The English word “church” comes from the Gr. kyriakos, “belonging to the Lord”. Gr. kyrios means Lord. Gr. ekklēsía, (“church”) can be defined as an assembly, congregation, or church. The whole body of Christian believers is called the Church, the mystical body of Christ — i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.

Church planting has been happening, say for nearly twenty centuries. In the Bible, the book of Acts describes Christianity as spreading by the preaching of Gospel in public areas, accompanied by signs and wonders. The then Christians used to gather together regularly in their homes; the number of believers multiplied, and thereby the house churches.

It is true that the mission works by various organizations, groups etc. could reach the gospel to many who haven’t even thus far heard the name Jesus. Many people have repented of their past sins, came to the knowledge of salvation and some of them got even water baptized. But that has become history and since then they haven’t heard anything from the Word– many of them don’t have bibles or those who have do not read it at all. Ask why? Because that was the only meeting they had attended or, that was the only time somebody has shared the gospel. Now no gospel worker is among them or at their reach; there are no churches in their areas; there is no shepherd to feed them. I could see many believers literally stranded, wherever I travelled to north India. It is sad that many of the ‘reached’ villages are gradually turning back ‘unreached’.

It is good that someone shared the gospel or/and gave them a bible. But it is like keeping a kettle, water, baby milk powder, pampers etc. beside an infant and the mother leaving them! Some of the stranded believers I met with, were of the opinion that they should been equipped properly to live a victorious Christian life rather than leaving them half way; Yet a few out of them wished they didn’t hear the Gospel at all and at a certain point I thought what they were saying was true. God has given me the burden of planting churches in all the ares where we do evangelism. It is the church that sustains and helps a believer to mature in the Lord. I pray that let there be cell groups, house churches, exclusive church facilities, etc. everywhere. Thank God we have few house churches and churches (some under construction) in different parts especially in Chhattisgarh and in Maharashtra.

We (our ministers and believers) have encountered different sorts of persecutions but I thank God for all such; in fact, Christianity spread to other areas because persecution forced the Christians to leave Jerusalem in the first century. And, I foresee God using persecutions we encounter with, as His special tools for the establishment of many more churches in the coming days. All the glory to God alone.