Spirits and Gods

It seems quite appropriate that a week before I fly out to South India I have just finished reading Michael Bergunder's excellent study of Pentecostalism in South India. At the end of the book he lists all 200+ people whom he interviewed as part of his study - after that much talking he must know something!

I was particularly interested in the ways that Pentecostalism has become contextualised within a Hindu context. Whereas in Africa Pentecostal churches sometimes appear as if they just landed last week from Pheonix Arizona, Indian Pentecostalism is very Indian - dare I say Hindu? Bergunder claims that, "the Pentecostals have taken over the demonology of popular Hinduism, with some slight differences", and "it is above all in their view of the causes of misfortune that south Indian Pentecostals come close to popular Hinduism". My years of pastoral ministry in Britain also suggest to me that it is when British Christians face misfortune that they too come fairly close to the gods of their pagan European religions.

Are we all really 'in the hands of the gods' or can we like suffering Job find a greater freedom in God?

Georgian Archbishops and Burundi

Do Baptists have bishops? Yes, most certainly, and in Georgia - an Archbishop! Archbishop Malkhaz Songulashvili (right) has been a good friend of mine for ten years or more now and leads a very interesting church in the former soviet republic. He was my dinner guest last Friday and presented me with a beautiful poster from the Baptist icon paining school in Tiblisi - surely that must be a first!

As we enjoyed coffee together after the meal, and having exchanged tales of mutual friends in Georgia, and news of last year's war with Russia, Malkhaz told me of his visit to Burundi. Yes, Burundi in central Arica. As a jaundiced Westerner I am used to people from Georgia, and Russia for that matter, frequenting the networks of donors in Germany, Britain and the US, but why Burundi? Malkhaz explained that despite the poverty of his own people, and the recent suffering brought by conflict with big brother Russia, they wanted to reach out to sisters and brothers in greater need in Africa. Now a formal link has been inaugurated between Baptist churches in Georgia and churches in Burundi and a regular flow of prayer, people and assistance has begun.

One more hopeful sign of joined up mission in God's amazing world.