Reaching the Romany/Gypsies Through
Church Planting/Leadership Training

The Romany/Gypsy team is committed to evangelistic efforts that result in churches. Therefore, the team seeks to help facilitate church planting and the development of indigenous Christian leadership.

The Tribal School of Evangelism in Secunderabad, India has graduated its second group of Banjara Gypsy students. Classroom training in the basics of theology and evangelism alternates with field practicums supervised by churches or evangelistic organizations. This year the nine Banjara graduates have been placed in ministry positions among their own people. Important partnerships have been formed with churches and other organizations to train and hire Banjara evangelists who will plant indigenous Banjara churches.

Gypsy Group: Banjara

Banjaras are thought to be the ancestor group of the European Romanies. Although they are not despised like Gypsies, they are a mostly rural, illiterate, and uneducated tribe. Some have moved to the cities and work in construction or drive small taxis.
Location: India
Religions: Hinduism
Languages: Lambadi dialect and language of the state they live in
Population: 20 million; 8 million concentrated in 3 south-central states
# of Christians: 30,000
Scripture/Radio/Film Available: Scripture portions in Lambadi, audio cassettes of New Testament, and the Jesus Film. The complete Lambadi New Testament in Telegu script will be published early 1999 with translation work begun on the Old Testament.

Priority Prayer Needs:

  1. 1999 Tribal School of Evangelism students and staff
  2. Distribution of the first 5,000 Lambadi New Testaments
  3. The first Banjara Gyps Consultation will be conducted by summer 1999 for the purpose of forming strategic evangelism and church planting partnerships in hope of empowering a viable, reproducing Banjara church.

Pray for all who hear the Bible on cassette in their own language and for the workers who do follow up and church planting. Hundreds of tape players, sets of the Lambadi Bible on tape and Christian music tapes have been distributed in unreached villages.

Prayer for the Banjara Gypsies: "Teach us, Lord, to praise you. Show us, Lord, how to love every tribe and people. Help the Banjara Gypsies, Lord, to hear your Word in their own language." Amen.

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." Rev. 7:9

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3/16/99