***News Release***
Christians in India Experience ‘Extreme’ Levels of Persecution
The Tide® Gospel Radio Ministry Has Worked in India for 40+ Years and Broadcasts Bible Programming in Eight Languages
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.—The populous nation of India has now broken through the “Top 10” on a worldwide list, but the recognition is certainly nothing to celebrate.
India is now at the No. 10 spot on the 2019 World Watch List from Open Doors USA, which estimates that 245 million Christians are being persecuted worldwide for their faith in Jesus Christ. In India, the persecution is categorized as “extreme.”
The Tide® (www.thetide.org) global radio ministry has been broadcasting Gospel messages over the radio airwaves in India since 1978, and today records and produces biblically based programs in eight Indian languages. Globally, The Tide ministry operates in eight countries on three continents while sharing the Gospel in 25 languages. Besides India, three additional nations where The Tide ministry works are ranked on the new World Watch List for high levels of Christian persecution.
“A partner of The Tide ministry who is working with both new and longtime believers in India is praising God for the growth of our program, ‘The Good News Hour,’ in Chhattisgarh state,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Multiple religions are practiced throughout India, but Hinduism is the largest and most influential. Only about 2 percent of the population profess to be Christians, which means there are still over 1.2 billion people in India who don’t yet know God intimately.”
Those working with The Tide ministry in India say that a medical center has been a way to reach those who are lost, struggling or want to learn more about Jesus. In fact, many who have serious illnesses such as cancer have stayed at the doctor’s house for several days while receiving treatment. Churches, in turn, have expanded into other areas because of the good news and compassionate care at the hospital.
“In Chhattisgarh state, there is lot of restriction to share the Gospel openly,” the partner further reported. “In spite of all these difficulties, our brethren kept on sharing the word of God in nearby villages. Today we have churches in 13 different locations, and churches are growing. For the past few months, our Chhattisgarh staff were able to plant five new house churches. We are grateful to the Lord for His mighty work through radio ministry. Please keep on praying for this area, that the Lord would touch many hearts so that they will be able to accept Jesus as their personal savior.”
For more than 40 years, The Tide ministry has been using radio broadcasts to share the Gospel throughout India. This impact began with a single Hindi language broadcast to include radio programs in eight Indian languages, and plans are in the works to reach even more people groups in the future.
“All these programs are produced in our studio in India using indigenous ministers who can effectively communicate the message of Christ to their own people in their mother tongue,” Shenk added. “Especially as persecution becomes greater in India, it is more important than ever that these people who are valuable in God’s eyes learn more about Him in their own language.”
The Tide ministry currently offers audio programming in 25 heart languages spoken by millions of people in multiple regions of Albania, Bhutan, India, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Thailand and Zimbabwe, making it possible for multiple people groups to hear the Gospel in the languages they were born to speak.
For more information about The Tide broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, the “Every Knee, Every Tongue” campaign, the “Have You Heard?” initiative, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its web site at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page. Read more about The Tide ministry and Don Shenk here.
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