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Thus God initiated a new move-

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ment, New Testament indigenous Christianity through Bakht Singh which was to impact not only India,
but to some extent people across the world.

As Dave Hunt wrote, “The arrival of Bakht Singh turned the churches of Madras upside down. Upset
becausé their members, who were nearly all nominal Christians, were being converted by thousands
through his preaching, crowds gathered in the open air, as many as twelve thousand, on one occasion, to
hear this man of God preach. Many seriously ill were healed when Bakht Singh prayed for them, even
deaf and dumb began to hear and speak.”®

When Bakht Singh first began his work in Karachi in close association with major Protestant
denominations, he was constrained to minister to the needs of sweepers who were treated like the
“scum” of the earth by caste people. He noticed that even the churches were not free from segregation
and discrimination based on caste.

He found many of the Protestant churches lukewarm and unconcerned about the spiritual needs of their
congregations. The perpetual practice of caste and class systems turned him off from various
denominations and mission organizations. He preached and practised the priesthood of all believers,
regardless of their status in life. He emphasized, based on the Word of God, that every believer in Christ
whether Brahmin or Dalit (untouchable or outcaste) is equally precious, equally necessary and equally
important in the sight of God. He felt that the caste system was one of the worst evils practised in India.
He realized the problem was deep rooted and that only through the cross of Christ, human problems
both social and spiritual — could be solved.

He fasted and prayed to find a practical solution to the spiritual problem so that the local churches might
reflect, radiate, and represent Christ, Who is the true spiritual Head of the Church. The goal of Bakht
Singh’s life and ministry

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was to demonstrate the greatness and the glory of God by doing all things in obedience to His Word and
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

To demonstrate the oneness and unity of all believers in Christ, Bakht Singh began a time of open
worship where every believer, regardless of his or her caste, color, sex, or back. ground was encouraged
to exercise his or her spirtual birth right of being a priest unto God by offering up his or her sacrifices of
praise and worship
He also started an ‘open’ Lord's Table to which every believer was welcomed He believed and practised
that all truly born-again believers are part of the Universal body of Christ and welcomed all believers to
the Table of the Lord without any question being asked. The Love Feast followed the Worship service
where everyone was welcomed and encouraged. It was wonderful to see people of all walks of life
enjoying food and fellowship in the Lord, where former Brahmin converts were now stooping down and
serving the converted untouchables who had become part of God's family The highly educated were
serving the illiterate and vice versa. Body life was fully in action for the blessing and the betterment of
each other 1n love.

Bakht Singh also began Holy Convocations, nine-day family gatherings where people from cities, towns
and villages, with various ethnic, caste and color backgrounds, converged together, ving, eating, meeting,
fellowshipping and praising God together What love—what unity!

While several people have attempted to break down the evil practices of the caste system, particularly
the plight of Dalta, Bakhet Singh succeeded in uplifting Dalits through the love of Christ. In doing so, he
demonstrated that only through Christ one can experience true spiritual oneness and unity of all people.
In this regard he was a true social reformer in Christ.

He was equally at home with the poor and down-trodden

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if Rural India as well as with sophisticated urban India.

Brother Bakht Singh of India

1) He made Christianity relevant to the people of India, The majority of Indians still believe that
Christianity is es. sentially a religion of the West, and one could not be a Chris. tian and an Indian at the
same time. By practising Biblical] Christianity, he tried to dispel such misconceptions and helped many to
realize that one can be a Christian and In. dian at the same time. Therefore, people, regardless of their
religion, caste or class followed the Christ of the New Testament without having to follow Western
culture. He applied the New Testament principles of the Church within the cultural background of the
people of India without contradicting the Word of God. Whenever there was conflict between the Word
of God and the culture, he allowed the Word of God to take precedence.

2) He demonstrated that one can trust the God of the Bible for every need, whether temporal or
spiritual. He did not have to beg for support from any man whether nationals or foreigners. But he was
open to accept any support sent to him by the people of God of their own volition. He taught believers in
the local assemblies the importance of tithing and encouraged them to give sacrificially as unto the Lord.

3) He demonstrated that the New Testament Church principles transcended time, place and people, and
could be applied to people of any culture, country, and language without compromising the Word of
God.

4) He taught and practised the importance of partnership in missions, where East and West could be
united, to fulfil the plan and purposes of God.

5) He believed and practised the centrality of the Body of Christ, the Church, where all believers are
united into one Body, working together under the Headship and Lordship of Christ, to show forth His
fullness, unity, wisdom, and glory.

6) He preached the Living Christ in simplicity with the

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Power of the Holy Spirit.

26 Brother Bakht Singh of India

He loved and cared for all and was easily approachable to all those who needed him.

As local churches began to spring up across the State of Andhra and throughout India, breaking down
walls of sepa. Ration and building bridges of relationship, the fire of God’s life, love, hght and liberty
began to spread for the blessings of the poor and down trodden and all alike. As the ministry continued
to spread, denominational leaders and some Western missionaries, including some evangelicals, began
to be very entical of Brother Bakht Singh. Some began to brand him as “exclusive,” “non-cooperative”,
“anti-missions” and “anti-massionaries’, “sheep stealer” and so on.

“When Bakht Singh first began his labours in fellowship with, but not as a member of, mission societies,
he was greatly admired for his many qualities. Many had cause to wonder at hie mighty diligence and of
all they saw in him pertaining to godliness. But when he began to remove things which could be shaken
‘that those things which cannot be shaken may remain’ (Hebrews 12:27), many walked no more with
him. Most of the critics were moved by hearsay and fear, but I know not a few who have had a different
story to tell after meeting the man of God in person.”
“I was surprised and shocked to find how the evangelical missionaries I met froze when I spoke of him,
and accused him of being anti-white. But the truth is that he is not anti-white, but anti-death when it
goes by the name of life, no matter what the colour of the skin.”*

In 1956 Dr. Billy Graham invited Bakht Singh to open his Madras Crusade with prayer, which he gladly
accepted, and he was on the platform not only with Graham but aleo with the bishop of Madras and
other denominational leaders.

He worked closely with WEC mismonaries and Operation Mobilization and attended the Lausanne
Congress on World Evangelism in 1974. As time permitted, occasionally…