• Categories

  • Alumni
  • Asia and Beyond
  • Church Discipleship Ministries
  • Communications
  • Discipleship
  • Evangelism
  • Ministries
  • NavMedia News
  • News
  • People
  • Testimonies
  • Training
  • Uncategorized

• Links

  • Contact us
  • NavSG Alumni
  • Subscribe
  • WP Login

The 99 in Chennai

Posted on December 27, 2009 | Filed Under Asia and Beyond, Church Discipleship Ministries, News

Only about 2.7% of India’s 1.3 billion population are believers of Christ. Even though Christianity has been in India for a long time, churches are not really growing. Church leaders are seeing the urgency to establish disciple-making churches.

Bishop Devasahayam of Church of South India (CSI) Madras, the largest denomination in South India, called 99 full-time ministers, principals and teachers of schools, evangelists, catechists, Bible women, lay preachers, youth and hostel wardens for a four-day Discipleship Training Conference last 15-18 October 2009.

Sensing the need for greater depth and leadership development, the Bishop sought help from the Navigators for the equipping of his pastors, evangelists and Bible teachers.

This conference has been twenty years in the making after a long history of relating and networking. Devasahayam, then a young seminary lecturer together with a handful of other young men sat under the tutelage of Job Jeyaraj ploughing faithfully through the Navigator discipleship training course. Later Devasahayam became the highly esteemed and loved Bishop of CSI.

Job Jeyaraj, the conference convener wrote: “God has done wonderful things… the Disciplemaking Conference was a mountain-top experience. God used Dr Jebaraj Samuel mightily. Royston Koh and his wife Jade (Singapore), Frank Tully (Boston) and Denny Repko (California) were the resource persons. The three books of the 2:7 series were the tools used. Frank Tully did an excellent job and Denny Repko was a great inspiration. Royston Koh was also equally contributing. The spirit of the Lord was moving and he was mightily at work.”

“This conference is one of the most effective conferences ever held. The Bishop extended invitation to the resource persons to come again to help. The participants have returned to their respective places full of enthusiasm to disciple men and women. The seeds have been sown and it is our prayer that they will sprout, get routed and grow and bear fruits. People have assured to water and keep the plant alive. It is our hope that God will bless the church with a very rich harvest.” - by Royston Koh, Church Discipleship Ministry, The Navigators, Singapore