About Good News for India
Good News for India is an interdenominational Christian organization that is committed to training, sending out, and supporting national missionaries to preach the Gospel and plant churches among the unreached people groups of the Indian subcontinent. To this end Good News for India founded and supports the Luther W. New Jr. Theological College (New Theological College or NTC) with eight small satellite training centers in six north Indian states, over 350 churches, and several primary schools. Our graduates have established hundreds of churches in India and surrounding nations. We give all glory to God!
Background
A land of more than a billion people
India is the largest democracy in the world. With over a billion people, India is second only to China in population. It is estimated that by 2015 India will become the largest nation in the world.
A land of 333 million gods
Anyone who is familiar with India knows that India has always been a challenge to the Gospel. Hinduism that teaches, "just as all rivers lead to the ocean, all religions lead to God", dominates the thinking of the masses. In Hinduism there are more than 333 million gods and goddesses. Many Hindus revere Jesus as another god. Yet their eyes are blinded to the uniqueness of Christ. His words: "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me," does not make sense to them.
India is virtually a "Babel" when it comes to languages. There are
1,652 languages in use in this land. Of these 222 are considered
"major" languages spoken by a minimum of 100,000 people. Millions
speak languages such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, Maghi, and Harianwi. Yet
the Holy Bible is not yet translated into these languages.
A land of 4,635 'people groups'
India is made up of thousands of different people groups or ethnic
groups. (The Indian word is "jathi"). Jesus commanded us to make
disciples from every "people group" or "nation". See Matthew 24:14;
28:19 and 20; Revelation 5:9 and 10; 6:9 and 10. Yet thousands of the
ethnic groups in India have no believers among them. Most of the
unreached people groups of the world live in India.
Christians: A tiny minority in two pockets
The Christian population in India, according to the government figures
is only 2.3% of the population. Even if we follow the optimistic
figures given by Christian leaders, it is only 4%. Of these 80% are
found in the southern three states and in a few of the small states in
northeast.
Doors for foreign missionaries closed
The government of India decided to close its doors for foreign
missionaries back in 1975. Since then the government has given very
few new missionary visas. Moreover, they have been systematically
expelling missionaries from India. Today there are very few foreign
missionaries left in India. The few that are present cannot actively
take part in evangelism.
The Challenge
How can we reach such a complex nation with the Gospel?
Partnership and cooperation are essential
No one person or organization can fulfill the Great Commission alone
in India. All concerned Christians must partner together to obey our
Lord Jesus Christ.
National Missionaries: an Important Key
Why National Missionaries?
What Good News for India is doing to reach India
1. Training National Christians
A land of 1,652 languages
Good News for India firmly believes that one of the keys in reaching
India with the Gospel is "National Missionaries". Therefore we are
committed to training, sending out, and supporting national
missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission in India.
NTC is committed to providing excellent training for grass-root level
Christian workers as well as advanced Christian leadership
training. NTC is now fully accredited by two recognized accrediting
agencies in India. We now offer bachelor and master degrees in
addition to some very strategic basic courses. Courses are offered in
Hindi, India's national language and English, India's official
language.
With the conviction that one of the most important keys in reaching
India with the Gospel is training national Christians, Good News for
India established a first class training center in North
India. Dr. Ted Engstrom, President Emeritus of World Vision, dedicated
the Luther W. New Jr. Theological College (commonly known as New
Theological College or NTC) on April 15, 1989. NTC started its
training programs with 22 students. Today we have around 250
students. So far over 1000 young men and women have been trained and
sent out as witnesses all through India and several neighboring
nations.
Good News for India also operates eight small satellite training centers in six north Indian states. These training centers provide training for men and women who are committed to sharing the Gospel in their own communities. We are finding that this method of training is very effective in producing laborers for the harvest in India.
2. Sending out and supporting laborers
In addition to training national Christians for the Lord's harvest in India we also support them to go out and plant churches in areas where there are no churches. So far we have planted over 350 churches under the name "Christian Evangelistic Assemblies". We want to reach as many unreached people groups as possible with the Gospel and plant churches among them.
Good News for India is interested in seeing the development of the whole person. So we have started several small primary and secondary schools in some of the most needy areas of north India.