Countries Where We
Assist Native Ministries
Overview
Persecution of Christians is on the rise throughout South Asia, as radical Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists seek to “purify” their countries of religious minorities.
Despite this persecution, Christianity is rapidly growing in this region. Today in India, between 15,000 and 20,000 people are baptized every day. Northern India still contains the world’s largest number of unreached people groups, however. India’s Christian leaders are beginning to collaborate on how to reach these groups.
In the Islamic country of Pakistan, radical Muslim groups flourish. Many Christians are falsely accused of violating Pakistan’s “blasphemy laws” and imprisoned. Islamic extremism has significantly increased during the last 10 to 15 years due in large part to Islamic education centers where 40 million children are taught to persecute religious minorities like Christians.
Christians comprise less than 2 percent of Pakistan’s population and are at the bottom of the socio-economic strata. Likewise, Christians are typically the poorest members of society in India, where the gospel is taking root among the low-caste populations. Though India is the world’s largest democracy, more than 300 million people in India still live below the poverty line.
How You Can Make a Difference
Ways To Give
Evangelism & Discipleship
Workers with one Christian Aid Mission-assisted ministry South Asia have planted a total of 600 churches, which are attended by approximately 24,000 people. The ministry’s theological institute trains and equips native believers for Christian service. Church-planting missionaries settle in urban and rural communities, establishing relationships to win souls to Christ. This ministry has established a church in every major city inside of its country. GIVE NOW to help evangelistic and discipleship ministries like this one in South Asia.
Community Engagement
Since 1974, a Christian hospital has provided medical care, along with the gospel message, to poverty-stricken people suffering from ailments such as leprosy, tuberculosis, blindness, and malnutrition. The staff conducts free eye camps in the villages surrounding the hospital, performing simple surgeries to restore sight to thousands of people who would otherwise be severely limited in their ability to earn a modest living. Every year, the medical team screens approximately 10,000 patients at the eye camps and performs around 2,000 surgeries, mainly for cataracts. A hospital chaplain shares the gospel with patients and 30 gospel workers have established fellowships in several outlying villages. The hospital has helped construct church buildings in many small communities. GIVE NOW to help community engagement ministries like this one in South Asia.
Compassion
Human trafficking runs rampant in India. Every hour, four girls enter prostitution, three of them against their will. Girls as young as 10 years are trafficked from economically depressed neighborhoods to major prostitution centers. An indigenous ministry is successfully rehabilitating survivors of forced prostitution back into the community as self-sustaining citizens who love the Lord Jesus. Through basic life skills, education, vocational training, counseling, and help with housing, survivors of trafficking are finding healing and restoration. GIVE NOW to help compassion ministries like this one in South Asia.
Exclusive Stories from the Mission Field
Support Kingdom Expansion in South Asia
A church pastor with a gift for touching people’s hearts with the gospel recently visited nearby villages and shared Christ continuously. Many people hearing his message immediately accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. The Lord also worked through other workers, giving speech to a young mute woman and bringing peace of mind to a mother whose nervous disorder had left her unable to eat, sleep or work. Both put their faith in Christ. Donations of $25 or $50 are sought for workers to share the gospel and nurture the faith of new Christians. Pray that all barriers to workers sharing the gospel would be overcome.
Provide Gospel and Discipleship Training in South Asia
More ministry has resumed as COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, though more persecution has come. Workers recently trained 60 elders and evangelists to be better leaders, and many families received training and counseling to solidify their faith. The Lord delivered several people from diseases and unclean spirits, and they put their faith in Christ.
Help Transform Lives with the Gospel in South Asia
Native Christian workers visited a man who was a hard worker but was addicted to alcohol. He had no peace, but the workers counseled him, prayed with him and told him about God’s love, and he accepted Christ. Pray for him as pressure from relatives and others keeps him from attending worship services.
Help Plant Fellowships in Sri Lanka
Besides offering instruction at a Bible school within its church, a native ministry trains young people for missionary outreach every Saturday. Ministry personnel share Christ in youth meetings among neighborhood children, in conversations with people in public places, in hospital visits and while distributing tracts to people at their homes.
Help Form Biblical Disciples in Pakistan
A native ministry that has seen lives transformed by its Bible correspondence courses also prints booklets on various culturally relevant topics, such as the role of prophets and the meaning of “the Son of God.” Sent by mail, the booklets are designed to clear up misconceptions that seekers and Pakistanis in general have about Christianity.
Help Spread the Good News in Bangladesh
A woman with pain in her knees learned about a native Christian worker visiting her village and asked for help, as she had heard that the Lord Jesus granted the requests of Christians who prayed for healing. The worker prayed for her and left, and when he returned a week later, she told him the pain was gone.
