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Carrollton, TX (GFA) - January 20,
2003- Imagine a village full of people all wanting to receive Christ at the same time.
This is exactly what happened this month in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu when 500 people
gathered together to receive Christ.
This follows on the heels of Tamil Nadu's recently passed anti-conversion law, which makes
it illegal to convert someone to another religion through the use of "force, fraud or
allurement." Under this law, a Dalit leaving his caste-based faith for another
religion could receive a four-year prison sentence and a 100,000-rupee fine ($2,000). Many
Dalits in India are nevertheless boldly stepping forward to embrace Christianity.
"The Lord Jesus gave us the most encouraging promise when He said that the gates of
hell will not prevail against the church," said K.P. Yohannan, president and founder
of Gospel for Asia. "The history of Christianity proves that no matter how hard the
pressures and difficulties, the Church will continue to grow because it belongs to the
Lord."
What happened in this village in Tamil Nadu is just a snapshot of the many ways in which
God is working as this Dalit awakening takes place throughout India. GFA native
missionaries and pastors disciple new Christians and establish church fellowships where
they can worship. To learn more about the Dalit Awakening, please visit
http://www.dalit-awakening.org
Established in 1979, Gospel for Asia is involved in pioneer evangelism and church planting
among the unreached. More than 13,000 indigenous missionaries are working in seven
nations: India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the last 10
years, they have established 10,000 churches and 7,000 mission stations. GFA also operates
152 Bible schools on the Indian subcontinent, where nearly 7,000 students are preparing
for ministry.
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