2025-06-23T21:44:09+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX — Endless scrolling and digital overload are creating a surprising hunger among the smartphone generation known as Gen Z — a deep longing for a real, personal encounter with God, says a global missions leader.

“Young people are craving more than just entertainment and information,” said Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, president of global mission agency GFA World. “They’re craving to encounter the living God.”

Gen Z ‘Craves Encounter with God’ says Global Missions Leader Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan
GEN Z’S ‘GOD ENCOUNTER’: GFA World’s Set Apart retreat June 2-8 offers young people ages 18-30 the opportunity to swap social media and compulsive texting for a week of “encountering God.”

His comments follow a new study by Barna researchers that revealed young Americans are more likely than older Americans to affirm a “personal commitment to Jesus Christ.” In other research, based on a poll of 2,000 young Americans, two-thirds of Gen Zers said they had prayed to God in the past week, while more than one-third said they had read from the Bible.

Findings suggest many teens and young adults are seeking something deeper than social media likes and followers.

Now Texas-based GFA World is giving them that opportunity.

From June 2-8, the Set Apart retreat at the mission organization’s campus in Wills Point near Dallas offers Gen Zers and Millennials ages 18-30 the opportunity to swap social media and compulsive texting for a week of encountering God — the “encounter they crave,” according to Bishop Daniel.

A Narnia-Like Experience

He likens the retreat to the moment in C.S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” when the children step through the wardrobe to encounter Aslan, a fictional representation of Christ.

Gen Z longs to “walk through the wardrobe” and meet with God personally, he said, “but they don’t know how or haven’t been given the opportunity.”

The retreat will inspire young people to respond to Jesus’ challenge to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” — a radical call, Bishop Daniel says, to embrace “what it means to follow Christ, to live in the light of eternity.”

Seeking A Solid Foundation

Many young people feel empty and are looking for something to anchor their lives on.

A recent report in Premier Christianity noted a growing interest in historic Christian practices and liturgies — dating back to the early church — that “have become more attractive to young adults seeking a solid foundation.”

When young people set aside their phones purposefully for a time of silent prayer and reflection, Bishop Daniel said, the effect on them is profound.

“You have no idea how many young people say that the most impactful thing in their life is just to have the opportunity to encounter the living God,” he said. “As we listen for God’s still small voice, he meets us, but we must give him the space to speak to us.”

Bishop Daniel sees this generation as the future leaders and missionaries of the church — the ones who will carry the message of Christ into the next era.

“They’re going to be the ones to move nations,” he said. “The greatest gift we can give them is the opportunity to encounter God for themselves.”


About GFA World (formerly Gospel for Asia)

GFA World is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping thousands of national missionaries bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in hundreds of villages and remote communities, and more than 150,000 families provided with the means to break the cycle of poverty through income-generating gifts. More than 40,000 fresh water wells have been drilled since 2007, hundreds of thousands of women are now empowered through literacy training, and Christ-motivated ministry takes place every day throughout 18 nations. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.


Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | SourceWatch | Integrity | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Media Room | Child Sponsorship | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | International Offices | Missionary and Child Sponsorship | Transforming Communities through God’s Love

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Source: GFA World Digital Media Room, Gen Z ‘Craves Encounter with God’ says Global Missions Leader

MEDIA: To arrange an interview with Bishop Daniel, contact: Palmer Holt, 704-662-2569, [email protected]

2021-07-27T21:22:33+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing GFA World’s Bridge of Hope Program and it’s impact on families and communities, providing for health needs through the center’s medical camp.

Discussing GFA World's Bridge of Hope Program and it's impact on communities, providing for health needs through the center's medical camp.
A doctor checks a patient’s blood pressure at a medical camp organized at a Bridge of Hope center.

GFA World’s Bridge of Hope Program is designed to support young students as they grow into adulthood. The program provides free educational tutoring, school supplies, clothing and a hot meal—which their families might not be able to afford otherwise. It also assists children and their families by providing personal hygiene resources and medical checkups.

One Bridge of Hope center hosted a medical camp before the pandemic, during which more than 450 people received free health care in a single day.

A Day of GFA Medical Camp Doctors’ Visits

At 9:30 a.m., six doctors and two pharmacists began seeing patients. Bridge of Hope students lined up with their parents and neighbors to see the medical professionals for various ailments and health checkups.

For the next seven and a half hours, the doctors examined the villagers and prescribed medicines, while the pharmacists assisted in administering medication. The medical staff graciously volunteered their time to treat conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, cataracts, high cholesterol, skin rashes and vitamin deficiencies. Doctors also provided medical care for patients wrestling with heart and lung problems.

GFA Medical Camp - Patients receive free perscriptions and Bridge of Hope students and their families wait for a chance to see a doctor
Top: Bridge of Hope staff help medical professionals hand out prescribed medications.
Bottom: Bridge of Hope students and their families wait for a chance to see a doctor during a medical camp.

Bridge of Hope staff was on hand throughout the day to assist the medical staff and to help keep the camp running smoothly.

Events such as medical camps are a welcome blessing for Bridge of Hope students and their communities. Many of the students at this center have parents employed on tea estates and who work long hours each day to earn just enough money for the family’s needs for that day. Nutritious meals and the costs of remedying unexpected health issues are often more than a family can afford.

The day was a whirlwind for everyone involved as 100 students and their families, as well as others from the community, cycled through the camp receiving health care advice and appropriate medications. As the camp concluded at 5 p.m., a Bridge of Hope staff member offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the day’s success.

The satisfaction of helping to provide for the community’s health needs was well worth the busy day at the medical camp.


Read Jalpa’s story to learn more about Bridge of Hope and the impact it can have on a student’s life.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.


Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Hundreds Line Up to Receive Free Medical Exams

Learn more about the GFA World Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.

Learn more about the GFA World’s Medical Ministry who are helping thousands in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.

Click here to read more blogs and on Bridge of Hope on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2021-06-02T08:02:06+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Nadajay, a 45 year old widow, her family’s struggle with poverty and sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs.

One dollar and thirty-eight cents—that was all Nadajay made per day working in the mines. The 45-year-old widow needed to provide for her two sons, but her daily income barely covered living and school expenses, leaving hardly any extra.

But when Nadajay’s 10-year-old son, Adeon, fell ill with a kidney stone, she spared no expense. She wouldn’t lose another son; she couldn’t lose another son.

A Tragic Past, a Region in Need

Discussing a widow & her family's struggle with poverty & sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs.
Goats, like those pictured above, provide much-needed income as families in need can sell their offspring.

Nadajay had already lost her husband and five sons to sickness in the past. Their poverty meant they could not seek proper medical attention—an all-too-common occurrence in Nadajay’s region. People suffered with malaria, jaundice and typhoid, and many could not afford proper treatment.

When Adeon fell ill, Nadajay’s fear and heartache from the past surged to the present. Any spare money she had saved up went to finding relief for her son’s pain. Doctor visits and traditional rituals brought no healing. What if she would lose him, too?

When Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Macalay first arrived in Nadajay’s region, he saw families stricken by poverty and devastated by sickness. He saw the mental and emotional strain on the locals’ faces. He saw the hopelessness and the pain. Pastor Macalay knew these men and women needed love, so he sought to be a beacon of hope for those trapped in destitution and despair.

When Pastor Macalay met Nadajay, she shared with the pastor her grief and troubles. She told him of the tragic passing of her husband and children. Now another son—her youngest, Adeon—lay ill, and nothing she’d done had worked. Please, she asked, pray for my son.

Pastor Macalay did. For the next two weeks, he visited Nadajay’s home, praying for her sick son. And after two weeks of constant prayer, Adeon’s pain vanished. He had been healed.

Blessings for a Widow from Gospel for Asia Distribution

Enormous relief settled in Nadajay’s heart. For nearly a year, worry for Adeon, combined with the pain of the past, had ruled Nadajay’s thoughts. Her attempts had not healed her son, but Pastor Macalay’s prayers did. Why? What was different about the pastor’s prayers that enabled her son to be healed?

She realized it was Christ and His love that had brought healing for Adeon’s body—and to Nadajay’s heart.

She began attending worship services held by Pastor Macalay with other villagers. Together, as one congregation, they grew in the knowledge of Christ’s love and the power of prayer.

A year later, Nadajay received a pair of goats through a Christmas gift distribution. They provided the widow with much-needed income, especially as the number of goats steadily increased from two to 24. Through selling the offspring, she could take care of any medical needs that arose—and get her sons through school and repair a leaky roof.

Nadajay no longer feared for her sons’ survival. Thanks to the faithful prayers of Pastor Macalay, Nadajay now rejoices in the comforting embrace of God’s provision and love.


Read how a booklet helped rescue a widow from her wrecked home.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.


Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Medical Needs Taken Care of Through Prayer, Goats

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and its Christmas Gift Catalog, gifts like pigs, bicycles and sewing machines break the cycle of poverty and show Christ’s love to impoverished families in Asia. One gift can have a far-reaching impact, touching families and rippling out to transform entire communities.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:

Read more on Christmas Gift Catalog, National Missions and Poverty Alleviation on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2022-03-31T07:18:48+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. YohannanDiscussing Ekanga and his wife, Pallivini, the challenges they face with her sickness, and God’s work through national missionaries and Gospel for Asia Medical Camp.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Ekanga, his wife, Pallivini, the challenges they face with her sickness,& God's work through national missionaries & Gospel for Asia Medical camp

E

kanga was worried about his wife. Though Pallavini took local remedies for healing, nothing helped. Many of the so-called treatments only made her worse. For more than a year, her bleeding continued, leaving her weaker and weaker as the months drew on. Ekanga feared Pallivini would die.

To make matters worse, the family lived in a notoriously dangerous village—one populated by robbers, thieves and bloodthirsty men. Every month, villagers would hear a report of someone being killed and robbed by the people of Ekanga’s village.

Ekanga had good cause to be worried.

When They Met the Pastor

A few months before Ekanga’s wife became sick, he met Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Jacob. Although Ekanga called himself a Christian, he and his wife hadn’t been living like it. As Pastor Jacob and Ekanga talked, Ekanga told him plainly he wanted to start going to church. In July, Ekanga started attending Pastor Jacob’s church in the nearby village, and by December, he moved the family to that village, further away from the danger of their previous town.

Pallavini, whose medical issues started the month before they moved, wasn’t happy with the idea of her husband going to church. But God was working in her heart, and a year later, she went with Ekanga to church.

“Now I understand that God still loves me and my family,” she shared in front of the congregation that day. “That’s why today we, as a family, came here and worshipped the Lord together with you all.”

At the end of her testimony, Pallivini asked the congregation to pray for her well-being.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pallavini received life-changing multivitamins at a Gospel for Asia medical camp led by a Women’s Fellowship team.
Pallavini received life-changing multivitamins at a Gospel for Asia (GFA) medical camp led by a Women’s Fellowship team.

Medical Camp Helps Bring Healing

The next day, the Women’s Fellowship team at Pastor Jacob’s church had planned a medical camp. Pallivini went with about 30 other women. They each received multivitamin tablets and learned a few basic things about health.

One week later, Pallavini could hardly contain her joy.

“Thank you for the medicine that you have given to me,” she said.

“After taking those vitamin tablets, I feel better. I have started to feel hungry and eat more. The bleeding and pain have even gone from my body. From the day I took those vitamin tablets, I also could sleep well at night, without any pain.”

Praise God for moving in Ekanga’s and Pallavini’s lives! Their testimony is just one among many who have been touched and blessed through the ministries of Gospel for Asia (GFA), which you are part of through your prayers and donations. Thank you so much for standing with us to impact lives around the world.


Learn more about the need for Medical Ministry. GFA’s medical ministry is helping thousands who are in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.


Source: Gospel for Asia Newsletter, From Danger to Good Health

Learn more about the Women Missionaries and their heroic efforts, dedicating their lives to bringing hope and God’s love to the women of Asia.

Learn more about the national missionaries who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | SourceWatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Media Room | Scandal of Starvation | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | Lawsuit Response |

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

2022-04-16T12:13:53+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. YohannanDiscussing Jamar and Evelyn, their family’s struggle with poverty, the common suffering of illnesses brought about by malnutrition, and the medical care brought near by Gospel for Asia (GFA) Bridge of Hope.

J

amar and Evelyn were fortunate to be working. Income as a driver and schoolteacher kept their family of four floating above the extreme poverty line that so many of their neighbors were submerged under.

Discussing struggles with poverty, illnesses brought about by malnutrition, and the medical care brought near by Gospel for Asia supported Bridge of Hope.
Despite their steady jobs, Jamar and his wife struggled to afford healthy foods and medical care for themselves or their young daughters.

The rural area where Jamar and his family lived was lush with tea plantations and family farms. The markets were filled with eggs, chicken and meat products. But all these healthy foods were out of reach for most of the working population who earned less than $5 a day. Spending more than half of that amount on a dozen eggs was a luxury families could not afford.

Jamar and Evelyn stuck to rice, lentils and vegetables twice a day, like most in their community. On rare occasions, Jamar would spend two days of hard-earned income on a meager feast of chicken for his family.

This lack of nutritious food meant most of the villagers suffered from vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition—and subsequent illnesses like skin problems, respiratory issues and eye problems. Furthermore, living so rurally meant they did not have access to medical care, nor could they afford it if they did.

Bridge of Hope Hosts Medical Camp

The Bridge of Hope center that Jamar’s daughter, Abby, attended organized a free medical camp for the local community. Medical professionals from a district hospital came and provided free medications and vitamins to the malnourished population.

Jamar and Evelyn found support for their family through the local Bridge of Hope center. Their eldest daughter, Abby, was enrolled at the center as a first grader. At Bridge of Hope, Abby received a nutritious meal each day to supplement what she ate at home, and she got help with her schoolwork while her parents worked each day to support her and her baby sister.

One day at Abby’s Bridge of Hope center anticipation hung in the air when the staff announced the center was going to organize a free medical camp. That night Abby told her parents the exciting news.

Grateful for the opportunity to get free medical services, Jamar coordinated with the parents of other Bridge of Hope students to volunteer at the medical camp. They passed out flyers to the surrounding communities, cleaned the school where the camp would be held and rearranged furniture to accommodate the coming doctors and nurses. Jamar even met with the village government authority, village head, and superintendent of the local tea plantation to get their support.

Blessings Given, Received

Jamar organized parent volunteers to unload medical supplies and set up the camp.

The morning of the medical camp, Jamar and other parent volunteers unloaded medical supplies from the vehicle of the health care team that came from the nearest hospital, which was 15 miles away. The volunteers arranged a make-shift pharmacy in the main hallway of the school. They also set up a seating area for the sick to wait to be seen by a doctor.

After setting up and getting everything ready, Jamar got in line to see the doctor. For the two months prior, he had known something was wrong. He had phlegm build-up and was feeling weaker than normal. The doctor did a thorough checkup for Jamar, diagnosing his phlegm issue as the result of an infection. The doctor prescribed antibiotics to Jamar plus vitamins to help support his daily strength and health.

“To get medicines for any sickness we have to travel 4 kilometers,” Jamar says. “I also did not have money to buy medicines, which are very expensive. I waited for almost two months in order to get medicines, and [now I] received everything free because of the Bridge of Hope medical camp.”

One Day, 500 Blessings

The day was long and filled with patients waiting for medical treatment. More than 500 people came to the medical camp, and everyone who needed vitamins and medications received them freely. As the evening approached, Jamar helped disassemble the camp and put the classrooms back to normal. Over the next days and weeks, Jamar’s respiratory issues subsided, and he felt more alert and physically fit, able to work long hours without the fatigue that plagued him before. Jamar, his family and the entire community flourished after the medical camp.

“I got a lot of good information about my health and the children’s medical needs,” shares Jamar. “This camp was a great help for all our people to receive this kind of free medical care from qualified doctors. … We thank God for this opportunity and pray that God will bless [the church leaders] and all the Bridge of Hope staff for this great service done for our community people.”

Read how Pastor Kunja ministered to Keeva, a woman who suffered from stomach aches


Learn more about the need for Medical Ministry. GFA-supported medical ministry is helping thousands who are in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.


Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Medical Care Brought Near by

Learn more about the Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Poverty: Public Enemy #1 – Eliminating Extreme Poverty Worldwide is Possible, But Not Inevitable

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | SourceWatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Media Room | Scandal of Starvation | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | Lawsuit Response |

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

2022-06-20T21:31:18+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan issues an extensive Special Report on the deadly diseases brought by the mosquito and the storied impact of faith-based organizations on world health, fighting for the Kingdom to “come on earth as it is in heaven.”

Bangladesh—Samaritan’s Purse treats Rohingya refugees affected by the diphtheria outbreak
Bangladesh—Samaritan’s Purse treats Rohingya refugees affected by the diphtheria outbreak. Photo credit Samaritan’s Purse

This is Part 3 of a Three-Part Series on FBO Initiatives to Combat Malaria and Other World Health Concerns.
Go here to read Part 1 and Part 2.

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No Mosquitoes in the Room Now: A Quick Look at the Impact of Faith on Modern Medical Approaches

One of the most succinct summaries of the role of faith-based activity in relationship to ongoing health needs worldwide is a paper by Matthew Bersagel Braley, “The Christian Medical Commission and the World Health Organization.” In it, the author outlines the collaborative work done between the CMC and the WHO in the 1960s and 1970s. They both, concurrently and intentionally aided by the proximity of their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, sought to address many of the deficiencies that were (and still are) growing apace modern Western medicine with its rapidly increasing dependence upon expensive diagnostic and curative technologies.

Braley’s abstract explains, after referencing the existence of two previous international consultations organized by the World Council of Churches out of which grew the Christian Medical Commission: “What followed was a theologically informed [italics added] shift from hospital-based tertiary care in cities, many in post-colonial settings, to primary care delivery in rural as well as urban communities.”

They saw the mandate of the church as being that of working to restore (as much as is possible) the world to God’s original design.

The early consultations, Tübingen I (in Germany) and Tübingen II, had developed a theology of health that eventually culminated in a mutual understanding. Looking as they were through the lens of health and defining health as the kind of flourishing that God intended for His human creation, they saw the mandate of the church as being that of working to restore (as much as is possible) the world to that original design. Wholeness then is a kind of health—an “at oneness” with God, with fellow humans, with our communities and with our environment. As believers work toward this goal, despite the fact it will never be ultimately achieved until Christ returns, they consequently become healers or health-bringers with an emphasis on flourishing.

Health was also redefined as the ideal that God desired for the people of the earth, one that will probably not be achieved completely, but will have periodic breakouts in time. Health was seen not simply as the “absence of disease” as defined traditionally by the medical establishment, but the presence of ecological health, harmony within the community, at oneness within the individual and in his or her relationships. It was a presence of peace and a lack of warfare; it was an insistence and concern that the neglected, the poor and the oppressed should even be given preferential treatment because of the systemic unfairness, lack of parity and often true evil exercised by the powerful over the powerless.

David Mains, Karen Mains, 1983, at Mount Hermon Conference Center in CA
David and Karen Mains, 1983 at Mount Hermon Conference Center, CA

Personal Reflections

These theological comprehensions and conclusions have personal meaning to me, because I’ve seen firsthand the importance of working together to help others achieve this all-encompassing health. In 1967 we planted a church on the near west side of Chicago, across the expressway from what is now the Illinois Medical District. At that time, we knew it was one of the largest medical centers in the world; now it consists of 560 acres of medical research facilities, labs and a biotechnology business incubator, four major hospitals, two medical universities and more than 450 health care-related facilities. Needless to say, our small but rapidly growing congregation consisted of many medical grad students, nurses and doctors, and social workers.

There must have been something in the international waters, because totally unaware of the groundbreaking conversations going on among the professionals concerned with health impacts on the other side of the world, David Mains, my husband and the founding pastor of our church, discovered Christ’s major preaching theme was the Kingdom of God. Salvation, or being saved, was entry level to an understanding of that preeminent theme. If the predominance of this message was correct, then it totally shifted our thinking from an individualistic interpretation of faith lived out among private lives to a corporate identity framed through the mutual understanding of Scripture’s teaching of this breakthrough concept. Our salvation was worked out in dialogue around Scriptures and in community with other spiritual pilgrims.

“How important it is when members of faith-based consultations … across the world put aside their differences and … design outcomes that have the possibility to alter … whole nations for the good.

There were places in the world, I discovered as I traveled in the role of journalist, where the people used the word “I” but really meant “we.” I began to understand the Epistles often addressed readers with the word “you.” This was not an individual personal pronoun; in most cases, it was a plural pronoun requiring group action, as in “you, the people of God.” David preached a sermon series titled The Christian, the Church and Society including Christ’s two-part summary message, “Unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” The dialogue of those Christians, listening to David’s sermon in that place and that time in history, when a whole revolutionary resistance movement was rising in our culture—against the war in Vietnam and against injustice, racism, sexism and government corruption—forced upon us a theological conversation that just didn’t happen in other places.

In addition, David, in his 30s, became the head of the Greater Chicago Ministerial Association, and we learned to dialogue across the whole body of faith-based confessions. So, we understand how important it is when members of faith-based consultations here at home or far away across the world put aside their differences and in respect and with deep listening capabilities design outcomes that have the possibility to alter cultures and societies and whole nations for the good.

A part of Samaritan’s Purse relief efforts, these men and women helped fight the Ebola pandemic that swept across West Africa in the spring of 2014. Photo credit Samaritan’s Purse

Conclusion: Our Part in World-Changing, World Health

Matthew Braley’s chapter, taken from the book Religion as a Social Determinant of Public Health, is filled with theological terminology such as epistemology and eschatology, but for the average layperson, what is most important is the Christian Medical Commission’s (CMC) understanding that God’s desire for humankind was that humans flourish in environments most optimal to health as defined not by the absence of disease but by a growing wholeness, and that the thrust of Christ’s ministry and preaching demonstrated the ways to achieve this, aptly summarized in His explanation that we are to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. The CMC’s struggle to understand redemption as a growing wholeness eventually resulted in the “game-changing” 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, the conference out of which the Millennium Development Goals proceeded.

Everybody is needed in order to fight diseases such as Ebola, HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis

All eight of those goals, delineated earlier in this article, are undergirded by and initiated from a theological understanding of the health emphasis, the redemptive purpose, the salvific meaning demonstrated by Christ and often emulated (though not often enough) by His followers. The MDGs are basically communal in the fact that they bring healing in the large sense of being at peace—or at home—with one’s self; with one’s family, friends and community; and with one’s place in the world. And they cannot be accomplished in a village or a nation or globally without the commensurate communal action of as many entities as possible, giving whatever they can to eradicate whatever suffering can be done away with through these human initiatives.

The participants at Tübingen I and II, the emergent Christian Medical Commission, and thousands of others of us who have, as the Jewish phrase states, worked at “repairing the world” for most of our lives would insist this is God’s work, in God’s way and with God’s help. Fortunately, as Bishop Tutu of South Africa said when he addressed the 2008 61st-annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization’s governing body, “It is a godly coincidence … together WHO and WCC share a common mission to the world, protecting and restoring body, mind, and spirit.”

As Sharon Bieber responded: “Surely the relief and development organizations that are out there in the world can come to the same conclusion on this one thing—everybody is needed in order to fight diseases such as Ebola, HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis; every agency has strengths that will add to the synergy of the whole.”

So when we see groups like Gospel for Asia (GFA) working to hand out hundreds of thousands of mosquito nets to fight malarial infection, when we know tens of thousands of wells have been dug to provide clean water, and when we understand that the effectiveness of the message of Christ can often be measured by how many latrines have been built in a village or a city, we understand that this is what is necessary to help the participants in our world discover true, full health.

Gospel for Asia-supported Moquito net distribution
This family received a mosquito net at a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Christmas gift distribution. Now they have protection from mosquitoes while they sleep.

Who knows what consultations among desperate folk with common passions are forming even now that will salvage our world at some future critical juncture?

Half the Sky book

Perhaps you would like to be part of that network of people determined to spread goodness (God-ness) throughout the world. First, begin by educating yourself. Read the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, which includes a compendium of organizations seeking volunteers. The authors do not hide how impressed they are with conservative faith-based organizations doing work in the world. Another book to read is To Repair the World by Paul Farmer, a medical doctor many consider to be a modern-day hero.

“This is a bold read by a humble visionary. For those who care about humanity, this is a handbook for the heart,” reads a blurb on the back cover written by Byron Pitts, the chief national correspondent for CBS Evening News.

Then circle one of the volunteer efforts that seems to be calling your name. Become an activist. No need to travel overseas (although that is highly recommended). There is plenty of work to do at home, wherever home may be for you. Just don’t only think about doing something: Do it! (I’m going to look up volunteering for disaster-relief training with The Salvation Army—or the American Red Cross—and I’m 76 years of age!)

At the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus says to the young lawyer, “Go and do likewise.” No, there’s no danger pay for the faith-based health worker. I don’t know of any who have become wealthy. Most of them belong to the league of the nameless. For these, fame is not a motivator either; it generally gets in the way of doing the job.

But mercy? Compassion? Daring to go where others dare not go? Becoming more and more like Jesus? Yep, these are where most of those I know find deep satisfaction. A remarkable man once said, “Go and do likewise.” And they do.

Is that a mosquito I hear buzzing above my ear?

It only takes one mosquito bite to raise a welt.

It only takes one mosquito to kill a child.

It will take a multitude of innovators (believers or nonbelievers) to fight for the Kingdom to “come on earth as it is in heaven.”


It Takes Only One Mosquito — to lead to remarkable truths about faith-based organizations and world health: Part 1 | Part 2

2022-07-07T12:48:57+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. YohannanDiscussing Khandra and her family, her bouts with illness, and the health care and medicine provided by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical camps.

Enough was enough, the laborers decided. Kandhara’s fellow tea laborers began protesting their working conditions and low pay. As the days turned into weeks and months, the protests continued—which meant no pay for any of the workers, including Kandhara.

Limited Resources

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Khandra and her family, her bouts with illness, and the health care and medicine provided by Gospel for Asia-supported medical camps.
Kandhara (pictured) received free treatment through the medical camp that her son’s Bridge of Hope center had organized.

Kandhara and her husband worked hard, but their combined income was only enough to feed them and their two children. When the strike occurred, however, Kandhara’s pay did not come. Their only source of money was from Kandhara’s husband, who worked some distance away and only returned once a month to bring money. But his earnings alone couldn’t make ends meet.

One day during the strike, Kandhara fell ill. Her husband wasn’t due to return yet, leaving Kandhara alone to bear her sickness. The nearest hospital was located more than 7 miles away—too far for the sick woman to travel. But despite her high fever and near-constant headaches, Kandhara somehow fed her children and sent them to school on her little savings.

The Gift of Healing

One day, Kandhara’s 13-year-old son, Abhin, came home from school with some news. Abhin attends the local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center, and he had learned that the center was organizing a free medical camp. When Kandhara heard this, her heart soared with hope. This was a chance to get some reprieve from this illness that haunted her.

When the day of the medical camp arrived, Kandhara and her children made the very short journey. Once there, doctors examined Kandhara and gave her some medication that would alleviate her constant headaches and fever. Along with the medication, Kandhara also received free vitamin supplements for herself and her children. Because the food Kandhara could afford provided little in the way of vitamins, she and her children were suffering from deficiencies.

After diligently taking the medication for an entire month, Kandhara was completely healed. The sickness left, and her strength returned.

“I was not able to get any medicines when I was severely sick because I did not have money on hand and was very weak to travel,” Kandhara says. “But I was able to attend [the] free medical camp … where I could get free medicines for my sickness.”

Kandhara thanked the Bridge of Hope staff and doctors, saying, “This was a great blessing for me and my family.”


Learn more about how medical camps and the medicine they supply bring healing and hope to families in need.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.


Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, No Money for Medicine

Learn more about the need for Medical Ministry. GFA-supported medical ministry is helping thousands who are in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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2022-09-23T15:06:05+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the crippling poverty that families like Aashna’s experience, the helplessness they face especially in medical situations, and the medical camps which offer the poorest of the poor possibly their only chance to receive medical care for their ailments.

Aashna squatted on a dirt floor beside brightly clothed women all waiting to see a doctor. Each had different needs, different concerns. For Aashna, this was her only opportunity to help her baby boy. Aashna’s 3-year-old son, Prajivan, stood safely between his mother’s crossed arms. Across his forehead, a cloth bandage covered a bulging “boil-like thing,” as Aashna called it. She wasn’t sure what was growing on her little one’s forehead. For a month, she watched the small bump become larger and larger, while Prajivan complained of his forehead hurting and cried because of the pain. Aashna and her family were poor. Too poor to visit a doctor. Too poor to figure out what was happening to their youngest child. The income she and her husband earned as daily wage laborers cultivating fields didn’t provide enough for “extra fees” such as doctor visits. They made just enough to eat and survive another day. Even if they did have the money for medical care, the nearest hospital was about 43 miles away.

“To go and see the doctor, I would need money, which I don’t have,” Aashna says.

“My husband and I would have to go to the money lenders or landlord, whoever is willing to lend to us. … But then to pay back that borrowed money would take a lot of time. Sometimes it could take more than a year, because with the income we make, we [also] have to run the family. We have five of us, and we have to meet all the financial needs. So that may take a lot of time.”

When Aashna heard about the free medical camp organized by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ganesh, she walked three miles, carrying Prajivan, to attend.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the crippling poverty that families like Aashna's experience, the helplessness they face especially in medical situations, and the medical camps which offer the poorest of the poor possibly their only chance to receive medical care for their ailments.

Helping Prevent Curable Illnesses

Pastor Ganesh has been serving as a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor for almost 14 years. In the remote villages where he ministered, he’d see people suffering with various sicknesses, such as malaria, cancer or typhoid. He’d discover that men, women or children had died prematurely because they did not have access to any medical facilities. It tore at his heart, and he knew that with the support of the church, he could help these people.

Pastor Ganesh worked diligently to set up a medical camp, which would offer the poorest of the poor possibly their only chance to receive treatment for their ailments.

“Most of the people where I work are from very poor families,” Pastor Ganesh says. “They have no resources to go to any medical care centers where they can get treatment. When I see this, I feel that by conducting such kind of medical camp, which is free, it is going to benefit the poor.”

Pastor Ganesh sought permissions from the local authorities and the village chief to organize the camp. He connected with the government hospital to acquire free medicine for the poor. He talked with doctors to see if they would be willing to see patients living in remote villages. He encouraged the youth of his church to set up the tent for people to sit under as they waited to see the doctor. And he asked the women of his church to help serve the patients when they arrived at the camp.

Then Pastor Ganesh went from village to village, handing out flyers that informed people they could get medical care for free.

Receiving Medicine, Medical Care and Love

Aashna was one of 210 people who showed up at the medical camp.

Doctors examined people with stomach problems, tuberculosis, gynecological disorders, fevers and colds. Some, like Aashna’s son, seemed to have more serious illnesses that needed to be treated at a hospital with better facilities. They believed that little Prajivan could have a tumor.

“I feel so bad that because I don’t have money I wasn’t able to take my child to the doctor,” Aashna says. “Sometimes I feel like crying [because] I cannot help my son. I see him in pain, and I feel really bad about it.”

Aashna and Prajivan went home with medicine that would help ease his pain. And now, with the knowledge and direction from a doctor, she and her husband know what can be done for their little one.

Through this medical camp, hundreds of people received the medical care needed to live healthy lives. And many left with the reassurance that they had people who were there for them in their time of need and who would pray for them and their healing.

“People like us, we are not able to save money for medical expenses,” Aashna says, “so we cannot think of going to a private doctor and spending money for our children’s treatment. This kind of medical camp, which is free and meant for everyone, was a great help and great blessing to us because we are getting everything free … [and] good treatment.”

Pastor Ganesh plans to follow up with those who attended the medical camp to let them know that in sickness and in health, he cares for them in Jesus’ name.

“Pray that through medical camps,” Pastor Ganesh says, “organizing these kinds of camps and bringing awareness and medical help to people who are sick will ultimately touch their heart, so that they will see how God loves them and how Jesus loves them.”

Give to families in need in Asia


2024-05-15T05:54:28+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX — K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), founder and director of GFA World and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, departed in the presence of God on May 8, 2024. He was a missionary statesman with an undying call to share the love of Christ with this world and to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. He reposed in Dallas, Texas, due to a sudden cardiac arrest while receiving treatment after being struck by a car while on his morning walk on May 7, the day prior.

KP Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan) (1950-2024)
KP Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan) (1950-2024)

His life was a ceaseless effort to live in light of eternity, sharing love and the hope of Christ with the masses and the individual. Millions across the globe were touched by his words and his example. Thousands experienced his personal care for them as he invested in their lives.

As director of GFA World for nearly 50 years, K.P. Yohannan led the missions organization to become a significant bridge to fulfill the Great Commission, which is deeply committed to seeing communities transformed through the love of Christ demonstrated in word and deed.

He was also the Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, an indigenous church spread throughout 57 dioceses and more than 12,000 congregations throughout the world in 18 nations.

He had been crisscrossing the globe, challenging the Body of Christ to pick up their cross and follow Him. His call to a radical lifestyle—with an all-out commitment to Jesus—left its impact on nearly every continent. Yohannan’s life message was a fresh word to this generation, and yet as timeless as the scriptural mandate itself.

Born in South India in 1950 in one of the villages where Apostle St. Thomas planted one of his seven churches in 52 A.D., Yohannan was the youngest of six sons. His mother dedicated each of her children to the Lord and longed to see one of them commit their lives to ministry. She secretly fasted each Friday for three and a half years, praying, “Oh God, let just one of my boys preach!” Even as she prayed, her children were growing up, going into different kinds of work. Finally, the youngest, little “Yohannachan,” was left.

After Yohannan finished his schooling, he heard stories about mission fields from missionary statesman George Verwer, who was to become his lifelong mentor and friend. Yohannan’s heart was gripped and never the same. His mother’s faithful prayers were answered as he immediately decided to join a mission movement and go faraway from his home to help bring the Good News to the multitude of villages that had never heard of Christ. While preparing to go with this mission team, he was challenged by George Verwer again to live a life abandoned to Christ in radical discipleship. That night, Yohannan couldn’t sleep. What if God asked him to preach publicly in the streets? What if he was stoned and beaten?

Suddenly, God’s presence filled the room, and he knew he was not alone. “Lord God,” he prayed in surrender, “I’ll give myself to speak for You—but help me to know that You’re with me.”

The next morning, he awoke with a supernatural love and burden for the people around him. The Lord gave him courage to speak to the crowds he saw that day, and he continued to preach for the next seven years in that mission field.

In 1974, the Lord led him to the United States, where he received his theological training at Criswell College. He and his wife, Gisela, were married after his first term.

As a theology student, Yohannan began pastoring a local church in Dallas, where he served for four years.

Remembering the Millions in Asia

As the Lord reminded Yohannan of the millions in Asia still waiting to learn of His love for them, he resigned his pastorate, and he and Gisela began taking steps to start an organization to support national missionaries, which eventually became known as GFA World. They began meeting together each Tuesday night with a small, faithful group of believers to pray over world maps.

Because of Yohannan’s and Gisela’s faithful commitment to God and their passion to see others transformed by Christ’s love, GFA World is today one of the largest missions organizations in the world, coming alongside thousands of national workers in Africa and Asia through prayer and assistance as they bring hope to the neediest. GFA World is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers, and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through GFA’s Child Sponsorship Program, children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

On February 6, 2003, he was consecrated as the Metropolitan of the Believers Eastern Church. Under his leadership, the church has grown over the last two decades, with more than 12,000 parishes established in Asia and Africa.

In honor of Yohannan’s decades of demonstrating the heart of a father to the fatherless, the members of the Christian Men’s Network’s Global Fatherhood Initiative awarded him the Reggie White Fatherhood Award in 2016. In 2003, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year from Criswell College for his influence in the work of God. He served on the executive committee of World by Radio from 2004–2012 and as a board member with the National Religious Broadcasters Association (NRB) from 2013–2015. In recognition of his service, NRB presented Yohannan with its Individual Achievement in International Broadcasting award in 2003.

Yohannan was a prolific writer with more than 250 books published in Asia and 12 in the United States. With more than 4 million copies in print, Yohannan’s landmark book, Revolution in World Missions, has helped change the course of missions history in our generation. Yohannan’s other titles include The Road to Reality; Come, Let’s Reach the World; Living in the Light of Eternity; Reflecting His Image; Against the Wind; Touching Godliness; Destined to Soar; No Longer a Slumdog; Dance Not for Time; Little Things that Make a Big Difference and Never Give Up.

Yohannan is survived by his faithful wife, Gisela; son, Daniel; daughter, Sarah; and seven grandchildren (David, Esther, Jonah, Hannah, Lydia, Naomi and Noah); along with the millions of believers around the world whose lives are forever changed because of his tireless passion and service on their behalf.

There will be a public viewing on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 from 4-8pm, at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243. Following, the funeral will be held in Thiruvalla, India. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a special fund, “In Memory for Eternity”, to support the ministry projects that were closest to Yohannan’s heart these last few months.

K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), a faithful servant of the Lord, ran his race faithfully and with much endurance to the very end. His life bears testimony to all of us of what Jesus said to us in St. Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” While our hearts are broken over the sudden loss of our beloved mentor, friend and leader, we rejoice knowing his love, example, faithfulness and joy in being received into the long-awaited presence of his loving Savior.


About K P Yohannan

K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), founder and director of GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church (BEC), until his passing into eternity on May 8, 2024, had written more than 250 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

About GFA World (formerly Gospel for Asia)

GFA World is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

For more details and to arrange an interview, contact: Gregg Wooding @ 972-567-7660 or [email protected]


Learn more about KP Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan): Facebook | SourceWatch | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Condolences | Tributes

Notable News about KP Yohannan: MissionsBox | NRB | Patheos | Crosswalk

2025-06-23T21:45:28+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX — GFA World (www.gfa.org) — one of the largest faith-based mission agencies — is launching a new 450-bed hospital, medical school, and training complex in East Africa.

The state-of-the-art medical facility and training center — being constructed in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali — will serve the poorest of the poor, and train new African doctors and nurses, the organization said.

Global Organization launches Multi-Specialty Hospital in East Africa
GFA WORLD LAUNCHES MAJOR MEDICAL PROJECT IN EAST AFRICA: Scheduled to be up and running by the end of 2025, a new 450-bed hospital, medical school, and training complex in Kigali, Rwanda, will act as a hub to launch medical missions across Africa, Texas-based GFA World (www.gfa.org) says.

GFA World aims to have the multi-specialty facility up and running by the end of next year. It will be one of the largest and best-equipped hospitals on the continent, according to the organization.

“The need for affordable and accessible healthcare and medicine in Africa is overwhelming,” said GFA World founder K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), who launched the organization — previously known as Gospel for Asia — in 1979. “I’ve never before seen suffering on this scale.”

The new 17-acre campus will launch medical missions across sub-Saharan Africa and into North Africa, “where millions have yet to hear about God’s love for them,” Yohannan said.

Telemedicine is a ‘Game-Changer’

A major thrust will be the expansion of telemedicine, enabling people in isolated villages without any healthcare facilities at all to get medical care remotely online.

“Telemedicine is a game-changer that will save thousands upon thousands of lives, enabling people to have health conditions diagnosed and get professional help quickly,” said Yohannan. “With so much suffering in the world, now is the time to demonstrate God’s love.”

Medical teams will focus on preventing and treating diseases like malaria which claims more than 400,000 lives every year, equivalent to the entire population of Tampa, Florida.

While medical infrastructure in the region is perilously overloaded, Rwanda is considered one of the most stable nations in Africa.

African healthcare workers trained in Rwanda will lay the foundation for long-term community transformation, Yohannan said.

“The reason we’re here is because of the love of Christ,” he said. “There’s no more powerful example than going to the poorest and neediest right where they are and being as Jesus to them.”


About GFA World (formerly Gospel for Asia)

GFA World is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

For more details and to arrange an interview, contact: Gregg Wooding @ 972-567-7660 or [email protected]


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