India (MNN) ― Audio Scripture Ministries' Tom Dudenhofer says spiritual hunger is pushing demands for digital Scripture players.
A shipment of 1,000 Ambassador Scripture players went to India's pastors through their partner, World Cassette Outreach-India. "There was a distribution with 350 pastors, and 700 of the Scripture listening kits were distributed. We still have enough to do one more distribution. That is going to take place in North India this week. 400 pastors are expected, and we're going to run out before this distribution is done."
65% of people of India are not able to read or write. The partnership also allows 10% of the disabled access to God's Word, especially the visually handicapped people of the country.
The program works like this: national believers survey villages, looking for those willing to become listening centers in the village. They are enrolled in the program and purchase a Scripture kit that contains the Bible in audio form.
Usually, as the family listens, others join in. The older kits used cassette tapes, which would then circulate amongst other listeners. This way, there is constant circulation of God's Word.
Later, they are visited by local evangelists to help clarify any questions or doubts they might have. Within the next year, another visit takes place, and those who are willing are baptized and connected with a local church, or they plant one.
Funding is all that's holding them back from sending out another shipment. (Click here if you can help.) Although the climate is changing, with anti-conversion legislation aimed at stopping evangelism, Dudenhofer says, "As long as we are charging for the Scripture players, it's pretty tough to push any time of an accusation of conversion. Conversion in that country usually means that people convert through bribery."
