A three-month ministry school program in Singapore is offering pasotrs a challegning and refreshing time of learning, worship and being filled with the Spirit.
RiverLife Church in Singapore provides pastoral training and youth camps for the work of Good Shepherd/OM India (GS/OMI), an affiliate partner with OM International. In addition, RiverLife Church invites four Indian pastors to participate in a three-month ministry school offered by Tung Ling Bible School in Singapore annually.
“There are currently five pastors and some youth leaders under my leadership,” said pastor Joy Sathyappa Naik of GS/OMI, who leads a church of 120 people in the Banjra community in Chelur, Karnataka.
“The training I received at Tung Ling has been very useful and I intend to teach these lessons to the pastors and upcoming leaders under me, as well as those who gather for worship in our community. I look forward to putting newly learnt church management systems into place. I also received a vision of many tribal village people joining our church, which greatly encouraged me,” she added.
“The sessions on character formation and hearing God’s voice were very challenging and refreshing,” commented pastor Ilangovan Devanbu. Being one of the first OMers to pioneer slum ministry in India, Devanbu moved to Pune in 1996, where a church of 100 meets regularly as a result of their children’s ministry.
“I had prayed that God would give me a break from ministry as my patience was wearing thin and I was on the verge of burnout,” Devanbu continued. “God answered my prayers by allowing me to participate in the ministry school in Singapore. I now return to India with great resources for ministry, a greater understanding of what it means to hear the voice of God and a challenge to look at my own character in order to become more effective.”
Filled with the Holy Spirit
“During the three-month course, I received the gift of speaking in tongues and was filled with the Holy Spirit,” said pastor Nalli Bangarraju, who pioneered education and health ministry in the slum “Pipe Village” near Hyderabad. “The sessions on fasting and prayer and hearing God’s voice helped me develop my prayer life, and I am able to hear God’s voice clearly now!”
Bangarraju’s ministry in the “Pipe Village” started with 10-15 children under a tree, and a mobile clinic. A church has emerged as a result of the positive impact made, and the pastor now offers sewing classes, runs a feeding program and coordinates women’s empowerment in four different villages nearby. “The change amongst the stone-cutting community has been the greatest, and many have come to know the peace of Christ,” he added.
“The Christians in Singapore are very generous,” noted Pastor Christian, who works in North India, and is currently responsible for the training and mentoring of seven local pastors. “I also observed that the church in Singapore has many volunteers. This is not possible in India. We would like to see more volunteers step forward and a greater freedom to trust God to provide. We want to start home groups, but we need dedicated people to lead.”
Bangarraju added: “These past three months in Singapore have been a time of refreshing and reflection, and the relaxed learning environment was much needed! We also benefited hugely from the practical insight into church life we received during evening programs at the church. This kind of investment into our lives has had a huge impact on us personally, and we look forward to multiplying what we have learnt when we return home.”
Praise God for the practical support Indian pastors receive from RiverLife Church and Tung Ling Bible School every year. Pray for wisdom and patience as these four pastors pass on the knowledge they have received, and pray that more young leaders and volunteers would step forward to support them in their ministries.
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