Mission in South Asia Advances as Whole Families are Coming to Christ
Evangelism steadily progresses in India as mission leaders witnessed whole families coming to Christ, which is a crucial development especially in the cultural context of South Asia.
India like most eastern societies is a collectivist society that emphasizes family integrity, family loyalty, and family unity. While this is a trait that ensures a community that fosters healthy relationship, often becomes a stumbling block for new believers as the family ties also bounds them to certain religious obligations and beliefs.
Missionaries in eastern societies often face the challenge, finding themselves on a tug-of-war with new convert's family, which causes great stress on the one who has newly come to Christ.
However South Asia mission have found the family ties does not always have a hinderance to mission, but can be a strength to mission, as the ties can also mean that whole families can come to Christ when the patriarch of the family is won to Christ, the rest of the family members will also be drawn to joint he family of Christ.
"In a community where the family ties are so strong, though it can and many times is seen as a hinderance to mission, God can open new ways and make it into a way to save even more of the lost," said an active missionary who is currently in South Asia. "It is truly God's work to draw all hearts to himself, all we need to do is to declare the gospel fearlessly."