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St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 4 | August 2012 ministry organization so interaction is minimal. There was a large indigenous ministry (sponsored by the West) that was reporting huge numbers in the western part of the state but one to two years ago something happened which brought most of the reports into question. During the same time a main contributor withdrew his support (related or not, I do not know). Currently they have either stopped their work with Muslims or cut back dramatically. As for the work that God allows me to do, we have not been able to get anything started in the major cities but we have seen success in villages. Through one main national, we have 19 leaders and 500+ MBB’s 2 . This is not a perfect work. Both the leaders and the 500 others need a lot more Bible training, but it is something. Of this group approximately 150 are baptized. For the most part, this is a work among families, where both the wife and the children are also believing. 3) What do you feel are the main strengths and weaknesses among the workers there Because there are so many people without the Gospel in North India, it becomes a target of many mission agencies. The Middle East is perceived as dangerous, but not so much India. There is a lot of territorialism, especially among Indians. People do not like to work together. Foreigners often maintain too high a security level. 4) What do you feel are the main strengths and weaknesses among the indigenous Christians there New believers are very dedicated to godly living and the task of sharing [their faith]. Weaknesses are presumed fear of the religion of Islam that keeps people from sharing; another one is trying to promote a personal agenda and trying to outdo a ‘rival’ worker so that an individual is seen as better than others 5) What is your main role in helping the MBC's (Muslim-background congregations) emerge, develop, and grow 2 MBB stands for Muslim-background believers, and refers to individuals who have accepted the basic teachings of the Christian faith, though they may or may not identify themselves as Christians (see question 6). St Francis Magazine is a publication of Interserve and Arab Vision 436
St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 4 | August 2012 First, I work through nationals, trying to encourage them to do the work. I teach on how to reach Muslims and how to start groups. These teachings are done for people who express interest in learning. Secondly, I work with one national who takes some of what we share back out to the people he works with. Sometimes I meet the 19 leaders in their homes, and sometimes I teach some of the 500 in the villages but I do not do that too often. I would like to work more closely with the 19 but they insist it be done at a fancy meeting center at my expense. So at maximum, I do that one time a year. 6) What do the MBB's there call themselves when asked about their religion True Muslims, true believers. 7) What sort of persecution do they face, and how much does that persecution influence their decisions and outlook on life Usually persecution lasts less than a year, if there is any. Many keep quiet until they think that it is safe. One very good MBB keeps quiet around his house but is much more outspoken outside of his village. There are quite a few people who can lead by example, including our main worker. Knowing this, others are encouraged by his testimony. Those who do not come to faith or have not come yet often imagine the most extreme things happening all at the same time, like loss of job, family, death, loss of future marriage partner, beatings, etc. 8) Have you been able to raise up some MBB leaders If so, tell us about the process and the training involved. My main Indian worker and I have a different definition of leader. He considers a person a leader if they are consistent in their faith and active in the work. At this point we have 19 leaders. Usually they gather one or two times a month for a prayer meeting at someone’s house. Within that group, there are about five that meet every week for prayer and fellowship. I never attend these meetings. 9) Would you classify the MBC's there as insider movements Why or why not According to several people steeped in insider movement, they do not like the term MBB and think it is better to call people MB St Francis Magazine is a publication of Interserve and Arab Vision 437
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