Free Gospel Missions, India

India

An Introduction
  By:
  Rev. Chester H. Heath
  Missions Director,
  Free Gospel Missions

   India is the second largest country in the world, reporting a population in excess of one billion people. Unfortunately, government policy does not issue visas to missionaries. For close to a half a century the door has been closed.
   Our mission there dates back to at least the 1930's. Miss Dorthy Bataglia and Miss Helen Birka spent the greater part of their lives in the mission at Faizabad, in Utter Pardesh province, located in Northern India. Because they were in the country prior to 1937 they were allowed to continue their work. Both went to be with the Lord while still working at the mission. For over a decade now, the work has been under the direction of Rev. S. S. Peter, he is an Indian national who was largely raised by the missionaries. They also sent him to study the Bible at a Pentecostal school.
   While there are some restrictions on religious activity, and strong opposition in recent times from the major religions in India, they still get out the gospel by large scale literature distribution, house meetings in villages, and services at the mission chapel.
   When I visited the mission some years ago, I noted that it is a land of contrast. Some live in unbelievable poverty, while others have are well off and possess modern conveniences. Every where what roads there are are covered with an unbelievable mix of conveyances. These include: people walking, ox carts, bicycles, three wheeled autos, and large busses and trucks. Travel there is high risk because of the crowded roads. Everywhere there is spiritual darkness, and worship of idol gods without number.
   Our mission there is not large, but even a small light in such darkness is important. There is such an overwhelming need of the gospel in that land. The ignorance and lack of knowledge hold a majority of people in a hopeless cycle of poverty and disease. It was crowds such as these that Jesus described as "fields white unto harvest."