Bangladesh (MNN) — Bangladesh, the third largest Muslim dominate nation in the world, is only the size of Iowa—a Midwest state in the United States. However, this nearly 57,000 square mile nation is home to just over 161 million people.
Do the math, and that’s roughly 2,825 people per square mile. Either way it’s looked at, that’s one crowded county. Yet, this geographically small nation is brimming with people and opportunities to share the Gospel.
Brimming With Christ
“I was amazed at how quickly someone comes to faith in Christ, they become baptized. They are discipled and they have become fishers of men, right away,” FMI’s Bruce Allen recalls from when he was in the country for a field visit.
(Photo courtesy of FMI)
During the field visit, FMI also held conferences for FMI partners. The conferences consisted of full days of sessions and hours upon hours of material. The evenings were left free for a period of winding down and relationship building.
“I was seeing Muslim background believers, Hindu background believers saying, ‘No, I’m here in the city with all these millions of people around me, I’m going out and I’m evangelizing. This is my opportunity,’” Allen explains.
“It wasn’t that they were evangelizing because this is an FMI conference or it’s an assignment, they just wanted to do that. There were millions of people around them, let’s fish for men here.”
FMI also brought Bibles in the local languages for pastors to take to their congregations for both discipleship and evangelism. And while there, Allen saw how FMI pastors are building relationships with one another and helping each other.
Ministry in Bangladesh
However, Bangladesh is ranked #41 on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List*. This means Christians still have reason to be cautious.
“I’m pleased to see how they can come up with some creative solutions to still minister to the Body of Christ, while treating the wider community with gentleness and respect, as 1 Peter 3:15 would tell us. And the ability of the pastors to network, because they have gotten to know each other through the conferences, and have relationships with each other, and get ministry done in creative ways,” Allen shares.
Hiking between Chakma tribe villages in rural Bangladesh is long and arduous, but FMI-supported Pastor Arjun regularly treks between ministry sites in three villages to evangelize, disciple believers, and establish new churches. (Photo courtesy of FMI)
FMI’s national leadership team in Bangladesh has alerted Allen that it wants to add three new church planters to its list of supported FMI partners in the country. But the dream doesn’t end there. This leadership team also wants to provide practical internships and theological scholarships with the potential for full partnership.
“They have a grand vision to spread the Gospel across Bangladesh, and not just keep it to themselves,” Allen says.
And you can help FMI partners in Bangladesh both creatively share the Gospel and receive sponsorship through FMI.
Be Prayerful, Be Active
But first, start helping by praying. Pray for continued creativity in ministry, perseverance, and encouragement for these partners. Also, pray for the safety and impact in their communities. And finally, ask God to provide the sufficient funds to sponsor more church planters and pastors, as well as practical internships and theological scholarships.
Another way to help is through giving. It takes $120 a month to support a church planter through FMI. Through this sponsorship, church planters receive supplemental income, an opportunity for ongoing training, and provision for emergency medical expenses.
Give to FMI’s work in Bangladesh and help support a church planter here!
For more details on FMI’s work in Bangladesh, click here!
*Open Doors USA’s World Watch List is an annual ranking of the top 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Find the World Watch List here!
