India

India is where it all began! Here, we come alongside local leaders all throughout India in 11 states and three union territories. We directly support the work of over 40 followers of Jesus on the mainland (not including the Andaman Islands or Kashmir) who are reaching their people for Christ through childcare and education, pastor training, women’s business empowerment programs, disaster relief, and more.

Nearly one in five people on earth lives in this diverse country. India has 121 languages spoken by 10,000 or more people, and its geography ranges from the Himalayas to dry deserts to tropical rainforests and everything in between. Not only is it home to the world’s largest Hindu population, it is also home to the third-largest Muslim population.

Through conferences and pastor training courses, Harvest Bridge has trained several thousand Indian church leaders. In 2021, 600 new leaders received training, 60 church fellowships were started, and over 1,200 men and women were baptized throughout the country. Amid the pandemic, 1,200 families (over 6,800 people) who suffered tremendously due to Covid-19 lockdowns received food and sanitation relief items. Despite the obstacle of lockdowns, 60 children were still able to be educated through night schools run by pastors and church volunteers. Another 15 children received monthly sponsorship, enabling their families to afford keeping them at home instead of sending them to an orphanage. More than 3,400 families received vital relief items in the wake of severe flooding. 1,000 believers were gifted Bibles, and 21 persecuted Christians were supported in ways specific to the persecution they experienced. 

Capital: Delhi

Population: 1.393 billion

Religion: Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jain 0.5%, other 0.8%

Persecution Watch List Country Ranking: 10

Ministries: Pastor Training, Children’s Ministry, Hope Through Education, Vocational Programs, GATE, Disaster Relief

Leadership Information: Our India Director oversees HB’s network of partners in India. For over 40 years, he has helped plant dozens of churches and has led pastor training and discipleship programs throughout South Asia.