Today we had a visiting pastor from Nepal visiting church. Salon Karthak and his wife rebecca. He spoke on the remarkable history of the church in Nepal.
Until the 1950’s Nepal was a completely closed country to the gospel. It was a Hindu nation. In 1950 his church started with 11 people in Kathmandu. Now it has 11,000 people.
In the 1980’s most of the nation had still not heard the gospel. When he visited villages most had never heard of the name of Jesus. He asked one man if he had heard if Jesus, the man replied “No, perhaps he lives in the next village”. They decided that they needed to get the gospel to everyone, so they visited every house in the country!
120,000 Nepalese were driven out of neighbouring Bhutan into refugee camps in Nepal. 12,000 became Christians – more than in the entire nation of Bhutan. There is purpose in our circumstances!
Today 5 per cent of the nation are born again believers. That is growth without resources. He mentioned in their church Praise and Worship is important but they don’t have much in the way of instruments. They dance and clap and with on the Holy Spirit.
He gave some reasons for such growth in his nation:
1. Reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Focus on biblical teaching.
3. Giving of tithes has been essential for the growth of the church (it is mandatory for church members). They are not a wealthy people but they when they sell their cow, goat or on any income they tithe. They are not only building a strong church but they are supporting missionaries in India.
4. There is an emphasis on growing young leaders, with the support and guidance of experienced leaders.
5. A focused effort to evangelise by every Christian.
6. Self-supporting church, not relying on finances or governance from western churches.
7. Self- propagating – they are planting churches.
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