Testimonies of transformation

Here's how the Holy Spirit transformed the lives of people who attended TIPP's annual Pastors Family Conference.

A couple giving their testimony at the end of TIPP’s annual Pastors Family Conference in India.

We just concluded our annual India Pastors Family Conference, wrapping up at 3 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. in India) this Thursday morning.

This three-day conference over Zoom was extraordinary for all of us at The India Pastors Project (TIPP). We took a deep dive into biblical teachings on marriage and relationships, fostering conversations that touched hearts and strengthened bonds.

Here are my accounts of Day 1 and Day 2 of the conference.

And here are two things that truly make these conferences unforgettable: uninvited guests and testimonies of changed lives.

Uninvited guests

More people attended this year’s conference than we expected.

We had capped the event at 100 pastors and their wives — a total of 200 attendees — mainly to keep costs manageable since TIPP pays for all conference expenses, including travel, hotel room and food for each attendee.

But by the end of the first evening, our liaison in India, Pastor KP, texted me with unexpected news.

“Fourteen additional couples showed up,” he said. “They’ve been here since the opening prayer. They heard about the solid teachings and didn’t want to miss the Family Conference. Should I send them home?”

My response? Of course it was “no.”

This, after all, is the kind of “problem” we’re thrilled to have — 28 people traveling hundreds of miles, uninvited, because they’re hungry to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the four-year history of TIPP, we’ve encountered this “good problem” several times.

KP says that Indians have a hard time taking “no” for an answer. For many, the chance to attend is worth traveling long distances, trusting they’ll find a way in.

Of course, those extra 28 attendees come with a price tag. This time, we paid an additional $2,100 to the conference center for their lodging and meals. But in God’s economy, that’s a small price to pay for the eternal impact these moments have on lives and families.

Testimonies of changed lives

At the close of each night during the conference, we invite attendees to step forward and share what they’ve learned from the day’s teachings. Many people are eager to tell their stories.

We heard a couple of themes repeatedly:

• Put family first, ahead of ministry.

• Men and women are equal in the eyes of God, even if the Lord has given husbands and wives different roles. Traditional India culture (and Hindu culture) is patriarchal.

Here are some of those couples and their testimonies. FYI, I was unable to hear or understand the names of most of these people. Also, Pastor KP translated each of the testimonies into English.

Some of the testimonies praised Chuck, Tim and me. To be clear, we are only messengers of God’s word. All glory goes to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The husband said:

“During the last two nights, I couldn’t control my emotions. I was weeping and crying due to the teachings. You helped me understand that I had been negligent to my wife and children over the years because I focused so much on my ministry. You helped me understand that my first ministry is my family. I must do better to train my children up. My wife and I must do more to work together.”

The husband said:

“This was a landmark conference for us. It has created a windstorm in our marriage life. It’s like we have been in surgery the last three days. You three doctors — you three teachers — have done surgery for all the pastors and their families this week. Open-heart surgery. My wife and I have been bitter to each other for years. Last night we both confessed to each other and promised to stop being bitter. For the first time in 24 years, I said ‘I love you’ to my wife.”

The wife said:

“For my entire life, I was told that the woman is only good for the household. For the first time, I heard preaching about how God truly values women and wives. God says we are equal and that we can bring true value to our husbands’ ministries. I am thrilled and grateful to hear what the Lord has for me in this life. I am eager to tell women in my church who they are in Christ.”

The husband said:

“I am both grateful and angry. I am angry because why did I have to wait until I was 50 years old to hear this teaching? If you would have come into my life earlier with all of these teachings, I would have rectified so many problems. I cared for my ministry so much that I didn’t take care of my wife and children very well. I was crying about this last night. It was the first time that my wife had seen her husband cry. In the past I would fight and shout with my wife. I’m sorry for being rude, honey. I haven’t done a good job. You’ll see a different husband and father.”

The wife said:

“For the last 14 years, I’ve been battling life and death. I couldn’t find a purpose. My husband treated me like a garbage can. Traditional Indian society wasn’t kind to me. I was not useful in my husband’s ministry. But this week the Holy Spirit began speaking to me here, satisfying my thirst and reminding me who I am in Christ. I have responsibilities as a wife, but I also have value to God and am eager to do more with ministry. Pray for couples like us who are in the bondage of Indian tradition. My husband and I are breaking our tradition chains. The chains are broken.”

The husband said:

This was like a hospital. You gave us a miracle treatment. No other place in the world can you find this treatment. This is like a pharmacy where we can get medicine. Thank you for operating on myself and my family. A million dollars is not enough for the spiritual treatment our family wounds have received. I was not interested in coming to this, but then the Holy Spirit quickened my heart and led me to come. There was bitterness and hostility in our marriage, and the Holy Spirit has removed it.”

The husband said:

“During each session, the Holy Spirit ministered to our hearts and told us that our lack of love was behind our failures. I did not have a peaceful life because I wasn’t committed to family. We now better understand the roles of the wife and the husband and the importance of unity and oneness. After 10 years of marriage, this is the first time I’ve held my wife’s hand in public.”

The husband said:

“I really liked the teaching on 1 Corinthians 13 about love. Indian tradition says that wives are good only for the kitchen and bedroom. But you helped us understand the true value of wives and their love. I resolve to focus on building my family and loving my wife. Ministry starts with the family. I was touched by the teaching. It helped me understand how to love my wife and train my children in a Godly way.”

The husband said:

“I plan to take all these teachings back to my church to help couples who are struggling. All the Bible families you taught us about are good examples for this dying, dark world. Thank you for lighting our spiritual journey with Jesus.”