The group, led by Asia regional co-coordinator David Husby, includes Debbie Blue, executive minister of the Department of Compassion, Mercy and Justice; Ruth Hill, executive minister of Women Ministries; Mark Olson, dean of enrollment and director of church relations at North Park University; Walter Contreras, director of mission mobilization and connection for the Department of World Mission; Karen Hallberg, associate director for mission mobilization and connection; and Boaz Johnson, assistant professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park University.
The first segment of the trip in Bangalore involves visits to ministries of the India for Christ Ministries Covenant Church. Paul Devakumar is the president (standing at right in the accompanying group photo taken outside one of the IFCM churches. Others are, from left: Johnson, Olson, Hill, Hallberg, Contreras and Blue).
On Sunday, Hill preached during an IFCM worship service – the first woman to do so. The accompanying photo shows Hill and interpreters who translated the message into Telegu and Tamil languages.
Contreras preached during a special thanksgiving service on Saturday evening, while Hallberg preached in a Covenant church in a village outside Bangalore. Johnson addressed IFCM leaders in a separate meeting, while Blue visited ongoing projects involving micro enterprise and child development programs among poor children – all funded by three Covenant World Relief grants.
Olsen is exploring potential ways to connect North Park University students with various India ministries, while Hill visits various ministries for women, including a scheduled Wednesday stop in Pune to visit one of the project sites for the Breaking the Chains initiative (a ministry ministering to sex workers in that city).
A key focus is discussing ways to deepen partnerships with the Covenant’s three partners in India – IFCM, the Hindustani Covenant Church in Pune, and Truth Seekers International in Delhi, Husby notes. The group leaves for Mumbai on Tuesday.
