India is a country of diverse cultures, religions, languages, and ethnicity. Sharing the Gospel to such diverse people groups often is a difficult task. The Church in India, over the past several decades, has used different methods of reaching the unreached. Yet, India remains a country where hundreds of people groups have still not fully responded to the Gospel.

Collaborative Models

When we look at collaborative efforts for evangelism in India, there are at least two models to consider:

1) COMITY Arrangement: When Western missionaries came to India, they divided the country geographically (for example, the Lutherans went to Bihar and other places, the American Baptists to North East India, and the Methodists in certain other states of India). These actions resulted in planting denominational churches, hospitals, schools, etc. Although this model helped in developing different regions, it divided the country based on different denominations. Today, we have Gosner Lutheran Church in Ranchi, Bihar, and the Methodist Church in North Karnataka, etc. Perhaps the emphasis then was that peace is better than war. However, this comity arrangement did not necessarily bring unity among the different groups working in the country.

2) MERGER: When Church of South India was formed in 1947, different independent denominations chose to come under one umbrella. In 1970, the church of North India was born. Though the merger has its own advantages, in some respects it becomes ineffective when the organization is too large to manage.

Partnership Development

The third paradigm to consider is Partnership. Though the term partnership only occurs a few times in Scripture (depending on the translation of the Bible), the theme of working together runs through Scripture. Passages such as Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and 14, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalm 133, and John 17 talk about the unity in the Body of Christ. For example, I Corinthians 12:25 states, "There should be no division in the body, but its parts should have equal concern for one another." We are the Body of Christ and we actually need each other if the Body is to work as effectively and efficiently as it should.

The term partnership could be described as "when two or more individuals and/or organizations agree to work together for a specific purpose because they can achieve more together than by themselves." The following are some compelling reasons for working together in partnership:

• Stewardship of resources. As Christians, we need to be good stewards of God's resources. By working together, it helps us to be better stewards and avoid duplication. If we are working in partnership, it means that when new resources become available, they can be trategically used.
• Encouragement from others in shared ministry. When we are working in difficult areas—and especially if we are working alone—we can often focus on the enormity of the task and sometimes lose hope. However, when we are working in partnership, we are not working alone. We can encourage one another and build up one another.
• Synergy—doing more together than we can do by ourselves. Our combined efforts produce more than we are able to produce by ourselves. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
• Focus on strengths. Working in partnership means that wherever we are working, we can focus on our existing strengths and not our weaknesses, wasting our time doing unproductive work and ministry.

Example of Partnership in India

Interdev is an organization that encourages churches and Christian organizations to work together to reach a particular people group. If ministries such as radio, Bible translators, Jesus film, literature, and audio cassettes (to name a few) could work together with the local church to pray, plan, strategize, and perform, then the people group being served will be reached more effectively. In India, out of the 28 unreached peoples groups that have been chosen to have strategic evangelism partnerships, there are eight operating partnerships at different stages of development.

A good example is the Sindhi Partnership. There are more than five million Sindhi in India, with less than 2,000 Christians among them. Since its formation four years ago, this partnership has completed several objectives:

• A published profile booklet giving details of Sindhi language, culture, religious beliefs, etc., to educate and inform Christians about the need for witnessing to the Sindhi
• Regularly-scheduled meetings of Sindhi believers from different parts of the country met together to improve fellowship and share planning to reach other Sindhi for Christ
• A Sindhi music cassette (prepared by one group) for use by others for evangelism
• Two Gospels translated into the Sindhi language
• The creation of a matrimonial bureau to help new Sindhi believers find life partners
• The development of a strategic plan to reach out to Sindhi living in Sindhi colonies

By working together, rather than individually, the ministries of the Sindhi Partnership met their objectives quickly as well as successfully.