Bakht Singh

Bakht Singh ( born June 6 1903 in Joiya, Punjab, British India; † 17 September 2000 in Hyderabad, India) was a Christian preacher and evangelist Indian.

Curriculum vitae

Bakht Singh (then British India, later Pakistan), born on June 6, 1903 in Joiya in Punjab as the second of nine children of a wealthy contractor. He was raised as a Sikh and spent much time in the Sikh temples. Since then, the child marriage was common, he was married at the age of 12 years with a three-year old girl. Although he attended a Christian missionary school, he wanted to know nothing of the Christian faith, so he hated the Christians, since Christianity was widely regarded as a religion of the hated British colonial power. This hatred of the British intensified in the entire population, as it came on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikhs to Amritsar massacre. Bakht Singh expressed his hatred expressed by the fact that he tore him presented at the conclusion of an examination Bible.

In order to help his father, he began to study Mechanical Engineering in London, to which he still joined a study of agricultural equipment for a successful conclusion. In London, he conformed to the English lifestyle and eventually even shaved his beard off, so he gave up his religious tradition. To prove that he was not narrow-minded Indians, he also attended a Christian church service on the voyage to Canada. By this time he had the desire to learn more about Jesus Christ. He began to read the Bible, and was convinced that he is a sinner and that Jesus Christ died for his sins. In February 1932, he was baptized. Soon he found himself called by God to serve him as a preacher and evangelist in India. This service began in 1933 in Karachi under the street sweepers, the lowest caste. His wife left him when she realized that he had changed his religion.

When he held evangelistic meetings in Martinpur in June 1937, where it caused a revival. Bakht Singh, who had been an unknown itinerant preacher until then, was by this event among Protestant Christians widely known. So he got the opportunity to preach in different places in front of thousands of people. In Madras to his sermons in 1938, a prayer movement of the various denominations came across. When he preached in Madras in 1940, he was perceived by the other Christian leaders as too radical, especially as he criticized their way of life. Then he was no longer allowed to preach in the churches. This in turn alienated many church members who had been blessed by the ministry of Bakht Sinh, of their leaders. Many believers asked Bakht Singh, continues to do his service in Madras.

Despite the expected strong opposition, he decided to start a business outside of the established churches in Madras, with the aim to realize the model of the early church. He rented since July 12, 1941, a meeting place, the ( " The Lord is present " dt ) got the name "Jehovah - Shammah " was. Here he also began the annual so-called "Holy convocations " (Eng. "holy gatherings " ), which brought together Christians from different parts of India. Often set up this then new churches in their hometowns.

In 1950 he founded the base " Elim " in Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh for himself and his employees. In 1959, she then moved to " Elim " to another house, which they called " Hebron ." In the same year they bought the house "Jehovah - Shammah ". Starting in 1963, the publication of the " Hebron Messenger " began (Eng. Hebron messenger ) and Bible correspondence courses.

During the whole time he led at different locations in India through evangelism, making hundreds of new communities arose. He also made lecture tours through Asia, America and Europe. In Germany he visited, among others the Bodelschwinghschen institutions, the Brake Bible School and the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Free churches in Ewersbach.

In August 1986 began in his physical decay, so that he was in need of care. Bakht Singh died by 6 clock in the morning on 17 September 2000 in " Hebron ." From the day of his death until September 22, the day of his funeral, more than 600 000 people came to " Hebron " to pay their last respects. The number of people who attended his funeral, is estimated at a quarter million.

Operation

Its operational procedures shall, inter alia, characterized by the following points:

• Prayer: He often spent nights or even whole days in prayer before major decisions together with other Christians.
• Bible: He regarded the Bible as the Word of God. He read the Bible again and again and could very many Bible verses by heart. He expected every Christian that he has its own Bible. This went so far that he even asked the illiterate to buy a Bible.
• Worship: In the church the worship of God has been given a lot of time. Because everyone should participate in it, this time could take up to several hours.
• Independence: He acted independently of other churches and mission societies. In particular, he paid attention to the financial independence from abroad. Where this independence has been maintained, but he also worked with foreign missionaries.
• Community: The doctrine of the unity of all Christians, he practiced by common love-feasts. Thus, the barriers between races and castes have been breached. This was not, of course, in the Christian churches of India.
• Possessions: Throughout his ministry he has had no further personal possessions as his clothes, his Bible and a bed. He did not even have a bank account.

Works (selection)

Bakht Singh has never written a book. In the books published under his name is in the transcripts of his sermons, which were revised for book publication.

• The joy of the Lord. Publisher K. Frei, Winterthur 1964
• David recoverd all. (Eng. David brought everything back. Evang. writings Schwengeler -Verlag, Winterthur 1970)
• The Return of Gods Glory. (Eng. The secret experienced revival. Schwengeler -Verlag, Berneck 1979, ISBN 3-85666-013-5. )