Training conferences help Christians reach out

Indonesia (MNN) — Indigenous Gospel workers are being equipped and encouraged in the world’s largest Muslim majority nation.

Forgotten Missionaries International (FMI) is holding training conferences this month for Indonesian pastors and their wives.

We caught up with FMI’s Bruce Allen recently via Skype, and he was able to share some updates.

“God is at work here,” says Allen. “We have some exciting stories from the FMI pastors here on the island of Java.”

Listen to the complete interview here.

Who comes to FMI’s training conferences?

Indigenous missionaries scattered throughout Indonesia’s 6,000 inhabited islands have gathered in Java and Borneo to meet with FMI’s team.

Most of the pastors supported by FMI converted to Christianity from Islam.

Indonesia holds the world’s largest Muslim population, with over 87-percent of its 200 million residents adhering to the teachings of the Qur’an.

Allen met with two Muslim-background believers (MBBs) supported by FMI in recent days. One of them –Pastor Mohammed — came to know Christ after moving to Java for further education.

“His parents did not know that he was actually attending a Bible institute to become a pastor,” shares Allen.

MBBs are often ostracized by their families, reports Open Doors USA, but Pastor Mohammed didn’t want to keep his family “in the dark”. He wrote a letter explaining how his life had changed, but then something unexpected happened.

“Communications were ‘crossing in the mantle’, we’ll say, because his parents [wrote to him and] were letting him know that they had wonderful news [too],” Allen shares, explaining that Pastor Mohammed’s parents had come to know Christ while he was away at school.

Today, after sharing the Gospel and seeing six more families come to the Lord, Pastor Mohammed and his fellow believers want to start a church in their village.

Another indigenous leader, Pastor Sauripati, had to leave FMI’s training conferences earlier than expected.

“His grandfather is dying. His grandfather is still a Muslim, and is a witchdoctor on the island where he lives,” explains Allen.

“Apparently, he is experiencing some emotional and spiritual discomfort in these last days of his life, and he keeps calling for Pastor Sauripati to come to him.

“We would love to have Mission Network News listeners be praying for Pastor Sauripati as he travels to meet with his grandfather, this witchdoctor and hopefully there will be some great revival occurring in that island.”

Pray Pastor Sauripati’s grandfather will come to know Christ as Savior. Pray the change in his life will spark a revival and hunger for God’s Truth.

In addition to FMI’s training conferences for pastors and church planters, there’s a special session geared specifically toward leaders’ wives. Two women on the FMI team are encouraging and uplifting pastors’ wives with special activities.

“Women are so overlooked in this nation, especially among a Christian minority,” Allen says.

Please keep Allen and the rest of the FMI team in your prayers as they continue their training conferences for FMI-supported pastors and church planters. Pray for traveling mercies, and pray God’s Kingdom will expand in Indonesia as believers apply what they’ve learned.

Learn more about FMI’s ministry here.