Since the Easter bombings in 2019, Sri Lanka has never fully recovered. There have been many setbacks that have brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy. Additionally, the safety issues in the country have kept tourists away, which is the only industry that keeps their economy afloat.
Unfortunately, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has still not picked up leading to widespread unemployment and a shortage of money circulating in the economy.
But God, in his infinite mercy, has allowed the ministry of our church planters to continue to happen.
Here is a brief report from our church planters.
Church Planting Report
Pastor Satheesraj
Pastor Satheesraj’s ministry is continuing to grow at a steady pace. In the beginning of his church plant, he faced a lot of opposition. However, this has changed and he is now recognized as a “servant of God” by others. Incredible!
Currently, there are 15 adults in his church that previously were a part of other faiths, but have accepted Jesus and attend their church gatherings weekly. Another 6 families have trusted Jesus but have not become part of the church yet. Another 10 families continue to seek Jesus but have not trusted quite yet.
Please keep these people in your prayers.
Pastor Antony
Antony is currently shepherding 14 adults and about 11 families total. The location of his church plant is anchored in Hinduism. From time to time he faces some opposition because of this.
Additionally, he has been facing a lot of interruption by other Christians and leaders of other denominations, which has been disheartening. Another challenge he is facing is that they do not have a long-term location to gather in so, he literally gets kicked around by the landlords.
Even with all of these challenges, he is faithfully training the 14 adult believers to disciple others.
Please add Antony to your prayer list and ask God to give him peace, encouragement, and open doors.
Pastor Thevaraj
Thevaraj has led 12 non-Christians to trust in Jesus so far. Amazing!
However, he is experiencing some challenges as well. Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, he and his fiance have not been able to go through with their wedding yet. Because of the culture in this area, being unmarried is restricting his reach among people. We are praying that this will change soon so that they can have their wedding and begin their life together.
His church plant doesn’t have a dedicated building at this time, so members take turns hosting the weekly gatherings in their homes. However, because this area is very spread out, he needs to be able to drive to the different locations. The shortage in supply of gas has greatly hampered his ability to visit with people in the church and has kept him from being able to reach as many people as he would like.
Lift up Pastor Thevaraj with us: That his wedding would be able to happen soon and that he would have access to the transportation he needs.
Pastor Baskaran
Pastor Baskaran has been struggling with his church plant. Their numbers have fallen to 4 families now. The reason for this is that there are many larger churches in the area that people have migrated to post-lockdown.
Pray that Pastor Baskaran would be able to find those people who truly need discipleship, mentorship, and a close-knit community. Pray that those currently interested in the Gospel that he is ministering to would receive it and come to know Jesus.
Pastor Gajendran
Pastor Gajendran is not only currently planting a new church, but he also oversees all of our church planters in Sri Lanka. He has done an excellent job at supervising all the church planters, especially given all of the obstacles and challenges they have been facing.
While he continues to oversee these faithful men, we are also seeing his own church plant growing well. His span of ministry has substantially increased and he is doing additional ministry over the phone to cater to the spiritual needs of believers that cannot travel because of the gas crisis.
Pray over Pastor Gajendran and all of the important responsibilities he is currently juggling. Pray that his church plant will continue to grow and thrive.
Thank you for taking the time to read the latest report on our church planters in Sri Lanka. We are grateful for your partnership in sending these men out to share the Gospel across the world. If you’d like to give towards these church planting efforts, you can do so by clicking HERE and selecting “church planting efforts” on the drop-down menu.
