South Asia

Igniting National-Led Impact

In South Asia, the people are turning to the only gods they know. Their lives are deeply rooted in ancient ancestral religions such as Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. The remoteness of many of the people groups results in limited opportunities to hear the gospel.

Though this region is filled with people who have never heard the name of Jesus, the few believers who call South Asia home are determined to go to every corner of their nations with the good news.

East-West recognizes that a national-led initiative results in a more rapidly spreading church planting movement. With this is mind, we focus on training nationals and equipping them with the tools to share the gospel in the most remote areas. Short-term trips, the JESUS Film, and committed nationals have ignited a chain of grassroots church planting movements throughout South Asia.

Take a short-term trip to South Asia

Explore upcoming opportunities to serve alongside our missionaries and national partners in South Asia.

How you can pray for South Asia

  • Pray for more laborers to serve among the thousands of people groups in South Asia
  • Pray that existing local believers would be trained and sent out to new communities to share the gospel, disciple new believers, and plant churches
  • Pray that the caste systems prevalent in South Asia society would fall in response to the spread of the gospel

Facing Daily Danger

As faithful servants of Christ, we are called to proclaim the truth of the gospel in all circumstances. But in some places, those circumstances are a matter of life and death.

For Vihaan—the pastor of a new church in South Asia—this danger is a daily reality.

After his conversion, Vihaan was trained to go and make disciples as the leader of a church in his village. Some in his village heard the truth and received Christ, but many others rejected Vihaan’s new faith, even banding together to persecute him and his family.

First, they went for Vihaan’s crops—his primary source of provision for food and finances. When he tried to stop one man from tearing them up the ground, Vihaan was warned to “shut his loud mouth” to avoid further consequences.

But Vihaan couldn’t stop speaking about the Lord.

In response, Vihaan’s neighbors went from attacking his possessions to physically beating him and his family. Head wounds warranted a rush to the local hospital where Vihaan was denied treatment because of his allegiance to Christ. Hours later, other believers in the area championed his cause and Vihaan was reluctantly admitted for care.

Today Vihaan and his family are on the mend from these brutal attacks, but have relocated to a new community with the help of their South Asian brothers and sisters.

Give to Ministry in this Region

Are you passionate about the unreached in South Asia? You can participate in our work in this field by giving to support the ongoing ministry of our faithful national partners.