a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

It seems that building upon the foundation of someone else is a commonly
observed trend among Indian Pentecostals. The early passion for pioneer
evangelism and church planting seems to be declining, and instead organizations
try to buy workers from other groups. Money was not the criterion for joining an
organization in the early days, but today money matters, and in certain cases, it
matters the most. Most workers associated with an organization may receive a
monthly stipend from the parent organization. However, when they are given a
better offer from another, they are tempted to join the second one. Such a practice
is commonly known in the state as ‘shepherd stealing.’ In many cases, they join
other organizations taking the congregations along with them as most members
are illiterate and do not know the differences between organizations. On the other
hand, Christian work does not mean that ministers should be kept in poverty. At
the same time, another wrong practice is also observed. There are a few workers
who receive a monthly stipend from more than one organization, as they are
among the ministers’ list of multiple organizations. Therefore, a better system for
the selection and function of ministers is needed.
Many organizations have lost their original enthusiasm for working in unreached
places. One of the major reasons for this is fear of persecution. It is not easy to
work in strange places in contemporary Rajasthan, and so most organizations try
to start a new work in places where other churches have already experienced
results. Therefore, the southern districts of Rajasthan, like Banaswara and
Udaipur, have workers from almost all organizations engaged in missionary
activities. Southern Rajasthan is a more comfortable zone, having a comparatively
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