BAGDOGRA, India (BNc) – A new congregation was established through a debate with a denominational preacher in the northeastern Indian state of West Bengel.

Missionary Jim Waldron reported today that two young men, Joseph Khati and Markus Kisku, were sent Aug., 2009, to Bagdogra as evangelists. They have since established four congregations.

The report below from Joseph, dated July 8, tells how the fourth one was begun earlier this month.

In June I called on one of the local denominational preachers to have a debate and sent him three questions to discuss: (1) How can we know we are in the true church? (2) Should we use the Bible only in the work and worship of the church? (3) The New Testament Church vs. the Free Will Baptist.

The debate took place July 1 in the building of the Free Will Baptist Church in Ghospukur, a nearby town. The pastor is Suren Sanyashi.

We had called almost all the members of that church and also some of the villagers came. There was a good crowd for this area with approximately 45 present. At sharp 11 A.M we started the debate. The first thing the pastor said was that he wanted to speak first to his congregation.

Then by turn we each took 30 minutes to speak and in this way the debate went on. He at times became very aggressive and even said, “Don’t open your Bible; we all know the Bible so please don’t try to teach us. It’s been 30 years that I have the Bible with me and I have recited half of the book of Psalms. So let’s not preach about church, but rather preach Jesus.”

But I told him that I had sent him the debate invitation and that we were gathered here to determine what the truth is: “the church that Jesus built or the manmade churches?” Then the audience also commented to come to the point and finish this discussion.

I said to the audience, “If you have any questions to ask anyone then you may ask; and in this way you will know what we hold on the said subject.”

We had several questions, some very good ones, but also some useless questions which simply took up our time.

The debate was so effective for our side that 15 members of the Free will Baptist Church came in front of us and said to their pastor,

“Why did you kept us in the darkness? And why did you not reveal to us the truth which we are hearing now? From now onwards we tell you, Suren, we are no more in the Free Will Baptist Church. We would like to study with these brothers here, who are from the Usli Kalasia (original church) as they claim; we want to know about this Kalasia (church).”

As a result, the next day five men from the Free Will Baptist Church came to us in Bagdogra and said, “Brother, we would like to study with you.” There was an 86-year-old man in the group, who had come all the way from Ghospukur to Bagdogra to study; this was really a moment of excitement.

Brother Markus Kisku and I studied with them and we revealed every truth, not hiding anything from them. There was careful teaching in the matter of the Usli Kalasia, baptism, plan of Salvation, pattern of worship.

As soon as we completed the study, they started crying and began saying that “we had wasted our lives, the time that should be given to the Usli Kalasia, we gave to nothing. We repent and we are ready for the baptism, because furthermore we don’t want to risk our salvation.”

So the baptism of these people was held in the nearby river. They were family members and preaching brothers: Daniel Lohar, 72, Anil Lohar, 25, Dashai Lohar, 33, Dukhi Lohar, 86, and Lishu Lohar, 65. (Lohar is the tribal name.)

Please pray for these newly born babies in Christ.

KARUR, India, (BNc) — Brother S. Masilamani, a former Chennai Teacher Training School graduate, has a long history of dedicated work for the Lord, going many places to preach in spite of his heart problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

They have a new, although very small, meeting place that he and the brethren there have constructed since last year.  The city planners took away their last building to construct a new road. This is as near as he could get to the former location without paying a huge price for property.  Part of his original congregation had to meet on the opposite side of Karur.  His son George works with this second group.

In spite of his health issues, Brother S. Masilamani has been very busy preaching and holding meetings, baptizing six people in February and March of this year. Masilamani needs the earnest, fervent prayers of the brethren for better health and for the ability to continue to do the Lord’s work in Karur and the surrounding villages.

Brother Masilamani is doing better now that he has had a new medical evaluation and been taken off some drugs that were actually hurting him rather than helping.

TRIUPPUR, India (BNc) – We are so thankful to our Lord for the privilege we had to study the word in Chennai, India, where we were taught the pure word and were guided in the way of the Lord.

Earlier we were meeting in seven places namely, 1. Kuppandampalayam at 9 a.m., 2. Palavanchipalayam at 1.30 p.m., 3. VGV Nagar at 2:00 p.m., 4. Avanishi at 11 a.m., 5. Semadu at 4 p.m., 6. Raikapalayam at 6 p.m. and Muthanampalayam at 8 p.m. We start from home on Sunday morning at 7 a.m. and return home by 11 p.m.

Brethren were suggesting that we meet in one place. We were earnestly praying for this. Our Lord has answered our prayers by giving us a meeting place in the city centre. It is 10′ x 52′ hall on 2nd floor adjacent to Collectorate and Bus Stand. Mr. Gopal, the complex owner was more than willing to let us use this hall for the cause of the Lord. His advance was Rs.25000.00 and the monthly rent is RS.3250.00 ($65). We have entered into an agreement, which has to be renewed once in 11 months. He has provided panel doors to keep the noise out. The windows are permanently closed.

The first combined worship service was held in the new hall on Mar. 20. About 30 adults and nine children attended. The church members were very thankful for the new facility and were very happy to meet and worship our Father there. As we all meet in one place, we have more time to spare for the new work.

We have begun a new work with six families in Nachipalayam, 12 km away. These are Seventh Day Adventist people related to brother S. Gnanaraj. We have began another study in Raikapalayam South. We have another study started at Semadu Thottam with Jeyaraj and Lakshmi.

We need to provide 40 chairs, four CFL lights, four ceiling fans and one exhaust fan. We can encourage brethren to continue to sit on the floor for some time, but we can’t do without lights and fans. We felt the heat last week. Please pray with us that our Lord would provide for this.

We are so thankful for this meeting hall. This is a blessing to the ministry. We plan to work in and around Tiruppur at a radius of 20 km. Migrant workers would be among our target groups.

Editor’s Note: Beth Johnson, who sent this report said, “These recent graduates are not on support. They are working during the week (when work is available) in a T-shirt factory. If the job were full time, they would work at least 12 hours every week-day plus Saturday. However, on Sundays they do their best to encourage the Christians in that area as well as the ones they have baptized. Please keep their needs in your hearts.”

Jerry O. Davidson, missionary to the Amerindians in Guyana, returned home Monday evening from his latest mission trip. Davidson has been leading groups deep into the Guyana bush to establish the church for 13 years. A team of eight Americans, two Trinidadians and approximately 25 Guyanese, arrived on February 21, for a three week soul-winning effort.

The village of Yupukari in the southern part of Guyana was the first stop on the agenda. The church in Yupukari was established in 2010. After studying the Bible with team members, six people were baptized into Christ. Church members are excited about the 30′ x 60′ church building being built. It is to be completed in May 2011. A graduate of Guyana Christian University will be working with the church.

From Yupukari the team traveled by truck and boat 106 miles to Moruca Village in the North West part of the country. The nine people who were baptized were spread out over a great distance. Plans are to build two church buildings in different locations, so people will not have to travel six to seven miles by foot to worship. One preacher will serve both congregations.

H. M. Latchmenarine, director of the Guyana School of Biblical Studies, plans to go into Moruca Village one Sunday a month to work with the church. This is the home of his wife. The mission team went into the village on Monday and left on Saturday. Latchmenarine and his son stayed in Moruca and held services on Sunday. Approximately 25-30 were present and one was baptized, making a total of fifteen souls for the effort.

Jerry Davidson noted the 30th container of supplies was shipped in February to Guyana. He said clothing and goods from the container will be taken into Moruca Village.

After studying with a team member, Greg and Barbara Francis, former members of the Assembly of God church, were baptized. Greg previously attended a denominational college and is a local shop owner. He is genuinely interested in attending Guyana School of Biblical Studies and becoming a minister of the gospel. Francis and his wife have nine children. 

The next stop for the mission team was Santa Rosa Village, located across the river from Moruca Village. A wooden bridge is built up and over the river for passage. Fourteen thousand people live in the entire Moruca area. Bible studies were held in this seemingly ripe area. Plans are to go back into the area of Santa Rosa and Moruca on the next mission trip, June 27-July 11.

Anyone interested in participating in the next mission effort should contact Jerry Davidson at davidsonjo@aol.com or 251-510-9350, as soon as possible.

PALMERSTON NORTH, NZ (BNc) — The church in Palmerston North, New Zealand has been hosting a Ladies’ Challenge for a number of years, with the goal of providing a special time for Christian sisters to join together and revive their spirits.

We have been blessed with amazing lessons from our sisters from overseas and locally. A few of our overseas talents have been Betty Choate, Cindy & Hannah Colley, Cynthia Guy, and Nicole Whitacre, Cathy Whitacre and Christina Barkley, a mother-daughter, daughter-in-law team who were passionate Bible class teachers. We have had New Zealand talent, some presenting their first ever lessons at the Ladies’ Challenge.

The team effort by the ladies in Palmerston has been inspirational in itself in that we’ve watched ladies who were timid being nurtured to step up and volunteer for various responsibilities in organizing the event. We’ve seen those who were struggling in their Christian walk rise to become active role models.

A bonus to all this great team work was the opportunity to enjoy the luxury of staying at a motel with a buffet breakfast included, providing us with a true weekend of pampering!

This year’s 2010 challenge theme was taken from the book of Esther, “Becoming all that you’ve been created to be”. Attendees said that this was one of the best! There were a total of nine congregations and approximately 64 ladies in attendance.

ALBANY, Ga. (BNc) — Mary Alice Rigsby came by our church building and requested to study with one of our members. She has been receiving the House to House Heart to Heart (HTH) for some time and had studied her Bible, and realized that she must surely be obedient to the Lord. She came to be baptized and was following a study.

She and another lady, Syble Massey, who had received the magazine for some time, came to our building. Syble was a member of the church in Tennessee, but had not been faithful. She responded the first of October to be restored.

This makes a total of seven souls that have been reached initially by the HTH work since we have used this program beginning in 2002. We are grateful to the Lord for all the good that HTH is doing, and plan to continue to use this as one of the tools to reach the outside.

Submitted by Sam Hartline, the Eastside congregation in Albany, Ga.

by Glenda Williams, BNc correspondent

GENEVA, Ala. (BNc) — Carl S. Sims, preacher of the Main Street congregation, Manchester, Tenn., is a disciplined, self-motivated, worker for the Lord. Carl and Patsy, his wife of 43 years, have three children and both have earned doctorates  in Pharmacy. After many successful years in business, the Sims retired from their pharmaceutical work and Carl began preaching the gospel full time.

Carl is  a student of the Bible. For the past 21 years Carl has read through the New Testament from one to two  times each month, as well as parts of the Old Testament. “I figure this is what we are living under and this is what I want to study most,” Carl said in a seminar conducted recently in Geneva, Ala.

Carl is a disciplined man. “Early to bed, early to rise,” could easily be his slogan. He is in bed every night by 10:00 p.m. and rises early every morning. Exercise is a very important part of his life. He walks two miles every morning before going to his office at 8:00 o’clock. He looks over his schedule for the day, addresses church business necessary for his secretary, and is ready for his first Bible study at 8:00 a.m. ”I study with people who are retired in the earlier appointments,” Carl said.  By 10:00 a.m. he is on to a second study, or to speak at a local nursing facility. Afternoons will find him with an early afternoon Bible study and another around 5:00 p.m. Some days he has as many as five studies. During the week he speaks at three local nursing homes. He states this is where he presents his sermon material for the following Sunday. When Sunday arrives he is prepared to preach what he has presented all week. ”I’m always home early evening to spend time with my family,” Carl added.

Carl is a fisher of men. “I look at every person that I see and wonder if they are a New Testament Christian,” Carl states. Introduced to the three lesson Open Bible Study early on, Carl was impressed with it and has been using it wherever he goes.

“Where do you go to church,” is a question Carl asks often as he seeks people with whom to study the Bible. When they answer, he continues with “I have this little nondenominational three lesson Open Bible study that I like to do with people.” He pulls a card from his pocket and continues, “If you will put your name and address on the back of my card, sometime when I am out in your area I will stop by and show you the first lesson. It is very informative.”

“I don’t get their phone number. I don’t want it,” Carl said. “I don’t call, because it would be too easy for them to say it is not a convenient time for me to come.  I just pop in.”  He continues, “When they do the first study, I’ve never seen anyone not want to study the others.”

Carl will tell you that 2 Timothy 2:2 says we are to teach others, and he practices what he preaches.

The first congregation Carl worked with after retiring had 26 people with 5,000 people in the city limits. When they moved, attendance was up to 200. He moved to Cookeville, Tenn., where they had 370 in attendance. In 24 months the attendance was up to 540.

Carl and Patsy have been working with the Main Street church in Manchester, Tenn., since January 2008. That first year they baptized 90 people. In 2009 they had 86 baptisms. This year they have had 43 baptisms thus far.

The Main Street congregation in Manchester makes available a DVD of Carl presenting the three lesson Open Bible Study before a live audience. The DVD is available, free of charge, to anyone, or any church, interested in learning from Carl as he shares how he gets appointments, how to conduct each lesson in the Bible study, as well as other helpful hints. You may reach the church office at 931-728-3306, or reach Carl for a seminar appointment at 615-306-9602. The church allows Carl to be away three Sundays and four Wednesday nights to present this seminar. Carl says, “If we can teach others to fish, we can multiply our efforts for the Lord,” and he is busy fishing.

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (BNc) – The 2010 Polishing the Pulpit was an overwhelming success and the previous record attendance was shattered by a 42% increase in attendance this year. The 2,043 attendees listened to 102 different speakers discussing a wide variety of topics over the 7-day seminar in 11 different venues. For the third straight year, the Sevierville Events Center hosted the event in their beautiful facility that is just miles from the tourist attractions and splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The event was so big that three church buildings were overflowing on Sunday and one congregation moved their services to the Event Center to handle the crowds. William Woodson was this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Service Award, just days before his passing.

Polishing the Pulpit (PTP) fills a series of needs in the brotherhood simultaneously and manages to do them all well. PTP is like a lectureship in that there are speakers in various venues talking about biblical and practical subjects. While lectureships generally follow a consistent theme, PTP sessions follow tracks designed to meet the needs of specific groups within the church. For instance, preachers not only hear about sections of scripture, they also hear lessons on PowerPoint, avoiding legal issues, how to deal with difficult situations, how to avoid discouragement, and similar topics. There are other tracks for elders, deacons, women, teens, general members, and starting this year, the Spanish track was started. It is not uncommon for people to jump over to another track during the week because there are so many interesting subjects.

There is a certain synergy that is created by having these tracks all taking place simultaneously. A deacon may be learning how to serve more effectively while his wife is in a session on counseling people who have suffered a death in the family. Their teenage children are learning about the perils of dating while the younger children are in a session that was just like their Bible camp over the summer. Grandpa was in an elder’s roundtable with other elders discussing how to deal with a difficult situation while Grandma is listening to a speaker that she hasn’t heard in 40 years. When the family gets back together, each individual is excited about having their specific needs met and the excitement and encouragement becomes contagious.

With all of the sessions happening simultaneously, it’s nearly impossible to hear everything that you’d like. The audio from each one of the sessions is recorded and made available on CD. While you can purchase individual lessons on CD during PTP, you can purchase entire tracks or the entire package from this or previous years online.

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (BNc) – Just over 2000 people met in the Smokey Mountains for the 2010 Polishing the Pulpit series, a record attendance in the 15-year history of the event. At one time, all those who were present for the first time were asked to raise their hand. Hands went up all over the room.

Over 100 different speakers presented lessons and seminars on topics for all members of the Lord’s Church, including specific lessons for preachers, youth workers, elders, deacons, members, ladies, leaders’ wives, teens, children, and Hispanic workers. In all, over 300 lessons were delivered at the event, which began on Friday evening and concluded just before noon on Thursday.

While there were over 2000 in attendance, many suggested that Polishing the Pulpit was very relaxing, in part because many attendees stayed in the Wilderness at the Smokies hotel, which connects to the Sevierville Events Center, where Polishing the Pulpit is held. The beautiful hotel and the beauty of the mountains in the distance help provide a relaxing setting.

Providing space for up to 10 concurrent sessions, the Sevierville Events Center fits this size event well, and makes for a beautiful setting. The Center provides access to many restaurants that are less than five miles away, and also has several in-house offerings. In all, this is a great event that currently has a good location to aid the attendees, both in their learning and in their ability to enjoy and relax.

The staff and volunteers for Polishing the Pulpit worked very hard to make the week smooth and enjoyable. Including the recording of lessons, there were dozens of behind the scenes activities that were done in a fine way, so all in attendance could enjoy and learn from each session.

Personally, it was our first time to attend Polishing the Pulpit, and we are already making plans to attend in 2011. Each person who worked on the event did a great job and helped provide a Biblical and uplifting series of lessons and events. It is our prayer that this great week continues to grow and that more Christians would come to learn in this beautiful setting.

For more information about Polishing the Pulpit, visit their website.

The property has already been purchased and Bill Dayton who will preach there has recently moved to Bowling Green, Ky. to spend time getting to know the sponsoring congregation at Lehman Avenue. A house is currently being remodeled for them to live in.

The church building will be a converted metal warehouse building similar to the one in Grant County, the first congregation planted by the Lehman Avenue congregation.

The Evangelize Kentucky Project was started by Lehman Avenue approximately ten years ago, when they began saving money to launch an all-out mission effort to establish the church in a nine-county line across the northern part of the state of Kentucky. Although Lehman Avenue started a congregation in Alvaton, Ky., several years ago that has grown to about 200, the Grant County congregation was the first in the Evanglize Kentucky Project.

The first project began in Feb. 2006, when Jerry Carmichael moved to Bowling Green to work with the Lehman Avenue church and conduct feasibility studies for a proposed church planting. They chose the Grant County community in Dry Ridge where there were about seven Christians who were driving as much as 40 miles to worship.

In 2007, the Carmichael family moved to Dry Ridge and the church began to meet in April. They have had 33 baptisms and many public restorations, with current attendance averaging 45-50 on Sunday mornings.

They also started a church in Alvaton, Ky several years ago that has grown to about 200.

In conjunction with this effort, the North Lexington church in Lexington, KY is sponsoring a work in Harrison County. The Christians have been meeting for about three years in a room in the hospital. They have purchased property and are in the process of building a building and have incorporated as the Licking Valley church.

If you know of a congregation who is remodeling or for some other reason wants to get rid of their pews etc, please email Jerry Carmichael or call him at 859-824-6200.