Pastor Support

God has used these humble servants in miraculous ways – they are part of the wave of Christian conversions that is sweeping Asia.  Hundreds of new believers are baptized every year, and many Margham-supported churches have doubled or tripled in size.  Pastor Jacob and his family are pictured on his motorcycle provided by Margham.  Many pastors travel many miles to shepherd multiple congregations in hard-to-reach places.  Motorcycles make this kind of semi-intinerant ministry more possible.

Church construction

Most church buildings are shacks with mud walls and thatched roofs.  Some have walls made of old cement bags nailed to posts (pictured below).  Many congregations meet in homes or in the open air.  Believers sit on the floor, or sit or stand outside if space is limited.  Even when meeting under trees, tents, and roofs of palm fronds, Indian Christians worship with joy and fervor.  Prayer meetings often last until the early morning hours. Some Indian believers regularly fast for both spiritual discipline and so that they can give more to people poorer than themselves.

Church buildings are especially important to Indian congragations because of the overwhelming presence of Hindu temples and Muslim mosques in every village.  Almost every street corner is home to a shrine for a Hindu idol, so to have a permanent structure for Christian worship helps to demonstrate to the unbelieving community that the Christian God is present and powerful.

Pastors Conferences

Most Margham pastors have no formal training, as seminaries are taught in English and are costly.  Since 2004, American Margham missionaries have served these pastors by writing and teaching Biblical commentaries that are translated into Telugu and Hindi.  The conferences are also a time for prayer, worship, and renewal for these men who work hard for God’s kingdom.