Today we take a look at Advancing Native Missions’ work in the Far East. By way of introduction, ANM breaks the world into seven parts. The month of April is dedicated to the part of the world we call the Far East. The Far East consists of seven countries including China, Outer Mongolia, Tibet (we consider that a separate entity from China), Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. Our primary work is carried out in China, Tibet, and North Korea. Over the next few weeks we will highlight the work of our frontline missionaries as they serve amidst persecution and the ever-changing-but-never changing world we call the Far East.
China has the largest population in the world today at 1.355 billion people. Even though China is seen as one large Communist country, it is made up of 516 different people groups who speak 296 languages and dialects. In fact, almost half of all of the unreached people groups in the world today are in China. 83% of the people groups in China are considered unreached. Much of the China work that ANM is involved in has to do with Bibles for China, sending teams of nationals into unreached people groups for evangelism, leadership training for the national churches, evangelistic teams to target Muslim Chinese groups within China, etc.
Even though Tibet has been claimed by China, it is still very much a separate world and separate culture. There are about 6 million Tibetans still living in this formally independent nation. Though the country is still steeped in Buddhism, the Gospel is penetrating the hearts of some of the Buddhists, and inroads are being seen. The primary means of evangelizing the Tibetans is through radio broadcasts and church planting teams.
North Korea is often called the “Hermit Nation” due to its forced isolation at the hands of its Communist government. This nation of some 25 million people was once a thriving Christian land. After the Korean war and the revolution, Christianity became outlawed and owning a Bible became a capital offense. Thousands of Christians are in prison camps undergoing unspeakable torture and suffering simply because they love Jesus. It is estimated that the number of Christians in North Korea is between 120,000 and 200,000. It is impossible to know for sure. Yet there remains an underground church (we are in contact with about 2,000 underground churches) that is alive and faithfully spreading the Gospel in this darkest of all nations. ANM is busy raising pastors’ support, providing discipleship resources, securing sponsorship for orphans, broadcasting Christian truth by radio into this closed country, and so much more.
Please pray for our faithful partners who are working in the midst of the most difficult circumstances to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into this part of the world.
Dan Reichard contributed this post. Dan is ANM’s desk director for the Far East and part of ANM’s chaplains team.