I have often been asked, “Why is GCC’s international expression focused in India?” It’s a good question. An important question.
Here’s one of the main reasons – look at the map below. The orange and red areas are the least reached people groups of the world.
Red = No Christians or churches. Virtually no access to the Good News
Orange = Less than 2% Christian.
Notice where the greatest need is for Good News? India is awash with orange and red.
Perhaps nothing makes a stronger impression than the spirituality of the Indian people. It is virtually impossible to imagine a place where religion is more fully integrated into every area of life. Unlike America, where religion is largely a private affair contained in church buildings, everywhere you go in India you are reminded - by countless altars positioned at street corners, in schools, in homes, on dash boards in cars, in hotel lobbies and in virtually every place of business - all of life is spiritual. Every waking moment you are confronted with religious images pasted on foreheads and on posters that fill what seems to be almost every square inch of public space. Spend one day with your eyes open, and it is evident that spirituality in this great nation is an all-of-life deal. India is the birthplace not only of 330 million gods, each believed to be a unique manifestation of Brahman, but of four of the world’s major religious traditions as well.[1]
Tradition tells us the Jesus movement came to India even before it reached Europe with the arrival of Apostle Thomas on Indian shores in 52 A.D. And yet of the remaining 2.75 billion unreached people on the planet more than 50 percent of them live in one nation - India[2]. Of the remaining approximately 6,700 unreached people groups in the world, more than one third of them are in India[3]. Unreached means that it’s quite possible they have never heard the name of Jesus. Unreached means they haven’t heard of God’s stunning offer of amazing grace. Not ever.
All of this makes India a place of unparalleled opportunity and need. That’s why starting in 2001, Granger Community Church found a new home in India.
We’re glad to be home.
[1] Deka, Phani (2007). The great Indian corridor in the east. Mittal Publications. p. 135. ISBN 9788183241793.
[2] INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS, VOL 11:4 OCT. /NOV. 1994
[3] Joshua Project, www.joshuaproject.com
