Country
South Asia
The Spiritual Need in South Asia
South Asia, with its tapestry of cultures and traditions, offers a challenging yet deeply rewarding landscape for missionary endeavors.In fact, missions in South Asia are often life changing. This region includes nations such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the British Indian Ocean Territory. Each country presents its own unique opportunities for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. At ABWE, we are dedicated to embracing these opportunities and extending the message of hope throughout South Asia.
The overwhelming majority of people in this region are Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim. And while there are smaller populations of Roman Catholicism and followers of other religions, it is Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam that compete for adherence and position in culture and society. Many people live as unwelcome minorities who are persecuted and marginalized if they do not follow the dominant religion in their area.
Throughout South Asia there is an immense need for missionaries to share the gospel with Hindus as the number of unreached people groups in this part of the 10/40 Window is staggering. The International Mission Board estimates that almost 2,000 of just over 2,200 people groups in South Asia – which represents far more than a billion individuals – are unreached.
According to some estimates, there is on average only one Christian missionary for every 179,000 Hindu people in the world. Which makes missionaries in Asia even more vital to spreading the good word. Estimates show that more than 90% of the world’s Hindu people groups live in South Asia. The Muslim populations in this region are more traditional than in other parts of the world, strictly following orthodox Islam, whether Sunni or Shia. With only one Christian missionary for every 405,500 Muslims in the world and one for every 260,000 Buddhists, we are compelled to endeavor in South Asia until Christ is known among each of these established people groups.
Even with some of the highest numbers of unevangelized individuals and people groups of any region of the world, the church is growing where seeds have been sown. When given the opportunity to hear and experience the truth, many Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims in South Asia are trusting God through opposition, poverty, and other challenges in order to join the growing Spirit-led gospel movement that is transforming lives in this region.
Church Planting in South Asia
ABWE teams in South Asia are committed multiplying leaders, churches, and missions movements. Through education, teaching English as a second language, business as missions, and medical missions, we are connecting with families and sharing spiritual truth. In the countries where we lead church planting in South Asia, we partner with existing national ministries meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, vulnerable, and unevangelized.
A pervasive caste system in some countries, extreme poverty, and susceptibility to natural disasters can make South Asia a challenging place to live. Many governments in the region oppose Christianity, creating barriers against religious freedom, as well as challenges for foreign missionary access and ministry. ABWE’s Live Global ministry focuses on partnering with national workers who are equipped to impact their own communities and cultures through evangelism in their local language and culturally-intelligent church planting in South Asian countries.
Though it can be difficult to enter this limited access region, population-benefiting approaches like business-as-mission, tentmaking, and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) can offer means to entry and relationship building.
International hub cities like Dubai, Karachi, Delhi, Kathmandu, and Dhaka—create access for cross-cultural workers to invest in ministry with people from unreached people groups from all over the region and across the 10/40 Window. We seek highly entrepreneurial team members who are willing to help initiate new ministries and engage in relational evangelism in these urban frontier settings.
Established ministries throughout South Asia include our partners Memorial Christian Hospital (MCH) and William Carey Academy (WCA), two phenomenal ministry platforms for ABWE teammates to share the gospel. In addition, ABWE has opportunities in a large Christian university (10,000+ students), as well as in a number of other secondary and primary schools.
Our partnership with Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh offers more than medical ministries. Its campus contains outreaches that include an elementary school, two Bible colleges, a health science college, a tribal outreach project, camp ministry, a handicraft business, a literacy program and three Bible translation projects. There are two health clinics and four new church plants within driving distance of our campus. The hospital provides opportunities for sharing the good news and establishing communities of faith. While we have need for more medical team members, we have urgent need for more team members in the many non-medical ministries the hospital has enabled. All of these programs have been useful for sharing truth and discipling believers.
The opportunities for ministry in South Asia are endless and include a wide range of educational platforms, sports outreach, community and humanitarian development, information technology, and software development. coding, and ecotourism. The density of unreached people who are seeking truth is staggering, and the need for missionaries to reach them is just as immense. Your skill sets can be used on the mission field—is God leading you to join a gospel movement and plant churches among the unreached in South Asia?
We'd love to talk with you about how God is leading you.
Opportunities
Agricultural Development
South AsiaServe as a coordinator for developing agricultural programs that help tribal people move from slash-and-burn farming methods to stable hillside gardens and orchards.
Assistant Treasurer
South AsiaOur team is needing an assistant treasurer to work closely with our field team and nationals.
AV Program Coordinator
South AsiaWe are seeking a audio-visual program coordinator to help develop a strategic communication plan for our organization's ministry in South Asia.
Projects
ABTS of CU
Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS) provides national pastors and lay persons throughout Asia with the rigorous biblical training and theological understanding they need to answer God’s call in their lives. ABTS is based in Southeast Asia and offers US-accredited degrees through Cornerstone University.…
Aklan Hospital
With the motto "Spread the Word, Heal the Sick", Aklan Baptist Hospital meets the medical and spiritual needs of the people of Caticlan, Aklan on the island of Panay in the Philippines. The hospital was started by ABWE and is now led and run entirely under national Filipino leadership.…
Asia and the Pacific Ministry Fund
Asia & the Pacific Ministry Fund is designed to empower and support national partners and missionaries in the Asia and the Pacific regions. This fund aims to facilitate the growth and establishment of new ministries, ensuring that local communities receive the spiritual and practical support they need to thrive.…
ABTS of CU
Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS) provides national pastors and lay persons throughout Asia with the rigorous biblical training and theological understanding they need to answer God’s call in their lives. ABTS is based in Southeast Asia and offers US-accredited degrees through Cornerstone University.…
Aklan Hospital
With the motto "Spread the Word, Heal the Sick", Aklan Baptist Hospital meets the medical and spiritual needs of the people of Caticlan, Aklan on the island of Panay in the Philippines. The hospital was started by ABWE and is now led and run entirely under national Filipino leadership.…
Asia and the Pacific Ministry Fund
Asia & the Pacific Ministry Fund is designed to empower and support national partners and missionaries in the Asia and the Pacific regions. This fund aims to facilitate the growth and establishment of new ministries, ensuring that local communities receive the spiritual and practical support they need to thrive.…
Baguio Student Center
A ministry of Baguio Baptist Church in Baguio City, Philippines, focused on ministry to college and university students in the city. …
Bangladesh Access
The Bangladesh Access fund goes towards projects in South Asia, including outreach through agriculture, computer lessons, non-formal education, teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), handicrafts, and trade school. …
Bangladesh Access – Non-Formal Education
The non-formal education (NFE) program meets basic learning needs of disadvantaged children and empowers them to cope with life. “Light of Learning” teaching centers provide much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Students learn and teach others through action games, songs, recitations, and drama.…
Bangladesh Audio Visual
This fund helps support media production for Memorial Christian Hospital and other outreach initiatives. …
Bangladesh Bible Correspondence Project
Thousands of young people of all religious backgrounds, who would never visit a church, study God's Word in private through the South Asia Bible Correspondence School (BCS). Those who believe are introduced to the pastor of the nearest church for discipling.…
Bangladesh MCH Relief
For 53 years, Memorial Christian Hospital has served as a lighthouse, and beacon of hope to thousands of hurting, broken bodies that come through the ministry’s doors. But many of those patient’s can’t afford treatment, or can only pay a portion.…
Bangladesh MCH Work
For 53 years, Memorial Christian Hospital has served as a lighthouse, and beacon of hope to thousands of hurting, broken bodies that come through the ministry’s doors. Today it is one of the area’s major surgical resources, performing more than 2,000 surgeries and seeing over 50,000 patients a year.…
Bangladesh MCH Work – Diagnostic Services Education Fund
Memorial Christian Hospital Diagnostic Services Education Fund is training the next generation of professional Bangladeshi diagnostic technologists for Memorial Christian Hospital. Scholarships and no-interest loans are provided to help finance the education of Bangladeshis with the aim of meeting the diagnostic staffing needs of MCH.…
Bangladesh Theological Education | Advanced Degrees
Advanced Theological Education assists national BBCB faculty in pursuing higher theological degrees, which enhances the quality of our BBCB program. This assistance is provided through scholarships and grants. BBCB is a Bible College located in South Asia with the primary purpose of theological education for developing reproducing national leaders.…
Bangladesh Theological Education (BBCB) | Teaching Sites
BBCB is a Bible College located in South Asia with the primary purpose of theological education for developing reproducing national leaders. BBCB Teaching Sites offer courses via intensive, one-week modules to students without access to BBCB’s residential or commuter programs. …
Bangladesh Theological Education | Chittagong BBCB
BBCB is a Bible College located in South Asia with the primary purpose of theological education for developing reproducing national leaders. Chittagong BBCB is a commuter Bible College for students located in the port city and surrounding areas. It is designed for students who are engaged in ministry or employment to be fully equipped for vocational ministry and church leadership.…
Bangladesh Theological Education | Malumghat BBCB
BBCB is a Bible College located in South Asia with the primary purpose of theological education for developing reproducing national leaders. Malumghat BBCB is a residential Bible College program in our southern location. Evening courses are also offered, allowing flexibility for non-residential students to attend.…
Bangladesh Theological Education | Pastoral Training Seminar (PTS)
PTS provides pastoral training seminars to pastors and church leaders who continue to upgrade their knowledge of the Bible and ministry skills. Each seminar has academic and inspirational components that enrich the participant’s life and ministry and provides much-needed fellowship in the work.…
Bangladesh Tribal Ministries
Funds support tribal ministries in South Asia, including sponsorship of children at school, translation, and relief projects. …
BBSI Manila Work and Scholarship
Since being established in 1930, BBSI-College, by the grace of God, has produced men and women equipped and able to serve God in their respective fields of ministry all over the country and even in the international stage. …
Bethel Baptist Hospital
Bethel Baptist Hospital is a ministry started by ABWE to provide hope and healing to those living in Bukidnon, Philippines. It is now run by Filipino nationals. …
Boracay Grace Bapt-Philippines
Great things are in progress on the mission field through this ministry! Our missionaries will be sharing more project details shortly and look forward to how you might get involved. If you need to get in touch immediately, let us know at info@abwe.org…
Bukidnon Fundamental Baptist Seminary
Surrounded by 14 unreached people groups — including several militant Muslim and animistic tribes — ABWE’s partner school Bukidnon Fundamental Baptist Seminary (BFBS) equips men and women to bring the gospel to some of the Philippines’ most spiritually isolated regions. With the help of ABWE missionaries and BFBS professors Phil and Barb Klumpp, the seminary has trained more than 1,000 graduates to become church planters, missionaries, pastors, and teachers.…
Bukidnon Fundamental Baptist Seminary
Surrounded by 14 unreached people groups — including several Muslim and animistic tribes — ABWE’s partner school Bukidnon Fundamental Baptist Seminary (BFBS) equips men and women to bring the gospel to the Philippines’ most spiritually isolated regions. While Filipino believers donated enough money to begin a reconstruction and expansion project, they need our help to finish it.…
Church Planting with Banilad Church (Philippines)
Great things are in progress on the mission field through this ministry! Our missionaries will be sharing more project details shortly and look forward to how you might get involved. If you need to get in touch immediately, let us know at info@abwe.org…
CIW Prison Ministry
ABWE missionary Sophie Jenista and her ministry partner Deb Anat began this work in 2000 at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Manila, Philippines. Sophie and Deb trained prisoner leaders called Lightbearers, to introduce prisoners to Christ, disciple them, and teach them to pray and serve.…
Discipleship w/ Pastor Meo (Philippines)
Pastor Meo and his team focus on small group discipleship to edify and equip their members to become disciple-makers who start churches in their communities.…
Discipleship w/ Pastor Meo (Philippines)
Pastor Meo and his team and church are working to reach out to more towns and municipalities in their province of the Philippines. They focus on small group discipleship to edify and equip our members to become disciple-makers who start churches in their communities.…
Doane Baptist Seminary Iloilo Work Acct
Doane Baptist Seminary in Iloilo offers Christian education programs at various academic levels with a mission to produce excellent and godly leaders through relevant Bible-based education. …
Doane Rest
Doane Rest serves as a guesthouse ministry for missionaries, pastors, and other church workers in need of rest. It also serves as a training location for Christians. …
Empowering Churches & Impacting Communities India
This project proclaims God’s word and his love to Northwest India in the following three ways: Education Children: We provide for the education of children living in the slums and villages of northwest India. In this region, the standard cost of education can prove overly burdensome, leading parents to underestimate the value of educating their child, especially if it is a girl.…
