Pakistan #3 - Reaching out with the Gospel message
Reaching out with the Gospel Message
God has determined our days. So, we won’t live in fear about today. When Veda Javeed (Director, Presbyterian Education Board) spoke these words to us, we couldn’t quite understand what she meant. Today in meeting the young teams leading Pakistan Bible Correspondence School (PBCS) and Pakistan Christian Recording Ministry (PCRM), our comprehension deepened.
Our 2-hour drive to Faisalabad took us through some beautiful farmland. We could see why this area is called the breadbasket of Pakistan. Pakistan is home to 208 million people, 97% of whom are Muslim, and where the literacy rate is 25%. PCRM and PBCS are amazing in how they reach out to Muslims with the Gospel message. Faisalabad is a place where Sunni and more extreme views of Islam are gripping the population. As a result, both ministries have been threatened in an effort to shut them down but they prayed and persevered and are still there after many years of operation.
PCRM is a full recording studio led by Zahoor Ul Haq. They record audio, video, DVD, and internet media and they broadcast on FM radio every day. They produce 15-minute lessons, mostly Bible studies but also life lessons that teach the tenets of being a good Christian without actually preaching Christ. People of all faiths listen to these, and many send secure messages to PCRM. Staff people respond to these messages and, by building relationships, are often able to share the Gospel. Their goal is to make a positive impact on people’s attitudes through Christian values.
PCRM also produces and broadcasts Christian music which has a special appeal to young people. PCRM has been building its social media platform in response to today's needs.
Zahoor told us about a man who listened to the broadcasts and eventually asked to be baptized. He brought his two sons to faith and then many friends. Soon they had a house church established. This is just one of many stories in which Muslims are discovering Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are in awe over their courage to do this in a country where it is illegal to do so, punishable by death, often by a mob rather than the courts.
PBCS is similar in its outreach and operates out of four different locations. The Faisalabad ministry is led by Adeel Samuel, a very capable man who exudes joy. PBCS started by mailing lessons on the Bible to anyone who asked, free of charge. They still do that, but their focus has turned to social media and camps as a means of reaching both Christians and Muslims.
Students who complete the whole course of lessons graduate and receive either a Bible dictionary or commentary. Even an Imam and a notable professor of Islamic studies here have received these. One of their main goals is to correct the many misconceptions that are held about the Christian faith. They want to bring truth to people. They, too, have a series of classes that teach life lessons on the tenets of a Christian life without actually preaching Christ.
One young Muslim man gave his testimony saying he has learned that Jesus is the Son of God, and he continues to research it. He took these classes and was overwhelmed with the good news of the light which Jesus Christ brings to this dark world. He now reads the Bible every day and talks to his friends about Jesus. This is just one of many stories like this.
Both ministries hold 3- to 5-day camps for believers, seekers, and non-believers which prove to be very productive in bringing light into the lives of the participants. Baptisms are risky business and often churches will not perform these in order to avoid being further persecuted. However, some pastors will do them, and always in secret. It is not known exactly how many Muslims have come to faith through these ministries because they must remain secret. But it is enough for God to know, and we are humbled by this work and their courage.
We were so impressed with both of these ministries. They provide a wonderful way to help non-Christians know Jesus and to help Christians become stronger in their faith. I will forever be changed by the witness that these Christians have shown me in a world where it can be so dangerous to be a Christian.
Gratefully submitted,
Elizabeth Long
First Presbyterian Church, Mount Dora, FL
