In JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, two of Frodo’s hobbit companions, Merry and Pippin, get kidnapped by the orcs and eventually are rescued by the Ent, Treebeard. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship prepare to confront Saruman and his forces at Isengard, attempting to weaken him so that Frodo and Sam can complete their mission to destroy the ring. In Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation, Merry and Pippin beg the council of Ents (called Entmoot) to make haste so that they can join their friends on the verge of war. They can’t bear to think of not being able to engage side-by-side with their comrades in a fight with such high stakes.
Do you ever feel like you are stuck at Entmoot, watching slow-footed and slow-tongued friends confused about the difference between orcs and hobbits, good and evil, and unsure whether a battle at distant Isengard has anything to do with them? It sometimes feels that we Americans are far from the front lines of the spiritual battle. We are slow-footed and lack urgency.
In one sense, this is untrue. There is not a square mile on the globe that the spiritual war does not wage on, America included. And yet, there are places where the stakes of the war and the speed of the war are so fast I long to participate alongside my brothers and sisters.
This coming January, l have the opportunity to travel with a New Life group to southern India. This will be my third trip to southern India. Covid has prevented us from returning for the past three years. I couldn’t be more eager to reconnect with dear brothers and sisters on the frontlines of ministry in some of the most challenging circumstances one could imagine.
New Life has had the blessing of partnering with an indigenous Indian pastor for over a decade.[i] Our partnership with this network included 75 indigenous Indian church planters when we first began. By the grace of God, this organization has exploded. His once modest group now supports a network of 2,200 church planters serving 15,000 villages throughout India (in 15 of the 29 states) and now into Nepal and Sri Lanka. Many of these pastors have suffered beatings and threats of violence because of their faith. Other churches have been vandalized and destroyed. And yet, they continue on joyfully, and God continues to bring many to faith.
Our brothers and sisters have asked us to come as their pastors and wives are eager to be trained and equipped. We will also have an opportunity to help at their learning centers, where tutoring and development are provided for children and those who are malnourished.
The potential impact of this kingdom work is mind-boggling. India is a predominantly Hindu nation (80%), with another 15% of its population Muslim. The country has been highly resistant to the gospel; in fact, the percentage of Christians has decreased over the past decade from 2.6% to 2.1% today. It has been ranked consistently among the top ten most hostile nations to Christianity.[ii]
This indigenous multiplication model is remarkable. It is an indigenous movement raising up local leadership and moving church planters to self-support so that new church planters can be funded. Its leadership is healthy, wise, and faithful.
We are humbled by the opportunity and excited about God allowing us to support such a courageous partnership. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible financial contribution, you can make an online gift here. When making an online gift, select “India Mission Trip” as the Fund.
Whether or not you are able to support this trip financially, I covet your prayers not just for me but for our brothers and sisters in India and God’s multiplying work. Would God grant them courage and grace as they stand on the front lines.
[i] For the sake of the protection of the ministry and individuals in it, I am unable to share details about the names of those in the ministry nor the name of the organization. If you would like information, please reach out to me with an email.
[ii] Open Doors, “World Watch List,” 2022, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/.
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Photo by Ergo Zakki on Unsplash