One of my favorite missions ministries is Gospel for Asia. Dr. K. P. Yohannan, founder and president, is one of the charter members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. 91% of funds are used in the field, with only 9% going toward administration. And if you specify that your donation be used for missions, 100% of that donation is used in the field – not a penny is taken out for administration. In 2005, GFA experienced a remarkable 68% growth in donations — evidence to me of God’s blessing. There are many ways that Gospel for Asia is impacting lives for Jesus Christ:
Many regions in India are hostile to the gospel. In some regions, it is widely known that anyone who accepts Christ will be expelled from the village. Last year militant Hindu groups threatened forced conversions from Christianity to Hinduism, or death, for believers in these hostile regions. Those who become Christian among the lowest castes of society face government discrimination.
K. P. Yohannan, founder and president of GFA, had a dream in which he stood before a vast field of ripe, golden wheat, representing souls. He was overcome with joy at the opportunity to rescue these millions of souls — but a raging river stood in his way.
“In my dream, I felt my heart break. I could only look at the harvest, unable to bring it in. And so I stood, feeling helpless and full of despair. But all of a sudden, a bridge appeared before me, reaching from one side of the river to the other. And as I watched, the bridge became completely filled with poor and ragged children from all over Asia. Upon awakening, I realized that the Lord was providing a way to reach the spiritually hungry millions … our ministry to these children would be the ‘Bridge of Hope’ to these untouchable and oppressed people.”
GFA began Bridge of Hope, centers in cities and villages which reach out to the most needy children through Christ, with education, food, clothing, medical care, and the knowledge that they are valued by the Lord. As of the end of 2005, over 30,000 such children were enrolled in a GFA Bridge of Hope center. Where a Bridge of Hope Center is established, it is not uncommon for a church to be planted soon after, with a native pastor graduate from a GFA Bible College.
GFA has been in the forefront of tsunami relief, rebuilding villages and building orphanages for the many children whose parents were killed in the tsunami. One of my favorite GFA projects is the Jesus Wells. According the CIA factbook, there are over one billion people living in India alone. One billion. With a “b.” That is a lot of people needing Jesus. Maybe we can’t go to India and help in any practical way. But we can support GFA, whom God is using mightily to reach the lost of India and the surrounding nations.
India can be a dangerous place both for ministers and converts. Our church is associated with a ministry in India run by an Indian pastor and his wife and sends people at least yearly to help and preach in remote villages.
Thank you for drawing my attention to Gospel for Asia! I’d heard of it, but it was good to read details. I am a big fan of Compassion International, another organization that is a member of the ECFA and handles funds responsibly.