Church Planting Transforming a Subcontinent in Asia
This series has been my delight to share our global directors’ Christ-like leadership insights and styles. Today, I reflect on the SOM International Director of Asia. He is passionate about growing the church in Asia. I see these qualities of Jesus in this leader:
- Mighty visionary
- Empowering leader
- Humble servant
- Christ-centered follower
- Faithful steward
- Courageous warrior.
As an entrusted vessel of the Holy Spirit, he is an inspiring evangelist who shares Christ with anybody, anytime, anywhere. He has a unique God-given gift of speaking many languages in the most diverse country on earth.
The SOM International Director of Asia has been asked a few times before, “What is the most common ground you have with the other SOM global directors?” He answers, “We all have a spirit of martyrdom, and every one of the directors daily lays their life down for the Gospel and teaches others to do the same.”
This director now has his network praying for one million new congregations because there are many lost people with many needs. The SOM International Director of Asia is a mighty man of vision, as Jesus was a radical visionary!
Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 ESV). The SOM International Director of Asia teaches all of us to think big and believe bigger. My favorite quote from him is, “If something is believable, it is man-made. When it becomes unbelievable, it is God-made.”
Communicating the Precious Word of God to the Church in Asia
There is one other unique Holy-Spirit-like characteristic of this brother that I want to illuminate. Four translators with our team on stand stage at the church planting graduations. The church planters come from dozens of states and represent many tribal and trade languages. These events are truly multi-national. As I preach, the SOM International Director of Asia will translate my English into Hindi. Representatives will then translate it down the line into native languages.
On many occasions, I have heard my friend correct the translator for accuracy in each of those languages because he is fluent. He tells me that he is fluent in seven languages but knows many other tribal languages’ vocabulary. He once said to me that during his twelve years of traveling by faith to every region of Asia, he hated using a translator “who might not understand the precious Word of God.” His passion has been so great to relate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in clear communication that he would stay in an area for months until he got a grasp of the language, and then he would preach to the people in their tongue.
The Word to All Nations
Jesus tells us that He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us (John 14:26) and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). In addition, the Holy Spirit interprets all our prayers to the Father (Romans 8:27). There are over 17,000 world languages, and the Holy Spirit interprets them. On Pentecost, the disciples miraculously spoke in many known languages that non-believers heard in their hearts tongue (Acts 2). Likewise, I believe the SOM International Director of Asia exemplifies the gift of the Holy Spirit of languages to proclaim God’s Word throughout the nations.
Please Continue to Pray for the Church in Asia
Please continue to pray for this director’s leadership, his family, encouragement, and continuing vision with needed provision. May we all continue to receive inspiration from our brother in Asia and other God-honoring leaders like him. Prayerfully, may we grow in the full maturity of our Christ-like leaders in vision and proclamation of the Gospel to many languages.
