China (MNN) – Seventeen years ago, 36 missionaries set out from China to reach a neighboring Buddhist country for Christ. They were the first contemporary missionaries with Back to Jerusalem, an organization that trains and equips underground Chinese believers to bring the Gospel to the world’s least-reached countries.
(Photo courtesy of Back to Jerusalem via Facebook)
“We are an agency that provides resourcing for them, enabling them to fulfill the task that God has given them with the Great Commission of taking the Gospel message from Eastern China, all the way through Western China, through the Middle East, and back to Jerusalem where the Gospel started over 2,000 years ago,” Back to Jerusalem’s Al Young says.
Back to Jerusalem’s influence covers a large part of the “10/40” window, the parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. According to the Joshua Project, this area is home to 8,474 distinct people groups, 5,854 of which are considered unreached.
According to Back to Jerusalem, there are hundreds of Chinese missionaries working in this region, with thousands more in training. Back to Jerusalem provides these missionaries with resources such as Bibles and Sunday School materials, as well as vocational training.
The problem, however, is that many of these Chinese believers are a part of the Underground Church. They operate outside of the law, so they constantly face the threat of persecution. Young asks that you keep them in your prayers as they face numerous challenges.
(Photo courtesy of Back to Jerusalem via Facebook)
“They do not have a regular place to meet as we would think about a church building,” Young says. “They would have to meet in some remote place, maybe some farm housing or something in the woods or something in a way that they’d be least distracted or detected by the authorities. So we need divine protection of the Father and [the] relief of those who are even now suffering persecution. Some are in prison and others are experiencing various forms of challenges from the government leadership.”
Interested in how you can support these missionaries bringing Christ to the world’s least- reached people? You can find ways to support back to Jerusalem’s ministry here.
You can also invite Back to Jerusalem’s spokesperson, Brother Yun, to your church to discuss his experience being tortured for his faith. You can learn more here.
