Story number 1 for 9 Nov 2001

(India)–Topping the news, thousands of Hindu untouchables have publicly shunned centuries of caste discrimination by renouncing their faith. Government interference reportedly prevented many of these people from getting to a rally where the Gospel was being preached. However, India Evangelical Mission’s G.V. Mathai believes the underlying issue is not being discussed much. “That is a political move. They do not have any representatives in the Indian parliament. They thought if they moved from this low-caste into another religion, they can elect a person to represent them in the Indian parliament.” As far as conversions to Christianity goes, Mathai says that’s the work of believers sharing the Gospel, one-on-one. “These national evangelists are doing the work. Everyday, so many churches are being started without this mass conversion. The Lord’s servants are working, though there is opposition, persecution. But the Lord is doing a great work and we see the great result.”