Westminster Biblical Missions

Founding

Westminster Biblical Missions, incorporated October 4, 1973, has its roots in historic Presbyterianism. Westminster identifies its doctrinal foundation in the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Biblical signifies that the Bible, God’s only infallible revelation of rules and practices for mankind, and especially for His church is the determining factor in the testimony and ministry of the mission. Mission specifies the special area of its operations. Through its historic connections with the Independent Board For Presbyterian Foreign Missions, the issues that gave it birth in 1933 led to the adoption of “Standing in the Faith, Defending the Faith, Spreading the Faith” for its motto. The strategy adopted has been described in the book, Planting and Development of Missionary Churches (1885) by John L. Nevius. This is summarized in such statements as planting national churches that are self­supporting, self­governing and self­propagating.

In late 1972, Macedonian calls from Korea and Pakistan came to a small group of Presbyterian ministers and laymen in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Dr. Robert S. Rapp, one of the founders of Westminster Biblical Missions is the best authority on how the Holy Spirit was directing in Korea. Since I have been involved in the Pakistan field from the very first, I am able to share some of the important factors involved in development of that field.

One of the Christians in Pakistan taking a strong stand for the defense and confirmation of the Bible was Mr. Sardar Ahmed Din, an elder in the Lahore Church Council (the name of a Presbyterian denomination in Pakistan). Mr. Din is the product of Presbyterian missionary endeavors. He was raised in a rural area where his father worked as a laborer and when Sardar was a boy of five, his mother died leaving a family of a husband and three boys. At that early age Sardar had the responsibility of cooking for the other members of the family who were out seeking work in the fields. While doing this, he would also walk three miles barefooted to a school. He is the only member of his family that ever became literate. Through contact with Presbyterian missionaries who would frequent the area, he was given an opportunity to attend one of their schools and was challenged by a woman missionary, who became his spiritual mother, to join her “Life Service Group”. Its purpose was to challenge Christians to “serve Jesus Christ all of their lives.” Sardar did this and has never to this present time deviated from that decision.

Through various circumstances, including a scholarship for playing basketball, Sardar was able to attend Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan. He not only graduated with his BA and did work on his Masters degree, but he was also awarded a number of honors while there. Upon graduation he was invited to work for the American Consulate in Lahore. There he held a number of responsible positions. He also worked for the Fulbright Foundation in helping to train its personnel in Urdu, the language of the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Because of his Christian character and economic development, a marriage to Nasim, a daughter of a prominent Anglican minister in Lahore, was arranged. Nasim’s family background includes a great grandfather who was martyred by the Seiks when he became a Christian. Sardar was active in the Lahore Church Council of Pakistan, which was the field of the old Northern Presbyterian Church. While serving at the American Consulate, Sardar would go out many evenings a week and preach in the slum areas of Lahore. When he became aware of the issues known as modernism in the churches in Pakistan, he took a strong stand against those who were denying the infallibility of the Bible, the virgin birth of Jesus and other cardinal doctrines of historic Christianity. As the World Council of Churches sought to bring its liberal influence into Pakistan, he took a strong stand against it. This led him into contact with Dr. Carl McIntire and the International Council of Churches. Because he was convinced of their sincerity in seeking to defend historic Christianity against all forms of modernism, he became active under their banner. There were a number of other Christians who joined in this movement and who disassociated themselves from the World Council of Churches. They declared themselves to be part of The International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC) and which became known as “The Twentieth Century Reformation Movement.”

Dr. McIntire and the ICCC sought to help the national churches in their struggles by sending financial help to churches. In the process of time there became evidence of financial corruption in the management of these funds in Pakistan. Because Sardar was the treasurer of the Lahore Church Council (Bible Believing) which was to receive some of these funds, he used his own personal funds to meet the commitments made to his church when the funds did not arrive. When he had exhausted his resources and failed to get any satisfaction from Dr. McIntire, his church group sent him to the USA to inform Dr. McIntire of the corruption in Pakistan and to seek reimbursement for his money. Sadly, he received no help from Dr. McIntire. It was while he was here in the USA that a friend of mine, Rev. Ara Euredjian, who had served in Pakistan as a missionary with the Independent Board For Foreign Missions, brought Mr. Din to my home in Villanova, Pennsylvania where he stayed for some time. It was at this time that some of us became aware of this problem. Because it paralleled Dr. Rapp’s experience in Korea, a number of us who were concerned began to investigate these reports, and after thorough investigation, which included my making a two week trip in October, 1973 to Pakistan to secure first hand information, it was decided to form Westminster Biblical Missions with the purpose of helping these brethren who were in need.

 

Plans

The first efforts were to establish a seminary to train pastors for the churches. WBM promised to sponsor the seminary and would provide all of the financial resources necessary. A faculty was formed composed of qualified teachers in Pakistan. Dr. Robert Rapp, who was experienced in seminary work set up the curriculum and the first class was begun April 25, 1974. There were approximately 25 students which included a number of pastors who had not had adequate training previously.

The literacy rate among the Christians in 1974 was reported to be about 8 percent. In order to strengthen the churches, WBM also agreed to sponsor literacy centers. A program was begun to train teachers in a teaching method already being used successfully in Pakistan was begun. It was estimated that it would cost about $25.00 per month per center. Initially there were about twenty five centers established.

WBM began its ministry cooperating with two Presbyterian groups which had separated from their parent bodies because of their involvement in the World Council of Churches and other liberal ecumenical groups. In time, it became necessary to discontinue cooperation with one of these denominations when it was discovered that they were not honest in administering and reporting their Bible literacy program.

 

Indigenous Principles

The basis of cooperation with both groups was that WBM would not become involved in providing funds for building churches, paying pastors’ salaries and other church activities. Financial commitment was only to sponsor the two programs mentioned. Apparently many of the pastors were not convinced that this would indeed be followed. After a number of years the Lahore Church Council (LCC) saw its pastors and churches dwindle from thirty three pastors to only three. Other bodies came and offered financial help, and so many chose to go with them. It had also been agreed that if there were not five or more students in the seminary its program would not continue. Again, because the prospects of financial help from outside was not being offered, not many students were inclined to come to the seminary. When the number of students did indeed reach only four, the program was discontinued for about six months. After that time, more students came and the seminary was reopened and has continued to the present time. The seminary will accept a student only when he is recommended by his pastor. He is then examined so as to discern if he has a call to the ministry and meets the entrance requirements. A student must have completed the equivalent of our high school education. We had tried in the past to provide classes for some who had not reached that level, for in the villages school classes sometimes do not go beyond fifth grade level. When it was found that we were not equipped to provide the extra training these students needed, this program was discontinued. There has been an average of ten students in the seminary. The graduates have gone into various groups with a good number remaining with the Lahore Council of Church. The LCC now has thirty pastors, almost all of whom are graduates from our seminary.

This indigenous group has been growing, not only in number of pastors and churches, but also in its financial commitment. An example can be seen in their sponsorship of an annual five day convention which is held yearly at the seminary. From 1992 to 1999 the number of those attending has grown from six hundred adults to an average close to three thousand in 1999. Simultaneous children’s meetings are conducted with about three hundred each evening. The cost of these conventions is considerable as those who come from a distance and stay at the seminary are fed. The cost of rental of tents, chairs and food in 1999 was over three thousand dollars. All of this was provided by the Pakistanis. WBM cooperates in giving a gift and in helping to provide speakers from the USA whose expenses are not charged to the convention.

The value of such conventions, which are also sponsored by various other Christian groups, is that they help the Christians know that they are not alone. Many live in relative isolation from other Christians, often suffering persecution and being discriminated against in schools, work, and society in general. Our participation helps them realize that they are part of a worldwide community of Christians.

 

Facilities

The Lord provided funds in 1988, enabling the purchase of two acres of land on the outskirts of the city of Lahore, in an area where several Christian communities are located. By 1989 a building was constructed and dedicated for the Lord’s work with the seminary as the main activity. The Christian community around the seminary grew. Efforts have been made to evangelize the nominal Christians in the area near the seminary andin others. Students either find their own areas of service or are assigned one for their weekend ministries. From the first there was resistance and opposition from the Roman Catholics in the area, for they make up a majority of the those living in the surrounding community.

There was a need for a safe place for children from three years of age to about eleven who during the day are left alone while their parents and older brothers and sisters work. The streets in the village not only lack sanitation, with open sewers all over, but there are many other dangers from deep holes plus the danger of physical abuse by other children and even adults. In 1992 Sardar and Nasim Din, seeing this need, began a school with seven students using the seminary facilities. Most of the Christian children in the area would never have an opportunity to attend school, and those who do are often discriminated against by not being permitted to use the water fountains and bathroom facilities used by the Muslims; they are also often subjected to pressure to convert to Islam. As of October 1999, the school has grown to over one thousand one hundred and fifty students in grades nursery to tenth. The facilities of the seminary have been increased so as to provide class rooms for all of them. There are many on a waiting list wanting to enter for there is a dedicated Christian faculty and staff providing excellent training for the students. The Lord in his providence took Nasim Din to her home in heaven on March l4, l997. However, because she and her husband had laid a good foundation for the school, it not only continues but is growing. Four other schools have been established in which there is a total of over three hundred students.

A new school Calvin’s Academy No. 3 will open in October 1999. The first phase, a building with eleven classrooms, an office and faculty lounge are ready for the 400 to 500 students that are expected. It is estimated that within five years there will be at least 2,000 students.

Because of the poverty of the parents, a minimum charge of about eighty cents a month is required for each student, with discounts when there are more than one in a family. Because of the impact of the school in the families, the whole community around the seminary has been benefited in many ways. The doors of the homes are now open for evangelizing, where as before there was great resistance due to orders from the Roman Catholic priests. That opposition in the community has now ceased.

 

Clinic

The schools are located at least seven miles from the nearest doctors and medical facilities. The Lord has enabled us to open a clinic currently operated by a registered Christian nurse. Christian love is shown by providing medical help and advise for a few cents each call which often includes free medicine and even being taken to a doctor or hospital as the need requires. Those being served incude all the 1,150 students and their families, the seminary students, all the faculty and staff and their families and both the nominal Christians and Muslims who live in the area.

 

Pastors

WBM has sought to encourage the pastors by giving monetary gifts at Christmas, and seeking to give each a bicycle every five years. This is a pastor’s primary mode of transportation to visit his congregations. Often a pastor will have five or six villages for which he is responsible. The seminary also provides a center where they gather each month for fellowship. Special studies are given them from the faculty and staff of the seminary. Rev. Sardar also is helping them by translating good Reformed books into Urdu, their native language. Among the books translated are The Five Points of Calvinism by Edward Palmer, and The Attributes of God by Arthur Pink. Because the Sunday School programs are either non-existant or very weak, Mrs. Nasim Din had been training one of the seminary students in the organization of Sunday Schools. Since his graduation in 1995 he has been assigned this work .

 

Proceeding by Faith

WBM is thankful to the Lord for the privilege of being partners with our brethren in Pakistan, for we together with our many partners are an essential part of this work their ministry. It has been a great blessing to see the Lord do all of this without a resident missionary. This indeed is His doing. We ask for your prayers and financial help as we continue as their fellow servants. Please contact WBM if you have any questions, or desire more information.

Posted on March 1st, 2007 by Rev. Earl Pinckney
Filed under: Pakistan