Lay Training

Update, April 2007

February is a good month for evangelistic campaigns in rural India. With the harvest completed, farmers have time to rest. Three lay evangelistic meetings were healed in Meena Villuru, Chintapalli, and Ravipadu in Andhra Pradesh, India. Pastor Yellaji Rao, and ordained minister, preached, and Ms. Patricia Prasada Rao, from the U.S. presented teh health lectures. 10 to 15 young people formed a chior and practiced daily before the meetings began.

The first meeting was held in Meena Villuru. Ministers from another denomination warned their members not to attend our meetings. But people stayed in their huts and listened to the messages being broadcast on the public address system. As our lay evangelists visted the people the next day they said, "We have never heard such messages or health lectures before. Teh music sounded like angels came down from heaven and were singing songs of praise." This group meets in a lay member's home.

In the second village, Chintapalli, the interest was great and six people were baptized, and many more are studdying in preparation for baptism. A Hindu priest who ministers in a temple near by tried to disrupt the meetings, one day he was among those listening to the Word of God. Surely the Holy Spirit was working on his heart! Each Sabbath 40 to 50 people crouded into a member's home for worship.

In Ravipadu, the third village, there were 15 believers. Due to lack of follow up and a place of worship, they had joined the Bible Mission Church. When they heard about the meetings being conducted in their village, they sent word for us to come and revive those who had been interested. Bible studies are now being conducted.

These believers are currently meeting in an open area. One of the new believers has donated a cent of land (50 yards). However, a minimum of 200 yards is needed for a small church.

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More than 40 lay people attended the first Lay Training Class held in May 2003. Since then, PRIA Ministries has conducted five Lay Training Classes. Now we have 18-20 active lay workers.

Equipped with Bibles, Song Books, and Sabbath school Quarterlies, these lay pastors go to their own villages teaching the Word of God and nurturing the old and new believers. Through their efforts 43 precious souls have been baptized during the first six months of 2005.

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