| Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh (India) | | Print | |
| Coordinator Blogs & Articles - Asia | |||
| Saturday, 28 March 2009 05:38 | |||
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My family and I arrived in Hyderabad early in the morning on Saturday, March 21. We went to visit HeartCry missionary Sundar and his church. He has been working in Hyderabad since 2005, after moving from Gujarat (a state in India known for its orthodox Hindus). Hyderabad is considered to be India's technological capital. It is sometimes referred to as India's "silicon valley." If you've ever called the customer service of an IT company and spoken with someone with an Indian accent, then you were most likely talking to someone in Hyderabad. The city is also home to a lot of call centers for various different companies. One brother in Sundar's church works for a General Electric call center. Hyderabad is also one of the most important Muslim cities in India. It used to be autonomous and was ruled by a Muslim ruler called the "Nizam." After India's independence in 1947, the Nizam wouldn't relinquish the authority given him by the British Raj, so India's government set up a blockade around the city for almost a year. Finally, due to basic resources and necessities unable to enter the city, the Nizam had to give up his control. Today, Muslims are still a majority in Hyderabad. At the heart of the old city stands Charminar, an ancient mosque which now is just a symbol of a past when the Moghuls ruled India. Sundar's church is in the outskirts, away from the Muslim heart of the city. Most of the people that he ministers to are Hindu. I've found that in places like India where many cultures and religions collide that Christian persecution is often the greatest, not from those in the majority, but from those in the minority. Since Hindus are a minority in Hyderabad they feel greater pressure to guard their religious and cultural identity. Christians are seen to be a threat to this identity, especially when evangelistic. In Sundar's neighborhood, Christians have often been beaten and Bibles publicly burned. The Hindus all around him resent his presence in their locality. There are approximately 50 people who regularly meet in Sundar's church. In many places where I've preached in South Asia, people are not very disciplined at listening to the preaching of God's word. Sundar's church is an exception. They listened carefully to all three sermons that were preached and I could tell that Sundar had trained them well at listening to God's word. They are also a giving people. I have never preached anywhere in South Asia and been given a love offering for ministering God's word. Again, Sundar's church was an exception. It was a great blessing for my family and I to visit our brother in Hyderabad. Please continue to pray for him as he labors to pastor a small group of people and reach out to the Hindus and Muslims in his city. 
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