Church Planting Ministry Works Under The Radar Screen
By Jeremy Reynalds (05/19/05)
A little known church planting ministry in India is quietly carrying on a dynamic work for the Lord.
Called EMOS, the ministry is part of the Indian Christian Research Organization (ICRO), and it aims to plant churches among unreached people groups in India.
In a recent e-mail interview, founder Dr. A. Selva Raj explained the ministry of EMOS. He said that ministry teams focus on a specific area for a certain amount of time.
"(They) lead the people to Christ and establish them in the Christian faith and congregate them into a local church," Raj said. "When a church has been planted, the team will move into the next location. There are 4,635 people groups in India. Of these, around 4,000 people groups do not have a witnessing church in their communities. The efforts of EMOS are directed to areas where the gospel is neither heard nor seen. EMOS strives to fulfill the great commission (Mt. 28:18-20) through evangelistic outreach by teamwork."
The work done by EMOS has been successful, Raj said. "We are following Biblical strategy for the successful church planting ministry. EMOS is set to enter into the modern society in order to ignite a spiritual transformation and social reformation. The traditional mission and evangelistic works, by and large, have been aiming to reach the poor. But EMOS aims to reach the poor and the rich, and both the oppressed and the oppressors, because both need to be redeemed by the gospel of Christ."
In a recent e-mail interview, Raj talked about his background and what led him to his current ministry.
BIRTH AND GROWING UP
Raj, 53, was born at Kottayam, a rich and beautiful city in Kerala. His father was a businessman. Later the family moved to Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala with a population of almost 32,000,000.
Raj was born into a Christian family, but experienced a variety of problems while growing up.
In an e - mail interview he said, "My father suddenly lost his business and had to sell all his property .... (and we) ... became very poor. At the age of 12, I was stricken with a disease brought about by the power of the evil one. I was fully under the control of devils. At times, I did not even know what I was saying. Many pastors and evangelists prayed for me and because of these prayers, for some time, I became free of these devils, but not fully healed."
According to Raj, one day during a high school class, "the devils once again became active."
As a result, he said, "I began to beat the teacher, the headmaster and also the students. No one could subdue me. At last I was caught, my hands and legs tied and I was taken home. This kind of episode filled my family members with fear and they were without peace, while they wept. Then my family made a vow to God that if the Lord Jesus Christ healed me, they would make me God's worker and so they prayed to this end. It was then that these evil spirits left my body by the great power of Christ the Lord, and I once again became normal."
However, Raj still had a long way to go in his spiritual maturity. He said in the same e-mail interview, "During my college days my life became increasingly sinful and I told my parents, friends, and even pastors that there is no God. I also studied books on Communism, such as the Communist Manifesto of Marx and Engels. I participated enthusiastically in communist party work. I also attended Hindu temples at festival periods and played musical instruments for them. At that time, my father fell ill because of worry over loss of business and property. He was a godly man, with much faith in God. He entered into his eternal bliss with the Lord with much joy."
FOLLOWING THE LORD
His father's death motivated Raj to think about his eternal destiny. He said, "I confessed my evil deeds to God. I told my mother and sisters my decision that I would like to do God's work. They happily agreed. My elder brother told me about the Madras Bible Seminary, and I applied and was selected during the academic year 1972. The classes seemed excellent ... Here, God equipped me to do His work effectively."
Then in 1994, Raj successfully completed his Doctor of Missiology degree through the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies in Bangalore (www.saiacs.org).
Following a number of difficult situations, Raj said he felt inspired to think about a way to plant churches among unreached people groups in India. And EMOS was born. According to Raj, more than 358 churches have been planted among the unreached people groups through team ministry.
Raj gave an example of how the Lord has been using EMOS to help change societies.
The Banjaras (www.encounterrevival.org/ForeignMissions/BTM/index.asp) in the Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh practice human sacrifice, Raj said. Every year on June 6, the community offers one of their own children as a sacrifice to their god. Once the family decides to offer up one of its children, the parents along with relatives and friends pay special attention to the impending human sacrifice. Special food is also offered to the child. Raj said the family considers it an honor to give their child up.
"On the day of (the) sacrifice the whole village (is) immersed in festivities," Raj said in the e-mail interview. (They) eat and enjoy. The child will be dressed with new dress, shoe and cap -- like a bride or bridegroom. Then they will bring the child in procession. They will (lay) him in a stone altar for sacrifice. With loud noise of drum beating and people's amusement, the main priest will cut off his head. They will burn the body in that altar, but carry the head of the victim in procession and burn it in another altar of their main temple, which (is) situated in the entrance of the hamlet."
According to Raj, with the temple being considered such a holy place strangers are not allowed to enter.
"I just photographed the premises, the place, where the head used to burn and the alter where the human sacrifice used to take place. The team leader, Rev. David Naik, told me how the body of (the) victim writhes in pain once the head is cut off. But when the headless body throbbed like that, the crowd enjoyed it and says, ‘He is very joyful in heaven so his body is dancing.'"
Raj said in the e-mail interview that Naik was an early convert from the Banjaras to Christianity, and is now an active EMOS team leader at "the forefront to abolish this evil practice."
"He has a beautiful daughter," Raj said. "When she was about eight years old, Naik's mother decided to sacrifice her to the spirits. When it was about to take place, Naik went to the village and saved the child and ran away from the village. I have seen the child's photograph, which is taken just before the sacrifice. She was decked with lot of ornaments, (and a) new dress like a new bride. Then he decided to act. He took his child and ran away from home. That year the sacrifice was forcefully stopped because the sacrifice victim had ‘vanished' mysteriously at the last minute. Later, David started to fight the system. He faced much opposition. But ultimately the Gospel truth won."
TRIALS ALONG THE WAY
Life hasn't been easy for Raj. By e-mail he said that in July 1999 he had gone to a small village in Bihar, Binjia.
"As a mission anthropologist, I was interested in studying human sacrifice practiced in that village," Raj wrote. "I had learned from others that the villagers offer human sacrifice as a fertility cult. They would sprinkle the blood on the standing crops for better yield. They never sacrifice their own people but searched for other people."
Raj said he stayed in the village for five days gathering data. "What I never realized was that many people in that village were suffering from a strange disease which I later learned was cerebral malaria. I drank water, ate food in that village and slept on dirty beds for five days. When I was in the train to Madras I had a slight fever which I ignored. But by the time I reached Trivandrum, the fever was as high as 104 degrees and was not subsiding. When I consulted the doctors they (were unable to diagnose what was wrong with me). I was admitted (to) the hospital. On the fifth day all my systems failed. Later doctors informed me that it was multi system organ failure. I fell in a coma."
Raj's wife Rachel was a long distance from where he became sick. "The doctors declared that I was dead and asked my sisters to inform my wife and only child Divya. Rachel and Divya flew from Ranchi to attend my ‘funeral.' All the while the churches in that area, the home church and the friends in Partners International were praying for me. God heard their prayer. And the miracle happened."
Explaining the miracle, Raj said, "When I opened my eyes I saw Rachel my wife. It was a surprise. How come she is here? When did she come from Ranchi? Am I dreaming? Then I realized many people around me weeping aloud. What is the matter? It was a weird scene. When Rachel saw me opening my eyes she hugged me, her eyes streaming in tears. It was a resurrection, nothing less."
Raj said he now lives what he called a "resurrected life. God had a purpose in resurrecting me in such a miraculous way. That is when I realized that God is in total control of my life, and He wants me to work for him bringing light to the nations and plant(ing) churches."
HELPING TSUNAMI VICTIMS
In addition to the church planting work done by EMOS, Raj said ICRO is involved in helping victims of the tsunami."
"This is the most urgent and important work ICRO is involved in," Raj said by e-mail. "Tsunami victims are housed in temporary shelters in the eastern coastal belt of Tamilnadu. Although the victims received immediate relief through various non- governmental agencies, (there has not been much) rehabilitation in the form of trauma counseling, assistance in rebuilding lives and trade and the empowerment of women.
"ICRO realized the need and stepped into the vacuum," Raj said. "Now ICRO is involved in the training of local counselors, distribution of trade tools like catamarans and fishing nets, special coaching centers for school children with evening meals, distribution of school bags and umbrellas. (In addition, we are helping in) the empowerment of women through training in new trades such as tailoring, fishing net making, and food processing and entrepreneurship. In all these (tasks), ICRO is really fulfilling its God- given mission of building up individuals and communities."
Raj said that ICRO also researches "the transforming power of the Christian Gospel in Indian society through serious missiological research."
Raj thanked donors to his ministry. "We thank all God's people who have stood with us through prayer and sacrificial giving. ICRO's front line workers and ... people groups (we have helped) join the ICRO leaders in expressing their gratitude to all the supporters. Please continue to pray for us, the people groups ministered (to) by ICRO, and for the whole land of India that it may continue to be enlightened by the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
For further information, please contact Raj at selvarajicro@yahoo.com.
(Printer friendly version) Email: Jeremy Reynalds
