The Gospel at work in Pakistan

Christianity in Pakistan is a minority religion, accounting for approximately 1.04% of the population. Christians in Pakistan face various challenges, including discrimination, violence, and oppression.

The blasphemy laws in Pakistan have been used to target Christian communities, and there have been instances of mob violence against Christians. Despite these challenges, Christians in Pakistan continue to practice their faith and contribute to society. There are Christian schools, hospitals, and other institutions that serve the broader community in Pakistan. The government has taken steps to protect the rights of religious minorities, but there is still significant work to be done to ensure the full inclusion and protection of Christians and other minority groups in Pakistan.

Showing God’s grace through humility

“Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” — PROVERBS 22:9 (NLT)

Chanda

In her kitchen, Chanda sets a small amount of flour aside before baking naan bread for her family. It’s a reminder of where she was just a short time ago – hungry, poor and unreached. Even in her struggle, she divided what little she had and gave it to her church to help other hungry families. It wasn’t an immediate realization of what God was doing for her. “It was difficult, but I decided I needed to implement the word of God in my life,” she recalls. Her obedience to tithe even when she had so little brought her an abundance of blessings.

Dominic

“He took out scissors and tried to attack me,” recalls Dominic, a Christian hairstylist who was assaulted by a Muslim co-worker at the hair salon where he works. For Dominic, persecution is very real. He is the only Christian stylist in the salon and among just 1.04% of Christians in the entire country of 232 million people. When Dominic returned to work, his co-workers encouraged him to take revenge on the man who had assaulted him. “Everyone had their opinions, but I never thought of doing those things,” he said. Instead, he took a different approach —forgiveness.

Naziran

Naziran, a poor widow and mother of young children, reflects on her hardship. “While we were at the brick kiln, there was no hope for a new life…we moved to a new village and were forced to take out a big loan,” she recalls. Naziran and her family found themselves indebted to a brick kiln owner after borrowing money from him. Unable to pay him back, the entire family, even the children, were forced to work to pay off this overwhelming debt. But one day, a local pastor paid off their debt to the brick kiln owner, and the family was finally free. “God is almighty…He always listens to our prayers,” Naziran says.

Stories like these happen every day, thanks to the Gospel and the fait of believers. In Pakistan, ICM has helped build over 100 churches and disciple tens of thousands of people. With God, anything is possible, and together, we can impact the entire nation of Pakistan.

FROM THE FIELD: Focus on Pastor Training

How the Gospel is Making an Impact in Honduras and El Salvador

This report is from a recent trip taken by ICM’s Latin America representatives.

A pastor shouts, “there is wealth in this!” during an overview of Foundations resources, as he holds a small Kingdom Cross in his hand for the first time. Kingdom Crosses are cross-shaped devices with various USB and cell phone ports that can plug into a computer or cell phone. These crosses house a microSD card that contains the full Foundations curriculum, the audio Bible and The Jesus Film in their language. All vital tools in sharing and teaching the Gospel to communities that were not able to access it before.

One pastor from Honduras was able to test out ICM’s Wi-Fi hotspots, also known as Access Points, in his neighborhood. He walked through the streets, asking people to connect their phones to the Access Point. Once connected, the pastor showed them the Foundations material. “It was an incredible opportunity to share the Gospel. Many of these people had never heard about Jesus before. Witnessing their curiosity about Him and answering their questions as they looked at the discipleship material on their phone was a heartwarming and exciting moment,” shared the pastor.

On the trip, ICM’s representatives for Latin America saw first hand how the communities are embracing the high-tech way of sharing the Gospel. They visited a church, Hope Center, and a Sports Pavilion—all made possible because of ICM investors. The pastor of the church is working with the youth group to set up an Access Point and a projector under the Sports Pavilion. This way, they can have a movie night to watch The Jesus Film. The event will be open to the church, and the whole community will be invited as well! The pastor and congregation hope that this will be a fun and creative way to welcome new members to their church.