The emerging trend
The key objective of the Special Leadership Seminar held in Bangalore from 12-16 October 2005 was to motivate the TOP marketplace leaders to be evangelists and apply Biblical principles in their respective workplaces. Another goal of the seminar was to set new benchmark for quality standard to attract such TOP leaders to HI seminars. The success of the seminar tells the accomplishments of the set objectives. The seminar was breakthrough in bringing out a new paradigm in HI ministry in India.

The Common factor
What does a Member of Parliament from Manipur, India’s leading educations from Mumbai, a builder from Chennai, an IAS officer from Coimbatore, CEOs & Senior Executives from TOP global and national I.T. companies, the mother of India’s leading tennis player, a manpower consultant from Delhi and the CEO of one of Bangalore’s leading Mission Hospitals have in common? They all represent leadership of a cross section of the “marketplace”, bound together by a hunger to seek and do the will of the Lord Jesus Christ to make Him known in a world that desperately needs Him.

The Impact
Twelve marketplace leaders along with five full-time Christian leaders came together at the brand new C.E.O. Centre at the South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies in Bangalore from the 12th to the 16th of October for a time of intense learning in the hands of some “mighty men of God” – servants of God like P.K.D. Lee, Pravin Moudgill, R. Rajkumar, Dr. George Samuel, Sam Rufus and Valentine Davidar. The focus of the four and a half day seminar was on ‘how’ these top leaders could enhance their witness in their own respective marketplace environments. The Devotional theme “Intimacy with God” helped the busy participants to grasp the importance of developing a deep and lasting relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and this would be the very basis of their ability to “live and proclaim” the Gospel in the context of their own experiences in the marketplace. From the testimonies of the participants it is clear that all of them experienced a lasting encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, an experience that would contribute to the advancement of the Kingdom of God in the marketplace-

1. “I have learnt that intimacy with God is crucial to sharing the Gospel. I also realize the urgency of doing so. I can and will make a change in my city of Mumbai.”- Dr. Augustine Pinto, Chairman of Ryan group of Schools
2. “I am an elected leader for my state for many years only now realize that I am very poor leader. I have many changes to make, especially as a ‘steward’ of my family.”- Mani Charenamei, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha)
3. “ I have missed so many opportunities to share the Gospel and save lives… and I will do it now.” - Dr. S. Benjamin, Director (CEO), Bangalore Baptist Hospital
4. “I seriously considered leaving the Seminar as I believed that evangelism was for evangelists and ‘hearing form God’ did not happen to marketplace people-until God spoke to me for the very first time. I look back at all the missed opportunities-but I am now convinced and equipped.” - Augustus G.S Azariah, DGM (HR), IBM Global Services, India Pvt. Ltd.
5. “I considered myself as leader without fully understanding what ‘leadership’ was-now I know. I lost 49 years, I am in hurry now to share the Good News to Top leaders with the opportunities I have as Mahesh’s mother.”- Meera Bhupathi, Mother of leading Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi.