Planting Churches Changes Cities
In about 1992, while I was on staff at Bethany World Prayer Center, we were heavily involved in planting churches in Russia. One of those churches was in the town of Tula, about two hours south of Moscow. A manufacturing center for military hardware and the place where the famous Russian assault rifle, the AK-47 is manufactured, Tula was a tough town. But largely through the efforts of Pastor Randy Craighead, we were able to launch a small but effective congregation in Tula.
Churches Reproduce Naturally
When Randy left Russia in about 1998, he placed a young Russian leader named Oleg Kunin over the growing congregation. Oleg struggled to raise up a solid work in Tula but through perseverance he has been able to establish a church and buy a building. I have kept in touch with Oleg over the years and when he asked if he could become involved in one of our works in India I suggested he visit Varanassi, India where we have been able to launch eight churches. Varanassi is one of the most difficult towns in India. Located on the banks of the Ganges, it is a Hindu holy city and the destination of literally millions of pilgrims who go to ceremonially wash in the river. They believe that washing in this holy place will cleanse them of sin.
Dear Pastor Rick,
This was the first missionary trip from my church (I had two people with me) and the first international missionary trip ever taken from our city in its entire history! My team members were so excited that they want to go back. It was pretty tough to raise funds for them. $1,100 for a common Russian is a big sum. But God met all our needs in a supernatural way. We had no lack and were tremendously blessed.
Oleg
Churches Multiply our Investment
Though Pastor Oleg has limited resources, he is doing what he can to invest in the work in India. Imagine—ten years ago Pastor Oleg was a struggling young pastor in Russia, barely able to provide for his own family. Now he is partnering together with us to finance church plants in north India. This multiplication is happening everywhere I look in our work. A church we helped to launch in the Netherlands in about 1998 is now investing in the church I planted in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2001. And the young pastor we developed in Sri Lanka has now ministered in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and South Africa! The most significant and fruitful investment you can make is to invest in the planting and development of churches and local church leaders. New Testament churches become life-giving centers of multiplication. Thanks for all you are doing to help us.