Mission Turned Upside Down
History made as history is celebrated in Bangladesh
Last month the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha gathered in their thousands to mark the 225-year anniversary of BMS World Mission founder William Carey’s arrival in Bengal – but all minds were set firmly to the future.
“Life at the edges”…”When waters rise” … “Cyclone Amphan: pray as heavy rains hit Bangladesh” … “Cyclone Bulbul: pray for Bangladesh”.
When you search for stories about Bangladesh on the BMS website, you discover a country on the frontline of the climate emergency. However, Bangladesh’s stories aren’t only about human-made extreme weather conditions. As a nation, it’s on the frontline of 21st century mission.
Once upon a time, what was Bengal was the frontline of 19th century mission. Last month, long-time BMS partner, the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS), celebrated a 225-year anniversary. The celebrations marked the moment BMS founder William Carey moved across into what is now the Bangladeshi district of Dinajpur, after his famous landing in what was then known as Calcutta.
The celebrations lasted four days and involved over 3,000 Bangladeshi Baptists, visits and talks from BMS General Director Kang-San Tan and Head of BMS Trustees Marc Owen, as well as BMS workers Louise and Peter Lynch, and, wonderfully, 31 baptisms. When we spoke to Louise and Peter earlier in the summer, Louise stressed the importance of not dwelling or taking comfort in the past. “The whole idea of the celebration is to go forward,” she said, “looking into how we can share the gospel even more successfully across Bangladesh!
What Louise couldn’t reveal back then was that she and Peter had been intimately involved in working with BBCS to clear the path for the ordination of their first women pastors. As they shared in their most recent prayer letter, “[The two women] stood alongside twelve men, who were also committing their lives to sacrificial service.
“Jyoti and Nandita are also our friends and we have seen their patient service irrespective of recognition. So, it has been really good to have been part of the behind-the-scenes team within BBCS working towards this day, and to pray for these women as they develop, train and support the next generation. The very public inclusion and affirmation of these women, also I think communicated something about how BBCS leadership wants to be.”
Telling the story of BBCS and the ordination of Pastors Nandita Sharkar and Jyoti Ratner is vital. As Kang-San told the thousands in the congregation, “My prayer and encouragement is for us to tell the story of BBCS by focusing on the history of local church pioneers rather than foreign missionaries.”
This is what 21st century mission can look like when we are prepared to turn it on its head. Drawing from his own personal story, Kang-San had a challenge for the ministers who had gathered from across the region, “I was converted at the age of 17 in a small Baptist church in Malaysia. My pastor took risks in allowing me to preach at the young age of 19.
“By the time I graduated from university, I was an itinerant preacher and pastor of Malaysian Baptist churches. My challenge for BBCS is for every minister to model godliness and to mentor 12 young disciples for leadership for the next generation Church.”
The theme for the 225-year celebrations was appropriately taken from Revelation 2: 25, “…hold on to what you have been given until I come”. As Louise points us and the Church in Bangladesh towards the future, it begs the question about our future goals until Jesus is comes again.
Inspired by the ordination of Jyoti and Nandita, Kang-San’s sense of the future direction is clear, “We need to focus on the need for Christian discipleship among younger generations. We need to release women and men whose holiness and discipleship will prepare for the leadership of BBCS.”
225 years on, our understanding of mission has changed, the church in Bangladesh has changed. The present and future in Bangladesh and beyond is that, as Kang-San puts it, “Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is available for all, young and old, female and male to participate fully in the leadership of the church.”
* This article was amended on January 4 2023 to afford Pastor Nandita Sharkar and Pastor Jyoti Ratner their full titles.
Words by Matty Fearon
