Not by Might,
Nor by Power,
but
By My Spirit!
Shepherded – 84 years
“Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Lam. 3:23
“A little one shall become a thousand,
and a
small one a strong nation:
I the LORD will hasten it in his time.”
Isaiah 60:22
Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International
Let
us remember the promises of God
to the Fellowship and claim them.
1. Isaiah 60:22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
2. Isaiah 44:3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
3. Isaiah 59:21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
4. Isaiah 45:3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
5. Isa 62:6-7. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
6. Acts 18:10. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
7. Isaiah 54:17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
8. Jeremiah 42:10. If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
Contents
preface 4
New advances in the ministry 6
Worldwide Labours 9
Youth and Children’s Camps 12
Labours in far-flung regions 15
Campaigns in Andhra Pradesh 20
campaigns in tamil nadu 21
On the literature front 23
the spreading medical work 25
Our schools 27
the Television and Radio Ministry 27
the Annual Retreat 28
the internet Ministry 29
promoted to glory! 29
CONCLUSION 31
PREFACE
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zech. 4:6
Our hearts are full of praise and thanksgiving to God for His goodness and faithfulness towards an unworthy people like us. He has been our Good Shepherd, leading us gently during this long span of eighty-four years. Now it is our duty to walk humbly with our Lord without taking His love and mercy for granted.
We praise God that His Word is reaching into new areas and souls are continually being touched and transformed. As the Lord leads and guides and raises up faithful people, we are having to build new prayer halls in various places to accommodate the growing congregations. God has been helping us to reach more and more souls through our radio and television broadcasts, book fairs, schools, medical clinics and camps, special meetings, retreats and camps.
At this time, Jesus’ admonition to His disciples comes to us loud and clear: “Watch and pray.” As the Lord builds His work, we must make sure that we become smaller and that our Lord is exalted. It is a humble, broken, contrite spirit that God can use.
Today, the mad rush for money has reached a feverish pitch in the hearts of many. The spiritual condition of some, who were once very zealous for God, has deteriorated to the level of the third soil in the Parable of the Sower where “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word” (Matt. 13:22), rendering them totally unfruitful. When one loses the humble and broken spirit, backsliding sets in. The deathly complacency that paralyses many with self-satisfaction is due to the lack of a growing vision and burden for souls.
One shallow man soon multiplies his kind and a large horde of false disciples and self-seekers appear around him in an amazingly short time. We shall not glory in activity or in success or in anything else save the Cross of Jesus.
A truly spiritual person never seeks self-importance. We must have the spirit of love and freedom amongst us. Let us remember that a truly sanctified person can never bear ill-will or keep a grudge in his heart. He cannot speak evil of others but prays and lifts the weak with the love of Christ. Let us cry to the Lord for a deep cleansing so that we can truly advance and see the continuity of the revival blessing in our midst in this eighty-fifth year of ministry. Following the Good Shepherd with a humble and broken spirit is the secret of revival.
The coming of the Lord draws near. This is the time to sow His Word and reach as many souls as possible for Him. This is the time to witness for Christ wherever He takes us with one ear listening for the trumpet call.
New Advances in the Ministry
Ludhiana, Punjab
Ludhiana is the largest city in the state of Punjab. With a great burden for reaching out to this needy state of Punjab, Bro. Joe conducted revival meetings here five times and the work of the Lord has been growing steadily. Over the years, the Lord has touched several students from the continent of Africa who are studying here and also a few families. The Lord helped Bro. John Daniel and Dr. Lily Daniel to address revival meetings here in 2017, and many people heard God’s Word with earnestness in a tent set up for the meetings.
Now a beautiful prayer hall has come up in this place. Even before the construction work was over, we had the carol service in this hall in December.
Let us continue to pray for the ministry in Ludhiana and for our brother John Johnston and his family as they labour for the Lord here. Let us also pray for the African students who have turned to the Lord through our ministry here and have returned to Africa, that they may be Christ’s ambassadors in their own countries.
Amritsar, Punjab
Amritsar is the largest and most important city in Punjab and is a major commercial centre just twenty-five kilometres away from the border with Pakistan. It is also the centre of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs’ principal place of worship, the Golden Temple.
The ministry of the Fellowship began here in a small way in the house of one of our brothers a few years ago. Our brothers from Gurdaspur addressed a small Sunday evening meeting once a month. The Lord in His mercy blessed this humble effort, and as more people started coming, we have moved our Sunday evening services to a local church. Some students are regularly attending our services. We need to pray much for this dark and needy city of Amritsar, that the Lord touches and raises up a host of witnesses and workers from this place.
Sundarbans, West Bengal
The Sundarbans is a group of fifty islands of marshlands scarcely thirty kilometres away from Kolkata where the river Ganges drains into the Bay of Bengal. Out of these fifty islands, thirty of them have never heard the Gospel.
Burdened to reach these needy poor people of the Sundarbans, our brothers from Kolkata commenced a medical work there and are preaching the Word besides rendering medical help. These medical camps are held once a month. One of the patients who came for treatment said, “I have gone to many doctors but I was not healed. But when I came to your clinic, I was healed.” Hence the poor are being touched by the Lord. Many of these simple people hear the message through the Bengali telecast in the region.
Yet it is so tragic to see numerous people widowed by the depredation of the clever tigers of this region. The crocodiles drag many unwary fishermen and others to their death.
One of our young men, converted in Kolkata and trained in Beulah Gardens, has been sent to the Sundarbans to labour there along with his wife, a staff nurse trained in our hospital in Anantnag, Kashmir. Now as a prayer hall goes up along with the gospel clinic, let us pray for Israel and Chinni, that the Lord will use them to reach many people for Him.
The First Medical Camp in Shillong, Meghalaya
The work of the Lord has been going on for several years in Shillong up in the mountains of the north-eastern state of Meghalaya. The dear Lord helped us to build a spacious prayer hall where many people hear God’s Word on Sundays. The Gospel clinic here has been serving the poor and needy people of the town.
For the first time, a free medical camp was conducted for the local people of area on 21 March. Dr. Kalai Thomas, who is serving at our Gospel clinic, was assisted by three of our nurses, a pharmacist and a team of our brothers and sisters at this camp. About ninety patients turned up for medical help and they were given the Gospel along with free medical treatment and medicines. Let us continue to pray for our team, that the Lord strengthens them to go far and wide and win the needy people of area.
Panruti, Tamil Nadu
Panruti is a developing city and a business centre of Cuddalore district and is famous for its jack fruits and cashews that are exported from there. The ministry of the Fellowship has been going on for many years in this small town, which is about two hundred kilometres from Chennai. We have been conducting our services in rented places for the past few years. The dear Lord graciously gave a plot of land on which a simple prayer hall now stands.
At the special meetings in April in this new hall, the Lord brought in many needy people and blessed the meetings. One of our young men trained in our Bible college has been posted here to take care of this work along with his wife. There is much more to be done in this town and there are souls to be won for the Lord.
Worldwide Labours
Summer Retreat in the US
God brought in earnest souls who heard the Word of God with rapt attention. The Lord used our brothers John Daniel, David Campbell and Johannes in the preaching of God’s Word. The Spirit of God moved, convicting people of sin as they humbled themselves. The Bible classes on the heart condition were a great blessing. Let us pray that God will write His Word on the hearts of all those who attended.
Thanksgiving Retreat in the US
It was a great joy to be sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn the eternal priorities that God gives to those who follow Him. The Lord is bringing and touching new people as His Word goes out.
The Lord kept the winter weather under control as a storm passed through just eighteen hours after the close of the retreat. We want to sufficiently praise the Lord and be grateful to Him for His many mercies and His goodness towards us and to continually look upwards to Him to glorify His wonderful name.
Easter Retreat in the US
The Lord blessed the retreat over the Easter weekend as many travelled long distances to join us to remember the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As many find out, the world is empty and true satisfaction and purpose in life is attained only when one is surrendered at the foot of the cross. The Saturday night prayer conference call is being a great blessing to the many who join in prayer each week. Let us pray for the lasting work of God’s Spirit in all those who attended.
Summer Retreat in London, UK
Britain is in a horrible condition today as immoral perverted lifestyles are being taught to little children in the school curricula across Britain and school staff are being fired if they do not push this agenda and seek to challenge it. This condition can be traced to the lack of the true preaching of God’s Word and a compromising pew that is more interested in being politically correct than standing up for righteousness.
The Lord brought in hungry souls to draw apart and wait in the Lord’s presence and hear the Word of the Lord at the Summer Retreat. There were TV viewers present who drank in the Word of God with great hunger and thirst. The Lord blessed the prayer sessions as people called on the Lord. Let us pray that the Word sown will bring forth much fruit and that the TV programme across the nation will awaken people and point them back to the Lord.
Winter Retreat in London, UK
The Lord blessed the short Winter Retreat in London in December. Several people came to hear God’s Word with sincere and hungry hearts. As in any big city, one has to take the extra effort to fight city traffic to be present. Due to limited accommodation, people had to travel back and forth for the meetings during the day. Two sisters from Nigeria were present and requested prayer for their children. Let us pray much for the team and that many souls will be reached for the Lord through the bookstall and television ministry.
German Retreat
The Lord blessed the German retreat as people came to hear God’s Word with hunger and a sincere heart at the student town of Gottingen. The meetings were held at the youth hostel in town. Due to the influx of much evil in the nation, people live in fear and in their own small world.
Let us pray that the Word of God will free people from their oppressions and give grace to overcome and grow in faith and live for God’s glory. We praise God that those who attended spoke of blessing. Let us also pray much for the TV programme that covers a large part of Germany with the gospel.
Guyana, South America
We praise God for our team who are labouring hard to reach and win the Guyanese. The Lord is blessing their efforts by touching and raising up young people as they turn to the Lord. Some have been touched by Him through prayer. One sister was present who formally could not walk, but after prayer the Lord healed her. Now she comes regularly to hear God’s Word. We had many new people at the meetings in November.
One of our sisters, who works as an engineering professor at the Guyana University, arranged for a noon meeting on campus. The classroom was full of students who heard the Word of God with rapt attention as the message was on the wise man who built his house on the rock and the foolish man who built on the sand and the outcome thereof.
Let us pray for the Word as it reaches the whole country via the TV program “Lifting Guyana to Greatness” and the radio program “The Lord’s Challenge” which reaches the hindermost parts of the nation. Let us also pray for the TV programme out of Trinidad reaching the islands of the Caribbean and the radio program reaching Suriname, the neighbouring country. As we have outgrown the rented premises, we are praying that the Lord will grant us a place that can accommodate the people. Let us pray much for Guyana and for the souls being touched by the Lord.
Melbourne, Australia
The Retreat in Australia was held in the Presbyterian Church in Footscray, Melbourne, in October. People came from various places like Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Moama. It was a joy and blessing to see all the children at all the sessions closely listening to the messages.
God used several of our brothers to preach and bring home the truths of the Bible through the messages and Bible classes. The prayer sessions were blessed by the Lord as several in the group opened their hearts with prayers of repentance. Several of them sought prayer and counselling. The Lord was glorified at this short retreat. Let us continue to pray for the many radio listeners who hear God’s Word all over Australia.
Youth and Children’s Camps
The International Students’ Camp
It thrilled our hearts to see thousands of young people sitting to hear God’s Word. Several students from countries like Nigeria, Burundi, Rwanda and neighbouring places like Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan and Sikkim were also present. One student from Burundi testified how the Lord touched and transformed his life during his student days in Ludhiana. Many students from north India and north-east India were present after spending three or four days on the train to reach Beulah Gardens.
A memorial service in remembrance of Bro. Joe was held on the evening of the first day of the camp. It was blessed by the Lord as we remembered his challenging example as a great pacesetter to reach souls for the Lord. The special programme presented by the headquarters Sunday School children on the important events in the ministry of Bro. Joe was very moving as it brought back memories of his beautiful life and faithful labours for souls. After Sister Lily and Lydia spoke about his exemplary life of dedication, sacrifice and prayer, Bro. John Daniel spoke, encouraging us to follow Bro. Joe’s example and glorify God through our lives.
The Lord gave us His presence and His Word at the camp as Bro. John Daniel poured out his heart in the messages. The testimonies of several brothers of how the Lord touched and transformed their lives were a great challenge and blessing to many.
Several teams of our brothers worked with all their hearts in the various departments at the camp. Above all, the presence of the Lord pervaded Beulah Gardens and one could see students praying in several corners of the prayer hall and in the open grounds. The fasting prayer session was owned by God as young people lifted up their voices and cried to God with contrition of heart.
The Lord touched many souls. Let us continue to pray for these young people that they may all rise up as mighty witnesses for the Lord and build His Kingdom.
Youth Camp in Stuartpuram
In the midst of cyclonic weather, the Lord held off the rain and gave us undisturbed sessions at the youth camp in Stuartpuram. There was real hunger for the Word of God among the young people as they listened to the messages with rapt attention. Many of our evangelists spent much time counselling the people. On Saturday we had longer sessions of prayer in the afternoon and in the night. We must pray for these young people, that the Lord grants us abiding fruit out of these labours.
Youth Retreat at Aizawl, Mizoram
The youth retreat of the Easter weekend in Aizawl, Mizoram, was blessed by the Lord. There were around 300 students present from all over north-east India. The dear Lord used our team from Guwahati, Assam and the Spirit of God began to work in their hearts right from the beginning. The prayer sessions were full of tearful pleading to God for His touch. Many students sought counsel and prayer. Let us pray that these young people may become a mighty army of witnesses and workers for the Lord.
Youth Meetings in Siliguri, West Bengal
The town of Siliguri in West Bengal, at the foothill of the mighty Himalayas, is a gateway into Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and the whole of north-east India.
The meetings in Siliguri in West Bengal were blessed by God as nearly two hundred young people sat in God’s presence and drank in the Word with great hunger. The Lord used a team of our brothers at these meetings. The Spirit of God began to work in hearts as many were praying earnestly during the prayer sessions. We must pray that these precious young people rise up as true and faithful witnesses for the Lord.
Children’s Retreat in Silchar, Assam
God in His mercy helped our team to have the first children’s retreat in Silchar, Assam, in April. There were about ninety children and young people, many coming from Hindu background. We praise God for our teams from Dimapur, Darjeeling, Jaigaon and Gangtok who came over to help in the retreat. Let us pray much for the children who heard the Word of God and for the ministry in Silchar.
Children’s Retreat in Mumbai
The children’s retreat conducted in Mumbai, Maharashtra, was a time of great blessing to all as more than 550 children and young people gathered to hear God’s Word in our prayer hall from 8 to 11 November. We had children and young people from distant places like Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Daman. The Lord used a team of our brothers and sisters at this retreat. We must continue to pray for the continuing work of the Spirit in their hearts, that they become shining witnesses for God.
The children’s retreats conducted in our numerous centres in Andhra Pradesh and in Tamil Nadu were also blessed by the Lord.
Labours in far-flung regions
Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Lord granted revival meetings in January in Mumbai, the business capital of India, where the ministry has been steadily growing under the good hand of the Lord. The hall was full and the overflowing crowd sat outside and listened to the message with much hunger. Some had come from Gujarat, Maharashtra and from other distant areas. The Lord used Bro. John Daniel, Dr. Jesudas and Sister Lily Daniel mightily, and the Word went out with power. Now the dear Lord must strengthen our team to pray much and follow up these efforts and take God’s Word to many needy parts of this huge city.
Anantnag, Kashmir
Although a curfew was imposed in the city, our brothers and sisters prayed much with faith and the Lord lifted the curfew on the first day of the meetings. The chapel was packed with around two hundred hungry people in spite of the unrest and volatile situation around.
The Lord used our team members to preach His Word. After every message there was a deep spirit of prayer, and people were humbling themselves in the presence of God. Many sought prayer and counsel. Usually people ask for physical healing, but this group of earnest people sought for spiritual healing and deliverance. We must pray that God raises up mighty witnesses for Him in this place.
Moreh, Manipur
Moreh is located on the India-Myanmar border in the Indian state of Manipur. The Lord has touched several souls in this town. Our team spent much time in prayer for the special meetings in October and were so happy to see some people who came from Tammu, Burma. The pastor and the secretary of the church in Tammu, where we conduct a meeting every Saturday, joined us too. On Sunday the benches were full with nearly three hundred people present in our hall. Two terrorists also attended our meetings with their families. God is dealing with one of them and he is turning to the Lord and wants to leave terrorism and live a peaceful life. The Lord blessed the meetings in a special way and touched many young people.
Jammu, Kashmir
The one-day retreat in Jammu on 2 September was greatly blessed by God. Our brothers had special seasons of prayer for twelve days for this retreat. There were around 250 in attendance with several newcomers. The testimonies and messages were a blessing to many as the Lord used our brothers. The spirit of prayer came upon the people during the prayer sessions after the message. The meetings proved to be a great blessing to all. We must pray that many souls rise up as faithful witnesses for the Living God.
Gujarat
The work in Gujarat has been going forward steadily as our brothers labour faithfully after the prayerful labours of Bro. Whitson Paul in Gujarat for many years.
The Lord burdened our team to have a one-day retreat in Jamnagar in Gujarat. There were about 250 people present with much hunger in their hearts. The Lord gave His presence and His Word and the meeting was blessed by the Lord.
The two days of special meetings in Ahmedabad in September were blessed by the Lord. Students from IIT and other colleges were also present, along with a few young people from the district of Tapi, 320 kilometres away. After the messages, people were crying out with tears in prayer. Many were confessing their sins and turning to the Lord. Please pray for abiding fruits out of these labours and a real harvest of souls in Gujarat.
Karimganj, Assam
Karimganj is one of the thirty-three districts of Assam. The Lord enabled our brothers to have special meetings for the local people on 8 and 9 September. There were about 140 people present at the meetings. They listened to the messages and testimonies earnestly and many opened their hearts and shared their burdens and problems and sought counsel.
Kharagpur, West Bengal
The Lord blessed our one-day retreat in Kharagpur on 8 September, which was held in a small Baptist church compound. Around forty-five needy souls turned up, of whom about twenty-five were students from IIT, Kharagpur. They heard the Word with great desire and hunger. It was a time of real blessing to all present as our team from Kolkata laboured among them. We need to pray much for the ministry in Kharagpur among students.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
The meetings in November in Lucknow, the capital of India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, were a blessing to many people. A Christian gentleman gave us the use of his college buildings. Several people joined us from Delhi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Bansi, Vindhya Nagar in Madhya Pradesh and from Nepal. The Lord granted His presence and the prayer sessions were times when people cried to God with tears and brokenness. Several of our brothers were used by God at these meetings as the sisters took care of the children and ministered to them separately.
Pune, Maharashtra
People began to come from far and wide and our hall became packed with hungry listeners and many had to sit outside the hall. The Lord gave us His presence and His Word at these meetings held in November. The Spirit of God began to work in many hearts.
The good Lord supplied all the needs for the many people who came from various outstations and stayed in the campus. The Lord touched many young people as they were convicted of their sin. It was a time of searching of hearts and we pray for eternal blessing in the life and hearts of all.
Chandigarh, Punjab
The Lord blessed the meetings in Chandigarh. Many local people were present. The Lord granted His Word, and the testimonies of our young people were a challenge to many. During the fasting prayer session, many cried to God. Let us pray that these precious souls obey and follow the Lord with all their hearts.
Bansi, Uttar Pradesh
The Lord blessed the meetings from 21 to 23 March in Bansi, Uttar Pradesh, in a very special way by giving us His presence and His Word. There were about 170 people at the meeting, including those from Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow and Nepal. The Lord used our brothers in preaching God’s Word to the many people from nearby villages who heard the Word with much hunger.
Gurdaspur, Punjab
At the revival meetings in Gurdaspur, Punjab, in the month of April, the large rented hall was full of needy people. It was a joy to see a large number of local non-Christians at the meetings and they received the Word with rapt attention as the Lord used our brothers mightily. In the afternoons, there were special sessions for children and our team from Anantnag ministered to them. We must pray much for our work here, that the Lord raises up people who will take His Word to many places.
Kolkata, West Bengal
The revival meetings in our centre in Kolkata during the Bengal New Year weekend in April were blessed by the Lord. We had about 180 people in attendance, including many local Bengalis. We were able to accommodate about fifty people in our premises, those who came from distant places. The prayers sessions were blessed by the Lord as people opened their hearts and prayed earnestly. Many sought prayer and counsel for their various needs. We need much prayer for our ministry in this big city of Kolkata.
Silchar, Assam
In Silchar, the second largest city in Assam, the work of the Lord has been going forward steadily through the years. During the three days of special meetings in March, the Lord brought many students from Assam University, NIT and the local colleges. More than one hundred earnest students and a few families were also present. The Bible study on the second soil stirred the hearts of many who were convicted of their sins and started to repent before the Lord. Many came for counselling and prayer after the meeting.
Outreach Ministry in North India
We must pray much for our Delhi outreach ministry team as they go to many villages and towns and give the Gospel to the small crowds of people who gather with great hunger. We must pray much that the Spirit of God will touch and save many souls. “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few!” Let us cry to the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into His harvest fields of North India.
Campaigns in Andhra Pradesh
Stuartpuram
The secret behind God’s visitations and blessing at our large Stuartpuram convention is the earnest prayer with fasting that goes up to the Lord from the hearts of the simple local people for months before the meetings.
The dear Lord used His servants, Bro. John Daniel, Sister Lily Daniel and other brothers mightily. The spirit of prayer was very evident in our midst as groups of people were seen all over the place praying and seeking God.
In the mornings, before the main meetings started, Bro. John Daniel addressed the evangelists’ meeting, and Sister Lily Daniel spoke at the special women’s meeting. Lydia addressed the young students who were attentive to God’s Word.
We must pray for the continuing work of God’s Spirit in hearts so that many will become mighty witnesses for the Lord in their respective places.
Vijayawada
God blessed the meetings in Vijayawada in a special way. Many thousands came to hear God’s Word at the evening meetings in our vast grounds. The overflow crowd was accommodated in the adjacent marriage hall, which was also used to house people from other towns. The Lord used Bro. John Daniel, Sister Lily Daniel and others mightily to declare the Word, which was well received with earnest hearts. The youth meeting at 7 am and the general meeting at 10.30 am were also well-attended and blessed by the Lord. There was a strong spirit of prayer in the prayer sessions after the messages.
Apart from these big campaigns, special meetings were held in many of our centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Many teams of our brothers laboured in these meetings to the hundreds of people who gathered with great hunger. Let us pray for the continuing work of God’s Spirit in the hearts of these people.
campaigns in Tamil Nadu
Palamcottah, Tamil Nadu
The Lord granted Bro. Daniel and Bro. Joe to see great outpourings of His Spirit in this town as they laboured with great burden for souls for many years and God raised up many faithful witnesses and workers for Him. The fruit of their labours is evident as many people still speak of receiving the touch of the Lord and His definite blessing at those meetings.
God burdened Bro. John Daniel to have revival meetings in this town for four days in January. People from many of our nearby centres poured in and a large crowd of people were present. The Word of God went out with power as the Lord used Bro. John Daniel, Dr. Lily Daniel and others.
Mettupalayam
The Lord blessed the meetings in Mettupalayam in September. There were more than 350 people and many people from surrounding centres stayed in the campus and heard the Word. The Spirit of the Lord was moving upon the people and the spirit of repentance and seeking after God was discernible. We are looking to God to do a lasting work in the lives of the people.
Trichy
The Lord in His mercy granted special meetings in Trichy after a gap of many years. The meetings were blessed by God as many needy people gathered in His presence to hear the Word with hungry hearts. We must pray much for a breakthrough to be made in this big city of Trichy.
Karur
The meetings in Karur took place in a marriage hall in the centre of the town in September. Many people came from surrounding areas to hear God’s Word. Let us continue to pray for these souls and for the ministry in Karur.
Salem
The Lord in His mercy blessed the revival meetings in Salem. Our prayer hall got filled up and many sat outside. The prayer sessions were owned by God as people prayed earnestly. Many were touched as the Spirit of God began to work in many hearts. Let us continue to pray for a deep touch and transformation in the life and hearts of all who attended.
Karamadai and Kallakurichi
The Lord blessed the meetings in Karamadai and Kallakurichi that took place simultaneously in January as many hundreds of people heard the Word of God. The Lord used our brothers at these meetings and people received the Word with much hunger. The prayer sessions were a time of great blessing as people prayed earnestly, moved by the Spirit of God. We must continue to pray that these souls walk in the light that they received at these meetings.
Bhavani
The little town of Bhavani, a Hindu pilgrim centre, had three days of special meetings from 15 to 17 February in our centre. Apart from the local crowd, a large number of students who study in the local colleges were present at these meetings. There were quite a few students from north-east India and Africa who are studying here. God’s Word went out in power and many sought prayer and counsel.
Pattukottai
Many local people and a large number of pastors from various churches in this area turned up and they were happy to hear the plain and straightforward messages given in the Fellowship meetings. The prayer sessions were blessed by the Lord. Let us continue to pray for our ministry in this needy place.
Gummidipundi
The dear Lord granted revival meetings in Gummidipundi in March and blessed it. About three hundred people gathered to hear God’s Word. We must pray that the Spirit of God continues to work in the hearts of these people and make them faithful witnesses for the Lord.
Erode
The revival meetings in Erode were held in April in the rented parish hall of a local church. The Lord in His goodness granted His Word and His presence at these meetings. Many came from far and near, and the hall was filled up. Many prayed with tears during the prayer sessions. Let us continue to pray for our ministry in Erode. We must cry to God for a new wave of revival in Tamil Nadu in all our centres.
On the Literature Front
As the Fellowship expands and presses on to reach new areas all the time, there is the urgent cry for more soul-winning and soul-nourishing literature. Hence we constantly publish good books and biographies in several languages. As our books are continually in great demand, we constantly run out of stock of our publications. Our book fair teams take tons of books and Bibles with them to various nooks and corners of this country and neighbouring countries. Bro. John Daniel is guiding our publication team to be proactive, keeping them on their toes. The spacious book warehouse in Beulah Gardens is getting filled rack after rack with these beautiful books in many languages.
After being deeply blessed by the book, “The Dynamic of Faith,” Sister Lily wanted all our people to read this book and be quickened by it. Therefore, we printed this book in English and in Hindi and published it in the Annual Retreat. Many said it is an inspiring and enlightening book which will help the readers to grow in faith.
By God’s grace, we have brought out three new books in Hindi, and the challenging biography of Bro. Daniel (senior) “Another Daniel” has been published in Bengali. Two more books have been added to the list of our publications in Odia. Bro. Joe’s third volume, “Carried by Everlasting Arms,” was published in Telugu in December. As the books got sold out quickly, we have had to reprint the book in April. We reprinted five of our books in Nepali as the stock ran out. Thirty-six books had to be reprinted in Telugu.
We praise God for our book fair team who journeyed up to Arunachal Pradesh, which shares its borders with China. The Lord preserved them in their travels as they had to pass through some of the most dangerous and treacherous stretches of road. We want to see that new souls are reached, nominal Christians awakened, lives changed and new centres established for the Lord through these book fairs. They had book fairs in nine places in Arunachal Pradesh. Some of these fairs took place in hired halls and some under tents in the open grounds or the church campuses. But everywhere people flocked to buy these precious books and Bibles with much hunger in their hearts.
The Lord blessed the book fairs in Nagpur in Maharashtra, Jabalpur and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Let us remember the book fair ministry in our prayers as our brothers go to some of the most difficult and remote places, exercising faith and overcoming several hurdles on the way.
the spreading medical work
The Lord has been strengthening our medical doctors and nurses in our Gospel clinics as they serve the poor and sick in body and spirit.
In our hospital in Anantnag, Kashmir, our crew and their ministrations continually grow. We are having to send the needed additional staff to help with the increasing number of patients.
Our Gospel Clinics in various places like Coonoor, Velliankadu, Gummidipundi, Royapuram and Ashoknagar in Chennai and Shillong serve the poor and give them the Gospel. People who come for treatment often open their hearts and share their problems with our doctors, and they receive counsel and prayer along with medical help. When invited, some of these patients attend our meetings and turn to the Lord.
The Gospel clinic, just about 100 metres from the border of Nepal, has been serving the needy people of this town. People from both India and Nepal receive the gospel and are treated at our clinic here. We must pray much for this medical work that many will be touched of the Lord both spiritually and physically.
In our medical work amongst the tribal people at Masinagudi in the Nilgiri Mountains, many needy people are given the Gospel along with medical treatment.
Our medical team from Kolkata goes every month to the Sundarbans, the marshy tracts of the Gangetic Delta, in West Bengal, where people are given the Gospel along with medical treatment.
Medical Camps
A team of doctors, nurses and volunteers conduct free medical camps in the outskirts of Madras where hundreds of patients receive free medical treatment. At these camps, the medical team is kept very busy serving the sick while the other team members take this opportunity to counsel the needy and give them the Gospel. People with various problems and those afflicted with evil spirits are also prayed over. We must pray much for our medical teams in their efforts to reach the unreached.
We had our second medical camp in our Ashok Nagar hall on 20 March. Dr. Lily Daniel inaugurated the medical camp with a special message from God’s Word as to how we should serve the poor and needy with the love of Jesus. Around two hundred patients received free treatment and medicines. Many received loving counsels and prayers.
The southern state of Kerala was severely affected by floods in the middle of August and many thousands were rendered homeless. As the government is trying hard to restore things back to normalcy after these unprecedented floods, our medical team conducted a medical camp for the needy people in Kerala.
Our medical crew went out to help the victims of the Gaja cyclone that ravaged many parts of Tamil Nadu in November. The first camp was held in a village church and the second in a community hall. The next camp was conducted opposite a slum, followed by another camp in another church whose roof was blown away by the cyclone, and the last one was in another slum area. In all these places, our doctors and nurses lovingly helped the sick and needy and gave them free medicines too. Above all, they shared the Gospel with the people.
Let us continue to pray for our medical team who are trying to reach the unreached through these free medical camps in needy places.
Our Schools
While running schools has become a commercial enterprise to many people, our schools are meant to build the lives of the children and young people in the fear of God.
Our schools in Bansi, Uttar Pradesh, Salem and Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu continue to maintain a 100% pass in the Matriculation Exam. In our Ponneri school, out of the fifty-nine students who appeared for the School Leaving Matriculation Exam, fifty-eight passed, and out of the thirty-one who appeared for the Plus Two Examination, twenty-nine passed. Four of our other schools are elementary schools.
We are in need of teachers who will sacrifice and build great lives through prayer, exemplary conduct and excellent teaching.
the Television and Radio Ministry
Our telecasts are covering a greater part of the sub-continent of India. The dear Lord supplies what is needed to pay the bills for these telecasts that are bringing great enlightenment and blessing to many people who know little or nothing of the great and loving Saviour who died to bring them salvation. Let us cry to the Lord for His touch upon all our viewers.
The Word of God has been going out over two popular television channels that cover the whole country of Nepal. In addition, the telecasts in the UK, Germany, Guyana, Jamaica and Thailand are well received with much hunger and expectation, and many lives are greatly stirred and blessed. The satellite program carries the message, reaching many parts of the globe. Let us pray for the Lord’s touch upon all the viewers. The Word of God is the only hope for all nations.
In Australia, thirty-three radio stations are airing “The Lord’s Challenge.” In addition to these radio broadcasts , the message of God’s love and power goes out via shortwave covering the US, Europe, China and Africa. We must also pray for the fifteen weekly AM/FM quarter-hour broadcasts reaching various cities in the United States.
We must pray much for the radio and television broadcasts as God’s Word goes out to the millions.
THE Annual Retreat
In several ways, this year’s May Retreat was a unique one. The large hall in Beulah Gardens was packed with hungry listeners with many hundreds sitting outside and hearing the messages on loudspeakers. There was a good-sized group of our brothers and sisters from other countries also.
We saw the good hand of God in every department. More than anything else, the Word of the Lord was central. The dear Lord anointed Bro. John Daniel to give powerful and deep messages that searched our hearts. The prayer sessions, which followed the main messages of the morning meeting, and also the fasting prayer sessions, were greatly owned and blessed by the Lord as many were crying to God with tears. The Lord used Bro. David Campbell to bring the right Word for the need of the people. The corrective and cleansing quality of this Retreat was significant. Several groups of our brothers and sisters from our various centres gathered in parts of Beulah Gardens and had a season of prayer every day before the evening meeting.
The reports from the mission fields from all over India and from other countries were stirring and enlightening. The special songs by the Daniel 5 and Naomi Bennett were a great blessing to many.
Now we must pray much for the continuity of the Spirit’s work in each heart and that the seed of the Word of God may bear fruit hundredfold.
the Internet Ministry
Several hundreds of people went online to hear the messages of both morning and evening sessions of the Annual Retreat from 102 countries around the globe. There were many hits and reports of blessing coming in from many faraway places. As we seek to implement the scripture “Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1), God will do great things.
The message that goes out every Sunday from our small church in Detroit, which is called Community Christ Church, at 10.00 AM EST (7.30 PM IST), is a blessing to many people.
Let us pray much for the internet work as we seek to lift the Saviour of the world and see His name glorified.
Promoted to Glory!
Now that the Fellowship is eighty-four years old, some of the early converts and workers are being called home. Now they are joyfully beholding the Face of the Saviour! Let us pray for faithful men to rise up and fill the gaps they have left with greater dedication and love.
Dr. Samraj Samuel
Dr. Samraj served the Lord with all his heart from the time he turned to the Lord as a young man to the end of his life. He was one of the first medical missionaries of the Fellowship who took the Gospel to the jungle tribes of the Nilgiri Mountains. He was exemplary in his faith, sacrifice, prayer and steadfastness in following the Lord humbly and ran a tremendous race. Now at the end of his time, he has gone Home to his heavenly Father after fulfilling his race here on earth. May the Lord enable us to learn from his example of placing all in the Master’s hands and so run the race faithfully to the end.
Bro. Jobdas
We praise God for the life of Bro. Jobdas. He resigned his job and laboured for the Lord faithfully in Kakinada, Hyderabad, and Ananthapur, and also at the Students’ Camps and Annual Retreats. His life has been a great blessing to many, and we praise God that he leaves a beautiful testimony behind as he has gone home to be with his Lord.
We praise God that his children are labouring for the Lord in various places and pray for the blessing of God to continue from one generation to the next.
Bro. Anandarao
Bro. Anandarao was converted as a young man in 1955 in the labours of Mr. N. Daniel and was trained by him. He laboured faithfully for the Lord in Daggubadu for about 60 years until he was called Home. He used to walk many miles to several places to preach the Gospel and endured hardship and kept his faith until the end. We praise God for his testimony and labours for the Lord.
Bro. Paul Prasad
Bro. Paul Prasad laboured for the Lord in Tadepalligudem, Andhra Pradesh. When God called him for the ministry, he resigned his lecturer’s job and came for training in Beulah Gardens and Bro. Joe posted him to Tadepalligudem in 2004. As a hard-working, prayerful and loving person, he served the Lord until the end with passion and stood for the standards of God’s Word. We praise God for his faithful labours for the Lord.
Conclusion
While God is setting before us another year of service, let us take heed to follow the Good Shepherd and grow in faith, humility, prayer, love and vision and make sure that we advance in Christ-like living, thinking and working.
Let us therefore cast off all dullness and hardness of spirit and be truly equipped from above with new strength for the warfare ahead of us, as what we are doing for the Lord is so small and inadequate for the great need of the day. When the Good Shepherd goes before us, surely His goodness and mercy shall follow us!