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The Mission Society hosted two International Mobilization Conferences in India February 13-17 and 20-23, 2012. Staffers the Rev. Frank Decker, vice president for member care and development, the Rev. Michael Mozley, senior director for international mobilization, and Dr. Darrell Whiteman, vice president for mobilization and training and resident missiologist provided leadership for the conference. Mission Society missionary the Rev. Peter Pereira, who lives and serves in India, and the Rev. Dr. Denny Heiberg, lead pastor of Grace at Fort Clarke Church, a United Methodist congregation, in Gainesville, Florida, also led sessions during the conferences.

“The three key ideas we tried to impart were that God would transform the attendees’ minds, capture their hearts, and compel them into action in response to God's word,” said Mozley. “We want to encourage pastors and lay leaders to move from being missionary receiving to missionary sending,” said Whiteman. “There are more than 1,000 unreached people groups in the world, and many of them are right here in India.”

India’s 1.2 billion residents adhere to a mix of religions. More than 80% of India’s population is Hindu, 13.4% is Muslim, and 2.3% is Christian.

Ninety-six people attended the two conferences, representing 15 different denominations and non-denominational movements. 

The International Mobilization Conferences teach an international version of The Mission Society’s Global Outreach seminar, which is adapted to each particular culture and context. The seminar focuses on the concepts of God as a missionary God, the Bible as a missionary book, and God’s call for the Church to be missionaries.

The Revs. Mozley and Decker preached at the conferences. Mozley also led the attendees to set goals for their ministries based on what they learned during the seminar. Dr. Heiberg shared morning devotions and led a session on God’s love for the world.

Dr. Whiteman led sessions on crossing cultural barriers with the gospel and Acts 10. “We were given sessions on relating the gospel to Hindus and to Muslims by renowned biblical scholar and Indian church historian Dr. P. Manasseh. We taught these sessions to help participants understand how Hindus and Muslims can become followers of Jesus without having to abandon their cultural traditions and without sliding into syncretism,” said Whiteman.

Decker remarked, “Many of the participants said that the conference was unlike any other they had attended. Several people shared testimonies of how their paradigms were shifting, the new perspective they had on ministry, and their increased resolve to reach others for Jesus.”

“A participant who is a convert from Islam said, ‘I wish I had learned about this perspective 30 years ago; my life would have been different.’ We heard many people say similar things during the two conferences,” said Whiteman.

One participant, Nandi*, shared his story. He was disowned by his father, a radical Hindu, after deciding to follow Jesus. Nandi went on to earn a degree in theology and plans to be a missionary. He is currently the associate pastor of a church.

Nandi’s mother came to know Christ several years before her death, but Nandi is still not allowed to reunite with his family. He was adopted by a Christian family in another state. “Nandi holds on to God’s promise in Psalm 27:10 – ‘Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close’ – (NLT)” said Mozley. “I find myself humbled every time I hear the stories of these precious followers of Christ who have sacrificed so much for the sake of the gospel.”

Plans are being made to offer two International Mobilization Conferences in India in 2013.

Photo (left to right): Dr. P. Manasseh, Rev. Dr. Denny Heiberg, Dr. Darrell Whiteman, and Rev. Peter Pereira