Leadership Development

   

Raising up Christ-like leaders to stand for God's truth

The best way to reach the Indian people is through their own people. The reason this works so well is four-fold:

Identification

People identify best with others from their own cultural and social background. Each state in India, and sometimes even each district, is essentially its own country with its own language and culture. This is why we train men and women from each state to go back to their own people. This leads into the second point.

Appropriateness

Since the men and women from each state are familiar with the society background and beliefs, they can tailor the Gospel message to address the specific beliefs and concerns of the local people. While the Gospel is always relevant and does not need to be changed to meet the needs of the people, it must still be presented in a way that aligns with the particular needs of each people group. Some cultures might not have the background or experience with certain concepts and principals that are taken for granted in other cultures. The nationals having coming from these backgrounds will know exactly what it is that people need to hear based on their own experience.

Accessibility

The nationals are from the same background therefore they will have access to the people and the people will be much more receptive to them. People will more willing to talk with and listen to those that they recognize as being part of their own culture. The nationals will know the right way to introduce and present themselves. Also, since they will be able to tailor their presentation based on the experiences of the people, they will know which concepts to emphasize and which to present in a low-key way. That way they don't scare people off or say something that will offend them and prevent them from listening to the whole Gospel message.

Economical

It is more economical to support a national than to send someone overseas to present the Gospel. A typical foreign missionary will require $3,000 or more a month plus the costs of transporting them back and forth toIndia. A typical indigenous missionary family of four can be fully supported for $100 per month.

Also, a foreign missionary, if they can even get a VISA allowing them to officially preach in India, can only stay for a maximum of six months at a time. They must then leave the country for a period of time before returning. If a foreigner is caught preaching inIndia and they are there on a non-missionary VISA, they will be immediately removed from the country and very likely banned for life. Since a national is an Indian citizen, they have all the rights to stay and preach for as long as they like.