On this occasion, most of the new ecclesias and preaching locations I visited were in small rural towns. In Pakistan, where more than 90% of the population is Muslim, there is usually a ‘Christian’ section in each rural town, tucked away in a back corner. It’s in these areas that the truth takes root - often beginning with one Christian family, and then spreading to neighbouring homes on either side, who are typically relatives or long-time friends.

A clear example of how the truth spreads - and why baptisms in Pakistan often involve many people at once - is what’s currently happening in Manwala, a rural village on the outskirts of Faisalabad (Pakistan’s 3rd largest city). Around 20 contacts gathered to hear my talk on the promise to Abraham and the hope of the resurrection, translated by Bro Basil Feroze. These contacts comprise an extended family living nearby one another in very humble circumstances, including three brothers and their households, along with other neighbours who are close friends.

They were originally Catholics and first encountered Christadelphians 18 months ago during a visit to Mariamabad (‘City of Mary’), home to one of Pakistan’s well-known Catholic churches. There they met Bro Basil, who began sharing the true gospel with them. Since then, he’s made regular 1.5-hour trips to Manwala to continue teaching. As the entire extended family has been working through Christadelphian first principles together for 18 months, it’s likely that most of the adults will be baptised in the near future at the same time.

Bro Matthew Jamieson.  For information, email [email protected]