Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Nancy Vyhmeister

Second Advisor

Bruce Bauer

Third Advisor

Selvaraj Muthiah

Abstract

Problem

Like many nations, India offers notable opportunities for church growth in spite of its diverse cultural and language barriers. The challenge is to understand the growing populations. Masses of Indians are suffering from disease, poverty, and ignorance. They desperately need to achieve health and learn how to maintain it. About 80 percent of the Indian population lives below the poverty line and many are ignorant of healthful living. Health evangelism work can break down prejudice as nothing else can. At the same time, India is resistant to the gospel. A recent census shows that there are only 2.43 percent adhering to Christianity. There seems to be a close relationship between health evangelism and church growth. In the prevailing condition, health evangelism is an effective way to reach the Indian masses. Between 1950 and 1980, in an economically and socially backward rural area, Giffard Memorial Hospital (GMH) contributed to the establishment of thirty-five churches with a membership of 100 to 150 in each congregation.

Results

A contextualized strategy for health evangelism in India has been developed. The approach suggests the use of medical centers through Medical Evangelism Team (MET), local churches through Church Health Evangelism Team (CHET), and educational centers for a definite health evangelism--done in three steps: (1) Orientation and training, (2) Implementation of the program, and (3) Evaluation of the work done.

Conclusion

Health evangelism is a more effective and contexualized approach to reach Indians than the traditional evangelistic approach. A health approach provides access that many cannot reject. Such work will find access to hearts and minds and will be a bridge to convert many to the truth. This is the right agenda for the remnant church in India.

Subject Area

Health education--India; Health evangelism--India

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/637

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