Jun 26: India, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh
India
Republic of India
Asia
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Geography
Area: 3,166,000 sq kmA further 121,000 sq km of Kashmir, a contested area, is administered by Pakistan and China. Geographically and politically, India dominates South Asia and the Indian Ocean. There are 28 Union States and 7 Union Territories.
Population: 1,214,464,312 Annual Growth: 1.44%
Capital: Delhi
Urbanites: 30.1%
HDI Rank: 134 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 2,533 (88% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Constitutionally there are 22 official languages. The official language is Hindi (spoken by 40% of the population). English is a subsidiary official language Languages: 456 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Hinduism| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 71,011,000 | 5.84 | 3.7 |
| Evangelicals | 26,290,283 | 2.2 | 3.9 |
| Hinduism | 902,711,323 | 74.33 |
Challenge for Prayer
India has more unreached individuals than any other nation. Christians in India are very unequally spread – the south and northeast have a much higher proportion of Christians than the more populated north and west. Thirteen states in North India are less than 1% Christian. Pray that the Church worldwide might rise to this task. Pray for:a) The North India Ganges plains, with their teeming millions, in the Hindi-speaking heartland. The states through which the Ganges flows (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal) combine to account for 382 million people. None of these states is more than 1% Christian, according to census data. There is, however, more church growth than ever in the north, from megachurches of 7,000 to networks of tens of thousands of house churches. A vision exists for 1 million churches planted in the north in the next 10 years.
b) The great cities, with rapid growth and a mix of great wealth and abject poverty. Chennai, Mumbai and even Hyderabad with significant Christian populations exist in contrast to Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow and others where Christian witness is very small. Increasing urbanization sees millions drawn from rural areas into urban areas annually, often with little by way of resources and connections. As a result, India’s slum-dwelling population now exceeds 70 million.
For an additional 14 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of India.Kerala
India
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Challenge for Prayer
Unreached peoples. Many Kerala churches continue to grow in missions interest. However, social barriers are very high; many believers need to be liberated from the spirit of caste, both to evangelize other social groups and to welcome converts as brethren.a) Of the 35 small tribal groups, only three or four have significant Christian groups and 10 others have a handful of believers. Most are Hindu, animist or demon worshippers. Only seven tribal groups have populations of over 10,000, and several face the threat of extinction. Kerala Christians must gain a vision to reach them – praise God for the few that have.
b) The Malabar Muslims, or Mappila, are numerous in the north of Kerala and number nearly nine million. Ministries of a few agencies have led to several thousand known conversions and groups of believers, but resistance to the gospel is high and new Christians suffer much. Pray for those involved in this arduous and costly ministry.
c) In the higher castes and 41 Dalit groups of Hindus, an increasing number are seeing people movements to Christ. The humble and egalitarian nature of Pentecostalism has generated significant response. Yet, despite growing numbers of Dalits in the churches, their presence in ministry and leadership is still lacking. Pray that all Dalit groups might be reached with the liberating gospel, but pray also that Christians would fully integrate them, as equals in Christ, into every level of the Church.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Kerala.Madhya Pradesh
India
See Prayer Information
Challenge for Prayer
The challenge of the unreached – pray for the many needs of this state and for the timely and effective sharing of the gospel to each people group and in each area.a) The tribal peoples in Madhya Pradesh,larger in number than anywhere else in the world, represent around 30% of India’s tribal population. They are a majority in the southern four districts, especially Bastar. There is now a burgeoning house church movement in many tribes through the labours of various agencies; the Oraon are now largely Christian. However, all represent a tough pioneer challenge. Most practice a Hindu-influenced animism. Witchcraft, Saktism (worship of female energy) and Saivism (worship of Shiva) abound.
b) The 12.4 million Gond are the largest tribe in India, and number around five million in Madhya Pradesh alone. In this state, only 0.4% are Christian. Over 30 mission agencies minister to them, and churches are multiplying despite local and statewide opposition.
c) The 11.9 million Bhil are India’s second-largest tribe. In Madhya Pradesh, they also number five million and are 0.6% Christian. As Hindus with animistic influence, they remain responsive to what outreach has come their way.
d) Bhopal, the state capital of MP, was the scene of the world’s worst-ever industrial accident, claiming 25,000 lives and poisoning the land for years to come. Tensions between Hindus and the large Muslim minority, high rates of poverty, illiteracy and crime in the 300-plus slums ringing the city and vulnerability of these same slums to flooding and disaster make Bhopal an area of concern. Christian work among the needy and those affected by the disaster has borne fruit and goodwill.
For an additional 2 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
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