In India, Outcasts are Welcome in ICM Churches

India’s ancient caste system is well known throughout the world.

 

The ruling elite in India lord their social, economic and political power over outcasts such as the Dalets. According to one ICM Ministry Partner, nearly 700 million people are unable to enter their own native temples to worship, because of their low station in society. But now, with over 1260 ICM built churches throughout India, many of the outcasts have found a home. The open arms of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beaconing love of His followers in India, continue to welcome the lower classes into the Christian fold with compassion and grace. However, in this nation of one billion people, the work is just beginning. Thousands more churches are needed in every region and in each of the over 600,000 rural villages of India. During these first few days of my beginning a new work representing ICM to our India Ministry Partners, I am overwhelmed at both what God has done through the ministry over the past quarter century and also how great the need remains. I hope and pray that each reader will search their heart to ascertain if God would have them contribute to the initiative clearly set before the worldwide body of Christ; to build thousands more churches, not only to glorify the name of our Lord, but to provide dignity rightly due the 700 million lower class citizens of India, who deserve their spiritual rights restored and their rightful seat in a church that worships the true God.

 

Thank you for reading and may God richly bless you.

 

For ICM from Chennai, India (3.5.12),

 

Brad Orchard

Maiden Voyage to India

Among all the 60 nations where God has called ICM to grow His Church, India is arguably the ministry’s most significant country.

It was India where ICM Founder Dois Rosser organized the first church building project. It was India where his daughter, ICM Board Chair Janice Rosser-Allen, first ministered as an emissary of the ministry. India is also where ICM Leader, Rev. Burt Reed, made over 50 trips in the past two decades to oversee the construction of rural churches and implement ICM’s Mini Bible College.

Today (2.28.12), I make my way to India for the first time to join Burt as I prepare to inherit the work he, along with Mr. Rosser and Janice, pioneered at the beginning of ICM’s mission back in 1986. To date, over 1200 rural churches have been built or are under construction in India. The Mini Bible College has been translated into several Indian languages and the ministry of ICM flourishes by the grace of God in this nation of one billion people. Words cannot express my sentiment at being appointed ICM’s new Director of Partner Review for Europe and Asia, which includes the ministry’s flagship nation of India. My prayer is that God will use me in a mighty way to continue the expansion of His Kingdom as I stand upon the shoulders of the ICM servants who have previously labored in the vineyard known as India.

— Brad Orchard