President meets persecution head-on
Speaks to 10,000 people at graduation in Northern India
Issue date: 3/23/05 Section: News
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Press Relations
Public Relations
While threats and even acts of violence swirled around the air in India, a college president from Tigerville was getting his first taste of true persecution.
Dr. Jimmy Epting, North Greenville College President, traveled to Northern India on Feb. 28 for what was supposed to be a simple mission trip with Hopegivers International, a ministry in India, to speak at their pastor's conference and seminary graduation. It turned into a first-hand experience of the true persecution that many Christians are faced with around the world.
Hopegivers has planted more than 11,130 churches in India since its founding in 1960. They have started over 192 Christian schools with a combined enrollment of over 88,000 students; 49 Bible seminaries; 100 colonies for lepers; and orphanages housing 9,800. Ninety-seven percent of those children will enter full-time Christian ministry.
After arriving in New Dehli, Epting and his wife Gretchen started their four-day car ride to Kota for the conference. The drive was basically innocuous, as the Eptings did normal tourist things - visit the Taj Mahal, ride elephants and experience the local culture of India.
It did serve as a culture shock for them. "All the people there are crammed into small areas and most of them are extremely poor," said Epting. "There are so many children out on the streets who are beggars.
Families will take in orphans, but only for the purpose of training them to be professional beggars.
One orphan had his arms cut off while he slept by the family that had taken him in because they knew he would get more money and he could not take any of it for himself. Hopegivers tried to convince him to go to one of their orphanages, but he said his religion [Hinduism] commanded that he stay there and serve."
Once they arrived at the three-day conference, information trickled in about death threats against those at the conference and about pastors who were beaten at a train stop while trying to make the event. One pastor was killed by Hindu extremists who do not appreciate the growing presence of Christianity in their region and have made extortion demands on Christian groups to stifle their influence.
Public Relations
While threats and even acts of violence swirled around the air in India, a college president from Tigerville was getting his first taste of true persecution.
Dr. Jimmy Epting, North Greenville College President, traveled to Northern India on Feb. 28 for what was supposed to be a simple mission trip with Hopegivers International, a ministry in India, to speak at their pastor's conference and seminary graduation. It turned into a first-hand experience of the true persecution that many Christians are faced with around the world.
Hopegivers has planted more than 11,130 churches in India since its founding in 1960. They have started over 192 Christian schools with a combined enrollment of over 88,000 students; 49 Bible seminaries; 100 colonies for lepers; and orphanages housing 9,800. Ninety-seven percent of those children will enter full-time Christian ministry.
After arriving in New Dehli, Epting and his wife Gretchen started their four-day car ride to Kota for the conference. The drive was basically innocuous, as the Eptings did normal tourist things - visit the Taj Mahal, ride elephants and experience the local culture of India.
It did serve as a culture shock for them. "All the people there are crammed into small areas and most of them are extremely poor," said Epting. "There are so many children out on the streets who are beggars.
Families will take in orphans, but only for the purpose of training them to be professional beggars.
One orphan had his arms cut off while he slept by the family that had taken him in because they knew he would get more money and he could not take any of it for himself. Hopegivers tried to convince him to go to one of their orphanages, but he said his religion [Hinduism] commanded that he stay there and serve."
Once they arrived at the three-day conference, information trickled in about death threats against those at the conference and about pastors who were beaten at a train stop while trying to make the event. One pastor was killed by Hindu extremists who do not appreciate the growing presence of Christianity in their region and have made extortion demands on Christian groups to stifle their influence.