Growing Church in India: Women leading the way

Growing Church in India:

Women leading the way

There’s no space to sit down, shoes are piled high at the door. That’s the scene when you arrive at a house church in rural India.

People have travelled for hours to share the Word together, to worship and pray for one another. And, wonderfully, many of these house group leaders are women, boldly stepping out to share their faith in spite of the dangers they might face. It was a privilege to visit and meet some of these women on a visit to India with a BMS World Mission media team back in February – and it’s a privilege to share some of their stories with you.

Devika*

“When I first found Jesus, my brothers and my father told me:
‘If you’re going to accept Jesus, you’re going to get out of the house. We don’t want you living here.'”

I found Jesus as my Saviour in 2011. I had suffered with sinus issues since childhood and I had a lot of problems breathing. I couldn’t go through a day without medication.

During that time, I worshipped every God I thought could heal me. I tried almost everything – but I was never healed. But in 2011, my auntie told me about Jesus. So I went to a fellowship and prayed, and I got healed. And since then, I’ve not taken any medication. The Lord has kept me absolutely healthy.

But when I first found Jesus, my brothers and my father told me: “If you’re going to accept Jesus, you’re going to get out of the house. We don’t want you living here.”

I told my brother: “The one who has saved me, I cannot go against him. I will walk with him till the end of my days. So you can do what you want.” I used to hide and pray, so that my family would never see me. And, miraculously, my mother and father, and my brothers, they all found Jesus as their personal Saviour.

From then on, I’ve gone out and shared about Jesus, that others may receive him and find eternal life. I started my first fellowship in my father’s house, we run Christmas outreaches and we started some children’s ministry.

Please pray that the Lord gives me capacity to continue to make disciples among women who will run these fellowship groups in their homes. As long as I live, I will continue to share the love of Christ with others.

A photo showing the shoulder of a woman in a pink sari. The photo has been taken to obscure her face, but you can see she's sat with some other women at a house church in India. — Devika was thrown out of her home when she became a Christian. Your support has helped her access support and training to help her share her faith.

Anza*

“I will tell my story to every person I meet and tell them what Jesus has done for me.”

My name is Anza, and I run a fellowship in my home. When my husband ran away with another woman, I was very broken. I used to worship a million different gods. I’d been given gospel literature before, but I never believed it. But one day, I was in the market and I met this husband and wife, and I started talking to them about my life.

When I spoke to them, they said to me: “Your life has not finished here. We want to tell you the good news of the Lord’s love – which is unconditional.” That’s the first time I went to the fellowship – and I received Jesus. And I started walking with him.

went to a fellowship in another village, because in those days we didn’t have a fellowship here. But then I decided that I’m going to open my home to do this, and I will tell my story to every person I meet and tell them what Jesus has done for me.

The Lord has really guided my life and I’m doing well. My son has just graduated and I have my own business now, selling stationery. This is the reason I do this, because of the joy that I’ve experienced in the Lord and I pray that others around me should also experience that joy.

A photo of a woman in a red, yellow and green patterned sari with her back to camera. She has her face obscured to protect her identity but you can see she is with a group of other believers at a house church in India. — Anza is excited to share with more people how God has changed her life. Your prayers are crucial to making her ministry possible.

Keep praying for India!

Praise God that more and more people are coming to know Jesus in India! If you’re keen to hear more about the growing Indian Church, then why not sign up for prayer letters from BMS mission worker Ben Francis and stay on top of all the ways you can be praying for this exciting ministry.

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*Names changed and faces obscured to protect the identities of the believers mentioned in this story.
Words and interviews by Laura Durrant, Editor of Engage magazine.

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

Ukraine update

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

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Ten years, not the two that most news outlets will be marking this weekend. That’s how long it’s been since Russia invaded Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. And it was 10 years ago that you first supported Ukrainians suffering the twin devastation of war and winter. You have stood with Ukrainians and their neighbours for the last ten years – and you stand with them now.

Julia and her two children, Maxim and Angela, standing in front of snow patches in a field. — Churches have been supporting Ukrainian refugees during the bitter winter months since the war began ten years ago.

Imagine fleeing from shelling to the safety of temporary shelter, relying on the kindness of strangers. Everything you knew left behind, blitzed. And then winter. Winter bites hard in Ukraine. But your support is bringing warmth, help and hope to Ukrainians.

Since the end of December, the Russian bombardment has left 3,000 families homeless. Millions of Ukrainians have no access to clean water and electricity, and one third of the poorest Ukrainians are unable to heat their homes during a winter where temperatures have dropped as low as -15°C.

Thanks to your support, Baptist churches are aiming to meet the needs of 100,000 people across Ukraine this winter. Churches are opening their buildings so that people have a warm place to stay when they can’t heat their homes. They are providing hot meals and hygiene items, as well as a safe space where people feel welcomed and cared for. Even in the depths of this terrible war, your faithful giving and prayers are helping Baptist churches bring hope to the people of Ukraine.

Your generosity hasn’t just helped those that stayed behind but also those forced to flee across borders. For example, churches in the neighbouring country of Moldova have welcomed many refugees. Two years ago, Good News Baptist Church set up a hall with food and hygiene items, providing humanitarian aid to up to 370 families a day. There are still 150 people who receive weekly support from the church.

They now offer refugees Bible studies, themed sessions covering various topics, and language lessons, as well as humanitarian aid. One mother took a Bible study book after a session and said that she wanted to read it with her family. “If people live according to what the Bible teaches us,” she said, “it would be like heaven on earth.”

BMS World Mission also supports a refugee assistance centre in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. One of the women who attended was 71-year-old Valentina, who fled the city of Kherson after two missiles destroyed her home. If she hadn’t been at the store buying food, she likely wouldn’t have survived. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shared her story with the volunteers, expressing a deep sense of hopelessness.

Valentina suffered from serious health issues, had no appetite, and struggled with insomnia. As the war continues, Baptist churches are providing refugees like Valentina with psychological and spiritual support, as well as food and shelter. Inessa, who leads the women and families’ ministry at her church, now runs a support group for Ukrainian women.

“We now have five groups of women that we meet with regularly,” Inessa said. “Each group has 12-15 women, and we spend a couple of hours together,” she said. “It’s not just about sharing useful information; it’s about genuinely impacting their lives through building friendships and being there for them when they need us. It’s a soul-to-soul connection. Some have even started attending church and other meetings we organise.”

People in a line in the snow, unloading boxes of clothes, with a van parked behind them with the doors open. — This winter, Baptist churches in Moldova are putting their faith into action by providing Ukrainian refugees with hot meals and clothing.

Inessa and her team were able to offer Valentina a listening ear, comforting words, and prayer. They also directed her to a Christian counsellor who could guide her on her journey of healing. Despite her challenges, Valentina finds strength in living with her granddaughter and grandchildren. She left the refugee assistance centre encouraged, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Our partners in Moldova are deeply grateful for the vital help and support you have provided. Your faithful prayers and generous giving enable them to reach out to hundreds of families every month. Please pray for churches and volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time to minister to refugees, for those who hear the gospel to become followers of Jesus, and for peace to prevail in Ukraine.

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Inessa and the women in her support group standing in front of a stage at the Church Without Walls refugee assistance centre. — Inessa and the women from her support group are finding hope as they share life together.

Photos by ©Chris Hoskins/BMS World Mission, Words by Chris Manktelow and Matty Fearon

Stepping back and stepping out in faith

Church planting in Peru

Stepping back and stepping out in faith

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Would you take a 17-hour bus ride, a five-hour boat journey, and an hour-long hike through dense rainforest to talk to some pastors? For BMS World Mission worker Michele Mahon, all of that was worth it – especially when you’ve been asked to speak to them about proving the existence of God!

The Awajun people of north-central Peru have started to make use of kitchen gardens — BMS' partner in Peru have been working with the Awahun people for a number of years to help them improve their livelihoods.

In 2023, Michele, along with her husband Dave and their three children, moved to Trujillo on the coast of Peru, after serving with BMS in Iquitos for five years. Dave trains Peruvian pastors and Michele is a qualified youth pastor, but they also both teach at Trujillo Baptist Seminary. And in a mostly patriarchal culture, it’s significant to see Michele being given more opportunities to teach. “It’s been nice to be able to do more upfront ministry than when I was in Iquitos because the culture is more open in terms of how they treat women on the coast,” she says.

During their time at the seminary, God also gave Michele the opportunity to teach theology to the Awahun people in the Peruvian Amazon. The Awahun are an indigenous group of fishermen, farmers, hunters, and artisans who live near the border with Ecuador. They are a strong warrior tribe and are well known in Peruvian history for resisting the Incas and Spanish when they tried to conquer them. Sadly, the wounds left by years of colonial rule run deep, and the Awahun are still often marginalised within Peruvian society.

The Peruvian Baptist Convention invited Michele to serve alongside Raquel Leon, a Peruvian mission worker who spent years working with the Awahun. Raquel and her husband Angeles started a church 35 years ago dedicated to mission amongst the Awahun. Even though Raquel is now sadly widowed, she carries on serving the Awahun. She even sells delicious roast coffee and cocoa from Awahun farmers as part of her ministry!

When the ministry first began, the team from the seminary would bring food and second-hand clothes – without necessarily appreciating what the Awahun community need. But now, the ministry is unrecognisable. “It’s based on the needs of the community and on what they want us to teach,” says Michele. Rather than bringing stuff that they might not need, the ministry is solely based on teaching the Bible and helping equip the Awahun to provide for themselves. Now, the Awahun pastors are hungry for the Word of God, regardless of whether outsiders bring food or not. Whether it’s dealing with broken relationships or questions about the end times, the Awahun know that the Bible can give them guidance and wisdom.

Michele teaching Awahun pastors in Kuyumatak about proving God's existence. — Michele's hoping to have even more opportunities to teach with the Awahun in the future – and especially hopes to connect with the women of the community,

Despite the challenging journey, Michele, Raquel and a group of Peruvian mission workers were keen to make their way to the Awahun village of Kuyumatak. The heat and mosquitoes made it hard work – but they knew that God wanted them there. Some of the pastors had such a passion for the Word of God that they walked for four days through the rainforest just to hear Michele teach the Bible!

This time the pastors wanted the team from the seminary to teach them about proofs for God’s existence. Michele spoke about how creation reveals God’s glory, and about the knowledge of God in each of our hearts, even if sin sometimes makes us deny this truth. Living in the lush rainforest, with night skies covered in brilliant stars, the team was constantly reminded of our awesome Creator. And this inspiring teaching relationship is just the start of this abundant ministry.

“I would really like to get to know the women because the teaching is concentrated on the guys, who are pastors,” says Michele. “Most of the time Awahun women are involved in cooking and looking after the children.” Back in Iquitos, Michele could not do the youth ministry that she wanted to do, as she was only allowed to teach women and children. That’s why Michele admires the humble leadership of Raquel, who continues to preach the gospel without the status that comes from having a husband. She sees it as a privilege to serve alongside women like Raquel, as the Awahun hear the gospel and find abundant life in Christ.

Thank you for all your prayers and support for Dave and Michele during their time in Peru. They would love for you to keep praying for them and their children, Ruth, Jonathan, and Phoebe, as they settle into life in Trujillo. Please also pray that God will bless the Awahun with everything they need to live life in all its fullness. They are so grateful for your prayers, as it is only in God’s strength that Dave, Michele, and their Peruvian friends can share his love freely with those around them.

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Family photo of the Mahons with their three children — The whole Mahon family would really value your prayers as they continue to settle into life in Trujillo.

Words by Chris Manktelow

2023: A BMS Year in Review

Reflecting on the impact you made possible

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From conflict in Israel-Gaza and earthquakes in Nepal and Afghanistan, to the extraordinary faith, hope and love shown by BMS World Mission partners and supporters, 2023 has been a year of great highs and lows. God has been faithful through it all, and the new year gives us an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the BMS community. This is our review of 2023.

Transformed Lives in Thailand

A young man in a pool preparing to be baptised — Your support for Helen and Wit means believers like Thew are thriving in their faith.

In 2023 we launched the Thailand Spring appeal and were completely blown away by your generous giving. Because of you, lives across South Thailand have been transformed. You’ve empowered people to pursue their dreams, much like Thew and Suree with their new food stall selling fried chicken and sticky rice. You’ve equipped individuals like Ajarn Arreat to answer the call God has on their lives – Ajarn is one of our newest BMS-supported workers, and she’s faithfully dedicated herself to helping run the church in the village of Ban Dara. Most importantly, you’ve partnered in helping people discover how deep God’s love for them truly is, restoring and healing them. When Helen and Wit Boondekhun first arrived in Thailand over five years ago, there were no churches or believers in the region. Thanks to you, there are now three blossoming churches in the surrounding area, and the church in Wang Daeng is in the process of building a new church site, as they’ve outgrown their current one!

A Season of Change in Chad

Kalbassou and a number of hospital staff are standing around discussing the results shown on the paperwork Kalbassou is holding

It’s been a season of change for the Guinebor II (G2) Hospital in Chad. We waved goodbye to the Shrubsole, Chilvers and Spears families, who are leaving the G2 in the capable hands of Chadian staff and BMS mission workers Claire Bedford and Kalbassou Doubassou. The hospital has also installed new solar panels to replace the dirty and expensive diesel generators that it relied on for electricity during power cuts. Your donations provided 25 per cent of the funds for the solar panels, and we are so grateful for your generosity. BMS mission workers and Chadian staff at G2 and Bardaï hospitals would not be able to care for the sick and share Christ’s love without your prayers and support.

Bringing abundant life in Uganda

Barbara loves her children and wants them grow up happy and healthy. But drought and companies that force farmers to sell at low prices mean that she can’t always afford to pay school fees for her children. Your support for Days of Plenty, the BMS Harvest Appeal for 2023, helped Barbara avoid exploitative middlemen by selling her crops through the co-operative Cek Cam. She also received seeds and agricultural training from BMS partners. Now she can afford to send her children to school and train other women on how to kick-start an abundant harvest. You can learn more about Barbara’s story by checking out the video above!

Women on the Frontline

A compilation image of women from across the world.

At the end of the year, you joined us in praying for COP28, the United Nation’s annual climate conference, hosted in the United Arab Emirates. Sahara told us about how Nepalese women are bearing the brunt of natural disasters and Susan in Uganda shared about how conflict over scarce water is causing domestic violence. You also faithfully prayed for our gender justice champions and joined in with 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Your dedicated prayers help BMS partners come alongside women in faith and action as they both steward God’s beautiful creation, and boldly champion gender justice in their communities.

Hope amid Disaster

A crowd of people stand around a large lorry in the mountains of Nepal as it unloads relief aid for the village — A recent earthquake in Nepal has had a devastating effect in the districts of Jajarkot and West Rukum. Your support is bringing vital, long-term relief to people in desperate need there.

War broke out this autumn in Israel-Gaza, and in Armenia. It was tragic to watch these conflicts unfold on our TV screens, but your prayers and generous giving do make a difference. Our partners in the Middle East and Europe are deeply grateful for your prayers, and your support is helping displaced Armenians rebuild their lives. We would also like to thank you for how you gave so generously after earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, Afghanistan and Nepal. Your prayers and donations meant that communities received the food, shelter and mental health support that they need in the aftermath of disaster.

Thank You!

Thank you so much for the difference you’ve made in 2023. Without your generous giving, faithful prayers and dedicated volunteering, our work would not be possible. As 2024 begins, you can be sure that your support will help even more people across the world hear the good news about Jesus and experience fullness of life through Christ.

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Words by Chris Manktelow and Ed Axtell
BMS World Mission

Thailand: Mission in bloom

Thailand: mission in bloom

The transformational power of knowing Jesus

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Your support of the Thailand Spring appeal has brought incredible change to new believers in the northern district of Uttaradit, Thailand.

The nights are drawing in, harvest season is coming to an end and the inevitable buzz of Christmas is creeping ever closer. It’s a time of year that naturally makes us think of conclusions and winding down, but God’s plan for mission rarely follows the seasons on earth. In Thailand, there’s exciting work that is in full bloom – thanks to your support. Back during our spring appeal, we shared about the incredible work that Helen and Wit Boondeekhun are making possible in Thailand and introduced you to some of the amazing people they’re bringing to faith. Let’s revisit this blossoming mission bearing fruit in Thailand, and see first-hand the change that you’ve made possible.

The support you brought to Thailand

Your generous donations are:

Supporting Ajarn Arreat, a local Thai evangelist, to share the good news of Jesus and disciple new believers.
Equipping church members like Thew with skills to increase their income and better support their families.
Raising up new local leaders, bringing hope of sustainable church growth long into the future.

Dreams fulfilled

In the appeal, you met Som and Thew, a young couple who had recently come to faith in the village of Wang Daeng. This joy-filled couple are now helping lead at a new church planted in the nearby village of Ban Dara, where their son recently got baptised! When we first met Thew, he shared his desire to one day make and sell his own food, a very different trajectory from his exhausting daily work as a manual labourer. Along with Suree, Wang Daeng’s first believer, this dream has been made possible. Located in front of Wang Daeng’s church building, their recently launched food stall selling fried chicken, sticky rice and fried dumplings has been immensely popular in the community, especially with the children walking past it daily on their way to school! Sadly, a combination of monsoon season and Thew breaking his leg has caused the food stall to take a brief sabbatical, but there is every intention for its triumphant return to continue to bless and serve the village. With every dumpling sold, you’re helping Thew to provide for his family, build community and draw newcomers into church with an inviting (and delicious!) welcome.

Thew and Som smiling in a sunlit area full of trees — Thew and Som's lives were transformed when they came to know Jesus.

Churches planted

When Helen and Wit first moved out to Thailand over five years ago, there were no churches or Christians in the region. But now, there are three blossoming churches: one in Wang Daeng, one in nearby Tao Hai and the latest plant in Ban Dara. These churches started off as small house groups but have grown into thriving hubs of community and connection. They’re providing free English classes, local council representation and trying to support and meet the needs of the communities they are based in.

Thanks to your faithful prayers and in God’s kindness, the churches in the area have been growing at such a rate that the church in Wang Daeng has outgrown its rented premises and has started the process of designing its own building. With plans drawn up and the land purchased, the church family is gathering the funds to complete the process – a task you’ve helped with by providing a third of the total necessary. God willing, this thriving congregation is hoping to be in their new building by July 2024.

Believers equipped

Along with the amazing growth the churches have experienced, God has been building up new workers for his harvest field. Ajarn Arreat has recently become a BMS-supported worker, thanks to your generous giving. Ajarn was a maid in Hong Kong and a committed Buddhist, until she was invited to a Christian group. She gave her life to Jesus soon after and started saving up to return to Thailand and study at Bible college there. Since her studies, she’s been working as an English teacher and helping plant the church at Ban Dara in her free time, where there are nearly 20 people in regular attendance. Your support for Ajarn means she can focus her attention more fully on supporting the church, instead of juggling teaching jobs alongside.

If you supported the Spring appeal, you’ll likely remember the incredible story of Ba Nuan, a resident of Wang Daeng. At Ba Nuan’s lowest moment, God stepped in and transformed her life, bringing an abundance of hope, peace and joy in his wake. Ba Nuan is still a new believer, but it’s an absolute joy to share that her partner Muat has also found faith, being baptised this summer! Since then, Ba Nuan and Muat have been actively engaging with the small groups in Wang Daeng and helping others encounter the transformational power that a relationship with the Father can bring.

As you reflect on the incredible work you’ve made possible, a verse that Helen and Wit shared in the appeal may come to mind: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” The stories of lives transformed, hope restored and God’s Kingdom coming in Thailand are plentiful, much like a tree heavy under the weight of its own fruit.

A Thai man and woman pray together sitting on blue plastic chairs inside a church building. — Your support has helped Ba Nuan to live with hope.

Helen and Wit are keen for BMS supporters to know how much they value your support. Echoing their words — thank you. Thank Jesus for the work that he’s doing and thank each and every one of you who has made this work possible. The harvest is plentiful, and this is only the beginning for Thailand.

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Words by Ed Axtell
Content Creator Apprentice, BMS World Mission

Forging a path

The next generation of Christian leaders

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From Cambodia to France to Israel-Palestine, meet three incredible young people serving in some of the least evangelised places in the world, thanks to your support.

Jérémie

Being a Christian in France is tough. Being a young person training for ministry in France is even tougher, as BMS World Mission-supported student Jérémie Lockel can attest. You last heard from Jérémie in Issue 52 of Engage, the BMS magazine. Then, Jérémie was watching his country go through the Covid-19 pandemic, encouraged by the questions his friends and neighbours were asking about the meaning of life and whether answers could be found in the Bible. Jérémie’s hope was that the disruption of lockdowns would change the ways in which French people sought purpose, and that the new openness he saw might lead people to Jesus.

Two years on, Jérémie’s in his final year studying to become a Baptist minister. Post-pandemic, he’s little less convinced that mindsets have really changed – but is no less passionate about evangelism and church planting.

A man smiling in a brown jacket. — Jérémie is so excited to see how God works through him to further his Kingdom in France!

“I’ve started to really enjoy all the practical courses on mission and evangelism – it’s then that my heart gets full. We had an exercise where we had to study a town and look at how you would go about planting a church. It involved talking to lots of people, from the town’s mayor to its Catholic priest, to understand what we could bring to the town, and how that would benefit the people living there. Mostly people were really warm and positive towards us – we explained we were students – if we’d have said we were really planning on planting a church, I think they might have reacted more in fear.

“You need to be intentional, to go towards people, instead of imposing things on them. It all comes down to really understanding people. The challenge is always to look outwards.”

Jérémie’s studies have enabled him to learn how to properly read and understand Scripture, how to be a Christian leader, how to connect theology with anthropology and sociology, and how to become a church planter. That’s all thanks to you.

Pisal

Despite the fact that fewer than one per cent of the Cambodian population is Christian, people are still coming to faith. Pisal first heard about Jesus as a child when missionaries came to his village, but it wasn’t until he moved to Phnom Penh to study that he met BMS-supported worker Pastor J and his relationship with Jesus blossomed.

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A man working with cows in Cambodia. — Please pray that the Lord works to bring more people to his Kingdom in Cambodia.

“I am from a Buddhist family but there are Christians in my village, so I used to go to church during Christmas because they gave us good food and good gifts,” Pisal explains. “But I never listened to the Word of God, I never touched a Bible. When I came to Phnom Penh to join University in 2019 [and met Pastor J], it was the first time I sat for Bible study.

“I learned many things about Jesus, but I still didn’t believe in him. I often had bad dreams and couldn’t sleep most of the night, but then I remembered the Bible study and Jesus came to mind. One night, I prayed to Jesus for a good night’s sleep, and that night I slept peacefully. I kept praying every night and whenever I had a problem I prayed to God. I began to believe that Jesus is real. After more Bible study and fellowship, I decided to give my life to Jesus and got baptised in 2021. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I am happy to be a follower of Jesus.”

Pisal is now one of the leaders at the dormitory led by Pastor J, and is living out Christ’s example in all he does there.

Ayman

When you search for the words ‘Christian’ and ‘Palestinian’, a host of online articles will tell you that this demographic is one that’s been declining for years. Only a very small minority of the population in the area Ayman lives now identify as Christians. Despite this, Ayman feels that his Christian identity is in his bones, enshrined as a living, breathing presence in his hometown not far from Bethlehem. “So many of us carry religion deep in our own identity and with much appreciation for being the living stones that Jesus Christ left as a testimony of his work,” he explains.

Having been raised in a Christian family, Ayman was keen to build on the faith of his childhood by studying for a degree in Biblical Studies as an adult. BMS’ long-standing support of Bethlehem Bible College has been crucial for helping students like Ayman through the years to access their studies. “I was aware that Bethlehem Bible College was one of the best institutions where I could pursue a theological programme and grow as a person at the same time,” Ayman explains.

A photo of Bethlehem with an insert of a man in a red top. — Ayman wants to teach his community about God to help them overcome the challenges they face.

Ayman’s got dreams for his future – he’d love to preach on what he’s learned about God in this community and share his faith. “We, Christians, are a minority,” Ayman adds, “but I believe that thanks to the college, I can guide and teach about God to my community and help them overcome these challenges.” Thank you for your support for Bethlehem Bible College, bringing a future filled with hope to people like Ayman in Israel-Palestine.

You can hear more about what God is doing in France and Cambodia in the latest issue of Engage, the BMS magazine. Why not subscribe today to receive three free issues a year?

Words by Hannah Watson.

Celebrating Easter with a church in France!

Joyeuses Pâques:

Celebrating Easter with a church in France!

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This Easter, let’s celebrate what trusting in Christ means to Christians in Paris, France. Introducing some of your brothers and sisters at the church run by BMS World Mission workers John and Sue Wilson!

Lily

Lily* was facing a troubling time in her life when she discovered John and Sue’s church. Having been disappointed by church in the past, she was hesitant about trying another congregation. But when the church hosted a concert in 2019 and invited Lily in, she knew this was where God was calling her to be.

In 2019, she attended the Connexion youth conference, which is supported by BMS, and was amazed by her experience there. “It was the first time that I saw a big group of young people praying to Jesus at the same time,” she recalls. “It was a very big for me and that was the moment that I accepted Jesus into my heart.”

In 2021, Lily stared preparing for baptism with Sue and, wonderfully, she was baptised in September 2022. And she’s using her gifts for the church community too, helping out regularly with the children’s work at church.

A woman stood in front of a church lecturn. — Lily was hesitant about going back to church — that is, until she discovered John and Sue's congregation!

Lily says: “I think the real change in my life came when I came to this church.”

Silvère

“The first church I went to was this church, but I don’t really remember because I was just a kid! But then I moved to French Guiana with my parents, and when I came back to Paris with my mother we went to a Catholic Church.

“When my parents got divorced, my mother became a Protestant and we went to a community church, and my sister started going to a charismatic church. She told me to go too, but at the time I was 18 years old, and when you’re 18, nobody can tell you to go to church if you don’t want to go! So I would only go to church about once a month.

“I started going to church again when I studied for a year in America, and then when I came back to Paris, I wanted to get baptised. I came to this church in 2016 and the third time I came, I was about to leave but at the end of the service, John said that the people who want to get baptised should come and see him. And I went.

“That’s where my journey started with Jesus. Before that, I believed in Jesus, I used to go to church, but it was like Santa Claus for me. When I asked to get baptised, this was the start of my journey.

“Now, I’m a member of the church council, I’m one of the youth leaders and I help manage the worship band. I almost never say no when it comes to God!”

Aline and Julie

When Julie and her mum Aline moved to Paris from Lebanon, they left a nation in crisis – but they didn’t expect crisis to follow them to France. Julie lives with chronic illness, and had to be admitted to hospital as soon as she and and her mum arrived in Paris. Aline had left a community where support was always around the corner – “Lebanese people are very welcoming. They’re over-welcoming!” Julie chips in – and found herself alone in a city with her only daughter in hospital. Her husband was still in the country she had left and she knew no-one. Fortunately, John and Sue were there to help.

The Wilsons managed to get Aline settled into a flat in the building next to the church, and prayed with her regularly until Julie was able to leave hospital.

“For three weeks [the church] didn’t see us, but we knew from John that every Sunday they were praying for us,” says Aline. And when they were eventually able to join the church, they were welcomed by a community who knew them and wanted to help them however they could.

Now, Julie’s settled into her studies in interior design, and Aline into life at church. They hope that Julie’s father, Fadid, will be able to join them soon.

Julie says: “People at church know when we're not feeling OK. They know when you're sad or homesick and they just come up to us and they tell us that they're praying for us.”

Jean-Frédéric

A man in a red top stands in front of some church doors

“I’m originally from Martinique, and I moved to Paris in 2017. I discovered this church around the pandemic. I liked how small it was, everyone knew everyone and it felt like a home for me. It was difficult during the pandemic and it was hard to connect with people because everybody was wearing masks. So finding a church for me was very important.

“I grew up in a very religious family in Martinique. My mom was raised Catholic, but my dad was raised Protestant, so I kind of had both traditions. When I was a teenager, I had to answer my own questions and find my own path in the journey of spirituality and Christianity. That’s when I started to get more into faith and I started to have a closer relationship with God.

“When I moved to Paris, it was a hard change for me because I was alone in a new city. So I started having a deeper relationship with God and in 2022 I took the decision to get baptised, to really show my commitment to Jesus, and the church. John and Sue have had a big impact in my life because this is where I got baptised and I did the preparation with John. I’ll hold this church in my heart for the rest of my life.”

Jean-Frédèric says: ``This is where I got baptised... I’ll hold this church in my heart for the rest of my life.”

Share the gospel in France

This thriving church family is made possible by your dedicated support for BMS. If you want to see God’s Word reach even more people in France, why not consider supporting John and Sue Wilson financially today? Click here to find out more!

You’ll be able to read even more about John and Sue’s ministry in the next issue of Engage, the BMS magazine. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out!

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A couple stand in front of brown church doors. — John and Sue would love your support!

*Lily requested her name be changed.
Interviews conducted by Hannah Watson and Laura Durrant.

There is love here

Inspirational church ministry from Uganda

There is love here

Praying for this 34

Jimmy and Phionah Okello are an amazing and faithful couple. And their student ministry in Gulu, Uganda, is a clear example of abundant life, blessed by God. BMS World Mission’s Writer, Laura Durrant, caught up with them on a recent trip to Gulu, where she got to experience this wonderful ministry that you support, first-hand.

There is love here. That’s what I think when we pile out of the car and hurry into the building of University Community Church (UCC) in Gulu. It’s a building I know well, having seen it in photos many times during my time at BMS World Mission, and I’m a bit overwhelmed to be here experiencing it in real life. Even more exciting though is being greeted by Phionah Okello on the door as we rush in to take our seats – the service is about to start. Phionah, and her husband Jimmy, are well known in the BMS office back home. To meet them in person and experience their ministry first-hand is such a privilege, and I’m excited to learn more about how God is leading them.

A church building in Uganda made out of half brick wall and half bamboo walls. — Jimmy and Phionah planted University Community Church eight years ago.

Jimmy and Phionah knew from their university days in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, that God was calling them to minister to students – and for Phionah in particular, it’s a beautiful completion of her own journey to faith. When she first went to university, it felt like her first experience of real freedom after spending most of her education at boarding school. She planned to work in a bank and make lots of money – but that all changed when she met some Christians on campus. “I felt like they came at the right time and I came to know the Lord at the right time,” Phionah says. “Imagine if no-one had come to me, I would be lost, completely lost forever.” Phionah and Jimmy met at their church in Kampala, and remained involved in the campus ministry for a number of years. That’s until they felt the Lord calling them to move up north and plant a church at Gulu University.

Two photos put together of a Ugandan woman and man smiling at the camera. — Jimmy and Phionah followed God's call to minister to students in Gulu.

Eight years later, they’ve built a warm, strong community at UCC – but ministering to students isn’t without its challenges. “It’s so transient and it can be discouraging,” explains Phionah. “Because every three years almost half of the church is gone and you have different people.” But despite the impermanence of the context they’re in, they’re able to offer a safe space for these young people experiencing a huge change in their lives to share their struggles and find hope. “What we’ve seen is that because of our stability, we’ve become a light in that community,” says Jimmy. And that light doesn’t just touch Gulu. The university isn’t just a mission field, it’s also a mission base. Jimmy and Phionah are able to disciple the students they meet to become disciple-makers, so they can continue to share the gospel in their new communities once they leave university.

Many churches in the UK struggle with engaging with young people, but Jimmy and Phionah don’t have a secret formula when it comes to their student ministry. They simply spend their time building strong relationships with the young people in their community, and are available to help them whenever they can. “If you build a relationship of trust, [the students] can listen to you and bring their issues to you,” Jimmy explains. It’s a principle Jimmy and Phionah take to their work outside of UCC with BMS World Mission partner Justice Livelihoods Health (JLH), where Phionah helps with administration and finance, and Jimmy runs outreach and training for local church leaders. “I get the opportunity to share some of my skills and abilities in leadership, which I use at UCC to equip other pastors in different churches,” says Jimmy. “Being able to share with them from what I have so that they’re able to lead more effectively and be equipped is really a beautiful thing.” For Jimmy and Phionah, emulating God’s love is the foundation of their ministry.

A woman speaking in church in Uganda. She's wearing a pink top. — The community is thriving at UCC and many students have come to faith and grown in faith thanks to the ministry here.

There is love here. Not just at UCC, but in this community, in this city. I see love in the worship and welcome we receive at UCC. And I see it throughout the rest of the week we spend in Gulu, in the devotions shared between colleagues at JLH, in the worship of a church savings group, in the laughter shared between a mother and her children, the stories shared between a grandmother and her granddaughter. It’s my main take away from our visit to Gulu: that with God’s unfailing love abounding, any life can be lived with abundance.

Jimmy and Phionah would love for you to pray with them, for UCC and their wider ministry.

Please pray for a permanent building for UCC, so they can continue to provide a safe and stable environment for the students they minister to.
Pray for students to have open hearts to the gospel message and that they would develop personal relationships with God.

Pray for the Lord to bless Jimmy and Phionah with wisdom in their ministry, so that they can continue to bring people to faith and create disciple-makers in Uganda.
Pray that God will raise up more leaders within UCC to help share the load of the ministry.

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Words by Laura Durrant, Editor of Engage, the BMS magazine.

Mission Turned Upside Down

History made as history is celebrated in Bangladesh

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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.

Two men in suits smiling at the camera — Marc Owen, BMS' Head of Trustees, is joined by BMS worker Pete Lynch to celebrate this amazing anniversary!

“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.”

Two women pastors from Bangladesh smile at the camera, along with a man and a woman — Pete and Lou Lynch celebrate with Pastors Nandita and Jyoti!

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.

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Words by Matty Fearon

The story of mission continues

225 years of God’s Word in Bangladesh

I'm praying for this 8

Saris are being sewn. Songs and dances rehearsed. Celebrations prepared. When BMS World Mission founder William Carey first landed in the (then named) Asian city of Calcutta, he likely couldn’t have imagined the story of mission being celebrated by Baptists across Bangladesh a staggering 225 years later.

When you first visit the offices of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a striking mural is likely to catch your eye. It’s a mosaic portrait of William Carey in the forecourt of the Sangha’s offices, surrounded by brightly coloured pink and white flowers. Bangladeshi Baptists are proud of their history, which they date from the moment that William Carey moved across into what is now the Bangladeshi district of Dinajpur, after his famous landing in what was then known as Calcutta. But their 225 year celebration planned for this November isn’t about dwelling in the past, as amazing and rich as that might be. “The whole idea of the celebration is to go forward,” says Louise Lynch, “looking into how we can share the gospel even more successfully across Bangladesh!”

Louise and Peter are BMS World Mission workers in Bangladesh, working alongside BBCS to support and strengthen their pastors, churches and activities across the country. Peter and Louise have been in Bangladesh since 2018, and today they’re being interviewed for Premier Christian Radio about a story of mission in Bangladesh that’s still going on all these years later.

“We’re seeing a Church now established and growing in many places,” says Pete. “The work of mission and sharing the good news of Jesus is still something very much at the heart of what the Baptist churches want to do.” When you look back at the work of BBCS across the years, this desire to share God’s love in word and deed couldn’t be more evident. Whether it’s flood relief given out to the poorest communities, no matter their background or beliefs, or the appointment of a new mission co-ordinator (aptly named Barnabas!), it seems very likely that the Bangladesh Baptists of generations to come will have plenty of reasons to look back and celebrate, as they’re doing this autumn.

Louise and Peter light a candle along with other members of the BBCS office. — The work of mission is still being done by BBCS today.

A lady reading the Bible in Bangladesh. — The idea of the whole celebration is to look forward.

Why not watch Peter and Louise’s interview now, and as it concludes, pray along with them for another 225 years of gospel presence in Bangladesh? “The lovely line in the Lord’s Prayer that I always love in Bangla is ‘Thy Kingdom come’,” says Pete, “because that’s our prayer for the nation.”

Two Bangladesh pastors stand in front of a mural of William Carey. — Rev Ashim Baroi and Rev John Karmakar lead the offices at BBCS today.

Could you support Peter and Louise Lynch?

You can find out more about Pete and Lou’s work by heading to their mission worker profile. There, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for their prayer letters, as well as the chance to support them as a 24:7 Partner. Giving regularly means that BMS can plan for the future, and when it’s as exciting as the future is looking in Bangladesh, you won’t want to miss out on playing a crucial part in God’s ongoing story! Find out more by heading to their profile today!

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Words by Hannah Watson
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

Will you stand?

I Will Stand: W’s story

The BMS World Mission I Will Stand appeal asked you to stand with bold believers in hard places. There’s still a chance to join us in making a difference. This is W’s story.

We can’t show you their faces.
But God has numbered every hair on their heads.
This is W’s story.

W is smiley, considerate and extremely polite. He gestures with his hands as he speaks, with a swiftness and excitedness that belie the challenges he’s lived through. He’s still a young man, only in his 30s. He couldn’t have predicted the pathway that God would place him on that day in 2010 when someone handed him a Bible for the first time. But there’s one thing he’s absolutely certain of: “I know that Jesus loves me. And I love to follow Jesus.”

W's story, Asia

Download the video and share with your church

Thank you for supporting I Will Stand

Generous Christians from around the UK have already raised nearly £160,000 for I Will Stand. “A number of ministers spoke to us of the perspective-shifting conversations the stories provoked in their youth groups,” says Matty Fearon, BMS’ Creative Content Team Leader. “And after watching our I Will Stand Live event that featured an interview with Z, one minister said it led to a whole session on our boundaryless fellowship in Christ.” We know these powerful stories deserve to reach more ears. If you haven’t supported I Will Stand yet, why not do so today?

W’s story is powerful, and he’s telling it because he longs for support from his brothers and sisters around the world. Could you stand with W today? Here’s three ways you can help.

Give to the I Will Stand appeal

Your gift to BMS World Mission can provide Bibles for people who have never had the chance to read the gospel, fund theological training for an isolated believer from the Middle East or North Africa, or help support a church planter in Asia to share the good news with unreached communities. By giving, you can support Christians following Jesus and sharing the gospel in some of the hardest-to-reach places in the world.

Use the donation form on this page to give to the I Will Stand appeal and help bold believers living out their faith in hard places.

Pray for BMS-supported believers in hard places

These believers pray for Christians in the UK. They pray for you. Will you pray for them? Pray for people who have been rejected by their families because they have chosen to follow Jesus. Pray for church planters in Asia who are facing persecution because of their faith. Pray for isolated Christians. And pray that, through the ministries of these BMS-supported believers, thousands of people will experience whole-life transformation.

Download the prayer points

Share the stories with your church

Want to share I Will Stand with your church? Please do! We have lots of resources to help you at www.bmsworldmission.org/iwillstand

Download the videos (and show or stream them copyright free) and check out our free Leader’s Guide to plan your I Will Stand service or event, all year round.

Get resources for your church

Gifts made to I Will Stand will be used to support BMS’ work to bring people to faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in hard places all around the world.

Will you stand?

Give now

Life at the edges

Lessons in joy from the Bangladeshi Church

Praying for this 27

The Christian message has always found a home in the margins. Louise and Peter Lynch, mission workers in Bangladesh, share a truth they have been wrestling with – and a corrective to our comfortable Christianity – that it is on the edges of Bangladesh society where the joy of the gospel flourishes.

Fragility

Fragile communities abound across the fault lines of Bangladesh. They survive at the edges — at the edges of the pandemic, of natural disaster zones, and of a state that is increasingly discriminatory towards Christians.

These fragile communities survive and, where the local Christian Church has taken root in the margins of these communities, there are signs of thriving, against all the odds. “So much of the work of the Church has been successful amongst the poor and probably least successful in the wealthier cities,” explains Louise Lynch, BMS World Mission worker in Bangladesh. “When we refer to the Church, [and this is something we wrestle with], what we are talking about is just a whole group of poor, really marginalised people. No-one economically is going to make their own way out of this situation.”

River in Bangladesh — Rivers cover almost 80 per cent of Bangladesh, making yearly flooding inevitable.

Part of BMS’ ministries in Bangladesh is to come alongside those who work on the margins, supporting localised church-based initiatives aimed at community transformation. Over the last few years, this work has taken Louise, and her husband Peter, into the northern region of Rangpur, a district right on the fault line of extended unseasonal monsoons.

“We are part of network that means the church leaders in this district can reach out to the rest of the churches in Bangladesh for aid and for prayer,” adds Louise. “But it’s not the only poor area, and it’s not the only flood affected area, and so there’s not enough to go around.”

Flourishing

It’s Louise and Peter’s visits to and engagement with one particular village, Balapara, that have stayed with them though, demonstrating the flourishing that is possible when we can work in partnership with local churches grown in local contexts – and when they work in partnership with each other. Louise and Peter are pragmatic, however, about the fact that as long as they work in Bangladesh, in villages like this, need will always outstrip resource.

Gospel sharing Bangladesh — Much of Louise and Peter’s work is supporting pastors sharing the gospel in remote communities.

Life in the village is marked by uncertainty but, as Louise explains, light reaches in through the cracks. “The church is bringing good news because it’s telling people about Jesus, and therefore they’ve got someone to pray to and someone to hope in, which replaces hopelessness and uncertainty. But it’s worth emphasising that they’re not expecting God to lift them out of their poverty.”

God, it seems, is at work in other ways. “Some of it is just supernaturally amazing in that God appears in dreams to people and they ask us, ‘Who is this Jesus?’” Peter says. “I’ve met him in my dream, and I want to know who I am now going to follow.’”

Louise and Peter experienced a church “full of vibrancy and life” on their last visit. “What’s wonderful when we go is that you see the church springing to life. Christians there love to sing. The church is full of people and we have such a joyful day and a good time worshipping and training, and the people feel blessed and are so grateful.”

Economic recovery for so many Bangladeshi Christians can seem very far off in the aftermath of floods and Covid-19. But incredibly, there is still so much good being done by the church. A local pastoral superintendent organised for school children to receive replacement books and bags after school equipment was lost to flooding. Louise says acts like this can seem small, but seeing a village prioritising education in this way has been really inspiring.

"What’s wonderful when we go [into the villages] is that you see the church springing to life," says Louise.

“There was a whole group of 14 to 16-year-old girls who’d been going off to coaching with their new bags and all their books in their bag,” adds Louise. “They all have aspirations to become nurses and are desperately asking everyone to pray that they’ll get better at their studies because they struggle. Bengali is not their first language, so they’re working in their home tongue and then they’re working in Bengali.”

Girls with bags Bangladesh — Praise God that girls have been able to receive replacement books and bags after devastating flooding.

“We had helped to distribute money as part of the relief response to help pay school fees, with schools closed instead they used that money for extra coaching. We weren’t expecting that but that news just made us so happy. They could have used that money for so many other things and they chose to use it to remain engaged in education throughout the lockdown.”

With the need so apparent all around them, Louise and Peter wrestle regularly with the idea that the joy surrounding their visits masks a more sombre reality. “We struggled. We asked the local pastors, ‘Is this happiness genuine?’ And their reply was, ‘Yes, they’ve just sang songs with you and you’ve played games with them. For them it is a moment of respite and that lasts for quite a long time.’”

At the centre of all this, it really is the vision of church leaders and local Christians that shines light into what seems like darkness. When asked what motivates these Christian leaders, Louise and Peter say it is the hope of flourishing communities that keeps them going. “Their hope is really that for the young people in their journey into faith, that these moments of joy stick, that this will provide a sense of belonging to the church family.” Joy at the margins produces more joy. And when it does, villages like this grow and thrive.

The hospital, the miracle and the impossible secret

Praying for this 27

First things first: don’t tell anyone about your new faith. It seems counter-productive, even counter-Christian, but it’s the tough choice that many new believers have to make in order to stay safe – and to help bring more people to Christ. Read on to find out how.

Ahmat* came to Guinebor II hospital (G2) because his father had badly broken his leg. They’d tried to get help elsewhere, but that had just ended up making it worse, and now he needed surgery in order to fix the damage that had been caused. Doctors at G2 told them they would have to wait for his leg to heal, and then it would have to be broken again to set the bone properly. A day’s drive from their family home in southern Chad, G2 became home to Ahmat and his father for around five months as they waited for his leg to heal.

Ahmat and his family knew they would get a high standard of healthcare at G2, but they may not have expected the hospital’s dedication to spiritual and pastoral care too. G2 is openly and proudly a Christian hospital, and prayer and evangelism form a huge part of the hospital’s ministry. Every bed comes with a New Testament on a shelf beside it, and they’ve recently had a delivery of Bibles in Chadian Arabic – the first of their kind. BMS World Mission worker Bethan Shrubsole and her colleague, Pastor Berihun*, go round to all the patients and offer to pray for them. Bethan, who is also a music therapist at the hospital, writes songs about Jesus that she sings to anyone who’ll listen. That’s how she met Ahmat – and it’s where he began to learn about his Saviour.

“I used to take my guitar and play with a group of children,” says Bethan. “Ahmat came and sat with us, and he would translate because the children only speak Arabic, and I was speaking French.”

A New Testament — There are copies of the New Testament on offer everywhere you go at Guinebor II.

Bethan slowly began to get to know Ahmat. When she and Berihun went to Ahmat’s father’s room to pray with him, Ahmat was really interested. He began to come and speak with Bethan and Berihun a few times a week, and they would read the Bible together and talk about Jesus. When it came time for his father’s surgery, Berihun and Bethan prayed for him again. And that’s when something miraculous happened. Kalbassou, BMS’ Hospital Director and surgeon, took the cast off and found his leg had healed properly, and they wouldn’t need to do any surgery. “Kalbassou said it was a miracle,” explains Gareth Shrubsole, Bethan’s husband. “No-one had expected that.” And it was this display of God’s miraculous healing power that led Ahmat to come faith in Jesus.

Workers in a Chadian hospital. — Broken bones are a very real risk to health and life for so many in Chad.

Once his father returned home, Ahmat stayed in N’Djamena, close to the hospital, with an aunt and uncle. Bethan was able to keep discipling him over WhatsApp. She and Kalbassou went to visit him, and while they were there, they met his cousin, who had a terrible case of tuberculosis. “The day before we saw her, she’d had a coughing fit that they thought was going to kill her,” says Bethan. So she and Kalbassou prayed for her, and she was able to come to G2 a few days later. After having a few weeks of treatment, her lungs had largely cleared up – which has led her to faith in Jesus.

Sadly, this isn’t the end of Ahmat and his cousin’s stories. When their families found out about their new faith, they kicked them out. It’s a tragic reality, knowing how joyful Ahmat is in his faith, but it’s not surprising. Bethan and Gareth have stories of local pastors who can only minister to new believers in secret, of a man whose family had him put in prison because of his faith. It’s why Berihun advises people not to share their faith with their families when they find new life in Jesus, at least not straight away – there’s no telling what could happen. “The aim is to keep them in their families,” says Bethan. “Not to hide their faith forever, but to slowly get their parents and their aunties and uncles acclimatised to it.”

“You want family members to say, ‘There’s something different about this person, I like the way this person is behaving, what is the cause of this change that I’m seeing?’” Gareth adds.

Two BMS mission workers — Bethan and Gareth Shrubsole are able to keep in touch with and disciple to new believers.

“The change in the person speaks for itself, and then the gospel follows up as the reason for it.” But many new believers, like Ahmat, find it impossible to keep their new faith a secret. And while it can lead to much heartache if their families can’t accept their new faith, BMS workers on the ground are there to help them process what’s happened and find new community, so that they’re never alone.

Three men praying — Believers in Chad, and across the world, need our prayer.

Bethan catches up with Ahmat regularly, and wonderfully, he and his cousin were able to find other places to stay in N’Djamena. Ahmat is in touch with other local Christians, and Bethan is there to help answer as many of his questions as she can. But Ahmat’s journey isn’t over, and he and other believers like him still need our support and prayers. So many BMS supporters raised money for G2 last year as part of our Operation: Chad appeal, which is why we hope you’ll be inspired by Ahmat’s story and want to share our 2021 Harvest appeal, I Will Stand.

Praying for this? Click here

This year, we’re supporting courageous Christians living the gospel, no matter the cost. Stand with our brothers and sisters across the world and help bold believers be equipped to share the gospel, wherever they are. Encourage your church to hold an I Will Stand service, and you can help create a world where no-one has to hide their faith ever again.

*Names changed.
Words by Laura Durrant.

They are not alone

Praying for this 41

Over ten years ago, Christians fled their villages. Their homes were destroyed. Some were even killed. And now, despite ongoing persecution, people are opening their hearts to Christ.

Many of you will remember hearing the stories of horrific violence that took place against Christians in Odisha (formerly Orissa), India, back in 2008. Christians in the district were blamed for the murder of a prominent Hindu leader, which sparked a string of violent attacks against hundreds of villages. At least 50 people were killed, 4,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and around 30,000 people were affected by the violence – many of them having to flee to the cover of surrounding forests and refugee settlements. But, mercifully, they weren’t alone.

Thanks to the generous giving of BMS World Mission supporters at the time, families forced to flee weren’t abandoned. We were able to help distribute food parcels and hygiene packs to people who had nothing. BMS supporters provided a lifeline for people whose lives were irreversibly changed. After a few months, the violence began to subside and people began to leave the camps and return to their homes – or at least, they tried. Because they were Christians, some of their neighbours refused to let them move back in. Some people found themselves living in tents on the outskirts of their former villages. Or being prevented from drawing water from the well. Some places were too dangerous for people to return to at all. And yet, in the face of such persecution, God was – is – still at work.

“Fellowships are still running. That means it’s a victory for the gospel.” Many of you will also know about BMS worker Ben Francis, and the amazing work that our partner Biglife does, sharing the gospel in hard-to-reach places. Even in places like Odisha. “Odisha, it’s still not a place where you can go out and preach like that,” says Ben. “All of them are in danger when they are sharing the gospel.” But these brave, bold Christians knew that God wanted them to be there, to share their own stories and testimonies of how God has transformed their lives. And, miraculously, despite the historic and ongoing persecution in the area, people are opening their hearts to Jesus.

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BMS worker Ben Francis supports disciple-makers across India and south Asia.

People like Raakhi*, Supriya*, Praanvi*. All three of them were brought up in Hindu families, but all three of them found themselves searching for more. Raakhi longed for peace in her life. Both Supriya and Praanvi struggled with health issues. They couldn’t find the solutions to the problems weighing them down, until they found the Christian fellowships running in their area. And despite the risks, despite the persecution, all three of them gave their lives to Jesus.

Three women in a church. — Raakhi, Supriya and Praanvi have all opened their hearts to Jesus – despite the dangers.

Will you stand with Christians like these?

Across the world, bold Christians are living out their faith in hard places – no matter the cost. This harvest season, you and your church can stand with them. We’ll be releasing our 2021 Harvest appeal on our website on 23 July. It’s called I Will Stand. Sign up for the BMS email update to be the first to know when it drops.

But this isn’t the end of their stories – for these women, and for the many other people turning to Christ across Odisha. “That area [where these women are] is a dangerous area. You could be killed over there for being a Christian,” says Ben. Christians in Odisha will still face persecution because of their faith. People haven’t forgotten the violence from 2008. But they weren’t alone 13 years ago – and they’re not alone now. They have their brothers and sisters at the fellowships in their villages. They have a loving Father upon whom they can lay their burdens. And they have you, UK Christians, remembering them in your prayers and supporting them from afar.

*Names changed for security reasons.
Words by Laura Durrant.

Hope on wheels

Back in April 2020, we launched our Easter Appeal to provide bicycles and training to Christians in Bangladesh. A year on, your generous donations are changing lives and bringing hope.

In north-eastern Bangladesh, hope comes in the form of the roar of a motorbike engine! Among these remote tea-farming communities, works Pastor Peter* – passionate about sharing the gospel but, until recently, only able to reach one village a day, often having to stay overnight when hire vehicles were scarce. Now, aided by his own trusty wheels, Pastor Peter can cover multiple villages each day, giving more people the chance to hear his life-changing message.

Despite Covid restrictions on travel this year, Pastor Peter has experienced the joy of leading 21 people into a personal faith and baptism.

Two women wearing Indian dress with a bicycle

Pastor Peter’s motorbike is just one of those funded through your generous gifts. BMS World Mission partner the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS) have also distributed 30 bicycles to pastors and evangelists in the area as a result of your support.

“[There is now] more than a 70 per cent increase in meeting with people face-to-face,” explains Rev Ashim Baroi, General Secretary at BBCS. “And the costs of communications are decreased more than 40 per cent.”

Everyone an evangelist?

But it’s not just pastors who are called to share the gospel: the commandment to ‘go into all the world and make disciples’ is for all of us. Yet evangelism can be a daunting prospect, particularly in a country where only one per cent of the population is Christian, and where opposition to Christianity is on the rise.

That’s where BBCS has stepped in again. Your donations to our Easter Appeal enabled our partner to run evangelism training seminars, as well as purchasing, translating, printing and distributing Christian training resources. As a result, dozens of people are now strengthened in their faith and encouraged and equipped to share the love of Jesus in a real and personal way with those around them.

“[A man] came to the Lord from Hinduism,” explains Rev Ashim. “…Before, he thought that he needs only relationship with Jesus and fellowship with him. Now he has a clear idea that firstly he needs to fellowship with Jesus Christ, then he needs to do fellowship with people. He is applying it in his personal and family life. Now he is sharing it with the new believers.”

And, as more and more people respond to the gospel in Bangladesh, thanks to your donations, BBCS is also supporting new believers in their journey of faith. Pastors and teams of volunteers are visiting, encouraging and distributing Bibles in communities across the area, and almost 700 new Christians are now grounded in church plants.

Over the shoulder view of a man reading his Bible, a map of Bangladesh is on the floor

Words and deeds

Alongside evangelism, theological training and church planting, BBCS is also bringing practical help to communities. In northern Bangladesh, teams visited the area during floods. “We met with the local people and helped them. We prayed for them,” says Rev Ashim. BBCS has also provided essential food and hygiene supplies to those struggling as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a country of over 160 million people where an estimated 22 per cent of the population live below the poverty line, floods are frequent and diseases such as dengue fever and Covid-19 are making life even more difficult, people need the hope of the gospel more than ever.

“There are lots of families but our workers are very few,” explains Rev Ashim. “We need to appoint more evangelists to reach [out to the people] in those areas. Pray too for our newly elected leaders so that they can lead BBCS in God’s plan. And pray for the evangelists and outreach workers, that God will use and protect them to bring hope to the people.” Kwame Adzam, BMS’ Overseas Team Leader for Evangelism and Discipleship adds: “Together with you, we celebrate God’s generosity and amazing love. He is using your donations and prayers, along with BMS partners in Bangladesh, to bring hope, love and life to people in this country, through the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

You can keep helping people in need this Easter season. Give to our 2021 spring appeal today, and help families put food on the table from Uganda to Peru. Find out more right here.

And if you enjoyed this story, why not share it with your friends and family on Facebook? Click here to share.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

Christmas Prayer Campaign 2020

Make Jesus known in Asia this Christmas

Praying for this 27

In 2020, the question left weighing on millions of hearts has been, ‘Where is the hope in all of this?’ This Christmas, BMS World Mission partners across Asia are coming together to share the answer – the wonderful hope they have in the good news of Jesus Christ.

This December, you’re invited to be part of a series of joy-filled outreach events taking place across Asia. A network of passionate believers from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Cambodia is coming together with the collective vision to reach as many people as is possible with a Christ-centred message of hope. And with plans for a series of Covid-secure festivities, celebrations and outreach events throughout December well underway, the only thing missing is you!

The BMS Christmas prayer campaign 2020 invites you to make Jesus known to people across Asia by upholding and supporting the plans of our partners in dedicated prayer. Our faithful partners (who we’ll introduce you to below!) know they fall at the first hurdle if they don’t seek God’s guidance for the month ahead. So, please join them and Christians across the UK, praying for God to shine his light at the end of a dark year. Please pray for questioning hearts to receive gladly the message of a God who reaches out and beckons them into a relationship with him this Christmas.

How you can be involved in sharing the good news in Asia this Christmas

Set aside five minutes every day for the next four weeks to pray for one of the amazing partners below.
Pick one of the upcoming events described below and pray it would be fruitful, bringing the plans and people involved in them before God.
Share the BMS Christmas prayer campaign with your fellowship or on your social media accounts. Perhaps you could choose one of the partners to be your church’s special prayer focus?
Follow BMS World Mission on Facebook or Twitter to hear updates, and stay tuned as we hope to share the fruit of this inspiring Christmas outreach with you in 2021.

Benjamin Francis, BMS Team Leader for India, working with BMS’ partner Big Life

Christmas Prayer Campaign, BMS Worker Ben Francis waves from a boat

In Ben’s words:

“I don’t have to tell you what kind of depression people have been in this year. Whether people have been affected by Covid-19 or not, there is another virus which is going round, which is fear. Only faith can cancel fear. And faith, which is the hope of eternity, is the message people long to hear.

People in India are thinking, ‘If I go out, I may contract Coronavirus. But if I stay in my house, I’ll definitely die of hunger.’ They want to know, what is the hope in all of this? And this Christmas, all our outreach programmes are focused on that: Christ in me, the hope of eternity.”

Plans to share the gospel in India

Ben’s team are planning hundreds of small events, starting from 1 December and led by fellowships of around 10 to 15 people in a socially distanced manner.

The events will include cultural presentations, dancing and singing. “The people we’re reaching out to have never experienced things like this: re-enactments of the Nativity, singing Christmas songs, seeing children getting involved – in the villages it’s a huge thing,” says Ben.

Christmas cake and tea will be shared, drawing people into fellowship and community. Ben hopes the generosity people see in his team will reflect the generosity and kindness of God. Tracts and Bibles will also be distributed to those who have questions about the meaning of Christmas.

Last year, Ben saw an amazing 600 new small fellowships starting because of similar Christmas outreach events.

Ben’s prayer points:

Pray for the safety of our team, because there has been some persecution in the villages. Pray also for safety for me, travelling to so many different places.
Please pray that the Bibles my team give out would be joyfully received. We hope to give out about 5,000 Bibles just in West Bengal to people who are asking questions.
We’d love to see baptisms coming out of these events, so please pray for that.
Please pray for safety for all involved as we follow government Covid-19 guidelines.
We plan to reach 50 to 60 villages, so please pray for a huge harvest!

Download Ben's prayer points

Rev Ashim Baroi, General Secretary of long-standing BMS partner, the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS)

In Rev Ashim’s words:

“We are using this Christmas project to bring glad tidings to people in the Tea Garden areas and to people in the hill tribes.

During our Christmas programme, we will teach them Christmas songs and explain to them how God loves us and has come to be with us.

Some of the people live in very sad conditions, now we have opportunity to make them glad. We will let them know about Emmanuel – God with us. Many have emotional pain and fear because of the Covid-19 situation. We want to bring them hope and love in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Rev Ashim Baroi and John Karmakar from the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha stand in front of a mosaic of William Carey at BBCS Head Office in Bangladesh.

Plans to share the gospel in Bangladesh

Most of the people Ashim’s team hope to reach are from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds, or follow different tribal belief systems. The majority of them have never heard the gospel of Jesus. In the next five years, BBCS hopes to plant 20 new churches and invite many thousands of people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The team want to share the story of Jesus’ nativity in 50 villages. This ‘birthday’ celebration, complete with songs and gifts, will also give the chance for believers from Muslim and Hindu backgrounds to share their testimonies.

“We will bring them food and soft drinks,” adds Ashim. “We will distribute gospel tracts, and after the Christmas programme we will do medical camps there later in the year”.

Ashim's prayer points:

Please pray for us that people will open their hearts to the Christmas message.
Pray that they would be encouraged by the gifts that we bring and find hope to believe that all is not lost.
Pray for the safety and sensitivity of BBCS workers who will travel to these villages.
Pray that many would believe and be baptised as witnesses in the communities.

Download Ashim's prayer points

Rev Jlalduha Lalduhawma, mission worker with the Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) to Cambodia

Rev Jlalduha Lalduhawma from the Baptist Church of Mizoram against a beige background.

In Rev Jlalduha’s words:

“The Christmas season is one of the best times for doing evangelism in Cambodia. People are aware of Christmas as one of the important festivals of Christianity, without knowing the reality about Christmas and its background.

Taking advantage of this special occasion, we plan to gather the parents and friends of local students (both Christians and non-Christians), providing lunch or dinner with a Christmas gift and an invite to a proper worship service or fellowship. Here, we’ll tell the living story of Christmas. Besides this, we’ll have a Christmas outreach ministry to the village.”

Plans to share the gospel in Cambodia

The team at Horaios Baptist Church will share the message of Christmas through a sermon, drama, a dance group and the singing and teaching of Christian songs.

There will also be a charitable Christmas gift of food, cloths and other items to rural villages where there aren’t yet any Christian believers. The area has been specially chosen as one where there is no Christian presence. Jlalduha’s team would love to build bridges, fellowship and community there, paving the way for more outreach opportunities in 2021.

Download Jlalduha's prayer points

Jlalduha's prayer points:

Please pray that the parents of the students who become Christians will support them.
As many Cambodians enjoy the Christmas celebrations, pray that their hearts and minds would be open to understand that God has come to give us eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Pray for our students who will share their testimonies and for those who will preach, that God would give them boldness and powerful words that will win people to Christ.
Pray that after the Christmas programme many people would want to know more about Jesus.

Mr Prateep Dee, General Secretary of the Thai Karen Baptist Convention (TKBC)

In Prateep’s words:

“It is a traditional event for us in December to go preaching the gospel to many unreached fields. Yearly, many of our local churches and associations and TKBC departments reach out to the working fields and unreached marginalised areas, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why? Because Thailand needs the gospel. Only one per cent of the Thai population is Christian, and that’s counting all denominations of Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Though the majority of Thais are Buddhists, Thai people hunger for peace and salvation.”

Thra Tim, also known as Prateep Dee, with the Thai Karen Baptist Church.

Plans to share the gospel in Thailand

“The events we organise provide the opportunity for the community to come together,” explains Prateep. “This has been an extremely difficult year for many people. This may be one of the only occasions where they can relax, laugh, and have some food and fellowship. We will provide cultural dances and Christmas songs in our native language. There will be a short drama to demonstrate God’s love for people.”

Prateep believes this will be the first time some of the people in surrounding areas hear the name of Jesus. The planned events will give people the opportunity to ask questions, and those who believe the chance to be baptised. It’s hoped that these new believers could become the nucleus of a church plant.

Praying for this? Click here!

Prateep's prayer points:

Please pray that hearts would be opened to believe in the name of Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would give us the right words to speak.
The journey into some of the places, especially into the hill tribes, is long and deep. Please pray for the protection of the team and for strength for the journey.
Please pray that people will understand the meaning of Christmas and their hearts would be filled with the joy of Jesus.
Pray that after the events those who believe would continue to hold onto Jesus as their Lord.
May people feel like they can lay aside futile rituals and experience the grace of God that begins with a loving relationship with Jesus.

Download Prateep's prayer points

Words by Hannah Watson
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

The accidental pastor

The accidental pastor:

One man’s incredible conversion story

Pastor Humberto’s conversion in the Peruvian Amazon is testament to God’s power to work miracles entirely independent of human intervention. Read on for the incredible story — one that teaches us that salvation comes from God alone… but that God is certainly not going to leave us on our own.

It’s a story that begins with two abandonments. One, Humberto’s slow realisation that he was considering leaving his wife just six years into their marriage – ending in her giving him an ultimatum: if he ever did go, he would never see their beloved son again. And the second, the shock of a clean break coming from left field, from a group of people who weren’t supposed to leave.

Some Christians had planted a church in Pastor Humberto’s village of Nanay, on a tributary of the Amazon river, only to announce they were making a trip further downstream. They needed a trustworthy man to look after the keys to the church while they were gone.

Their trip away ended up saving Humberto’s marriage.
He just didn’t expect that the missionaries would never come back.

Pastor Humberto holds up the keys he was handed to an empty church. He is wearing a blue t-shirt. Behind him is the green door of the church, and the blue and white painted wall. — Pastor Humberto holds the keys to the church that he never expected to run.

Humberto’s wife had been growing more and more interested in the message taught at the new church. Not willing to let go of the man she loved, she’d also begun to invite him along to meetings there with their son. While at first dismissive, Humberto soon realised that if he could prove himself as an indispensable help, could reliably open the church for morning prayer, light the candles as needed, and shut it up at night, then perhaps his wife would reconsider the ultimatum hanging over their relationship.

And when every other man in the village asked to look after the church keys claimed busyness – “my business won’t run itself”, “every day?”, “I’m needed at my farm on Sundays” – well, Humberto’s offer seemed really quite dedicated.

Two boats on a rainy river where BMS works in the Peruvian Amazon.

Pastor Humberto sits on his boat, where BMS World Mission works in the Peruvian Amazon.

But, while this story begins with two abandonments, it doesn’t end that way. The missionaries never came back – called back to their home country or preferring to begin again in a new village, Humberto never found out. But his change in character touched his wife. He heard God’s prompting to look at her again in a new light, as the wife of his youth, a woman whose inner beauty outshone all others. And his daily visits to church made peeling open the pages of a Bible, once the object of complete disinterest, an irresistible temptation. “Once I’d opened the Bible, I couldn’t close it,” says Humberto, remembering how he read all four gospels in one day. In the absence of the missionaries, a village whose hunger for God’s Word had been stirred needed a pastor. “You preach for us Humberto!” was the persistent plea.

Pastor Humberto has come a long way from his first sermon preached from the Sermon on the Mount. For a brand-new pastor and Christian, quoting the words of his new Lord seemed a good place to start. But Humberto knew that without teaching, he’d never learn to craft a sermon, confidently explain the gospel or understand large portions of Scripture. At his own admission, people from that stretch of the river haven’t received the same opportunities that others enjoy closer to the city. So, when Humberto received his first invitation to a teaching series at the BMS-supported Nauta Integral Mission Training Centre (NIMTC), there could be no-one more grateful, enthusiastic or encouraged. “There are pastors who didn’t finish primary school,” Humberto explains. “They can’t read, let alone read the Bible. Look at me – I was handed the keys to an empty church, and then – nothing. I had no preparation. That’s why Nauta’s training programme is so important.”

Could you give?

Support leadership ministries today

God changed Pastor Humberto’s life in a miraculous way. And though he began his Christian life by discovering Jesus’ call on his own, God didn’t leave him alone. He brought BMS’ leadership ministries into his life and Pastor Humberto has never looked back.

Give today, and you’ll support people around the world in their walk with Christ, whether that’s inviting them to come to him for the first time, or coming alongside them when they think they’re completely alone.

Humberto has been so encouraged by the investment shown to him by BMS supporters, but in equal measure, he’s encouraged the team out in Peru. Having quickly caught the vision for the programme, Humberto and his son have both gone through the Nauta training course. Humberto has also been invited back to encourage other pastors, sharing how the centre allowed him to develop the vision God gave him for ministry and business in his local community. Beginning with very little, Humberto was inspired by the very practical training given to pastors about how they could provide for themselves, their families and communities by running sustainable businesses. His fish farm, established after the training, provides financial blessing amongst the spiritual joys this incredible man has known since coming to Christ. And because everyone loves a love story – yes, Humberto and his wife’s marriage has flourished, united by the love of Jesus. Together, their love, enthusiasm and encouragement pour outwards, blessing those around them.

A wooden hut next to a manmade lake in the Peruvian Amazon. — Pastor Humberto's fish farm is flourishing in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.

Pastor Humberto stands on a bridge at his property in the Peruvian Amazon. — “Here, when it rains, we have water. When the sun rises, we have light. We get by, but we have nothing here. Nothing.”

It’s hard to underestimate just what a difference BMS mission workers Laura-Lee Lovering, Dave and Michele Mahon and the rest of the team at NIMTC have made in Humberto’s life. But all of that love and support came through and from you.

Thank you for supporting BMS’ leadership ministries. And thank you for showing Christians like Humberto that God never leaves them on their own.

The Nauta Integral Mission Training Centre (NIMTC) is run by BMS World Mission workers from the UK and from Peru and is the fulfilment of a dream of many river pastors to receive theological training and Christian support. It’s hope in the jungle. Pastors like Humberto are not only trained in theology, they’re also equipped to help with the health and development of their own very rural villages, which are only accessible by boat.

Alongside in-depth Bible study and prayer, they learn about agroforestry and how to care for the environment; they learn about budgeting; and they learn basic health and hygiene skills — how to prevent illnesses and how to treat them.

Words: Hannah Watson
Editor of Engage, the BMS World Mission magazine

Where Christians dare to tread

Where Christians dare
to tread

Praying for this 52

Pastor Simon*, a BMS World Mission-supported evangelist in Bangladesh, faced the prospect of being beaten to death. He tells us why, in the face of danger, he goes boldly where few dare to tread.

Loud knocks woke Pastor Simon violently from his sleep. His host family were afraid. “Hide, Pastor Simon,” they said. “We’ll protect you.” But he refused. “I had nothing to hide,” he says. “I insisted I wanted to speak to our visitors.”

At the door stood three men from a religious extremist group. Simon had been warned about them. They held long bamboo sticks by their sides, weapons as tall as them, if not taller. One accused him of coming to their village to convert people to Christianity.

Simon had not come to talk about religion and conversion, but to deliver the message of Jesus’ hope. When he became a Christian, 23 years ago, God called him to go to the Muslim communities in Bangladesh. He was obedient to God’s call and decided to devote his life to evangelism. “I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to places where no-one knows of God,” he says. “And those places get transformed by him.”

A man sat cross-legged in front of a map of Bangladesh and holding a Bible. — Pastor Simon travels across Bangladesh reaching the unreached.

In Bangladesh, around one per cent of people identify as Christian. And although this number is growing, the spread of the gospel is met with growing persecution. This hasn’t stopped Simon. Supported by BMS, he is just one of several remarkable evangelists who work with a BMS partner in Bangladesh, reaching the least evangelised regions of the country. Working with the partner, BMS mission workers provide training, mentoring and support, especially for evangelists who face persecution. Simon considers them family. “My spiritual brother and sister from BMS are a blessing to me,” he says. “I go where they can’t go. With their prayers and support, and with BMS, I’m able to be a full-time evangelist.” But in the face of persecution, what does being a full-time evangelist look like?

The Bangladesh flag next to a fruit tree. — 90 per cent of people in Bangladesh are Muslims, and around nine per cent are Hindus. Many who decide to follow Jesus face rejection from their family and local community.

Simon’s ministry has been years in the making. In Bangladesh, Muslims, Hindus and Christians are not only separated by their beliefs. They’re also separated by the different words they use to express the same things (for example, there are three different words for saying hello, depending on your religion). Simon spent years learning the words that Muslim communities use and studying the Qur’an to gain an understanding and show people his respect for their way of life.

Being a full-time evangelist in Bangladesh looks like opening the door to three angry strangers in a remote village. Standing before his unexpected visitors, Simon prayed silently. The strangers were hostile. They were not there to listen. “People say that I am brave to go into these places alone,” he explains. “But I never go alone. God is with me and he goes before me.” He was confident that once they had heard his message, no-one would die that night. He began to speak with the men.

He talked through the stories common to the Qur’an and the Bible. He went systematically through the prophets. And on this shared foundation, he explained who Christians believe Jesus really is. He told them: “Jesus is our salvation.”

A man holding a Bengali Bible open. — Pastor Simon's only ambition is to preach and demonstrate the gospel. "I will serve God until my dying breath," he says.

That was when they hit him. But then they stopped and listened. And after hearing Simon’s message, they went home. That night, no-one died. No baptisms were performed either. But that year, Simon’s visits to several villages led to an incredible 33 baptisms.

Simon has dedicated his life to showing people in Bangladesh God’s love for them — people who would have no other way of knowing. And thanks to your support, he’s able to do that full-time. He calls it his “transformation mission”: going into villages where no-one has experienced the gospel before. And by the time he leaves, God has transformed those places.

*Name changed.

BMS World Mission works in some of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. Regions where just the mention of Jesus’ name could lead to a beating or even death. Please pray for BMS workers and partners to make the name of Jesus known in seemingly impossible circumstances. Pray that people in those countries would know God’s love.

Praying for this? Click Here

Words by Melanie Webb.

The power of your own story…

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Helping people in India come to faith means sharing what God has done at every opportunity.

BMS worker Ben sits on a boat. — BMS worker Ben is helping people share the gospel in India, with your support.

Travel to India and it’s unlikely you’ll meet a Christian on the street. At least, that’s what the statistics tell you. In the world’s second most populous country, just over two per cent of the population openly identifies as Christian. But that’s still around 28 million people, a good foundation for those working hard to share the gospel in a nation that’s 80 per cent Hindu.

The challenge of telling people about Jesus remains daunting, however. It requires boldness, stamina and, critically, an approach that gets results. Thankfully, the church planters you support in India have it all. They’re led by BMS World Mission worker Ben Francis, a man who is never found silent when given the chance to express his passion for Jesus. Ben is at the forefront of an exciting disciple-making movement in his country, and has an inspiring hunger to see people come to faith.

A man raises his hand in worship in front of a lectern. — Thousands of people across India are committed to sharing how Christ has transformed their lives.

Around 45,000 people became Christians last year through the work Ben leads in India. It’s a number that’s easier to understand when you learn that over 8,000 people, who his church planters led to faith, attended training sessions on how to spread the gospel. And at the heart of the training is a simple lesson – never miss a chance to share how the love of Christ has transformed your life.

You can help Ben

Support Ben today!

“People need to share their story whenever they can,” says Ben. “They need to be in the habit of talking about what the Lord has done at every opportunity. To friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, acquaintances, or even people they’re buying things from.

“The conventional method was to go out and bring people back to church. Now, we go out, start a group and tell people to go and start one somewhere else. Multiplication can take place much faster this way.”

Sharing stories is at the core of this multiplication. As is getting to the point quickly. Ben encourages church planters to share their stories of transformation in just three minutes. “Not everybody you talk to will respond,” says Ben. “But some will, and then you tell them more about God.”

Men and women sit together with bibles. — Ben says that the growth of people coming to faith seen in India can happen anywhere in the world.

One place where there has been an extraordinary response to the gospel is the state of Odisha (formerly Orissa). You may know about it because you supported our recent appeal focusing on church planting there. Or perhaps you followed the brutal persecution that happened in Odisha a few years ago.

Christians are still persecuted by extremists today in Odisha. They’re beaten. Intimidated. Humiliated. Murdered. Yet, in spite of extreme opposition, Christians continue to preach the Word of God – gently, respectfully and boldly. You’ve been supporting more than 40 church planters in the state, and in recent years, they’ve taken the gospel to over 1,600 villages.

And while the work you support in India is amazing, you’re going further, too. By supporting BMS, you’ve been helping Christians in other countries expand their church planting. Ben has been equipping churches in Europe and Asia to better communicate the love of Christ, just as he does in India. Soon you may even get a chance to learn from him in person about how you can start a disciple-making movement where you are.

“If the growth of people coming to faith can happen in India, then it can happen anywhere,” says Ben. “The principles of the Word of God do not change because you’re in India, or China, or anywhere. The Spirit of God energises.”

That energy is sweeping through towns and villages in India. Through homes. And through lives, as disciples make disciples. You’re already making it possible. And we’re excited for what comes next.

Watch Ben’s simple explanation of how to share your story of transformation

This story was originally published in BMS’ magazine, Engage. Subscribe to Engage today to get more stories like this delivered straight to your door for free!

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Original article featured in Issue 44 of Engage, the BMS World Mission Magazine. Edited for the website by Laura Durrant.

Are you sitting comfortably?

The journey of a believer in
four simple steps.

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Benjamin Francis challenges believers to think about where we stand (or sit) on sharing our faith. Are we moving forwards in our journey of faith? Or are we sitting comfortably?

Benjamin Francis sits down in the last of a line of four chairs. “But even this is not the destination,” he says. “This is a journey”.

Ben is a BMS World Mission Team Leader, working in India at the forefront of disciple-making movements whose highest purpose is seeing people come to know and love Jesus. He’s using the chairs as a metaphor, each one a place where a person might stop and sit on their journey of faith. It’s a compelling picture that asks Christians to consider where they’re at on their walk with God.

The four chairs stand for ‘seeker’, ‘believer’, ‘disciple’ and ‘disciple maker’. The chairs aren’t destinations, Ben emphasises, but stops on a journey that the people in your local church congregation are all on.

Ben is passionate about disciple-making, and he holds the Great Commission close in his heart – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28: 19). Ben believes this command of Jesus worked out in our lives will mean everyone developing in Christlikeness as they move along their Christian journey, from ‘seeker’ to ‘believer’, to ‘disciple’ and ‘disciple maker’.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations

Four metal chairs stand against a white wall, with captions above them in a black font saying 'seeker', 'believer', 'disciple', 'disciple maker'. — The four chairs stand for ‘seeker’, ‘believer’, ‘disciple’ and ‘disciple maker’. Which chair are you sitting in?

To many across the world, this is the destination of a Christian.

But that is so wrong.

It’s challenging to see Ben sitting in the final chair, saying that even this isn’t the end of the journey. Even more so, when he explains that many Christians are sitting in the second chair, the ‘believer’ chair. “To many across the world, this is the destination of a Christian,” Ben laments. “But that is so wrong”.

Ben’s vision for the Church is one of constant movement, growth and development. He wants to challenge us not to carry on just sitting comfortably in the chairs we’re in.

Which chair are you sitting in? And where do your friends and neighbours in church sit? Watch Ben’s explanation of the journey of a believer in four simple steps, then share it with Christians around you. Get them excited about sharing the good news of Jesus, discipleship-making and growing in Christlikeness.

And be encouraged! As a BMS supporter, you are enabling this message to go out into all the world, where disciples are being made right now thanks to your giving and prayer. Ben and his team are making disciples who are making disciples, in the power of the Holy Spirit and the light of the gospel. It’s so exciting that we can be a part of it.

Thank you for your generosity and commitment to God’s work in the world. Thank you for supporting BMS.

Like this video? Click here

Download the video and share with your church!

Words by Hannah Watson, Editor of Engage. Video by Laura Durrant.

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Growing Church in India:

Women leading the way

Devika*

Anza*

Ukraine update

We see God’s love every day: Ukraine, ten years on

Church planting in Peru

Stepping back and stepping out in faith

2023: A BMS Year in Review

Reflecting on the impact you made possible

Transformed Lives in Thailand

A Season of Change in Chad

Bringing abundant life in Uganda

Women on the Frontline

Hope amid Disaster

Thank You!

Thailand: mission in bloom

The transformational power of knowing Jesus

Dreams fulfilled

Churches planted

Believers equipped

Forging a path

The next generation of Christian leaders

Jérémie

Pisal

Ayman

Joyeuses Pâques:

Celebrating Easter with a church in France!

Lily

Lily says: “I think the real change in my life came when I came to this church.”

Silvère

Aline and Julie

Julie says: “People at church know when we're not feeling OK. They know when you're sad or homesick and they just come up to us and they tell us that they're praying for us.”

Jean-Frédéric

Jean-Frédèric says: ``This is where I got baptised... I’ll hold this church in my heart for the rest of my life.”

Inspirational church ministry from Uganda

There is love here

Jimmy and Phionah would love for you to pray with them, for UCC and their wider ministry.

Mission Turned Upside Down

History made as history is celebrated in Bangladesh

The story of mission continues

225 years of God’s Word in Bangladesh

Will you stand?

I Will Stand: W’s story

W's story, Asia

Give to the I Will Stand appeal

Pray for BMS-supported believers in hard places

Share the stories with your church

Will you stand?

Life at the edges

Lessons in joy from the Bangladeshi Church

Fragility

Flourishing

The hospital, the miracle and the impossible secret

They are not alone

Hope on wheels

Everyone an evangelist?

Words and deeds

Christmas Prayer Campaign 2020

Make Jesus known in Asia this Christmas

Benjamin Francis, BMS Team Leader for India, working with BMS’ partner Big Life

Plans to share the gospel in India

Ben’s prayer points:

Rev Ashim Baroi, General Secretary of long-standing BMS partner, the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha (BBCS)

Plans to share the gospel in Bangladesh

Ashim's prayer points:

Rev Jlalduha Lalduhawma, mission worker with the Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) to Cambodia

Plans to share the gospel in Cambodia

Jlalduha's prayer points:

Mr Prateep Dee, General Secretary of the Thai Karen Baptist Convention (TKBC)

Plans to share the gospel in Thailand

Prateep's prayer points:

The accidental pastor:

One man’s incredible conversion story

Where Christians dare to tread

The power of your own story…

Watch Ben’s simple explanation of how to share your story of transformation

Are you sitting comfortably?

Where Christians dare
to tread

The journey of a believer in
four simple steps.