Leaving on 13th January with Colin Grimwood and Roger and Gill Prime. There is a full programme: Colin, Roger and Gill will be teaching and training pastors in Chennai as well as meeting many of the folk and travelling to outlying churches; John will be based further south in Madurai and travelling to Virudunaghar and Salem district, teaching a number of groups of pastors. At the end of the visit, John will travel with Sam Devenesam to teach at a convention.
Following the disorder and unrest in the country last year, the situation has improved. Please pray for pastor Hénoc Sib, who is involved in representing the churches to the government and also in the process of seeking political reform. Pray that the churches would have an influence and that the outcome of this seeking for reform would produce more fairness and justice. Please continue to pray for students in Bible colleges as they prepare for ministry in rural churches. Following Ian’s previous visit, kind donations of much-needed books have been sent to help students in their future ministry and for the library. Some booklets have been translated into the local language which has been appreciated. Please pray for future opportunities for more booklets to be translated.
There is encouraging news of baptisms. Others are applying for membership but there is a constant loss of members as people, often key members, leave to work elsewhere in the world. This can be discouraging. Please pray for stability in the membership. The church has been involved in relief work following the floods in the south of the country. A team headed-up by the church’s full-time youth worker, 2 social workers from CCM and a qualified nurse is to be sent to a place where at least 15,000 people are homeless. A medical mission is also to be conducted. Relief goods, clothing and medicines have been sent. The annual pastors’ conference will be held on February 7th – 9th. Speakers include Jim Sayers, with 2 messages on missions, and Ian Densham who will also be taking a modular course after the conference.
Kenya: the missionaries in Kenya are fine but please pray for the security situation with the current terrorist threat. Please also remember Kenya since this is an election year. Pray that peace will prevail and that our missionaries will be kept safe.
Germany: Following a visit to a church with Barry King (Grace Baptist Partnership) GBM Council has decided to seek to assist GBP in setting up a training scheme to train young German men to church plant. We pray that more opportunities will arise.