Televangelism Outreach to Millions in India Dispells Doubts
Dispelling the many doubts that preceded the telecasts throughout India, 150 hours of Gospel programming turned the lives of millions toward Christ.
In the second most populous nation in the world, only 2.3 percent are Christian. Hope, however, penetrated the mainly Hindu population of India and brought an amazing two million people to Jesus Christ through an unprecedented televangelism outreach of the Billy Graham ministry.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association launched an extensive outreach called "My Hope India," delivering the Gospel message through about 100 television channels to millions of homes in 14 different languages during this past Christmas. Dispelling the many doubts that preceded the telecasts throughout India, 150 hours of Gospel programming turned the lives of millions toward Christ.
"We stand 'utterly amazed' at what the Lord has done," the BGEA told supporters in its spring 2006 newsletter.
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The landmark Gospel telecasts involved more than 61,000 churches and nearly 800,000 households that helped bring light into the hearts of the Indian people. Recently released reports indicated that groundbreaking televangelism brought two million to Christ, thousands of churches have seen their attendance swell with new believers, and new congregations are springing up.
The My Hope Project was launched in 2002 in four Latin American countries - Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. In the past four years, evangelistic television programs and tens of thousands of local Christians reach out in their communities have helped more than 4.4 million people in 18 countries come to Christ.
India was the largest and most complex country reached in 2005. It was a challenge especially with as many as 15 different languages spoken in the country. But native believers rose to the challenge and witnessed an amazing outpouring of blessing and change.
BGEA has been invited to take the gospel program to other Asian countries it had never visited before.
Televangelism was introduced in the 1950s and drew national attention in the 80s. The 1987 scandals, however, caused the wide spreading ministry to scale back. Billy Graham remained above the fray with his television ministry but the powerful media tool took speed in recent years with the My Hope Project, aiming to present the Gospel to every country around the world.
