What Is the Opportunity?

Spoken by nearly 100 million people, Marathi is one of the main regional languages of India, spoken primarily in the West Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the world’s sixteenth most-spoken language.

The first Protestant missionaries to Maharashtra arrived from America and Britain in the early nineteenth century, bringing the teaching of the gospel with them. Around the same time, the first Bible translation into Marathi was begun under William Carey’s supervision at Serampore, India.

The total number of Christians in India today is debated, but it’s estimated that they make up seven percent of the population. However, even a small percentage of India’s population equates to hundreds of millions of people. The church is growing rapidly as more people hear about the life-transforming truth of the gospel.

However, as the church grows, so does hostility toward Christians. There are many accounts of persecution toward Christians and churches in India, such as the targeted persecution of people who have converted from a Hindu background. Furthermore, local officials often have a hand in stirring up opposition. For example, in 2025, a member of the Maharashtra state legislature publicly offered a bounty for the death of Christian pastors in the state.

As persecution intensifies, Marathi-speaking Christians deeply desire to know and understand the promises of God’s Word. Our prayer is that the provision of faithful Christian teaching will strengthen the church in India and provide gospel hope in times of trial.

How Is Ligonier Meeting These Needs?

With your support, we are striving to reach Marathi-speaking pastors, laypeople, and unbelievers through the following outreach efforts:

Web and Social Media

By God’s grace, the truth of the gospel is reaching Marathi-speaking people online. Ligonier’s dedicated Marathi website, together with our Facebook and Instagram pages, is providing trusted Bible teaching from Dr. R.C. Sproul and other gifted teachers. The website includes translated articles on topics relating to the Christian life, the Ligonier Statement on Christology, and historic Christian creeds.

The Ligonier Statement on Christology

Confusion abounds regarding Christology, the doctrine of Christ. As the church continues to grow, it is imperative that believers learn the truth of Scripture summarized in the great confessions of faith. We produced The Word Made Flesh: The Ligonier Statement on Christology to help Christians know what the church has historically taught and to provide clarity on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to distribute this statement worldwide, and it has already been translated into numerous languages, including Marathi.

Books

Growing interest in Reformed theology has sparked requests for more discipleship resources from Dr. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries. Our plans include translating and distributing the following titles from the Crucial Questions series:

• Who Is the Holy Spirit? by R.C. Sproul
• What Is Faith? by R.C. Sproul
• What Is the Gospel? by R.C. Sproul
• Who Is Jesus? by R.C. Sproul

Recently Published Booklet:

• Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? by R.C. Sproul

What Is Needed?

• Digital outreach — $15,860 USD (annually)
• Translating and publishing print and digital editions of four Crucial Questions titles — $12,084 USD

Funding needs reflect quoted estimates based on September 2025 foreign exchange rates and current translation fees.

How Do Your Gifts Help?

By God’s grace, your faithful prayers and thoughtful generosity enable the translation, printing, and distribution of trusted Bible teaching in Marathi. Donate today to help spread the truth of God’s holiness and grace to Marathi-speaking people in India and worldwide.

Our policy is to apply gifts given toward a specific program. If we receive more contributions than can be wisely used for a given project, we apply these funds to meet other pressing needs in our outreach efforts. We are committed to stewarding all gifts wisely toward the goal of proclaiming the holiness of God to as many people as possible. Ligonier Ministries is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.