SOC Training In Tribal District of India
By Nelson Thomas.
Pastor A. R. Jobins
Pastor A. R. Jobins, a longtime SOC fieldworker, recently conducted a School of Christ School in the tribal district of Wayanad, Kerala, India. He shares that these brothers and sisters had to travel long distances to attend the SOC because they live in remote and poor tribal jungle villages.
They prayed that they would have the bus fare to participate in every class because even purchasing the basic bus fare to attend the School was challenging. These tribal people are not accepted even by other Christians because of their language and culture.
Nelson Thomas - SOC Fieldworker
The Lord placed on my heart to train the tribal pastors and workers with the SOC material. They listened to every word of the lessons with great intensity. They took notes, wanting to remember every detail of the lessons. They prayed with the same intensity during prayer time in the Holy Ghost.
I praise the Lord, and I could see with my own eyes the transformation in their faith and spiritual lives as they grew day by day in the Word and prayer. At the graduation service, each student testified about how the SOC training changed their whole concept of faith and prayer.
They are dedicated to making their churches Spirit-filled and immersed in Truth. I believe God has enlightened these pastors and workers so they will become a beacon of hope to their community, where most of the people are in utter poverty and darkness. We had a “washing of feet” and a meal after the service. The “washing of feet” was entirely new for them. They had read about it in the Bible but never experienced it.
The day after graduation, we decided to invite the graduates’ families and relatives to come and hear the testimonies of the students who had gone through the training. I observed the families as each of the students gave their testimonies. Many asked to know about Christ, how to change their spiritual lives, and when the next training would begin.
I often remember ministering with Brother Nelson Thomas, a translator and fieldworker, in the School of Christ in Kerala. I have run many Schools and witnessed the lives of many men and women transformed. Though many ministries are working in India, ONLY the School of Christ touched the deep spiritual foundation of men and women. They graduated with a revival in their Spirit, and their Christian lives changed forever. Churches were also changed because of the revival in the lives of ministers and workers.
Praise the Lord for making a way to train these tribal workers who other Christians shun. I believe God can start the work of the SOC again, which once shook India. I remember that the first School in Kerala, with sixteen students, reached India and Nepal. Here we are years later, in 2024, with a batch of sixteen students. We pray that God will once again stir the spiritual fire in India.
Please keep India in your prayers. Thanks also for your continuing prayers for the School of Christ. Pray that the Lord will strengthen us to move forward with this great message of being filled with His Spirit.
