It is estimated that there 428 languages in India and out of which 22 official languages. Also over 1500 dialects have been identified in India. India, with only 2.5 percent of the total world area, has nearly 16 percent of the total world's population. Hinduism is the major religion with 75% of the population. India is one of the largest Muslim country too. Christianity remains as the smallest group with less than 3.5% of India's population, of which the majority are traditional Christians. India has a 28 states and 7 union territories.
National missionaries are the effective in India. They can adapt to the culture, language, and face difficult situations. Thus evangelism would be much easier. Moreover they can be supported with just 30 - 65 dollars per month, depending on the family and the place they work. Here is the story of Pastor Sis Ram who was working in UP state.
Pastor Ram Simon was born and raised in a non-Christian family. He was an anti Christian and always looked for ways to cause troubles for Christians. But the Lord touched him through a missionary who came to his village. Later, he dedicated his life for the Lord's ministry. He was working as a missionary in UP State, one of the most unreached states in India, where Christians are less than one percent of the population.
When he started his ministry in his village, the local people objected to the gospel and persecuted him. Since he knew them on a personal basis he was bold enough to give the right answers for their questions. He was aware of his rights in that village and told them that he was not an alien, rather born and raised in that village. They left him alone, because he stood firm and identified himself among them. He began to continue his ministry and the Lord blessed it in a special way. He planted two churches in that village. Pastor Ram is very effective in his ministry because he knows the system, culture, traditions and speak their own language and dialect. He is just one example of the effectiveness of indigenous people reaching their own villages. HMU wants to train more missionaries like Pastor Ram and send them to their own mission fields. In our recent 2011 mission conference we celebrated Pastor Ram and his wife for their faithful service from the earliest years of this ministry. Only a few months later the Lord decided this beloved brother had finished his race and called him home to be a citizen of heaven.