Questions and Answers

During the Renewing Your Passion Conference, many of you submitted questions. In fact, we received more than 200 questions about GFA and our ministries! Here are a few responses. We will continue to update this site with answers to more of your questions, so please check back often.

Define the 10/40 Window.

Ninety-seven percent of the world's unreached people live in the 10/40 Window, also known as the "Resistant Belt." This is a rectangular-shaped area extending from West Africa to East Asia, from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north on the equator. The majority of the world's Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists live in this area.

There has been a tremendous amount of talk and information put out regarding the 10/40 Window and the 2.7 billion people waiting to hear the Gospel. However, very little has been done to actually reach those people. Only a tiny fraction of the church's personnel and resources are being used to bring the Good News to them.

Gospel for Asia supports more than 16,500 missionaries working in some of the neediest Asian countries—primarily in the 10/40 Window. Although we have been working among the unreached since the ministry began in 1979, it has only been in the past 15 years that we have honed our strategy to reach the most unreached.

GFA works with over 800 different denominations and ministries in Asia, educating many of their leaders in our 67 Bible colleges and our seminary and providing them with literature and Bibles. It is our desire to build the kingdom of God through the Body of Christ, and we consider it a privilege to work with our brothers and sisters in Asia to reach those who have never heard the name of Jesus.

How is Gospel for Asia able to send 100 percent of donated funds to the mission field without incurring any operational costs?

When a gift is given for a particular area of the ministry that is field-related, 100 percent of that money goes to the field. For example, all donations for missionary sponsorship, child sponsorship, Bible printing, Jesus Wells, etc., are sent to the field.

When someone gives a gift to "where most needed," some of that money may be used to help cover administrative costs in the U.S. or another supporting national office, and some may go to the field. In addition, all of our home team staff that serve in the U.S. or other supporting national offices raise their own support in order to help keep administrative costs low. In everything we do, we seek to be good stewards of the Lord's resources.

Is GFA part of any denomination? Or is GFA considered a denomination?

Gospel for Asia is a non-denominational ministry. We work with many different individuals, churches, groups and denominations, but do not have an official affiliation with any particular church or denomination. However, we are not opposed in any way to denominational groups.

GFA is a conservative, evangelical ministry with the goal of partnering with the Body of Christ to reach the unreached of Asia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission through recruiting, training, sending and assisting qualified laborers. Read our statement of faith here.

The churches we work with in Asia believe the system of governance that fits best with the overall teaching of the Scripture is the episkopos, the ruling by the bishop or overseer. They do not believe, however, that this is an essential Christian doctrine, and they hold that there are other valid forms of church government.

Each of these churches has its own independence, while at the same time being interdependent and accountable to one another in regard to administration and finance. These churches affirm the biblical principles of becoming self-governing, self-propagating and self-supporting at every level of their ministry and governance, as described in the book of Acts and the epistles.

When I write to my Bridge of Hope child, is it okay to send a photograph of my family? Children's simple (easy reading) paperback storybooks? Pencils? Colorful T-shirts (no slogans)? Gum or candy?

For the sake of fairness, GFA's policy is to take care of children's needs on a general basis without giving some boys and girls extra things that others might not receive. For this reason, we do not accept special gifts for children. However, you may include some flat objects in your letters such as coloring sheets, postcards, stickers and bookmarks. Photos of your family in modest dress are also okay to send to your child.

How much does it actually cost to support a native missionary today?

It costs $120-$210 a month to support a native missionary. When you commit to sponsoring a missionary for $30, you are actually working with a team of people to support this particular missionary. The good thing about this system is that it increases the prayer network of each missionary.

Is it possible for a sponsor to actually meet their Bridge of Hope child in India?

It is often possible to meet your Bridge of Hope child in India. Some centers are in areas considered security risks, but most locations are relatively safe. If you are planning to travel to India, please contact us to find out more information.

How does one get the opportunity to go to Asia to the field to see what God is doing?

Gospel for Asia has Vision Tours that give supporters the opportunity to travel to different places in India. On these trips, which last for a couple of weeks, you will have the opportunity to see some of the places that GFA works and meet some of the courageous missionaries on the field. Contact us for more information about these Vision Tours.

How can I find out what is taught in a GFA Bible college?

During their three years of study, students learn the Word of God in-depth through the inductive Bible study method. They learn to teach and study God's Word verse-by-verse. This is vital, as there are no Bible help books such as concordances or dictionaries in the areas where they will be sent to minister. Their courses are similar to those offered in many Bible colleges, including studies of books of the Bible, soteriology, hermeneutics, eschatology, etc., but there is also an emphasis on prayer and evangelism. If you have specific questions about the theology of the missionaries, please feel free to ask us.

How does K.P. get his income?

Gospel for Asia's board members determine K.P. Yohannan's salary. He receives a salary that is below average for someone living in the Dallas area, where the ministry's home office is located. He lives a frugal lifestyle and still drives his 1962 Volkswagen Beetle when working in the U.S. Though he is a prolific author, he receives no royalties from his books. All profits from his books are put back into the ministry.

Is it possible to give a bicycle to a missionary I personally support?

Yes, you can give a bicycle to a missionary you support. It costs $110 to provide a bicycle, and that bicycle will be a wonderful help in his ministry. However, in the case that your missionary does not need a bicycle or already has one, the bicycle will go to another missionary in need of one. If you would like to designate a bicycle to go toward your missionary, please contact us by phone at 1-800-946-2742.

How dependant are GFA churches and pastors on Western believers?

There is a misconception that foreign funding weakens the church. We have found that it is not outside money that weakens a growing church, but outside control. Funds from the West actually liberate the evangelists and free them to follow the call of God.

After generations of domination by Western colonialists, most Asians are acutely conscious of the potential problem of foreign control through outside funding. The issue is frequently raised in discussions by native missionary leaders, and most native missionary boards have developed policies and practices to provide for accountability without foreign control.

At Gospel for Asia, we have taken several steps to make sure funds get to the local missionary evangelist in a responsible way without destroying valuable local autonomy.

There are no Western supporters supervising the work. The donor gives to the missionary through Gospel for Asia, and we, in turn, send the money to indigenous leaders who oversee the financial affairs on each field. Therefore, the native evangelist is twice-removed from the source of the funds. This procedure is being followed by several other organizations that are collecting funds in the West for native support, and it works very well.

As soon as a new work is established, the native missionary is able to begin branching out to evangelize nearby unreached villages as well. The new congregations he establishes will eventually gain enough financial stability to fully support him while still giving sacrificially to support evangelism. The goal for each GFA missionary is to become self-supporting in two to three years. Currently, the average length of time a GFA missionary is on the field before they are self-supporting is about four years.

Eventually, native churches will be able to support most pioneer evangelism, but currently, Western aid tremendously increases the ability to send more laborers into the harvest fields.

The quickest way to help Asian churches become self-supporting is to support a growing native missionary movement. As new churches are planted, the influence of the Gospel will abound, and the new Asian believers will be able to support greater outreach. Sponsorship monies are like investment capital in the work of God. The best thing we can do to help make the Asian church independent now is to support as many native missionaries as possible.

Do you have orphanages?

Gospel for Asia does not operate orphanages on a permanent basis and is not involved in assisting people with adoptions. Some pastors in Asia have adopted orphans but we do not have an orphan ministry. There are certain emergencies, such as the 2004 tsunami or the recent cyclone in Myanmar, in which orphans are cared for until permanent arrangements can be made.

However, thousands of children are being cared for in Bridge of Hope centers. The children we bring to our Bridge of Hope centers are among the most poor and needy of Asia. Although the majority of them have either parents or other family members, they are left to fend for themselves in the streets because their family members work long hours to support their families. The poor Dalit ("Untouchable") children and their parents are treated with less concern and care than animals, and are often the recipients of cruel abuse and angry beatings. Some are child laborers who toil in factories, coal mines, tea plantations and pastures. Their health is compromised and their growing bodies are crippled. Some of the children are bonded laborers; others are enslaved to their tasks by family poverty. All of these children have little understanding of their value in the eyes of a loving Creator.

GFA's Bridge of Hope is a shelter for these children who face incredible disadvantages as they grow up. It springs from the foundation upon which Gospel for Asia was built-a calling to take the Gospel to the most unreached in Asia. Whether healthy or sick, rich or poor, we all face eternity without Christ if we do not know Him. Therefore, our highest goal is to share the message of salvation and forgiveness through Christ. As these boys and girls begin to understand God's love, expressed to them in very practical ways, they take the message home to fathers, mothers, siblings, uncles, aunts and grandparents. As a result, hearts and homes previously resistant to the Good News are now open to the witness of native missionaries, and many choose to follow Christ.

Can letters of encouragement be written to missionaries in India?

Those who support native missionaries will receive updates from their missionary at least once a year; however, the current policy at Gospel for Asia is that personal supporters do not contact their native missionaries. We are currently evaluating the feasability of allowing people to write to their missionaries.

While every situation is different, receiving contact from a Westerner could be detrimental. First, if letters are intercepted, it could endanger the ministry of the missionary. Many who oppose the Gospel and persecute Christians use the argument that "Christianity is a foreign religion" as an excuse to persecute missionaries. If direct contact from Westerners was intercepted, it could cause severe problems—possibly resulting in an end to the work in that region or, in some cases, it could cost the missionary his or her life.

Please keep us in prayer as we are currently working on a system to be able to securely get letters from supporters to the missionaries. We may have a system set up in the next few months.

Why don't we see the healings in America as they are done in Asia?

In Asian culture, traditional devotion to spirits and gods leads people to seek spiritual solutions to their problems. Often, witch doctors' services are sought or sacrifices are made to gods associated with healing or good fortune. But when they are unable to cure an illness, these deities' lack of power becomes apparent. Then, when the people see the healing power of Jesus and hear of His sacrifice for them, they see that their Creator is the only one who can overcome their physical problems.

In these spiritually-focused cultures, people are quicker to realize who deserves the credit for miracles. Healings in these places draw people to salvation as they realize Jesus is more powerful than all their gods. The glory doesn't go to the missionary who prayed, or to the believers who fasted and sought the Lord. The glory goes to God, who touched them with love.

The emphasis of our missionaries is always on forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life, but as the hearers have needs, the Lord frequently heals them through prayers of faith offered in Jesus' name. These healings affirm that Jesus is the true and living God, and often cause many to choose to follow Christ.

We don't claim to have all the answers as to why the Lord seems to work in different ways in different areas of the world. Some believe that these miracles primarily happen in areas of the world where there is pioneer evangelism and the church is being established.

Is it really true that millions of people have still not heard of Jesus?

Yes, it is true. Tragically, there are many millions of people who have yet to hear the name of Jesus. In fact, nearly three billion people in the world are still unreached. The majority of these people live in Asia. That is why we are so committed to trying to reach these people with the hope of Jesus.