu language.