The story of the convert

The head of the mission in Pulwama said: ‘‘I am a jobless graduate who would just waste time all day. I met one social worker, Dennis Rasche, who worked for Green Pastures Communication, a US-based NGO that provides medicine to poor people. I joined him and he later told me that he was an evangelist for the German Town Baptist Church. He got me in touch with evangelists of Campus Crusade For Christ.’’

‘‘We have to organise cricket matches and seminars in college where we are required to preach Gospel. Our mission has got 65 members who carry out their duties mostly in colleges. We were in Dehra Dun to attend a seminar hosted by Assemblies of God to teach us about evangelism. We are paid a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 a month and all other expenses. The hike in perks depends on how we progress in our mission. Besides, we go on tours which are all paid for,’’ he adds.

Apart from his colleagues, nobody is aware about his conversion. He doesn’t want anybody to know about it either. ‘‘The first good thing about Christianity is we don’t need to change our names. If we are in trouble, we could always claim we never converted. Thus we can save our skin and stay where we are safely,’’ he said.

Another member of the group Sheikh Ahmad (name changed) has been baptised twice in six months. First, he was baptised by the Roman Catholics but since they did not keep their part of the bargain, he walked out.

‘‘I was promised funds for my higher education by Premi Gergan but they didn’t keep their promise. Later, I took baptism in the Protestant Church and joined the Campus Crusade For Christ. Here, at least I get my salary and other perks and they have promised to send me abroad for higher education,’’ he said.

Money alone isn’t the reason for others. ‘‘I have been working with the Christians for a long time now. I have been impressed by their honest way of life, not wishing ill luck to anybody and their tendency to care for the poor and downtrodden,’’ said a recent convert.

‘‘I was in dire need of help as I was ill. Even my own relatives abandoned me. They were the only people who embraced me and helped me live again,’’ he said.