Telling it like it is BY JOHN MOORE | PASSIONFRUIT MINISTRIES
It was a stinking hot day at a leadership conference in Vijayawada, India. We were standing in a long line of pastors waiting to be served a bowl of curry and rice. A middle-aged man walked up and said to me, “They came to kill you last night!” His closely following companion chimed in, “Oh yes, but they put their rocks down because it was a very nice message that touched their hearts.” It turns out that a group of hostile young Hindus had joined together with some equally upset Muslims with a plan to kill me in the slum area during the event. The problem 30 FEB/MAR 20 QB.ORG.AU
was that they had showed up at a peace event and God rearranged their lives within a forty-minute message. I remember seeing their angry defiant eyes slowly melt away as tears began to flow down their softened faces. For me, this is a common scene in my travels. Thousands of people have committed their lives to Christ in India on each trip. I’ve been doing my peace events for quite a few years in India, Africa, USA, and Australia. In some ways the events could be likened to a crusade, but there are some distinct differences. Usually
they are quite a bit smaller than full blown crusades (200-2,500 people). Often, they can be held in a church hall, a workshop, a theatre, or in an open field. A church in West Hollywood, California, incorporated craft into the event but they were a bit of an anomaly. If possible, several churches combine together to provide a venue, great music, and a meal. The message is the heart of the event. This is not just an approach we use overseas, Australians readily respond too. My son, Syd, joined me in three peace events, and a three-day leadership conference with several hundred pastors. He was blown away with what took place. His main experience has been with extensive youth and children’s ministries in the USA. Concerned Australians often ask, “What about the follow up?” Our ministry is not pioneering
