Once upon a time, this beautiful country was ravaged by civil war. Though her doors were not barred to outsiders, very few visited, as no one wanted to be caught in the crossfire. Today Sri Lanka is back on the map for two reasons – it is an upcoming tourist destination and a hotbed for missionary work. Bishop Immanuel Jonathan shares his first experience of the New Apostolic Church in Sri Lanka.
A Country Ready for God
In 2013, Bishop Immanuel was told to plan a trip to visit the congregations in Sri Lanka, but due to visa issues, it took him two years for his journey to become a reality. Like everyone else, he was curious about this beautiful country often referred to as the gem of the Indian Ocean. On 24 October 2015, he set out to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka is situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, has a population of 5.6 million and is made up of 15 zones. Tucked away in one of these zones is Mattakkuliya, a small suburb where the Kelani River meets the Laccadive Sea. It is also the home to many Christian communities and churches.
Photograph by Anuradha Dullewe Wijeyeratne
An Extra Large Church for our Members
In 2007, a large church was built in Mattakkuliya which comfortably seats 300 members. It is by far the largest NAC church in Sri Lanka to date, and it has two floors. The Sanctuary Hall covers a large portion of the ground floor along with a Sacristy, seminar hall, kitchen, and office rooms. A 60-bed dormitory occupies the entire first floor.
Bishop Immanuel reached just in time to attend the Divine Service in Mattakkuliya. He was overjoyed to celebrate the Service with his brothers and sisters from another country. The congregation was celebrating a wedding that day as well and he felt very happy to experience a wedding in a different culture.
Hills, Tea Estates and Church Visits
The next day, Bishop Immanuel set out to visit Matara, which proved to be a beautiful trip –rolling hills, tea plantations and waterfalls. As much as he enjoyed the scenery there was a lot of work to be done. He spent the first two days in a Sunday school seminar organized in Upcot and attended by eight teachers.
The next day he visited the Rappahanock church which sits in the middle of tea estates. He met the Priest, Deacon, Sunday school teachers, members and children.
The following day Bishop Immanuel proceeded to another estate in Portmore. Many familiar faces from the day before greeted him, and another Sunday School seminar was conducted.
The Bishop spent the last few days of his journey in the congregation of Avissavella. A one-day seminar for Sunday school teachers, ministers and the youth. That day everyone was treated to a big surprise – District Apostle Helper David Devaraj from India visited them. Accompanying him were the ministers and youth from the Mattakuliya congregation.
On the last day, a Divine Service was held in the Avissavela Church. Once again, Bishop Immanuel got to celebrate with the church members, this time around it was a birthday celebration of one of the church members.
Bishop Immanuel summarizes his Sri Lanka trip as “a great learning experience, because many things had to be seen, listened to and understood”. He is looking forward to returning and working there in the future.
Words: Immanuel Jonathan / BBMH
Images: Immanuel Jonathan