Mark Simmons (Minister at SPBC) and Mat Wilson went with a team of 8 Baptist ministers on a challenging trip to Kolkata (Calcutta) in the Autumn of 2008
The aim of the visit was to encourage Baptist Ministers in the UK to experience the amazing work of God through his people in a completely new and engaging culture. The trip allowed the ministers to understand more of the work of BMS and its partners and secondly to ignite the passion of mission both globally and locally.
The team; Mat Wilson (from IMC who was leading the trip) Chris Bell from Milton Keynes, David Blandford from Swindon, Paul Lavender from Northampton, Ashley Lovett from Cardiff, Archie Macmillan from Fife, and Peter & Jane Williams from Argyll left on Tuesday 4 November from Gatwick airport flying via Dubai to Kolkata. The trip was organised by the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society)
There were four main areas of the trip:
1. For the team to observe and experience church planting in and around Kolkata. This was a combination of both inner city, slum area churches and also village/rural evangelism church plants.
2. The team visited social/community action projects. They experienced varied examples of mission including “Freeset” which is a mode of ethical business mission, which employs people for their craft skills. The team also visited the Good News Children's Education Mission which is an education program for street children. They also visited the Missionaries of Charity (founded by Mother Teresa) and were able in some small measure to support the ministry of caring for the destitute, dying and disabled.
3. The team stayed in the BMS guest house which is situated in a Muslim areas of Kolkata although the main religion is Hindu. The ministers were exposed to others faiths including a visit to a Hindu Temple in the Kalighat area of the city. They were also encouraged to meet many local people who had, at great cost to themselves, converted from Hindu to Christianity. They also spent time listening to workers at an organisation whose aim was to lead Muslim people to Christ through their reading of the Koran! (Many former Muslims have come to a Christian faith through this ministry) .
4. Another reason for the trip was to visit Serampore College which was founded by William Carey in 1818 with the aim of giving an education in arts and sciences to students of every “ caste, colour or country" and to train people for ministry in the growing church in India. Carey is also the founder of BMS World Mission and is often seen as the ‘Father of modern mission’
A highlight for Mat was a visit to Eden Gardens home of the National Indian Cricket team!! (He has the pictures to prove it!!)
In this diverse city of Calcutta (Kolkata) where pollution, poverty and pomp, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, Freemasonry, Humanism and New age-ism, all co-exist, God is truly at work Christianity is spreading, new churches are being planted, Hindus and Muslims are becoming Christians and miracles of healing in Jesus’ name are regularly reported. It was a great privilege for me to witness this move of God and play a small part in it as I preached in local churches and helped take the gospel to villages that had never heard about Jesus. Please continue to pray for this needy city, for the work of BMS here and the increase of God’s Kingdom is this part of his world.
Mark
