Erich Bergen
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
My name is Erich Bergen. I live in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. I love the Lord Jesus and want to worship Him through a life of relationship and service. In the year of 2016, while connected to an online Church, I felt the Lord say that I was called to the nations. Not long after that, I connected with a brother from a village near Kakinada, South India. A fire began to burn in my heart for the billion-soul harvest. Where better to start than in a country with a billion-plus people?
After Pastor Kommu Ananda Kumar and I got to know each other, we established JC International Ministries, which now runs under pastor Anand’s personal website. This ministry generally seeks to establish the Kingdom of God through training and equipping the saints. We currently partner with One Hope, which has provided Christian-based children’s literature, educational materials, and bibles for Sunday school education. We are also working with ISOM (International School of Ministry) to develop a bible college to train and equip pastors.
My first visit to India was in November 2018, just two years after we met via Facebook.
The ministry has grown tremendously, from starting off with a Bicycle and going from village to village preaching the Gospel to bigger crusades. We have since purchased a Car, built a Church, trained Bible school students, and strengthened other ministries, including Children’s and women’s ministries and Pastors.
My Experience
- Administration and Planning at a missionary school in Paraguay.
- Maintenance
- Preaching
- Outreaches in different communities
- Leading Small Groups
- Supporting different ministries.
- Building and construction.
If you feel called to help us in any way, whether through service, educational materials, or financial support, we would love to hear from you.
Annual Plan 2024
Anand Charitable Trust India
To see great commission breakthrough
Vision: Equipping people of India to plant healthy multiple churches
Ministries:
Church planting
Children Education centers
Community Development
Widows Care
Church planting
Church planting in unreached villages and which villages had more Idols worshiping. And, for the least reached people groups. Church planting also involves disciple-making by training our pastors and women leaders. Focus on House churches for discovering bible study together and raise disciples among them.
- The church planting initiative strategically targets unreached villages with a concentrated effort in areas where traditional idol worship prevails.
- Cultural sensitivity guides our approach, integrating Christian teachings harmoniously with local beliefs and practices to foster acceptance.
- Prioritizing the least reached people groups, the project tailors outreach programs to address unique cultural and linguistic challenges, ensuring inclusivity.
- Pastors receive theological and practical training, empowering them to lead congregations effectively amidst challenges like idol worship and cultural nuances.
- Recognizing the pivotal role of women, our project trains women leaders to actively contribute to community development and spiritual growth.
- House churches are established as community-centric spaces, promoting intimate worship, Bible study, and fellowship, fostering a more relational approach to discipleship.
- This model, being flexible and inclusive, allows individuals to comfortably express their faith and grow together in a nurturing environment.
- House churches contribute to a multiplication effect, enabling each community member to become a disciple-maker, leading to organic growth.
- The impact is measured not only numerically but also through spiritual transformation, testimonies, and positive contributions to the social fabric of the villages.
- Overall, the holistic church planting approach seeks sustainable, long-term impact by embracing cultural diversity, empowering local leaders, and fostering vibrant house church communities.
Child Education Centers
The Children Development Center (CEC) serves as a nexus for the holistic advancement of young minds, fostering an environment where children not only acquire knowledge but also engage in play and exploration. Positioned as a bastion for the disciplinary assessment of children, the primary objective of the CEC is to facilitate both secular and spiritual development. Our mission involves a meticulous examination of each child’s unique challenges, addressing both personal and educational dimensions to guide them toward enhanced proficiency.
Within the CEC, the daily regimen commences with a dedicated study hour, followed by engaging activities in the subsequent hour, culminating in a moment of reflection through prayer. Recognizing children as the torchbearers of the future, the CDC is committed to molding them into individuals who not only excel personally but also inspire others. A key facet of our vision involves contributing to community transformation by instilling love and knowledge-sharing, thus creating a positive ripple effect.
Key activities
- Friday – Worship songs & Sports Activities
- Everyday nutrition meal per child
- Once a month – Guest to teach activities and songs to the child
- Quarterly meetings with parents
- Summer camp – VBS – three day or one week
Community development
Our plan is to address water scarcity in villages by strategically installing borewells. Many communities currently face the challenge of inadequate water supply, compelling them to travel long distances for this essential resource. By implementing borewells, we aim to alleviate this hardship, providing a sustainable and accessible water source for these villages. This initiative seeks to enhance the quality of life for community members, offering a more convenient and reliable water supply and ultimately contributing to improved well-being and community development.
Widows care
Initiating a widow’s support program, we recognize the significant challenges widows face due to family neglect. Many endure loneliness without essential support. Our efforts focus on ensuring their well-being by providing medical assistance and nutrition support, enabling them to sustain themselves with daily necessities and maintain good health in their later years. Additionally, we plan to conduct regular widows’ prayer meetings, fostering a sense of community and emotional support. By organizing house churches in their homes, we aim to create spaces for spiritual growth and connection, offering a holistic approach to improving the lives of these widows.
Goals
- Presently, we have 200 pastors organized into 8 teams, strategically positioned across five districts in Andhra Pradesh. We are preparing and expanding our reach and impact. A total of 200 (and continue adding pastors) will receive monthly training, ensuring they are well-equipped to engage in church planting initiatives collaboratively. Through our teachings and unwavering support, we are fostering a dynamic community of pastors, united in their mission to make a positive and lasting impact on the communities they serve. Together, we are dedicated to cultivating growth and transformation through shared knowledge and collective efforts.
- Currently, we are providing educational support to 30 (and adding) children, and we are excited to share our plans to extend this assistance to one more child. Through our commitment to education, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of these children, empowering them with the tools of the gospel and opportunities needed for a brighter future. With each additional child, we are expanding our reach and reinforcing our dedication to fostering, learning and development within the community.
- Having successfully supported 100 widows, we have witnessed a significant positive impact within the community. Encouraged by this success, we are now prayerfully considering expanding our efforts to include additional villages. Our goal is to extend our assistance to at least six more villages, reaching out to more needy widows. Through this expansion, we aspire to bring about transformative change, providing not just material support but also a sense of community and spiritual care to those who have experienced loss. Together, through our collective efforts and prayers, we aim to make a meaningful difference in the lives of widows across these villages.
- We have identified ten villages where a sustainable water source is crucial. Our plan is to initiate the installation of borewells in each of these villages. This strategic effort addresses the pressing issue of water scarcity, providing a reliable and accessible water supply for the communities. By targeting these specific locations, we aim to make a significant impact on the lives of the residents, enhancing their daily living conditions and fostering community well-being through the provision of clean and accessible water.
Monthly Budget:
1) Monthly Pastors training program expenses:
Food for 200 Pastors Meeting per month = $320 USD
2) Support for Evangelism, church Family needs (Outreach and Evangelism)
200 Pastors $20 per pastor per month = $4,000 USD
3) Children’s Education Center:
Children Nutrition and Education: 30 Children Monthly
$10 per child per month = $300 USD
4) Widows care for medicine and food:
100 Widows in multiple villages, multiple religions. (Medication etc.) According to James 1,27
$15 X 100= $1,500 USD
5) Bore-wells. The plan is to reach 10 wells in 2024. We are currently at 2 wells.
Cost per Well $800 USD
Total Cost for 10 Wells $8,000
Total Need to complete the project of 8 more wells: $6,400 USD
6) Sound speaker and or instruments for village churches once a year.
Distribution is every December for Pastors or Churches in our team.
Cost per speaker is $100 USD
Total Pastors 200
Total Cost $20,000 USD
