Gospel For Asia

Gospel for Asia (GFA) is a Christian NGO^[1] founded by K.P. Yohannan^[2] in 1979 that focuses on helping the poor in 16 Asian countries and Rwanda through national workers. The organization is located just outside of Wills Point, Texas. GFA World’s stated primary objective is to support indigenous mission workers to “transform communities through God's love”^[3] as they serve the 'least of these' around the world."^[4]

GFA World is presently working throughout South and Southeast Asia including Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.^[5] GFA World also works in Rwanda.^[6]

History[edit]

In 1981, current president Dr. K.P. Yohannan formed a branch of GFA World in his native Kerala, with an Indian headquarters being set up in Tiruvalla in 1983. GFA World directly administers Bible colleges, whose graduates receive financial support to found new congregations. GFA World directly supports more than 50 Bible colleges in various countries.^[7]

In 1993, GFA World began organizing its own network of congregations in Asia,^[8] and established them under an independent entity called Believers Eastern Church which uses an Episcopal Polity form of governance.^[9] Scholar Michael Bergunder considers it to have been “One of the most influential new foundations in the second half of the twentieth century.”^[10] However, this has been criticized by those who argue that GFA has been primarily supported by Evangelical churches, which generally have congregational (or elder-led) governance and which might not have supported GFA if they had known about Believers Eastern Church's organizational structure.

In the 2010's, GFA was involved in a lawsuit by former donors which claims that GFA has not fulfilled its pledge to send 100% of donations to the causes designated (a key component of its fundraising was that 100% of donations would go to the field and only where specifically designated). The Federal District Court judge certified two classes and appointed a Special Master to review accounting records (and sanctioned GFA for conduct by ordering it to pay for the Special Master).^[11] The parties later settled the suit for a payment of $37 million to donors and class counsel.^[12]

Timeline[edit]

1979 — GFA World officially starts.

1982 — GFA World publishes its first “SEND!” magazine (now “GFA World”).

1984 — GFA World Canada Office Opens. Eventually to follow are offices in Australia, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

1986 — GFA-World-supported radio records its first program. Since then these programs have been broadcast in 110 languages. Revolution in World Missions, Dr. K.P. Yohannan’s first book, is published. There are currently more than 4 million copies of this title in print.

1988 — GFA World helps send out 100 mobile film teams who show movies about Jesus in remote places.

1994 — GFA World begins printing its own literature.

1998 — GFA World begins slum ministry in four cities.

2000 — GFA World begins installing “Jesus Wells” in communities.

2004 — GFA World begins Bridge of Hope Program, a child sponsorship program, ultimately enrolling 139,000 children across Asia. Young people, aged 18-27, come to Texas for the inaugural year of GFA’s U.S.-based discipleship program Road to Reality (now called School of Discipleship).

2005 — GFA World begins Women’s Fellowships in churches led by GFA pastors. During 2019, these fellowships taught 60,000 illiterate women to read and write, and it provided vocational training to more than 12,000 women.

2006 — GFA World hold first Renewing Your Passion Conference.

2007 — GFA World begins leprosy ministry.

2008 — GFA Prints First Christmas Catalog. In 2020 over 142,000 families were helped through income-generating or quality-of-life gifts.

2009 — Dr. K.P. Yohannan releases his book No Longer a Slumdog, highlighting the suffering of children in Asia and the hope many are discovering through GFA World’s Bridge of Hope Program. Brother Manja is released. In 2000, Brother Manja, a GFA worker, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being falsely accused of murder.

2010 — GFA World Compassion Services teams hand out emergency food packets to victims of natural disasters in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

2011 — GFA World helps to open widow-care centers for abandoned widows, which includes income-generating gifts, vocational training, clothing, and other basic essentials.

2014 — GFA World releases the feature-length documentary “Veil of Tears,” which focuses on how GFA women’s ministry is helping women escape poverty, illiteracy, slavery, and disease.

GFA World relocates its headquarters to Wills Point, Texas, USA.

2015 — GFA World responds to Nepal earthquake.

2017 — GFA World workers organize 1,245 medical camps that provide free medical exams and free medicine and vitamins.

2018 — Mission Support Team launched

2020 — American Lawsuit settled

GFA World helps 2 million in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 — GFA World expands into Rwanda, Africa.

Programs[edit]

The goal of GFA World focuses on the formation of missionaries who are native to the nation they are serving, with special emphasis on Asia and Africa. The organization has defined its primary mission field as being the people who live in the 10/40 Window, a rectangular region extending from West Africa to East Asia and between 10 and 40 degrees north longitude. By concentrating on this region, GFA World ministers to a dense population of largely poor communities that have had limited or no exposure to the Christian faith.^[13]

Although GFA World accepts non-native trainers for Bible translation, Yohannan believes sending of Western missionaries into the 10-40 window can result in a waste of resources. He also believes that the imposition of western culture and neo-colonialism that is sometimes associated with Western missionaries should be avoided. In order to increase efficiency and achieve its goals, GFA World has become a repository for donations and financial support of Asian missionaries by non-Asian cultures. GFA World administers these resources to the various programs listed below within its organization.^[14][15][16]

National Missionaries[edit]

GFA World’s main focus is to train and equip national missionaries. This approach might result in several specialized missionary groups within a single nation-state, from large cities and regions down to small tribes and villages. GFA World reports over 16,000 missionaries and 12,000 local parishes in over 15 Asian nations.^[17][18][19] In 2019, GFA World workers served in 872 slums throughout Asia.^[20]

Church buildings, Bibles and Christian literature[edit]

GFA World partners with teams for the construction of simple Christian worship centers in small villages to educate new disciples as well as provide a visible meeting place for Christians. However, they have built several large cathedral-style buildings in major cities, such as St. Thomas Believers Church Cathedral in Thiruvalla^[21] and another in the upscale neighborhood Hauz Khas.^[22] Similarly, GFA World states they distribute native-language Bibles and Christian literature to the region in order to strengthen churches and promote the proclamation of the Christian faith.^[23]

Radio and television broadcasts[edit]

“Radio in Asia” is a broadcast that is specially designed to reach Asian communities. GFA World reports that its “Athmeeya Yathra” (Spiritual Journey) radio program “reaches more than a billion people and has been translated into 110 languages". GFA World’s English language broadcast, “Road to Reality,” airs on 900 radio stations across North America, Europe and Australia.^[24] “Athmeeya Yathra” has grown to include a television station and print media.^[25]

Bible colleges[edit]

GFA World has 56 Bible colleges serving a range of cultures and dialects with the purpose of training native missionaries within their own dialects and cultures to be effective ministers.^[26] The program includes three years of instruction, including field instruction and experience. At one point over 9,000 native missionaries had been trained through these institutions.

Bridge of Hope[edit]

Bridge of Hope is a child sponsorship program that allows sponsors to donate to the support of specific children. The children come from poor families in underserved communities, especially impoverished families. Child sponsorship provides ongoing education, nutritious meals, and access to medical care.^[27][28] In 2019, there were 138,000 children enrolled in Bridge of Hope throughout Asia.^[29]

Jesus Wells[edit]

GFA World digs wells in communities where water is scarce. These wells are built for long-term use near churches and maintained by a local pastor. These wells provide free, clean water to individuals regardless of caste, class, social designation or religion.^[30][31] In its 2019 Special Report, GFA World reported 4,856 Jesus Wells drilled in communities needing clean water.^[32] To date, GFA’s Clean Water Projects have provided safe drinking water to 37,500,000 people in south-east Asia through wells and filters.

Medical Ministry[edit]

Medical camps, a major aspect of GFA World’s medical ministry, bring skilled doctors, medical staff, medication and health training to areas where people rarely have the chance to see a doctor. These camps may be organized in Bridge of Hope centers, remote villages, crowded slums—any place there is need and opportunity. One camp typically serves anywhere from 200 to 1,000 children and adults. Local medical personnel are invited to serve at the camp, providing free pediatric and general health care, and eye checkups.^[33] In 2019, 1,267 medical camps were conducted in remote or needy communities.^[34]

External links[edit]

• Gospel For Asia
• GFA World

References[edit]

1. ↑ https://conservapedia.com/NGO
2. ↑ https://conservapedia.com/K.P._Yohannan
3. ↑ http://www.gfa.org/about/who-we-are/
4. ↑ http://www.gfa.org/about/who-we-are/
5. ↑ https://www.gfa.org/regions/
6. ↑ https://www.gfa.org/africa/
7. ↑ Philip, Shaju. An archbishop’s spiritual factory. The Indian Express. Retrieved on 5 April 2021. Bergunder, Michael (2008). The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0-8028-2734-9.
8. ↑ Asian and Pentecostal: The Charismatic face of Christianity in Asia. Regnum Books International. ISBN 1-870345-43-6
9. ↑ https://www.bec.org/
10. ↑ Bergunder, Michael (2008), The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, page 53
11. ↑ https://www.wthrockmorton.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Class-Cert-1.pdf
12. ↑ https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2019/03/01/gospel-for-asia-settles-rico-lawsuits-agrees-to-37-million-settlement/
13. ↑ https://www.gfa.org/about/
14. ↑ Stout, Ken. “Fostering Sustainability and Minimizing Dependency in Mission Finances.” Reformed Theological Seminary Masters Thesis, October 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
15. ↑ Bergunder, Michael (2008), "The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century", Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, page 54-55
16. ↑ Klaus Fiedler (1994), The Story of Faith Missions, page 404 (26)
17. ↑ Houston, Rickey. “Loving Your Neighbor: A Guide to Developing and Sustaining Community Service Projects.”Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Thesis, March 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
18. ↑ Jaffarian, Michael. “The Statistical State of the North American Protestant Missions Movement, from the Missions Handbook, 20th Edition.” International Bulletin of Missionary Research. Vol.32, No. 1. January 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
19. ↑ Wooding, Dan. “K.P. Yohannan’s Long Road To Helping India’s ‘Broken People’.” ASSIST News Service. 14 July 2006.
20. ↑ Gospel for Asia 2019 Special Report. https://www.gfa.org/special-report/2019/. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
21. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/user/StThomasBCC
22. ↑ https://www.ixigo.com/believers-church-new-delhi-india-ne-1353795
23. ↑ Wooding, Dan. “K.P. Yohannan’s Long Road To Helping India’s ‘Broken People’.” ASSIST News Service. 14 July 2006.
24. ↑ New Release Today, A Division of NRT Media Inc. “K.P. Yohannan Author Profile and Bibliography.” 1 September 2014.
25. ↑ Athmeeya Yathra Official Website. “Athmeeya Yathra TV: About.
26. ↑ Cooper, Bill. “Gospel for Asia President, K.P. Yohannan.”ChristiNet Christian News Service
27. ↑ Gospel for Asia official website. “Gospel for Asia: Bridge of Hope.”
28. ↑ The Christian Post: Crossmap. “Anti-Christian Death Threats Force Closure of Bridge of Hope Center for Children in India.”Crossmap.com. 26 November 2013.
29. ↑ Gospel for Asia 2019 Special Report. https://www.gfa.org/special-report/2019/
30. ↑ Wooding, Dan. “Jesus Wells bring ‘living water’ to thousands in India and South Asia.” ASSIST News Service.
31. ↑ Christian Today. “5000 Jesus Wells Bringing Clean Water Across India and South Asia.” christiantoday.com. 19 March 2014.
32. ↑ Gospel for Asia 2019 Special Report. https://www.gfa.org/special-report/2019/.
33. ↑ The Need for Medical Ministry. https://www.gfa.org/compassion-services/medical-ministry/
34. ↑ 2019 A Year In Review. https://www.gfa.org/special-report/2019/