Background

Gerazistan has 26 million people, and is divided into four ethnic/political groups: Nawese, Tribals, Channai and Gerazis. The 10% Christians are primarily among Tribals and Nawese. Our apostolic team was formed in 1996 to reach our Gerazi neighbors, whom history and politics have condemned beyond the reach of the gospel with its Western Nawese Christian ethos.

Part 1: Positioning for Apostolic Ministry

T is a Nawese who trained two years in a seminary, missioned one year overseas, then pastored a Gerazistan Nawese church for seven years. In 1996 at the age of 35 he had a vision of a jumbo jet full of passengers that couldn’t land because there was no runaway. He sensed God speaking to him about an impending harvest among the neighbors. This would fail because there were no harvesters, and no barns to store the harvest. This challenged him to take the drastic step of leaving his church to fulfill his lifelong burden of taking the gospel to the neighbors.

He declined his church’s financial support because it would make him accountable for results that were impossible to predict, and for a ministry direction that he was not sure of. He chose to work as a craftsman and trust God for his support. He wanted to move from where he was because he was too well known as a pastor, but couldn’t sell his house due to an economic downturn.

He joined our team in 1997, but had reservations because his wife did not share his calling. We suggested that, because his marriage was more important than ministry, his wife join us for our monthly team meetings, and we would review their participation a year later. Once a month he drove his family for four hours and met with our team for seven hours, when we prayed for our neighbors and studied biblical themes on ministry. Then they drove back another four hours.

Three years later he sold his house and moved to another small city. But he could only afford to rent a house in a Nawese area. Nawese love dogs and view cats as dirty, but Gerazis love cats and view dogs as ceremonially unclean. As he finished a degree in family counseling and his third daughter was born, T tried to keep a cat, to identify with Gerazis, but was condemned by his Nawese neighbors.

An American friend saw that T needed to move to a Gerazi neighborhood where he could become like the Gerazi without antagonizing his Nawese community. This same American raised the money for the down payment on a house in a 95% Gerazi-Muslim neighborhood. T and his family moved there in 2003.

Discussion 1: What helped T to position himself for apostolic ministry to his neighbors?

A Vision from God. Note that all the “visions and dreams” in Acts were related to the movement of the gospel. What dream or vision has God given you in relation to the gospel?

Wife’s orientation. T’s wife’s initial prejudice against neighbors changed to enthusiastic support. She is now his most valued team member, along with his children. How important is it for a family to be united as it reaches neighbor families?

Change of identity. T changed his professional identity from pastor to family counselor. Why was the change in professional identity important?
Biblical mindset. As the team worked through the Bible they clarified apostolic principles in pioneering situations. Why would this mindset be critical in later field decisions?

Financial freedom. T did not accept financial support from his church. While it made life really difficult for five years, it made them free and belong to no man, so that they could become slaves to their neighbors (1 Cor 9:19-23). In what other ways do we need to be free before we can adequately serve those we try to reach?

Physical mobility. T moved to a primarily neighbor area. Centuries old prejudices needed a living among rather than a going to mentality. What is the difference?

Part 2: Living among The Lost

Their first four years in their adopted neighborhood was like living in a goldfish bowl. Every move of T and his family was scrutinized. They decided not to keep a dog, or eat pork in their home or hang a cross on the wall, all of which were repulsive to their neighbors. Their neighbors slowly overcame their suspicion of an alien in their midst. Interpersonal traffic slowly flowed between T’s home and every home on their street of over 15 families. This afforded many opportunities to serve their neighbors in practical ways like taking in the laundry, babysitting children, and taking a pregnant wife to hospital at 3 am.

It also allowed the neighbors to see the life of Christ on display in a family. This led to many opportunities to discuss kingdom values from Matthew 5-7, like integrity, justice, love, forgiveness, family life, serving others, religious practice rather than profession. But there was no overt evangelism. T was aware that his past methods of proclamation were inappropriate in this setting. Rather he (and we) prayed regularly for the Gerazi neighbors on his street, asking God for an opening to share the gospel in a relevant way, so that it would indeed be seen as good news rather than bad.

The opening came rather dramatically in December 2006. The wife of a family living opposite their home began to experience demonic attacks. Most of the community dabbles in the occult. This demonized family’s life was disrupted over the next three months by frantic visits to exorcists, the husband taking leave from work, the wife and children farmed out to their parents and siblings. T saw this as an answer to prayer and he shared from the holy books why and how Jesus was the only one who had power over demons. He didn’t impose his solution on them but made Jesus’ help available whenever they felt ready to ask for it.

Three months later P&A asked for help, and T helped the wife in a clear deliverance from her demonic oppression. This continued over the next few months, but with lessening intensity. P&A became very open to the Lord and began studying Luke’s gospel weekly with T and his wife. They discussed Luke 10:18-20, where their new relationship with God is described by Jesus as more significant than their victory over demons. And Luke 11:24-26, where seven demons can easily replace one demon. The lesson was that it was relatively easy to evict demons. The real challenge was sustainable victory over occult forces, which could only happen by a growing relationship with Jesus.

P&A also discovered that their own holy book spoke of Jesus, and they began to study it more devotedly instead of blindly reciting it, and to promote its study among their friends. So they became good examples of their own religion, believing that only Jesus and those who followed him could fulfill its ideals. Some close friends who knew about their deliverance joined the Bible discussions.

In August 2007, P&A brought T and family to A’s village in a southern state seven hours drive away, where his father was the village headman. T met A’s parents, siblings and community. He was seen as a good family friend and ghostbuster. In October P&A took him seven hours north where T and family were again introduced, this time to P’s family, relatives and community. T and his family (and all of us in the team) now pray regularly that the gospel will move to these two communities of P&A’s friends and family networks.

I sat in one of the weekly fellowships with P&A. There was no Christian singing or worship, which would have drawn public attention and been branded as a Christian religious activity. This would have led to the fellowship being religiously politicized and stillborn, like many others. Instead we had a great time eating, talking over the scriptures, praying, and discussing issues of life, including how to take the gospel to their family networks. T was careful not to intrude into their discovery process in the scriptures. Their questions and observations became more important than his. (AFMI)

Discussion 2: How did T and his family communicate the gospel to their neighbors in such a way as to facilitate a movement of the gospel?

Becoming like. They avoided behavior from their Christian background that would create fear and suspicion, and adopted behavior from their neighbors’ background that would win them a hearing. Why is this important?

Living the Gospel. The gospel is communicated by life as much as by word. And more by life, when the boundaries of transmission are formidable, as among the neighbors. T and his family’s example of love, service, integrity, forgiveness and the fruit of the Spirit became an indispensable key to the kingdom. According to 1 Cor 11:1 what would this result in?

Sensitivity to timing. The problem of demonic oppression was an opportunity that T didn’t rush into. It was seen as part of long term discipling and building a foundation for the gospel to spread naturally. This started with P&A’s openness to T, and then their willingness to accept Jesus’ solution to their problem. Why is sensitivity to timing important?

Remaining in context. P&A were not yanked from their context and made to join Christianity with all its forms (church, baptism, Sunday worship, leaving their community, joining a different race, learning a different religion), like many other neighbors who were proselytized. How would practicing Christian forms affect a) their God-given insider status? b) the continuing movement of the gospel in their community?

Appreciating the gospel. As P&A deepened in their understanding and appreciation of the gospel, they introduced T and his family to their ‘oikos’ (parents, siblings, friends and community). They now often discuss and pray that the blessings they have received may also pass to their community. What do you observe about how the gospel grows?

Receiver theology. Just as the gospel was communicated in terms of P&A’s felt need (demonic oppression), so it is now P&A’s questions that determine the agenda of discipling. The primary components are the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the new believer, with the apostle as facilitator. How does theology develop in this case?