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

ministerial gifts are open to all. Moreover, several areas of mission, which
Pentecostals have been involved in, show that they are giving space to the public.
Pentecostal mission includes many elements which serve the public good. For
example, the Pentecostal concern for healing is a matter of public interest. There
are a number of examples of people suffering with chronic diseases being healed
through the Pentecostal mission of healing. As seen in chapter three, there have
been many cases where poor tribal people who could not afford to go to hospital
have been healed through Pentecostal prayer free of charge. The incident that took
place during the Masih Mela at Kherwara in 2004 further explains this. When this
meeting was disrupted by militant Hindutva groups, as discussed in chapter five,
Bhim, 208 a former Hindutva proponent, who was converted to Christianity, asked
the opponents, ‘what is the problem with you when hundreds of people have been
freely healed in these meetings? Can you provide medical treatment and cure to
these poor tribal people?’ 209 Furthermore, Pentecostals assist the public with free
medical camps, where doctors and other medical staff willingly offer help to the
public, irrespective of any social and religious distinctions.
Similarly, education is a matter of public interest. There are villages in Rajasthan
where there is plenty of opportunity for educational projects, including elementary
as well as high school education, adult education, and literacy programmes. There
are several schools in Rajasthan established by Pentecostals, as well as literacy
programmes organized by churches.
208 Pseudonym.
209 I was a participant in that meeting.
332