Equipping Pastors In The Face Of Strong Opposition

Dear Friend

Over the past few months, as we have travelled across much of India and Sri Lanka teaching and ministering, two things have become increasingly clear. First, Christian persecution is rising rapidly — even in regions that were once considered safe. Second, in the midst of this pressure, a genuine move of God is beginning to stir in the hearts of His people.

Earlier this year in Nagpur (central India), I was speaking on Spiritual Warfare. At one point I used a simple phrase: “Prayer is an intercontinental ballistic missile.” Our translator hesitated and whispered, “Is it safe to translate that? Someone could twist the meaning and accuse us.” That is the environment we now face — where even a metaphor in a sermon can be deliberately misused to bring false charges and harassment against the Christian community. According to recent reports, India has now become one of the top 10 nations in the world where Christians face persecution, with over 600 violent incidents already recorded this year.

And yet — we also witnessed something extraordinary. By the end of that meeting, the Holy Spirit brought a wave of boldness and courage over every pastor and leader. Many had travelled through the night — hundreds of kilometres — just to be there. They arrived weary, but they left strengthened and lifted up in the truth that our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual powers, and that in Christ we have been given authority to stand.

 As one pastor testified:

“I’ve never understood spiritual warfare with such clarity. Thank you for empowering us to take the upper hand against every force—both human and spiritual—that stands against us.”

In the remote Andaman Islands, we gathered young believers from scattered churches to train and encourage them. Some of them face daily mockery and pressure for their faith. Many had never understood their identity in Christ. But during the training, a fire was kindled in their hearts and several responded with a deep commitment to stand as shining lights in a crooked and perverse generation, ready to testify to the Gospel no matter the cost.

 Recently, in Sri Lanka across six districts, we saw the same pattern repeated: God’s truth proclaimed, hearts softened, leaders empowered, and communities impacted. From remote fishing villages to bustling towns, the Holy Spirit met pastors and leaders exactly where they were — lifting burdens, restoring vision, and igniting faith for the future. 

One senior pastor testifies:

“I have preached on many of the points that were shared today, but I must admit that I preached them without a depth of revelation. Today’s teaching brought that deep revelation which transformed my understanding of those passages of Scripture. Thank you for coming.”

Truly, this was the most fruitful trip in the last 12 years of our ministry in Sri Lanka. We’ve ministered to more than 1,500 pastors and their leaders and distributed 27,360 Derek Prince books on this trip alone. We left Sri Lanka with gratitude, knowing that seeds of revival had been planted.

Friends — the truth is, we do not know how long the doors will remain open for open, public ministry in India and Sri Lanka. Anti-conversion laws are spreading, and hostile groups are closely watching Christian meetings. Pastors are being arrested on false accusations. Churches are being forced to close. And yet the Church is not retreating — in fact, the hunger for God’s Word is greater than ever.

Right now, we have open invitations from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, North Kerala and Bihar. Leaders in these regions are pleading for us to come and teach. Many feel isolated, pressured and discouraged — but they are crying out for biblical teaching that will strengthen their hands in the battle. God has opened the door for us to go — but to respond to these urgent calls, we need your help.

The cost of renting humble meeting spaces, helping pastors with travel expenses (many simply cannot afford to travel without support), and providing meals is essential. In addition, we urgently need to print Derek Prince books in the Malayalam and Oriya languages, which are essential resources for leaders in Kerala and Odisha. These books will help anchor them in truth and equip them to answer the growing spiritual challenges they face every day.  

How You Can Help Pastors’ Seminar, Sri Lanka

Would you prayerfully consider sowing into this ministry at this critical moment?

Maybe you could help sponsor a leadership conference. 

Maybe your gift could go towards printing and distributing materials in the local languages. 

Whatever the amount, your support will directly result in leaders being equipped, churches strengthened, and the Gospel advancing in some of the most spiritually needy and challenging parts of India.

This truly is India’s Kairos moment. Yes, persecution is increasing — but so is the move of the Holy Spirit. Believers across this land are standing up, not shrinking back. They simply need to know that they are not alone.  Would you please stand with us?  Let us seize this opportunity while the door is still open, and together bring strength, encouragement and truth to those who stand on the frontlines of the Gospel in India. 

• The cost of conducting 32 conferences over the next 12 months in India is approximately NZ$30,500.
• To hold 12 conferences and two Youth Training Programmes in Sri Lanka we will need approximately NZ$36,700. 
• To print the required books in Malayalam, Oriya, Tamil and Sinhala we will need approximately NZ$24,600. 
• To load Derek’s messages onto digital devices for distribution to pastors we will need approximately NZ$14,400. 

May we ask, would you prayerfully consider sowing into these causes of the Kingdom?

Your gift is genuinely needed and much appreciated.