Is there a place on the planet where first century Christianity meets 21st century Christianity? Yes, probably many such places still exist and I have just returned from such a place. I have just returned from Hyderabad, India, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh. I had the privilege of spending ten days with my friend, Edgar Sathuluri, Founder and Director of NATIVE Minisitres...NATIVE- Nationals Training Institute for Village Evangelism.
First century activities can still be seen in the villages and towns of Andhra Pradesh. While preaching in village churches I watched shepherds herding their sheep past the open front door of the church. I saw ox drawn carts pass by and people cooking Sunday lunch on the open fires in the church yard. However, these scenes are not the real reason my mission to India prompted thoughts of a first century world. The real flesh and blood connection of Hyderabad to my understanding of first century Christianity is a man...my friend, Edgar Sathuluri.
Many who meet Edgar for the first time find themselves saying what most folk who have known him for a while have been saying all along: Edgar Sathuluri is a modern day Apostle Paul. I have heard myself describe in with this comparison many times. Mind you, Edgar would never say that about himself. But, nonetheless, there are many similiarites in Paul and Edgar. Edgar has devoted himself to singleness, in God's will, in order to give himself more completely to ministry. Edgar gathers around him men whom he can disciple and who in turn will disciple others...the Paul/Timothy model. He has been persecuted. He has seen miracles. He plants churches....and more.
Today nearly 130 New Testament churches have been planted in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka States. These churches minister to nearly 22 people groups belonging to various tribes. NATIVE now has over 72 staff who stand along Edgar in carrying out this work.
NATIVE ministries include Distance Learning Through Tapes (CD). Edgar has personally translated hundreds of Dr. Stephen Olford's and Dr. Adrian Roger's sermons into Telugu. These tapes, plus notes and tape players are provided to pastors for their personal enrichment and training for pastoral ministry. NATIVE sponsors Medical Camps, Children's Ministry, (Did you know that the number of children in India exceeds the entire population of the United States?). NATIVE provides conferences for pastors and women, Prayer Hut construction and film ministries....and more.
I have known Edgar since 1992. I was attending a Stephen Olford Institute for Biblical Preaching in Memphis, TN. Edgar was there as an intern to Dr. Olford. I invited Edgar to join a pastor friend and myself for dinner one evening. In our conversation I asked Edgar to pray for me regarding a decision I needed to make but was fearful of the costs and consequences of the decision. Edgar strongly admonished me....in a prophetic manner....to obey God. That night I became extremely ill. By morning I found myself in hospital with acute appendicitis. My noon I was in surgery. (I still wonder if that was my Jabbok?). Today this day I connect Edgar to that experience....in a positive way.
In 2000 Edgar was in hospital in Birmingham for a heart procedure when a sudden spike in blood pressure resulted in a near fatal stroke which was followed by brain surgery. I spent days in the hospital initially, until Edgar was "out of the woods". Then I visited regularly during his rehab. Our hearts and lives were forever meshed as brothers in Christ and fellow servants in the Master's Vineyard. My church was the first speaking assignment when Edgar was released from hospital. He has since been with me numerous times. His presence is the pulpit always....always brings with it the anointing of God's power and presence.
I went to Hyderabad in December, 2001, not long after Edgar returned home from his extended stay in Birmingham. I have just returned from my second visit, 2010.
I am a blessed pastor. God gave me a pastor/missionary heart when He called me to ministry over 40 years ago. I have been privileged to serve some good missional churches in my tenure as a pastor. Today, I serve a church that has missions in its DNA. Deerfoot Baptist Church, Trussville, Alabama (http://www.deerfootbaptist.org/ ) is a missional church. It is a giving church and a going church. In my six year tenure the Lord has called five high school students to vocational missions and He is currently stirring up the nest of others. The Deerfoot family has sponsored the building of churches and has sent construction teams to Romanina. Deerfoot has funded the building of eight Prayer Huts (churches) in the Hyderabad region. My recent mission to NATIVE was to conduct a Pastor's Conference for over 250 pastors and church leaders (financially underwritten by DBC) and to visit the eight Prayer Huts and conduct services of dedication.
I am back home now, but not altogether. I left something in Hyderabad. As an Ambassador for Christ and for the flock I serve...I left some material things for NATIVE ministry. But most importantly I left expressions of love, a touch ,a smile, an embrace, words of encouragement and hope. I left with the people of India the Good News that God loves them and Christ died for them. I left hours and hours of lectures with over 250 pastors and a piece of my own heart with them. I left love, instruction, admonition and hopefully some inspiration. But I also brought something home with me...I brought a new awareness that the God of the first century is the same God of the 21st century. I brought home a consciousness that His arm has not shortened, His power has not diminised, His purposes have not changed, His love still reaches to the uttemost and there is still Power in His Blood.
Would you pray for Edgar and the great work he is doing to reach his own people for Christ?
Thank you Deerfoot Baptist Church Family. I am honored to serve as your pastor. Thanks for embracing the world...thanks for acknowledging that we serve a Global God. Thanks for sending your pastor out from time to time to fulfill a significant part of God's call upon his life....the missionary call. Thank you.
Roger D. Willmore, Sr. Pastor
Deerfoot Baptist Church
Trussville, Alabama
