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Extracts from “THOSE THAT SHALL DELIVER…” by
tehelka.com
By the mid-1990s, when "spying missions" were despatched to
India by US-based transnational missionary organisations (TMOs),
it was part of the larger conversion mission, AD2000 and Joshua
Project. Abraham's commentary in a film produced by Agape
reveals that "by the mid-1990s, a growing realisation for the
need for a systematic church planting effort covering the entire
state was gaining momentum. We held a systematic grassroots
level harvest force research in 1998 and the results were an
eye-opener for us. There were 262 pin code areas in Punjab
without any churches in 1998. In the next three years, however,
all the 491 postal code areas in the state gained entry into the
church map." This was possible due to the research and survey
conducted by Brother Issac Dutta, research coordinator, Punjab,
Operation Agape. "God gave me the burden of Punjab in 1997. I
started my research in 1997. My team and I visited 1,100
Christian workers in the whole of Punjab, collecting data from
them on who was working in different villages, blocks and
districts," Dutta explained.
The North India Harvest Network, also started by Abraham, used
the 'Pin Code survey' conducted by the Indian Missions
Association, Chennai, to generate ethno-graphic data in the
North Indian states. The data has armed the US intelligence
agencies for they now have unparalleled access to the remotest
corners of India and are-again, pincer like-bringing areas into
"the fold" by secretly unleashing pastors in different blocks
and districts.
Operation Agape has, for example, been instrumental in producing
over 3,000 'house-churches' in Madhya Pradesh in the last six
years. Their conversion figure stands at a record number of
"60,000 to 70,000" converts. "Our methods have become a model
for churches all across India," says Abraham. "The house-church
movement does not strive for buildings. We do not believe in
buildings. Traditional churches are dying. The Anglican church
in England is dying. The house-church movement is the spirit of
God. Ludhiana is a city where the
church has done really well. Now we are dreaming of a church in
every colony. Fifty percent colonies in Ludhiana and 60 percent villages in Punjab have
churches now," he told Tehelka.
Planting churches in India
Operation Agape is supported by Christian Aid, a US-based
conversion-funding agency, run by Rev Bob Finley, a loyal
supporter of President Bush. The mission headquarters of this
operation is Agape Bhawan, located within the Christian Medical
College in Ludhiana. Abraham was extremely evasive about
answering questions on Operation Agape, but a video CD produced
by AGAPE foundation, which is in Tehelka's possession, is
explicit about the movement.
The film on Operation Agape interviews Rev C George, who claims
to have begun the church planting movement in Punjab: "I had
great concern for Punjab…Then the Lord very definitely,
specifically asked me to go to the state of Punjab and do
whatever possible so that the people will come to know that
Operation Blue Star or Operation Black Thunder did not help, but
operation of God's love will be the solution to the problem of
Punjab."
Simply put, the strategy is to plant a church in every village
and urban colony and notch up a figure of 100,000 churches in
the state by 2010. "We cannot say we have any challenge here
because Punjab is open. All religions are respected and we can
go freely to everybody. The most difficult states to evangalise
are Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh because extremist Hindus are
there," says Simon P George, manager, Punjab Bible College,
Hiran (near Ludhiana).
URL:
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main.asp?filename=ts013004qaeda.asp |
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Dear Vohra Ji,
Wahe guru ji ka khalsa and waheguru ji
ki Fateh.
This is regarding building of churches
in Punjab
My view is that Sikh is the most modern
religon and it has very few rivals. The normal tendency of
human beings is to choose the best and simple to follow
religion and I have no doubts.
I remeber the words of Sant Harchand
Singh Longowal after the 1984 riots- He said the more you try
to finish the sikhs the more will grow. Each drop of blood
will grow into a sikh.
The need of hour is not to stop the
Christianity but the need to spread the tenets of sikhism in
youg generation. I appreciate the efforts of Sikh
international in organizing the free camps all over the world.
I sent my child to one such camp and now
he teaches the whole family the difference between gurmat and
Manmat.He feels more proud being a sikh now.
So let there be a choice for punabi
youth - to choose the better. The more it is shown in movies
and the more it is shown on TV ,the more it is liked by youth.
The effort of Guru Mastak singh Khalsa
-of Sikhnet.com needs appreciation and financial support. An
excellent site he has produced
Let me thank you also for your efforts
in rasing these issues
Sincerely
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