India is a secular state of 1,070,000,000 people--the world's second most populous nation. It is multicultural, multilingual, and multireligious. The dominant religious faith is Hinduism, but its more than 100 million Muslims, 30 million Christians, and numerous Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists are all guaranteed democratic and religious freedom under a modern, liberal constitution.

Christian churches are thought to have existed in India almost from the time of the apostles. Portuguese traders brought Catholic missionaries to India first around 1500 A.D. Lutheran missionaries from Germany arrived on the Coromandel coast in Southeast India as early as 1706. Baptist William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, arrived in Calcutta in 1793. Bible translation into local languages and modern education began shortly after these early European missionaries arrived.

The nineteenth century was a period of expansion for the Christian faith in India as hundreds of pastors, teachers, printers, and medical missionaries arrived in the subcontinent. The mainline denominations of Europe, North America, and Australia all had mission societies working here.

When the first Seventh-day Adventist workers arrived in the 1890s, there was already a well-established Christian presence in the land. The first outreach of Adventists in the land naturally was to those Christians of other denominations, teaching them the significance of the Bible Sabbath.

Adventist pioneers Percy Magan and Stephen Haskell surveyed India for mission work in 1890. Shortly afterward, Adventist colporteurs began selling books in the cities of India. In 1895 D. A. Robinson, Georgia Burrus, and Martha May Taylor--the first workers appointed by the Mission Board--began Adventist work in Calcutta, then the capital of British India. Their work was broad-based from the beginning, including health ministry, publishing, educational and religious outreach, and an orphanage.

By the time of India's independence from Britain in 1947, there was a sizable constituency of several millions of Christian believers in the land.

Many of the European and American mission bodies established national churches and left their believers in the subcontinent to develop further on their own on a self-supporting basis. They also encouraged them to become part of united Christian bodies. However, since millions of these believers subsisted in poverty in the rural areas, many of them were left as sheep without a shepherd. Pastoral care by the church unions seemed to concentrate on the city parishes, and village believers were left without care. When Adventist laymen and pastors conduct revival meetings in their villages, many flock to listen to Bible lectures. When they learn of the Bible Sabbath, they embrace it wholeheartedly.

Focusing on gathering these village Christians, providing them simple houses of worship and some volunteer pastoral care, has enabled the church in SUD to experience numerical growth in the current period.

Five years ago, the church had a listed membership of 350,000 in 3,554 congregations and groups. As of January 1, 2005, the membership has grown to 919,000 in 7,000 congregations and groups.

The East-Central India Union, along the Bay of Bengal on India's east coast, has been experiencing a powerful spiritual revival during this period. From a membership of 139,388 five years before, as of January 1, 2005, this union had grown to 510,397 adherents--a growth of 266 percent. Pastor Choudampalli John is the president of this union.

The Lord has used several important agencies to bring about this increase. There is a deep hunger for the blessing of God in answered prayer among the peoples in this region. Many testify of remarkable healing of the sick and expulsion of demons in answer to prayer. Crowds of villagers in this area will sit quietly for hours listening to the Word of God.

In many agricultural villages alcohol consumption has become a major problem. Both men and women work in the fields all day and come home with aching muscles and weary limbs. The men customarily go to the toddy shop and drink, and the women go home to cook food for the family. The men drink and argue, and some come home and abuse their wives verbally and physically.

In one village all the families became Adventist. Drunkenness and wife-beating disappeared from the village. Peace and happiness became an important feature of village life. Two government health officers in charge of 30 villages in the area observed this dramatic change. Some weeks later they approached the pastor in the area. "We have prepared 20 of the villages in our care. Please come and make all the people Adventists. We will support you," they offered. This is typical of the change that takes place in village life when the families embrace the Adventist lifestyle and message.

Sheep Without Shepherds
Many of these people's ancestors became Christians four or five generations ago. But since there were no churches, pastors, or Christian teachers in these villages for several decades the people know little of Bible truth. They feel they are like sheep without shepherds. Their children grow up without being discipled. Many do not have Bibles to read, but they have a deep hunger for spiritual truth. Often the whole people group or clan in the villages together decide to unite with our fellowship. They search out their relatives in other villages, and so the message spreads rapidly.

Indian church leaders and local pastors in this area plan church planting programs where 10, 25, 50, or 100 villages are taught the Bible truths simultaneously. Teams of pastors and laypeople are invited from abroad to participate in these multiple-village programs. They assist local pastors with health talks, music, children's stories, Bible teaching, and prayer in public and in the homes of the people. Seeing the felt needs of these believers, they often assist in helping the new village congregations to have a plain, solid, and permanent house of worship.

Special mention is made of the Fjarli family from southern Oregon, who have participated in nine such multiple-village programs and have organized funding for the construction of 500 houses of worship in villages and towns. This has been done in partnership with Maranatha International, which organized the construction of prayer halls.

Other teams of laypeople and pastors have come three, four, and five times to participate in such multi-village programs and are much appreciated. Bob Robinson, of Oregon, has effectively organized many such teams.

We greatly appreciate the initiative of Gospel Outreach, a supporting ministry from Walla Walla, Washington. With their assistance, stipends are provided to volunteer Bible workers to assist in the preparation of villages for multiplanting programs and to provide such Bible workers for a minimum of three to five years following the public phase of the programs. These volunteers visit the homes of member families daily for prayer and Bible study and conduct evening and Sabbath programs in the local church. They cover health and Bible topics, family concerns, literacy, and other training. This is to establish the new congregations in a strong manner in Adventist teaching and lifestyle.

Global Mission from the central office has been a major presence in the division during this quinquennium. With their assistance, the Northern India Union has grown from 40,702 members to 100,000 members--a rate of 145 percent. This union has a population of a half billion people, but vital progress has been made during this period under the leadership of M. C. John. Here again are many neglected Christian groups in the villages that respond to our message in a positive way.

The Western India Union, led by G. E. Sharon, has also shown strong growth during this period, growing from 27,848 members five years before to 90,299 adherents in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. This is a growth of 224 percent.

Growth in Nepal has also been encouraging. Membership has grown in five years from 979 to 2,575--a growth of 163 percent. David Tamsang is the director of the Nepal Field.

The Gujarat Conference, under the leadership of Pankaj Parmar, has grown in this period from 4,174 members to 18,013--a growth of 331 percent. Here again, whole Christian congregations from other communions have united with us along with their pastoral leaders.

In five years the newly organized Southeast Andhra Section grew from 3,000 to 48,142--an increase of 1,500 percent. Most of these were families whose forebears became Christians 150 years ago. P. Wilbert is the section president.

These growth statistics fill our hearts with gratitude for the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering our believers and pastors for effective witness. We recognize that we have a great responsibility to nurture these new members and provide leadership training and pastoral care.

Spicer Memorial College remains the premier pastoral training institution for this field, but two-year post-high school ministerial training programs are also being carried forward in five additional seminaries.

Approximately 2,500 simple church buildings have also been constructed for the new believers. Maranatha International has constructed 1,000 of these. The Quiet Hour donors have provided 350 houses of worship. In addition, Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings and many individual donors, including the McNeilus Family Trust, have provided church buildings. Many persons of Indian origin living abroad have also provided for the construction of churches. Each donor is greatly appreciated. However, we still have 3,000 congregations without a house of worship. We pray that God's people will help us meet this need.

Care of Children
The McNeilus Trust has also constructed a school for blind children in Bobbili in Andhra Pradesh and sponsors more than 700 orphans in Adventist boarding schools in India. The Asian Aid Organization sponsors 3,800 children of limited economic background in the boarding academies and day schools and operates several orphanages and a boarding facility for hearing impaired children. Children's Health and Education Relief Canada sponsors several hundred children in Adventist schools.

International Children's Care supports orphan children in their sponsored homes in Narsapur. The Quiet Hour has provided funds for children's hostels in several locations in connection with Adventist schools, such as Bangalore, Bidar, Zaheerabad, Belgaum, Nepal, and Hapur.

Organizational Development
To care for growth in membership, growth in organizational structure has also been executed. Three new unions were organized and 30 new local missions (regions) formed.

City Initiative
To concentrate on growth in membership in major metropolitan cities, five metro missions have been formed in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. Scores of new congregations have developed in these large cities through this organizational enhancement. For example, 13 new companies of believers have come into being in New Delhi, and 40 in Hyderabad. Chennai city now has 61 churches and companies, Bangalore has 67, and Mumbai reports 62 congregations meeting each Sabbath.

The Tithing Principle
We recognize that providing pastoral care for the new believers and congregations long term requires careful planning and strong stewardship education. We believe that the biblical system of tithing, if carefully followed, will enable the local fields in the medium and long term to provide pastoral care and oversight for even the village congregations.

This will greatly be assisted by establishing city congregations where the income of members is higher and the tithe income is shared for caring for pastors in village districts. Our metropolitan cities with multiple congregations, such as Chennai and Bangalore, are recently showing annual tithe increases of 25 and 30 percent in an environment of low inflation.

Four of our seven unions reported tithe increases of 20 percent and more in the past calendar year. This is the result of growth in membership but also reflects the rapid economic development taking place in India's industrial cities. This, if continued, will provide a stronger economic base for the church in Southern Asia.

The biblical system of tithing faithfully practiced will be a source of strength and continued growth in membership.

Institutional Structures
The division now has six senior colleges to give opportunities to Adventist youth to acquire professional training. Four schools of nursing operate in Nuzvid, Surat, Ottapalam, and Ranchi. Surat College has opened a bachelor's degree nursing course and also offers several paramedical degree programs. Spicer College has applied to the Maharashtra state government for a state charter for a private university, which it is expected to be received this year.

Adventist Health International assists the division in operating 12 small hospitals in India and Nepal. They are providing management development and resources for facilities enhancement, which is highly appreciated.

Boarding high school facilities are available to the major linguistic groups in the division, and day schools serve the general public in more than 200 locations. The day school in Ahmadabad, in Gujarat State, has 5,000 students and exerts a strong influence for the cause.

Looking Ahead
The peoples of the nations of Southern Asia are deeply religious. They place a high value on spiritual things. The values that Seventh-day Adventists believe and practice are very attractive to many.

Family solidarity, the need of children to live in nurturing families, integrity of life, devotion to God, prayerfulness, healthful living, respect for elders--all these virtues are highly admired in Southern Asian society.

These values of society harmonize well with the values of Seventh-day Adventists. The hope we have for a glorious future through the plan of salvation has a strong appeal.

Jesus of Nazareth is widely admired by multitudes in Southern Asia. As more and more people learn of our beliefs, more and more will unite with us in preparation for history's coming climax.

There is here a firmament of chosen ones who will yet shine forth as the world's darkness deepens.