Students challenged to join Great Commission work in South Asia

During Southwestern Seminary’s International Church Planting Week, Sept. 12-16, visiting International Mission Board missionaries emphasized missions among the South Asian affinity group. Throughout the week, missionaries visited students in classes and nightly events, sharing about the unique opportunities and needs in this region. Students and faculty also heard the testimonies of missionaries during all three chapel services regarding the numerous ways in which God is moving in South Asia. Through all of this, the missionaries conveyed the need for more workers ready to take the Gospel to unreached people groups.

Darren Cantwell,* who spoke in chapel Sept. 13, expressed the urgency of this task in South Asia, a region he said has “the greatest concentration of lostness in our world today.” He explained that less than 2 percent of the country’s population are believers and that more than 2,000 unreached people groups remain there.

“Most of them are swept into a Christ-less eternity. Again, we have a sense of urgency,” he said. “Our vision in South Asia is to see a vast multitude from every South Asian nation, tribe, people and language knowing and worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ. Millions are waiting in darkness for the light to come to them. Join us in reaching that massive humanity.”

In chapel Sept. 14, Master of Divinity student Charles** shared his testimony of fleeing religious persecution in his home country in South Asia. Following his salvation, he began to minister through various evangelistic opportunities. However, in doing so, he became the target of an Islamic radical group within the country.

“My family and I experienced harm, mistreatment and cruel attacks,” he said. “To save my life, I finally had to escape my country to the United States.”

After settling in California, Charles eventually moved to Fort Worth, where he enrolled in Southwestern. He explained that he has often doubted God’s love for him, questioning why God would allow him to experience suffering and persecution. “But now I have come to know that God loves me very much and has a wonderful plan to work for His Kingdom.”

The final chapel testimony, Sept. 15, was given by Evert Swenson,* who shared with students and faculty how, in spite of the staggering statistics of unreached people groups, God is moving in the region and many people are starting to follow Christ.

“There is engagement among these peoples like never before,” he said. “The One who said, ‘Let there be light’ in [Genesis 1:3] is shining light on the hearts of people separated from that truth for nearly 5,000 years. … ‘The god of this age’ is allowed to blind the minds of unbelievers, [but] the God of heaven also shines a light into the heart of those same people.”

*Name changed to protect mission work.

**Full name withheld for security purposes.