INDIA – Rev. P. Lawrence, of the Fellowship of Blessed Hope Churches, focuses his ministry on evangelism, outreach through social programs and church planting. During the height of the pandemic when lockdowns were in place, everything came to a halt. Now, with the partial lifting of restrictions, he has resumed his itinerant outreach work to rural and tribal people in the areas surrounding the cities of Pichatur, Kalahasthi, Thirupathi and Nagalapuram, areas along the southern border of Andhra Pradesh State.

One of the unreached people groups in the area is the Mutharasi. There are a little more than one million Mutharasi, all in this area of India. According to the Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net), 99.96 percent of Mutharasi are Hindu. There is no known Christian movement among them. Rev. P. Lawrence and his team are getting to know the Mutharasi people. They have observed widespread illiteracy and are therefore implementing literacy work along with evangelism. Some of the Mutharasi have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and become his followers. They now meet as part of a small house church. Rev. P. Lawrence says their lives reflect “a good witness for Christ.”

In the region near Nagalapuram, Rev. P. Lawrence and his team are ministering to another unreached people group called the Irular. A group of Irular, located in Keelpudi Colony, have existed as bonded laborers for two generations. They are forced to work under slave-like conditions in brick kilns. Without opportunity for education or gainful employment, these Irular suffer in great poverty. With thankfulness to the Lord, Rev. P. Lawrence says, “Many of them accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and they are expecting a small church for praise and worship.”

In addition to all this, Rev. P. Lawrence is involved in leadership development. Once every three months he teaches basic theological education to local evangelists in the same areas of southern Andhra Pradesh. Please keep Rev. P. Lawrence and his ministry team in your prayers as they seek to make more disciples of Christ among the unreached.