Prayer & Evangelical Fellowship of the Crusaders of Cross

Present Work

Himachal Ministry

The ministry in Himachal Pradesh started on on 17th October 1998. Since that moment Pastor Rufus began to pray about Himachal Pradesh, praying for a channel to enter into the state. An extensive inquiry discovered that a young man from Pastor Rufus' own state was ministering in Himachal Pradesh. Although the young man's name and place of residence was not known, Pastor Rufus prayed with intensity that the Lord would open a way into Himachal Pradesh. One night, at 12 o'clock, he was awakened from his sleep with the buzz of the calling bell. Surprisingly he found out that the man standing at the gate was none other than the young man ministering in Himachal Pradesh. It happened that the young man came to participate in a program in a nearby village, and on inquiry found that Pastor Rufus was interested in Himachal Ministry. This small piece of information led him to knock on the door. Pastor Rufus knew that the Lord was opening doors for him to go to Himachal Pradesh. He made a promise to the young man that he would visit him in three months, and by God's abundant grace Pastor Rufus could step on the land in which his heart was always dwelling.

There is currently one church in Himachal Pradesh, with a local brother as Pastor.

Rev. Rufus in short sleeve shirt and the interpreter in Daulathpur, H.P.

Kona Seema Ministry

Kona Seema means 'the corner land'. This part of the state of Andhra Pradesh is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is a delta area lying within the tributaries of River Godavary, one of the great rivers of India. The ministry started with a young man by the name of Mr. Srinivasa Rao, who came into the faith after witnessing a great miracle happen in the family after Pastor Rufus' prayer. The young man dedicated himself for the labor in God's vineyard. Church Service started in a hut on 19th December 1993 in his village, Meraka Palem. The ministry steadily grew and now expanded into fourteen churches with eight Pastors. The first church is a permanent structure constructed with RCC, and accommodates one hundred people. Two congregations worship in small temporary sheds erected in the land donated by generous believers. The rest of the congregations conduct worship on the verandahs of kind families. The believers are mainly working in the coconut groves as hired hands.

Rajahmundry Church

The Rajahmundry Church started at Pastor Rufus' home in 1995 with one neighboring lady and a family of husband and wife with an infant baby. Now the church has twenty five families gathering for worship service every Sunday and is still meeting in the main hall of Pastor Rufus' rented house. Believers are praying for a large area of land for the headquarters church and for other purposes of the ministry. This church which had a total income of Rs. 200/- to Rs. 300/- every month grew to a total of approximately Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 14,000/-, equivalent to nearly US $222 to US $312. Because Pastor Rufus' emphasis was mainly in Himachal Pradesh, almost all the families comprising the congregation have come on their own without an invitation from him. Recently, during his trip to Himachal Pradesh, Rufus had taken a decision to concentrate more on this church and work for its growth. (The report of this trip is presented in his small book 'A Journal of My Trip to Himachal Pradesh.') This church is personally pastored by Pastor Rufus.

Other Activities

• Conducting CLSS (Christian Life Style Seminar) programs, mostly on request.
• Conducting youth retreats at various places, organized by appointment as well as on request.
• Outreach programs.

Achievements

Since its founding in 1981, the Lord has used PEFCOC wonderfully in reaching the people of northern India. Here are some of the achievements:

Evangelism

• Served in a criminal settlement called "Konda Karakkam" for two years during 1980-1982 with gospel outreach every week in the village center. Fostered a motherless child for two years by providing nourishment material and clothing.
• Conducted three public meetings of three days duration each -- two in Rajahmundry in 1993 and 1994, and one in Jamshedpur in 1995 in the northern state of Bihar.
• Organized film ministry in Himachal Pradesh for six months screening "Jesus" film.
• Conducted twelve Open Air Crusades of three days duration each -- ten in Merakapalem, and two in Gudapalli villages.

Bi-Centenary Celebration of Hymnist Purushottam Choudhary organized by PEFCOC on Nov. 23, 2003

Student Ministry

• Conducted District wide Student Retreats on every Indian Independence Day (August 15th) for four years from 1979-1982 in Vizianagram.
• Helped (fully or partially) nine students to pursue theological and secular studies.

Youth Ministry

• Conducted a One Day Retreat exclusively for the youth of Vizianagram local churches in 1989.
• Conducted a One Day Retreat for the youth of Kakinada Churches in 1994.
• Conducted thirteen PEFCOC Annual Youth Camps in Rajahmundry in the month of January over the course of three days each during Sankranti festival of Hindu religion.

Youth Camp in Vizianagram -- August 15, 1980

Equipping Locals for Ministry

• Conducted six 'Mission Challenge Crusades' as Public Meetings of three days duration each -- one in Visakapatnam, two in Kakinda, and three in Rajahmundry during 1995-97.
• Conducted One Seminar of three days duration on "How to Reach Our Muslim Brothers with Gospel" in Rajahmundry in January 1995.

Church Growth & Development

• Conducted eight Christian Life Style Seminar (CLSS) programs of three days duration each, one in Visakhapatnam in 1995 in the state of Andra Pradesh; one in Rai Pur, capital city of Chattisgahr state in 2001; one in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh in 1999; three in Rajpur in Uttaranchal state in 1992, 1993, and 1994; two in Dehra Dun in Uttaranchal state in 1994 and 1995. In the CLSS programs subjects like 'Christ Centered Life', 'Marriage Covenant', 'Disciplined Christian Life', 'Christian Integrity', 'Vision', 'Christian and Finance Management', 'Goal Setting', 'Missions and Ministry', 'Fulfillment of Prophecies', and 'Lord's Prayer' were taught.
• Conducted four one day Family Retreats -- three in Rajahmundry, and one in Nidadavole town of West Godavari District.
• Organized seven Gospel Tours of ten days to forty days duration through north India with large batches of men, women, and youth selected from south Indian states in order to give a direct exposure towards the need of gospel work in the northern parts of the country.
• Organized ten statewide College Lecturers Fellowships -- five in Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, one in Cuddapah, one in Guntur, and three in Rajahmundry.
• Renovated an abandoned and dilapidated church in Vizianagram and conducted Worship service every Sunday for three years in 1979-1982, until the Parish authorities of a nearby city accepted the responsibility and appointed a full time pastor.

Church Planting

Planted seventeen churches. Two in Himachal and Haryana states, one in Rajahmundry and fourteen in Kona Seema area of Andhra Pradesh.

• Meraka Palem
• Gudapalli #2
• Katrenipadu #2
• Koonavaram
• Ponnamanda
• Battelanka
• Irusumanda
• Katrenipadu Lanka

Outreach

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

Doors have been opened when we knock with the power of prayer.

• Organized Tract Distribution Program through the states of Himachal Predesh, Haryana, Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh in 2002 at altitudes ranging between 1000 ft. and 14,000 ft. above mean sea level.
• Published a tract and distributed 20,000 copies on Christmas day to non-Christians in Vizianagram in 1981.
• Published and distributed 10,000 copies of a Tract with Christmas message for non-Christians on Christmas day in 1993 through secular Daily newspapers.
• Published a and distributed 10,000 copies of a track in Out Reach evengelism.
• Conducted many outreach programs in many places in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• Conducted many programs of distributing tracts and praying at the beds of patients in the Government and Christian Mission Hospitals.

Literature Ministry

Under compulsion of a great desire, Pastor Rufus published a tract in English in May 1981 and it distributed among youth, through personally contacting them and also through postings at various colleges. The next month, when there was an oscillation in the decision making whether to continue the same, the Lord provided encouragement with these words, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). Thus came into existence the magazine 'Voice of the Cross'.

• Ran a monthly magazine from 1982 and 1997 of the size of total 24 to 48 pages each issue in three languages separately, titled:
  • 'Voice of the Cross' (English)
  • 'Siluva Awaram' (Telugu)
  • 'Kroos ki Awaaz' (Hindi)
• Published several tracts, books, booklets, songs books, golden-text calendars, Bible Markers, etc. in English and Telugu.
• Published a book, 'Sleevankamu', an anthology of Telugu Christian poetry of about 100 pages.
• Helped many destitute Children and helpless patients financially, and with clothing and bed sheets, etc.
• Conducted a five-day Crusade exclusively for Leprosy Patients (beggars on the streets) in Ramachandra Puram of East Godavaari district in February 1982.

Outreach to the Forsaken and the Forgotten

• Organized Christmas banquet for the inmates of a Leprosy Patients asylum in 1990 in Rajahmundry.
• Still many other programs to glorify the lord and propagate the gospel.

Future Plans

1. New Missionaries

   • To place at least twelve missionaries in the state of Himachal Pradesh by 2005.
     
     

2. Prayer Conference

   • To organize on prayer conference for three days in Himachal Pradesh with servants of God selected from Himachal Pradesh, and the neighboring states of Uttaranchal, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh in 2004.
     
     

3. Marriage Links

   • To establish a 'Marriage Links' project to help the Himachalis find alliances. Since there are very few Christians, even at the age of 40, young man and woman are remaining unmarried.
     
     

4. Employment and Training

   • To establish a Self-Employment and Training Center in order to facilitate Christian boys and girls to earn their own bread.
     
     

5. New Pastors

   • To place at least fifty pastors in Kona Seema area.
   • To construct at least 10 church buildings by 2005.
     
     

6. Mission Construction

   To acquire a large area of land in Rajahmundry to construct a Mission complex with:

   • One Headquarters church with 1000 sitting capacity.
   • One Seminar Hall to accommodate 100 people, with living accommodation and kitchen facilities.
   • One Mission Training Center to train up candidates as missionaries.
   • One Printing Press with, sophisticated machinery equipment for publishing the Magazine and gospel material.
   • A Self-employment training and Research Center to facilitate unemployed Christian youth with bread-earning know-how.
   • One studio to produce video Bible stories and life stories in order to bring home to people the Bible and the love of Jesus in a more effective way.
   • An "Ashram to be set up" in true indigenous form to facilitate educated, and orthodox natives attracted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.