JHABUA, INDIA, December 28, 2007: Biju Verghese believes the end of the world is coming. This faith makes his work urgent: Convert as many Indians to Christianity as possible. Or, as he puts it, “reach the unreached at any cost.” Verghese is a new breed of missionary, tied not to the mainline Protestant or Catholic churches that came with European colonizers but to expansionist evangelical movements in the U.S., Britain, and Australia. These newer Christians are now the most active, swiftly winning over Indians like Verghese who in turn devote themselves to expanding the church’s reach, village by village.
The success of recent Christian missionaries and their methods of quick conversions have brought tensions with other religions, including some Christians who fear that certain evangelicals are contributing to a volatile — and at times violent — religious atmosphere. The new missionaries put an emphasis on speed, compelled sometimes by church quotas and a belief in the approach of the world’s end. “Aggressive and unprincipled missionary work that exploits the distress and ignorance of marginalized groups … can constitute a catalyst to localized violence, particularly when they are brought into confrontation with other creeds,” says Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management in New Delhi.
The Christian zeal for conversions ebbed in India after a nearly successful Indian rebellion in 1857 and a theological trend toward good works, such as improving education and healthcare. Yet many of today’s missionaries are returning to practices of proselytizing that were long ago abandoned by the mainline missionaries because they were seen as offensive.
In recent years conversion activity has grown more intense, driven by the evangelical Christians funded from abroad. But the conversion work that some call “aggressive” takes place outside the traditional places of worship. Evangelical and Pentacostal missionaries go village to village, holding prayer meetings in homes or preaching outdoors to all the villagers together.
These events often mix emotional messages of personal salvation, speaking in tongues, shaking in trances, and miraculous healings. Some people come for the spectacle; others take advantage of free food. After these performances, whole families, neighborhoods, and even villages are sometimes converted. The missionary leaders move on to the next village, leaving behind money — but sometimes little other support — for new church constructions and pastor salaries.
The differing approaches also came to light during recent tsunami relief efforts. A host of small Christian groups headed to India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to distribute humanitarian aid along with Christian literature. After the tsunami, the U.S. National Council of Churches issued a statement warning against the practice by “New Missionaries” of mixing evangelism and aid. “You get this guy out of Texas who has no idea of the local culture, he is out to win souls, and he comes with a lot of money,” says Bob Alter, former Presbyterian pastor.