India could play a pivotal role in shaping the global economy in 2024 and beyond, according to the World Economic Forum. This exciting prospect should prompt us to reflect on at least six questions about the future of the church in India.
Will its Works Prove its Faith?
Christians can often create a false dichotomy between preaching the gospel and serving the vulnerable. As a result, it creates camps and cliques of Christians who want to pit one against the other.
But the New Testament marries faith in Christ to good works that God wants us to do, in his name (Eph. 2:8-10). Equally, they serve as an apologetic for the credibility of our faith in Christ and show critics that the church is good for society (1 Pet. 2:12).
The future of the church in India calls us to be like-minded
Good deeds are not a substitute for the gospel. But they are proof of the gospel. They prove the love of God is at work in the lives of his people. The future of the church calls for it to make disciples who make a difference in the world.
God wants the presence of his people to be like salt and light, whose deeds prompt witnesses to glorify God, and whose Christ-like, sacrificial love is visible to all. What God has joined together, let no church separate.
Will it be Safer for Women & Children?
Official 2016 statistics show alarming rates of violence against women in India. A woman was raped every 13 minutes, six women were gang-raped daily, and a bride was murdered for dowry every 69 minutes, as reported by the BBC.
Discussing gender issues can easily become divisive. Often, we prioritise debate over dignity and set aside our collective responsibility to make the church a safe haven for everyone, especially the vulnerable (1 Thess. 4:3-8, Eph. 5:3, 11-14).
Sometimes what passes off as complementarianism in India is nothing more than thinly veiled male chauvinism. It does not reveal Christlike authority; it simply masks fear and insecurity. If treasuring the Bible does not strengthen our resolve to honour women, we may be treasuring something else instead.
To shine as a light in India, the church needs to make women feel like they are equal heirs of the gospel, able co-workers in ministry, and honourable servants of God (Gal. 3:28-29, Phil. 4:3, Rom. 16:1-2).
Will it be More United or Divided?
India is diverse and divided at the same time. The church is no stranger to divisions over caste, class, ethnic origin, tribal identity, or theological convictions.
Jesus’s prescription for the fruitful advancement of the gospel is to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:34-35). It is easy to understand but impossible to obey without the power of God (Eph. 3:14-21). The future of the church in India calls us to be like-minded (Phil. 2:2, 5).
The future of the church in India calls for undivided devotion to God, not mammon.
Churches do not have to agree with one another to be at peace with each other. Christians do not need to affirm each other’s convictions to love one another. But the gospel does need to bear fruit in peace and unity among Christians if we want to meaningfully call people to peace and unity in Christ (Luke 6:32-36).
Will its Integrity Speak for Itself?
India ranks 93rd out of 180 in the Global Corruption Index. Unfortunately, the church in India is no stranger to corruption.
According to a 2010 study, Corruption-Free Churches are Possible, by Christoph Stückelberger, 84% of various heads of churches in India admitted to corruption in their churches. The Indian Christian Collective for Justice (ICCJ) recently urged churches to address their “moral and spiritual bankruptcy.”
The future of the church in India calls for undivided devotion to God, not mammon (Matt. 6:24). May we put our hope in God not the uncertainty of riches, and prove ourselves to be rich in good deeds, generous, and ready to share; so the people of India may find it easier to see the futility of trusting in wealth, harder to question our loyalty to Jesus, and desirable to take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Tim. 6:17-19, 1 Pet. 2:11-12, 3:16; Matt. 5:16).
Will it Learn the Language of its People?
India is the second largest English-speaking country in the world, behind the United States of America. With its vast array of languages, India offers the church three key opportunities.
Bible Translation: India has 1,652 spoken languages. Translating the Bible into at least 300 of these could make the gospel accessible to the entire population, according to a leading Bible translating institute.
Contextualisation is not about changing the gospel. It is about how the gospel changes us.
Homegrown Leaders: The future of the church in India lies in local leadership, investment, and community support. Local leaders can better relate to their communities, much like Epaphras did in Colossae (Col. 1:7, 4:12). He likely travelled to Ephesus, heard Paul preach, returned home, and told his people what he heard. It is a beautiful pattern of how God uses geography, roadways, and mobility to advance his global purposes through local leaders.
Effective Contextualisation: Contextualisation is not about changing the gospel. It is about how the gospel changes us (1 Cor. 9:22-23). While the gospel remains unchanged, its presentation should be culturally appropriate to resonate with diverse communities.
As renowned linguist Noam Chomsky says, “A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of community, a whole history that creates what a community is.”
The gospel must remain the same each time it crosses a border (Acts 1:8). Every region does not have the right to create its own gospel (Gal. 1:9-10). But the way we teach the gospel can change in every region (1 Cor. 9:22-23). So the church in every region has the responsibility to make the gospel comprehensible to the hearts of its people, without any desire to make it palatable to their tastes (Col. 4:4, Eph. 3:8-9).
Will the Gospel be Central to its Message?
Gospel-centrality is trending. But it is not the latest in a long line of theological trends. The gospel is the power of God for all of life and ministry, not simply a golden ticket to get past the pearly gates.
Gospel doctrines create gospel culture and propel gospel mission. We hear the gospel (doctrine, orthodoxy), feel its power through people (culture, orthopathy), and reveal its beauty in word and deed (mission, orthopraxy). God saves his people through his Son, transforms them in the church through his Spirit, and sends them into the world as his witnesses.
The best thing about the church is the head of the church.
Gospel centrality calls elders to preach Christ clearly to our listeners and defend the gospel courageously from the fake promises of false teachers (Col. 1:28-29, Phil 1:7-8). In a church, it calls for the grace of God—not the works of people—to make us like Jesus (Titus. 2:11-14). In the world, it calls us to be faithful ambassadors of Christ—in word and deed—through the power of his Spirit (Acts 1:8, 1 Pet. 2:9, 11).
The best thing about the church is the head of the church. The church in every culture is eternally secure because he is incorruptible, the good shepherd, our peace, and the Word become flesh (1 Pet. 1:23, Rev. 1:14, 2 Cor. 8:9, John 10:10, Eph. 2:14, Heb. 1:1-2).
Without giving the gospel first importance in our hearts, we may have nothing more than the least influence in the world (Phil. 1:27, 1 Pet. 3:15-17, 1 Cor. 15:1-4).
