Ministry Thrives in Southeast Asia

“God prepares the soil, we each do our part of ministry, and together we celebrate the harvest.”

This is what Thys, a former volunteer with Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI), says about how he has seen God break down barriers to the Gospel in a Southeast Asian country where 40 years ago the soil was hardened to the Christian faith.

We can’t give you a lot of specific details about the people, the ministries, the country. That could put some of the work at risk. But the amazing story of what God is doing needs to be told.  Of how many efforts, various mission organizations, including ministries of the Christian Reformed Church, and faithful people with a heart for the Gospel have all worked together for the glory of God.

The story starts with “Pastor A,” a man who fled his homeland in 1978 when the government closed all churches, killed or imprisoned most Christians, and banned God from the country. But Pastor A never believed God had forsaken his homeland.

So in the late 1980s when he met Thys, who also had a heart for missions, the two men planned a trip to Southeast Asia “to see if there were any Christians left.”

What Thys and Pastor A found in the mountain villages was severe poverty, people with practical needs, and an openness to the Gospel.

Pastor A returned home and shared this with his congregation, largely made up of refugees from that same country. The people opened their wallets and shared generously to provide food, wheelchairs, and medical supplies for their fellow countrymen.  

When Thys and Pastor A returned to Southeast Asia, the government reluctantly gave them permission to directly distribute these gifts of aid. As people in these remote villages welcomed the food and practical supplies, they opened their hearts to the message of Jesus.

At the same time, people were hearing the Gospel broadcast over radio, including programs produced by BTGMI and Words of Hope. As people came to faith, they wanted to meet with other Christians, but the government prevented this. However, the humanitarian work done by Pastor A by now had won the admiration of the government.

Pastor A and Thys believed that God would continue to honor their decision to show respect for the government (Romans 13). So by faith, in December 2008, Pastor A went to the government to register the congregations. God opened doors for government approval for official church status.

People who had been listening to Gospel radio messages in isolation could now come together for open worship and evangelism.

For many years Pastor A continued to distribute humanitarian aid, funded by former refugees in North America who hadn’t forgotten the people of their homeland. More people came to faith.

Over the past 20 years, Pastor A has made more than 100 trips to his homeland. In addition to the humanitarian aid, he provides Bible training for pastors to lead these communities of faith.

Because many people in this country want to learn English, Thys has introduced them to the Spotlight radio program for English language learners, produced by BTGMI and Words of Hope.

Today, there are more than 300 registered congregations of believers that grew out of these early outreach efforts. At least half the members of these churches testify that they first heard the Gospel through radio broadcasts.

“God has taken many people, various mission organizations, many efforts to prepare the soil of this country for a great harvest of believers,” says Thys.