Dear brethren in Christ,
Greetings to you in Christ name. India has been very fertile land for cultivating Christianity. Over 50 yrs of mission efforts has helped the church to be established in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The great effort of evangelism has given wide open opportunity to establish congregations in the state it all started in Urban areas, gradually spread to villages, and later it took a very high speed in going into the most remote areas like villages that do not have water or electric facility. Further into villages/hamlets where there are no roads, where one can only reach by walking for hours. Efforts of missionaries have given wonderful results of acquiring more souls to Christ and churches began to grow in number, spirituality, and Leadership.
As the years go by, the older dedicated men who were the reason for the first phase of evangelism and acquired wonderful results through their dedicated efforts, now needed someone to carry forward the responsibility of Evangelism and Leadership. Since the Evangelism opportunities were wide open, missionaries have looked into some other avenues like translating and publishing Christian literature as well as FM Radio Broadcasting. This increased the need for more, Bible educated preachers and leaders to reach the lost. This has given opportunity to start full-time preacher training schools in India.
The establishment of the church in the City of Visakhapatnam has a history of over 50 years; however there was no full-time preaching school established. Brother Muppidi Samuel Raju, who was the founder and director of Visakha Valley Bible College had noticed this opportunity of establishing a full-time school in Visakhapatnam, which is a big industrial area where people from surrounding districts and states like Odissa, Bihar and Chattheesgaudh often travel. The Elders who are overseeing the Bear Valley Bible Institute were looking for a place to establish a school in India. So, after a thorough examination and discussion done by the brethren who represent BVBID, the Elders gave permission to start the School at Vishakhapatnam with the monthly support from Lake Houston Church of Christ, Houston, TX under the oversight of the Elders of Strickland Church of Christ who have known brother Samuel Raju since the year 1999.
In the year 2008, the school began with great excitement in the City of Visakhaptanam. Everyone in the church rejoiced with this new establishment. Several men and untrained preachers showed great interest to join in the school, and rushed to get admission into the new full-time school. God had given a great opportunity to brother Samuel along with two preachers from the Visakha area along with his son, Muppidi John Dean who is a graduate of HCU, AL. This new school got everybody’s attention in the city and around, which lead to teamwork in reaching out to some weaker congregations and remotest place where there is need of evangelism. It resulted the preachers getting together every month starting from Visakhaptnam reaching to the neighboring districts such as Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam. The program called ‘Preachers Fellowship Meeting’ furthered the opportunity of providing education to the local men who would carry out the gospel to their own communities and also working preachers being edified.
As the years went by there was need for providing space to more students along with the congregation that had been established in the school premises. The school premises were owned by Samuel Raju and his wife, who both willingly dedicated it for the mission purpose, which had been a long-time dream of brother Samuel Raju. With the help of the brethren, the school started to expand it wings of training men to preach. Gradually, the school facility has been able to have a space for the students to live, study, learn, worship, eat, cook, store and also to host guests. We are very thankful to the brethren who made this possible, especially the Elders at Strickland and brother Jerry Bates. We were encouraged through Jerry and Paula’s regular visits and listening and understanding the mission field information. They have always responded so positively which enable us to publish thousands of Gospel Tracts, Hymn Books in Telugu Language and distribute hundreds of Bibles to graduates of our school. We are very thankful to Jerry and Paula for their great encouragement to the school as well as to the students.
Our school is known for not only a full-time school but also provides practical education to the students. This is an essential program that has to be in the training program, it makes the students to be more practical in learning to preach. The great model our Lord presented through training His disciples for three and-a-half years motivates us to conduct a program called ‘Gospel Campaign’ . it’s a program gives a great opportunity to reach out to strangers with a gospel tract, opens up an opportunity for a Bible Study, and to recommend the local congregation in that area. Every time we conduct this, it provides our students a practical education, at the same time it helps the local congregation and the minister in reaching out, getting to know the people around. Also annual programs such as Seminars and Lectureships give the students to learn and organize the programs and also to serve in their capacity. Moreover, youth program like VBS/Youth Rally/ Future Preacher Training Program gives more understanding of the avenues to work in the mission field to help establish a congregation and to edify them.
So far 6 batches of successful students have been sent into the real world ministry after their graduation. So far 100 graduates have bee sent out to the mission field. We heard there are 106 congregations that are in operation to date. So the 15 years of efforts under the leadership of Brother Samuel Raju has given these encouraging results. We humbly praise God for all the short course teachers who have made all this possible, to God be the glory and to the leadership of Bear Valley International.
Love from all the students, faculty and staff at Visakha Valley Bible College .
In Christ,
John Dean M
Visakha Valley Bible College