第一顆種子

The First Seed

福音由兩組不同的人傳至印度。第一組被稱為真耶穌教團，而第二組則是本會，真耶穌教會。

The Gospel was preached to India by two different groups of people. The first group is known as True Jesus Mission. The second group is that of the True Jesus Church.

真耶穌教團的沿革及進展

History of True Jesus Mission and their Development

Zaccheus S.Ponniah在大約1930年間抵達當時的馬來亞‧霹靂區的怡保工作，他原本是一位Church of South India的信徒，在居留馬來亞期間，他接受了全備的福音並受洗成為本會的信徒。之後藉著神的大能，他行了兩件醫病的神蹟，在1931年7月18日，他被按立為真耶穌教團的執事。1932年藉著異象，他把耶穌基督的福音帶回在印度南部的Madathupatti,Tirunelveli的家鄉，藉著神的帶領與能力，在方圓300哩（480公里）的範圍之內成立了6所教會。

Zacchaeus S.Ponniah had come to Ipoh, the Federal Malay State of Perak, Malaya around 1930 to work. During his period of stay, he accepted the complete gospel and was converted and baptized into our church in Ipoh from another Christian denomination, known as CSI or Church of South India. After conversion, it was reported that through the Lord he had performed two great healings. On 18th July 1931, Zacchaeus Ponniah was ordained a Deacon of the True Jesus Mission in Ipoh. In 1932, through revelation, he brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ back to his native in Madathupatti, Tirunelveli, south of Tamil Nadu state, India. With the guidance of God and the power of the Lord, six churches were established within 300 miles.

當福音在迅速廣傳時卻爆發了第二次世界大戰，使得他們與馬來亞教會失去聯絡。這群信徒曾在1950年代嘗試與本會在中國上海的總部聯絡，卻因總部已搬遷而未能如願。當中印邊界的爭執漸趨緊張，雙邊的關係變得僵持不下。因此，要聯絡在中國的教會成為不可能的事，雖然如此，他們仍然持守住原本的信仰而且未和其他教派聯繫，在這段期間，他們是自治及自養的。

As the gospel spreads, came World War II. After the War, contact were lost and severed with Malaya. Attempts were made later by this group of believers to contact "The True Jesus Mission General Board" in Shanghai, China in the 1950s but they were not successful due to the fact that then the "Board" was no longer situated in Shanghai. As the "Border Conflicts" between China and India escalated, Diplomatic ties between the two countries was severed. Further attempts to contact with the churches in China were made impossible. Despite this, they had kept to themselves and had no contact with other Christian denomination. They were self-administered and self-finance.

爾後信徒流散到四方，如Tamil Nadu及柯啦喇（Kerala），並在那裡落葉生根、傳揚福音，教會在多個座落山丘上的茶園地帶被建立（尤其是柯啦喇）。但缺乏真理的根基，所傳的教義在長久的歲月中逐漸變質，他們隨即成為迷羊。

Members were later scattered to other parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. They brought the gospel to these new places that they settled in and churches were established in various tea plantation estates located on the hills（especially in Kerala）where they worked and lived. However due to non-contact with us, and their weak foundation in the Truth, some of their teachings changed over the years. They became the lost sheep.

在1996年末，一位住在巴瑪附近的真耶穌教團的信徒發現了在巴瑪的真耶穌教會，心生好奇，他即到本會詢問，藉著主耶穌的帶領，和我們失去聯絡達60年之久的真耶穌教團終於在1997年再度與我們相逢。

Near the end of 1996, a member from the True Jesus Mission who stayed near Pammal came across the True Jesus Church in Pammal. Through curiosity he came and enquire about the church. Through this, through the guidance of the Lord, the True Jesus Mission whose contact with us was severed for about 60 years was resumed in the year 1997.

在這7年當中，印度宣教部（IMC）和聯總的世界宣教部都積極與他們聯絡，並在真理上循循善誘，也看到一些進展──他們終於能明白「真耶穌教會」這個名字的意義及所含的真理，因此決定把名字由「真耶穌教團」改為「真耶穌教會」（我們稱他們為真耶穌教會在柯啦喇以及南印度的信徒），同時他們也表明願意歸回本會。然而，這必須依據主耶穌基督向本會所顯明的真理，及各人對真理的接受與實踐來衡量。

In these seven years, India Mission Committee（IMC）and I.A. Department of World Mission（IADWM）have been keeping close contact with them and putting in much effort in guiding them the truth. Some progress was made: they understand the significance and truth in the name "True Jesus Church." From the "True Jesus Mission," they have changed their name to "True Jesus Church" （to differentiate this group from the other, they are known as the True Jesus Church in Kerala and South Tamil Nadu）. They have also expressed interest in returning to the fold. However, the returning to the fold is a personal decision of each individual in the group and it is based upon the acceptance and practice of the Truth as revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ to the True Jesus Church.

真耶穌教會的沿革及進展

History of True Jesus Church and their Development

與上述相同，第一位信徒也是在馬來西亞接受福音的。這位名為雅各的印度籍弟兄（他原是其他教會的牧師），當時被雙溪大年教會在家庭聚會中所傳出來美妙的詩頌聲音吸引，隨即開始到怡保教會慕道，並於本會接受洗禮。1969年，他把福音的種子帶回印度。同年，幾位馬來西亞的執事前往印度協助傳揚福音，並在巴瑪以及安巴都成立教會。1977年，福音又傳至柯啦喇州並在那裡成立教會。福音也傳至其他州如Karnataka及Andhra Pradesh。

Similar to the first group, the first believer from this group also received the gospel in Malaysia. In this case, an Indian man by the name of James（pastor of another Christian denomination） was attracted by the beautiful hymns sung by our church in one of the Home Services in Sungai Petani. He went to Ipoh and started to search for the truth and he was eventually baptized in the True Jesus Church. Thereafter, he brought the gospel back to India in 1969. The Gospel was preached there that year together with a few Deacons from Malaysia. Churches were established in Pammal and Ambatur. The gospel was then preached to Kerala State in 1977 and churches were established. The gospel was later preached to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh States.

在聯總以及東南亞宣道中心（SEAEC）的協助之下，早期的印度聖工人員在多處設立了聚會所。這些教會目前由三個行政中心管理，即帕瑪（Pammal），安巴杜爾（Ambathur）及柯啦喇。聯絡處起先設在安巴杜爾，最後遷移至帕瑪。

In the initial few years, the Indian workers set up many places of worship with the support of the International Assembly（IA） and the South-East Asia Evangelical Center（SEAEC）. The churches were administered from three Centers: Pammal, Ambatur and Kerala. The Coordination Board was also established first in Ambatur and then in Pammal.

1994年，印度的聖工被交給印度宣教小組負責。從1997年至1999年，我們每年都派一位傳道在印度駐牧長達5個月，以協助牧養以及宣教工作。印度的神學訓練中心在1999年竣工並於同年舉行獻堂禮。時至今日，我們仍然持續不斷的訓練工人、聖職人員、青年以及宗教教育，印度聯絡處則在2001年被重組。

In 1994, the work in India was passed on to India Mission Committee（IMC）. Beginning from 1997 till 1999 resident preacher was stationed to stay for five consecutive months in India to establish the pastoral and evangelical work. India Theological Training Center（ITTC） building was constructed and dedicated in 1999. Trainings for Preachers, Ministers, Youths, and Religious Education Children are on going. India Coordination Board was restructured in 2001.

至今，印度共有6間教會、2兩間祈禱所以及5處聚會據點，信徒人數大約有800位。同時有8位執事、3位傳道和4位實習傳道。在Tamil Nadu的聖工進展順利，但在Karnataka以及Andhra Pradesh的聖工進展緩慢，柯啦喇教會的聖工則停滯不前，因他們隸屬阿曷瑪士（Ahimas），而阿曷瑪士已因某些因素被本會除名。

At present there are six Churches; two Prayer Houses; and five Places of Worship in India. Membership stands at about eight hundred. There are eight Deacons; three Preachers; and four Trainee Preachers. Work in Tamil Nadu is advancing. Work in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is slow. The work in Kerala is at a standstill due to the church non-attachment to us and their attachment to Ahimas, which was excommunicated from the church.

目前印度聯絡處藉著聯總宣教部和印度宣教小組之援助下，將繼續帶動印度的聖工以竭力達到「自治、自傳和自養的目標」。

Today,India Coordination Board（ICB）with assistance from IADWM and IMC will continue to prosper the work there. They will work towards a church that is "Self Administer,Self Propagate and Self Finance."