Persecuted believers key to church growth in India

India (MNN) — A new partnership is giving strength to the persecuted church in India.

Farms International’s and Voice of the Martyrs, Canada is partnering together. Farms’ Joe Richter, “What we’re partnering to do through Farms, India is to help Christians that specifically have suffered economic loss due to their conversion to Christianity.”

Richter says once these people are identified, Farms provides them will low interest loans to help them start farms or small businesses. He says it ultimately helps the local church. “All of these people are believers and they are connected with the local church, which they also agree to tithe back into out of their project profits.”

As the church is financially strong, Richter says it has an impact on evangelism. He says, “We really believe that the church is the base for evangelism. And, when there’s money available to do evangelism, that’s when evangelism occurs. We’re excited when many families in a particular church will begin to tithe because of a Farms program to see how evangelism actually increases.”

The prayer is that those who participate in the program will be good testimonies to their unbelieving family members. Richter says, “We’ve seen this happen many times, those that have persecuted are the ones that will turn around and embrace the Gospel when they hear it.”

Richter says this program has been created to help get people out of poverty. Since that’s a goal of the new government, Richter says believes their program will be protected.