Here Is the Story of One Such Man Whose Only Support Comes From the Great Commission Fund

Vorre Veerraju has been a pastor and church planter affiliated with us for decades. He was trained in one of our affiliate Bible schools and has always been a faithful servant. He used to bring young people from his village to attend his Bible classes and encourage them to start serving the Lord. One of those kids is now in our Bible Institute, studying to become a pastor. Vorre’s faithfulness in doing little things for the Lord has indeed turned into big things.

 He started his ministry among Hindus, and after establishing two churches, he began to plant his third church in a dangerous area. It was not far from a well-known temple in a radicalized Hindu community, so he prayed for the place continually before going there. Many told him not to go, as it was known for its fights and zeal for Hinduism. Some told him to find an easier and less dangerous place to start his next church, but he knew there was no easy way when serving the King of Kings.

So, he started his ministry in the village of Relli Veedhi, where there are only 20 families. They are dangerous people and very poor, so he understood that even if he successfully started a church among them, they could not even feed him, but he determined that he was going there for souls, not for food or money. He started preaching, teaching, and praying for them. As he began his work, he taught them about another kind of love they had never heard of or experienced, one that involved a different kind of sacrifice, unlike the animal sacrifices they give to their gods. People started to convert and gather daily at a selected place to worship the Lord. Men, women, and children started coming to the Lord in such numbers that the local leaders were shocked, and they determined to do whatever they could to put an end to the conversions. Their thought was to cut the head off the snake.

As men of God and Christians, there is always a battle after a blessing and a blessing after a battle. The leaders of the area were shocked to see a man who himself is poor, alone, and knowing that the area is a bad one, would still come on a bicycle with a Book in his hand to convert their citizens from their millennia-old gods and ways. But they didn’t know the awesome power that his Book held. So, they planned to beat and threaten him, believing that would force him out of the area.

One Sunday, as he was leaving Relli Veedhi, a group of men surrounded him and beat him with sticks so severely that they broke his left leg. After this, they threw him on the side of the road into the bushes and, like the Apostle Paul, left him for dead. He was bleeding profusely from wounds that covered his entire body and was losing consciousness. Then, by God’s grace, a student traveled along the road on a motorbike. He saw Vorre, badly beaten and seemingly unconscious, as he passed him, but he looked the other way. After passing, something in his heart convicted him and guided him back to the Pastor. He picked him up, took him to the hospital, and admitted him. This event was very similar to the story of the Good Samaritan. Yet, this man had never heard that story or heard of Jesus.

Vorre was bedridden for three weeks and afterward announced that he would go back to Relli Veedhi village to finish what he started. He said he wanted to go back to this place where he was treated so badly, and with a Bible in his hand, to fight for the Lord. This incident happened on March 18, 2021, and he is fully recovered; the church was planted, survived persecution, and is reaching its community. We are so proud to have pastors like this one in these times of despair.

Vorre has a Godly family. His wife helps him in the ministry, and he has two kids, a boy and a girl. His son Issaku is now attending Bible school, and his daughter is studying intermediate classes. Please pray for this family, as they are poor. Their only sustenance is that they have a church that feeds them. If it had not been for the Great Commission Fund, Vorre and thousands more like him would have had no support.

An Update:

The prefix of the town, Relli, is a subcaste description of people who only work in fishing and sewage. Their caste is restricted to this type of labor. So, they are considered the dirtiest workers and are, therefore, among the “untouchable” class of Indian society. Thus, Vorre had targeted the lowest of the low. Our pastor started three churches before he became sick; his last church was this one. Today, the church is still small, being in a tiny community, and has a young pastor whom Pastor Vorre trained. However, in the Spring, when his photo was taken, and shortly after we received this report, he became very sick and is now with our Lord.

If you are ever tempted to feel you are doing nothing for the Lord, think of Vorre and realize that he and others like him can do what they do because of your support, no matter how small you may consider it to be. Together, we are fulfilling the Great Commission.