India
A nation of 1.2 billion people. Immense poverty, but a beautiful country with a lovely and proud people. The poverty of Pipe Village and the splendor of the Taj Mahal.
It is a nation of dozens of languages and hundreds of dialects, yet almost entirely (80%) Hindu. The Christian minority is often subjected to violent attacks, yet the church has been growing tremendously, with estimates ranging from 6% to 20% of the population, depending on the level of “underground” Christians.
HPBC’s Partnership for Leadership Training
HPBC’s commitment to share the Good News of God’s love with all people, led to initiating a 3 year partnership with our local Indian partner organization in 2007. Our Indian partners began work in India in 1964, and they are staffed and run by local believers. They combine social concerns and meeting peoples physical needs with proclamation, church planting, and discipleship.
HPBC comes alongside to give expertise, personnel, and finances to help our Indian partners reach “the least of these” and establish strong biblical worshiping bodies. Named “SALT” (Strategic Alliance for Leadership Training), the program focused on providing financial support and a teaching team for a yearly 5-day senior leaders training seminar and a 3 day training seminar for senior leaders’ wives and women leaders in believers’ fellowships.
Good Shepherd School in Bangalore
In addition, in the fall of 2008 HPBC raised a separate fund to build a Good Shepherd School in Bangalore to be run by our Indian partner. The school will primarily serve Dalit children. Dalit is the self-designated name of a group of people traditionally regarded as “untouchable” outside the caste system. While the caste system has been abolished under the Indian constitution, there is still discrimination and prejudice against Dalits in India.
New Five Year Commitment
Beginning in 2010, HPBC committed to partnering for another five years, through 2014. We will: