By Morgan Miles –
Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds in the Punjab region of India.
“A wave of Charismatic Christianity—drawing from the worldwide Pentecostal movement—is sweeping through Punjab in tidal volumes and generating all sorts of conflicting emotions, (giving) a deep sense of belonging and ecstatic hope for those on the inside, disquiet for those watching from the ringside,” according to a report by India Today.
Part of the success has been the “Punjabization” of Christianity. Converts are allowed to keep their name and traditional dress, against the older missionary custom of requiring them to change both, The Tribune news reported.
Churches are stylized to look similar to Sikh places of worship. Worship services approximate Sikh ceremonies, in which congregants may sit on the floor and they sing like they do in Sikh services.
“They’ve made it so localized, so familiar that they have made the transition of the community so smooth that a lot of people are attracted to them,” according to The Tribune.
Christianity first came to Punjab with British colonizers. Catholics made a beachhead in Ludhiana, Punjab’s most populous city. Punjab’s Christian population increased from a few thousands in 1870 to half a million in 1930, making significant gains with the Hindu lower caste, the Dalit, who saw Christianity as an emancipation.
But then the traditional churches flatlined.
“These old churches still exist but they follow the Roman Catholic order,” according to The Tribune. “But now it’s the Pentecostal churches that are becoming very, very popular.”
While the old churches remain stagnant, Pentecostal churches are exploding, appealing to the Punjabi wish for a better life with healings, miracles and direct contact with God.
Pastor Ankur Narula leads a movement of 130+ churches from his 65-acre complex in Jalandhar. His mega church, the Church of Signs and Wonders, claims to be the fastest growing in Punjab with a global flock of 300,000 online. His YouTube clocks 2.6M subscribers.
Ankur became a Christian because he had a vision of Jesus in his dreams after becoming suicidal from drinking and sickness. He was profoundly influenced by videos of South African preachers. He launched the church with three people in 2008.
Pastor Bajinder Singh embraced Christianity while he was in jail for murder. Released, he wanted to study mechanical engineering; meanwhile he started a prayer meeting and the evangelization took off, reportedly fueled by miraculous signs and healings.
There are other mega church pastors, all of whom have converted from other religions. While the Hindus have fought against Christian conversion, the Sikhs are more tolerant.
“Punjabis have been accommodating of other religions. The best part of Punjab people have been tolerant towards other religions,” says Singh.
Ramjit Singh, 64, became a pastor at First Baptist Church out of a supernatural vision of Jesus. After retiring from the Indian Navy, he fell into alcoholism and depression.
“I had left home for the railway tracks, to throw myself in front of a train, when a man, with a huge glow on his face, met me and asked me to go home to my daughters. I did, and also decided to quit all vices.,” he says. “Sikhism taught me there is a force called God, the Bible showed me how to find Him.”
By day, Gurnam Singh is a cop with the Punjab Police. He came to Christ because his wife could not get pregnant.
“My wife was unable to bear a child, my family wanted me to dump her and remarry,” he says. “It was unacceptable to me. I moved to Amritsar. There, I got in touch with some pastors. With their prayers, I have three children now.”
A Mazhabi Sikh, Singh sports a turban at work and preaches the Bible on his return home. He has converted his backyard into a church, where his Sunday sermon attracts 50-odd locals. “I don’t convert people,” he clarifies. “I only preach the Bible.”
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About the writer of this article: Morgan Miles studies at Lighthouse Christian Academy near Venice, CA.
