Church leaders meet in India for equipping and evangelism training.

India (MNN)–In India, Hindu extremist groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have a long history of involvement in attacks on Christian missions.

Untouchables, or Dalits, and others targeted for having converted to Christianity often are coerced or threatened to re-embrace Hinduism.

Direct threats and even murders, mob violence, ransacking of churches and burning of Bibles have been used to intimidate Christian outreach in India. Extremist violence has been particularly heavy in the Indian states of Gujarat, Orissa, Karnataka and Chattisgarh.

It is against that backdrop that church leaders are coming together this week for a conference in Andhra Pradesh State. It’s meanth for the encouragement and equipping of the national pastors in India.

AMG International’s Vicky Daugherty says each of the participants were challenged not only to come to the meetings, “…but to bring unsaved individuals with them, and also ten people from their congregation. A 40-thousand seat arena has been rented and we got word back that the first group that they spoke to, they had nearly 100 individuals saved.”

Daugherty says because the event has been bathed in prayer, the anti-conversion issues in neighboring states are not a prevalent concern. However, she says prayer is an ongoing necessity during these meetings. “They will encounter some opposition from those who do not want the Gospel spread, and for those who are saved, not to be equipped and challenged by the Word, as far as the doctrinal teaching that’s going on this week.”

AMG teams will be moving through two other cities for conferences scheduled through February 13th.