This information was available in 2005 and from the looks of things, christian missionaries have succeeded well in Andhra Pradesh.
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Canadian Christian missionary on mass conversion spree May 30, 2005
Andhra Pradesh may become a Christian majority state if the current spree of mass conversion continues.
One of the most powerful men behind the conversions in Andhra Pradesh is the missionary, Mr. D. Ron Watts, a Canadian, who heads the Southern Asia Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Mr. Ron Watts is famous for his ‘cluster bombing churches’ with his $10 church programmes. Dorothy Watts, an American, and wife of Ron Watts manages the US finances for the mass conversion programme in India, and Andhra Pradesh in particular. They both have a well-organized network in India, which has the support of the local politiciansas well as his cohorts. It seems that their work became much easier due to official help rendered by Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy’s Government. Conversion activity suddenly increased as soon as Congress Government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi assumed power at Federal Government.
Surprisingly, Mr. Ron Watts and his wife have come to India on Business visa, and are ‘engaging in activities which are incompatible with their visa status.’ According to Indian law visitor on Business Visa cannot engage in such activities. Now-a-days it is customary among missionaries to enter on Business visa though the earlier mode has been Visitor Visa. Ch. Vidhyasagar Rao, Minister of State for Home declared in Parliament that officially no missionary entered India in the last 30 years. They brought in more than 400 foreigners on Business visa for conversions in India. The two frontline organizations that are facilitating conversions by building thousands of churches in India are Maranatha International and Global Mission. These organizations too have come on the invitation of Mr.D. Ron Watts. The business entities Mr. Watts uses as front-end for his nefarious activities is not know.
According to the May 13, 2003 issue of the official news bulletin of the Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters based in Maryland, Washington, Mr. Ron Watts has converted 500,000 people within a period of just five years in India which translates to 300 people/day.
“India, with its population of 1 billion, is among the countries that present an acute challenge to church growth for Seventh-day Adventists. The church is growing rapidly in India, says Ron Watts, president of the church’s Southern Asia region. “The church has grown from 225,000 people to over 700,000 in five years. In a culture that places a high importance on a house of worship, we urgently need churches to accommodate these new members,” he said.
According to a report, Mr. D. Ron Watts has requested Maranatha to build 10,000 churches. Kyle Fiess, Maranatha marketing director, reports:
“We were astonished when Ron Watts presented us with a proposal for 10,000 churches in India. That seemed like a fanciful number until we began working there and witnessed the immense potential. As we have completed each project, many in areas with no prior Christian influence, we have seen the Holy Spirit move in incredible ways throughout India,” Fiess explains.
“After many experiences like the one in Ongole, we no longer consider 10,000 churches to be an unrealistic goal, but an unparalleled opportunity. Maranatha’s experience in India has reinforced our commitment to constructing simple houses of worship as an effective way to spread the Gospel throughout the world.”