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| A missionary from Himalayas looked towards the plains and prayed and Delhi Bible Fellowship was formed... Read more to know how. |
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THE BEGINNING OF DBF
(Murray Carter)
My name is Murray Carter. My wife Florence and I served in India with The Evangelical Alliance Mission, (TEAM), Florence for eighteen years and I for seventeen. We met and were married in Mussouri. Our two daughters Laura and Annette were born in India; Laura in Mussouri and Annette in New Delhi . When we were not able to get a visa to return to India the Mission asked us to open a new field in Italy where we served until 2004. In 1968 while I was helping out in a camp at the Deodars Spiritual Life Center, I walked to the top of a hill near by . As I looked at the ever lasting snows on the peaks of the Himalayas, I thought of the many valleys with many villages between me and the peaks and I prayed, "Lord who will tell the people there that Jesus is the Saviour of the world and that He died for them?" I knew that it would not be I as there was a line beyond which foreigners were not allowed to enter. I turned and looked towards the plains of India and prayed for the millions who had not yet heard the Gospel. I thought of Caleb's request to Joshua, "Now, therefore, give me this mountain." He asked to be given the mountain where the giants were. I then prayed, "Lord, give me this mountain." But I was not looking toward the Himalayas' but toward the plains. In a sense that is where DBF was born. It was a time when TEAM was pressing its missionaries to concentrate on church planting. When I shared my vision with the Field Council I met with great encouragement and we moved to New Delhi to begin a new work. With the help of our field chairman, Charles Warren and Dr. I. Ben Wati we found a place to live in Nizamuddin. We had come to New Delhi because we had a lot of correspondence course students there and it being the capital city it seemed to be the best place to start. But, where to start, what to do? I asked all of my friends that I met and everyone that I thought might be able to tell me. Each person had a different idea and the advice I received was often conflicting. Finally a good Presbyterian brother, John Dorsey, from Faith academy said to me, "Carter, why don't you stop asking questions and get to work. Start a meeting in you home." I believed that it was a word from the Lord and we started a Hindi meeting on Sunday mornings and an English one on Sunday afternoons. Brother Lawrence Smith took the Hindi meeting and I led the English service. We invited about 1000 correspondence course students to come and three showed up. The staff of Youth For Christ, Gaston and Margo Singh, Sheila and Sonny Massey came to the first English meeting along with Alex and Janet Singh and Lawrence Smith. The Hindi meeting grew very slowly, but the English service took off. Within a year we had out grown our living room and court yard and moved to the YWCA Constantia Hall. We were at a loss as to what to call ourselves, then one Sunday afternoon Dr. I. Ben Wait called me and asked, "Who is speaking this evening at the Delhi Bible Fellowship?" I said to Florence , "That's it. We have our name, THE DELHI BIBLE FELLOWSHIP." It was evident from the very beginning that God's blessing was on DBF, week by week people came to know the Lord and we conducted baptismal services every couple of months. When we first moved to New Delhi I had challenged Pastor Charles Warren to join us. His reply was, "Get me a church started and I will come." After six years of God's blessing we were ready for our home assignment in Canada. I reminded Pastor Warren of his promise, he and his wife Anita came to Delhi . When we returned to New Delhi after one year the Sunday evening service of the DBF had more than doubled in attendance and there was standing room only in the Constantia Hall. We moved to the banquet hall of the Imperial Hotel. Years of great growth and great blessing followed as Pastor Warren took the leadership of DBF. What I have written is just a little of the beginnings of DBF. Respectfully submitted, Murray Carter
Forty Years of Delhi Bible Fellowship
The Year 2008 is very special as our Church is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Our church had a humble beginning in 1968 and ever since, has been playing crucial role in mentoring, nurturing and providing both spiritual & emotional support to many people. All these years the total commitment of pastors, elders and deacons has been instrumental in shaping our church to this level. Today’s accomplishment is mainly due to sacrificial ministry of many men and women of our church over the past 40 years. Many of such senior members are still part of our church, providing support and direction.
How DBF was started
(By Shiela Massey)
My brother Sonny Massey and I were Bible club directors with the YFC and we were leading souls to Christ through TaMI (Teens are Most Important) clubs. One concern that we had was where to send them on Sundays. We did not know of any Bible believing church. I remember vividly the exact place in my living room where I knelt down to pray to ask the Lord for a church where we and our contacts could go and be fed on the Word of God. A stranger walked into our home just then and introduced himself as Rev. Murray Carter, and he shared his vision. God had answered my prayer. The beginning services of DBF were small, and we all participated heartily. My father’s booming singing voice still echoes in my heart. We were a happy group of people; Murray, Florence, and little Laura brought real cheer into our lives. Murray never spared a Sunday: even if there was one stranger, he always gave an invitation to receive Christ, and invariably, every Sunday he saw souls come to Christ. The first English Bible study began in our home. Murray taught the book of Ephesians. We were not aware that God would be calling our mother home soon. My mother loved the Bible studies and she loved the Carters. God had sent them for us. How they rallied around us and what a Christ exalting funeral my mother had. DBF had become a part of our lives. DBF moved from Nizamuddin to YWCA Constantia hall. I was often called to sing and share my testimony. YFC contributed much by way of personnel and programmes. Shyamli and Krishna attended frequently. Shyamli recalls how Rev. Carter invited different people to give their testimony. One evening, the second ranking diplomat in the American embassy was asked to share his testimony. He shared his experiences of God’s grace and protection, and while sharing, he broke down several times. God had in the past used the song “Amazing Grace” by John Newton, a former slave trader, to draw him to Christ. His testimony took up most of the preaching time, but the audience and Rev. Carter were absolutely riveted. Recognizing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Carter allowed the gentleman to continue and closed the evening service, saying that we had already been ministered to and there was no need for a sermon. Shyamli remembers the impact of his testimony on her life and on several others. The Singhs, Promod Haque and his family were regular too. Our director Gaston and Margo Singh brought music and the Word often. DBF grew by leaps and bounds, becoming the Evangelical Fellowship of Delhi. Men and women who comprised the leadership of DBF were people of the Word, prayer, theological equipping, and integrity. I was excited about what God was doing in our body and invited several of my friends to the warmth of our fellowship. The services at the Imperial Hotel—our new location—brought about dignity and grandeur when one walked into the ornate room and saw the pastoral team well dressed and seated on the platform. The messages were well prepared and rendered from the heart. There was variety and Christ exalting music. The services started right on time, and if we were late, there were no seats available. Pastor and Mrs. Charles Warren, veteran missionaries with TEAM, joined DBF after a long and fruitful ministry at Union church Mussorie. A gifted Bible teacher, Rev. Warren fed us on the Word of God weekly, and his wife made people wanted and loved. I believe they were incomparable. He and Murray encouraged my brother the then vice president of YFC to lead a ministry team to US and Canada. I declined, because I had just returned from New Zealand, and suggested that Shirley Singh go in my place. Sonny, Myrtle and Philip Massey, Shirley Singh, Kaurabi Sweet and Daphne Bengers comprised the team and represented DBF and TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) to the US and Canada. This brought about a spirit of expectancy. When the Warrens left, we felt a shepherd had left. Even pastor Mala, the pastor of the Hindi DBF, said, “Gale lagane wala chala gaya.” A stream of pastors followed. Pastor Robert Reid brought solid teaching of the Word, Pastor Ramesh Richard reached the intellectual, Rev. Alex Singh ministered to the university students, and so on. I left to be a missionary under International Needs in the Northeast in September 1989 and returned June 1996. May we be fishers of men and not only keepers of the aquarium.
Sheila Massey
1st Treasurer of DBF
Milestones of our church
1968 DBF started as a Home Church in Nizamuddin at Rev. Murray Carter’s home. Our founder pastor & his wife Florence were instrumental in establishing this home church. Mr. Lawrence Smith, who presently living in Dehradun was the first member of DBF. Sis. Shiela Massey, Mrs. Janet and Rev. Alex Singh were founder members of DBF.
1969 The Name “Delhi Bible Fellowship’ was given. Evening Service was started at Constantia Hall, YWCA. It was known as ‘Bible Fellowship Hour’, attended by people belonging to different denominations.
1971 Worship service started at Basement of Mr. Bishen Singh’s House at Safdarjung Enclave.
1972 South Delhi congregation was established and started meeting at Vikram Hotel. Pastor Charles Warren joined DBF.
1973 DBF was registered as a Society under Society’s Registration Act.
1975 Evening service started at Banquet hall of Imperial Hotel.
1979 Morning service was started in Triveni Kala Sangam near Bengali Market. After some time Evening service was also started at the same venue. There were three congregations at that time.
1980 During early Eighties North Delhi (Mukherjee Nagar) congregation was established.
1992 South West Congregation was established at Mount Carmel Jr. School. 1
993 DBF worship Centre building at 22 Bhai Virsingh Marg near Gole market was inaugurated
1994 Paschim Vihar Congregation was established
1996 Another building Aradhana Bhawan, at Dakshinpuri was inaugurated.
1999 First congregation at Gurgaon was established.
2003 Vikram congregation was shifted to Sat Pal Mittal Auditorium.
2003 Land for church building was allotted in Gurgaon.
2004 Hindi congregations at Aaya Nagar and Badarpur were started.
2006 Hindi congregations at Sangam vihar & Paschim vihar were started
2008 Hindi evening service was started at Sat Pal Mittal auditorium
Today we have 17 congregations (worship services) and each congregation is unique in its composition, catering to the needs of people-group belonging to diverse background. Yet our church functions as one unit, ‘holding forth the Word of life’. The concept of ‘unity in diversity’ is kept alive. The spiritual leadership provided by our pastors, both present & past and administrative leadership provided by the Board members, committee members and all other leaders have been truly reflecting fulfillment of God’s plans.
Some of the Prominent Pastors who served DBF:
Rev. Murray Carter (Founder Pastor)
Rev. Ralph Seefeldt
Rev. Charles Warren (First Senior Pastor)
Rev. (Dr.) Ramesh Richard
Rev. (Dr.) Junias Venugopal
Pastor R.K. Mala (Hindi Pastor)
Rev. Alex Singh
Rev. (Dr.) Robert Reid
Rev. (Dr.) Sukhwant Singh Bhatia
Rev. Joel Mathai
Rev. Ashok Singh
The present Pastoral team serving in different DBF Congregations:
Rev. DevenderVerma, Rev. Thayil John, Pastor Arvind Balaram, Pastor Barnabas,Rev. Ivan Moses,Rev. Robin Weekes, Rev. Jeremy Dawson, Rev. George Herman,Pastor David Bright,Pastor Chandran Kadambavanam,Rev. Anand Varghese Abraham, Pastor Anand Lal and Pastor Prasoon Goel
The DBF office is looked after by Surekha, the Administrator, assisted by Samson and the Central Delhi congregation office is managed by Shobana Vetrivel, Naro Ao and Akshay Rajkumar in different area of ministries. There are lot others who are involved in different area of ministries in other DBF congregations as well. (Inputs from Rev. Murray Carter( Founder Pastor), Sis. Sheila Massey( 1st Treasurer of DBF) and Bro. Joseph Manoharan( formerly Chairman, DBF Board) |
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EVERY BRICK COUNTS!! our LORD JESUS CHRIST is the cornerstone of DBF. Thanx 4 taking us 40 yrs back, recounting the details! We learn from our seniors' committment and as we carry the baton, pls pray that our Lord's faithfulness may be us, as it was with them! May we, the new board members, carry with us the love n fear of God, as we execute HIS work!!
Florence. |
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| I used to participate in the church services of DBF, Paschim Vihar, Delhi. |
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