I first heard about Advance several years ago, however it is since 2021 that we have started to see growth, with Advance Groups beginning to meet in different cities and in remote areas across Pakistan. Having the Advance Group Mentoring Guide translated into Urdu, has certainly been a catalyst, as it has made Advance much more accessible to churches here.
As the Advance Ambassador for Pakistan, I have travelled to many cities across the country, sharing Advance with leaders and giving Advance training in various churches.
Over the last year some of the cities that I have visited include Sialkot, Narowal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Kasoor, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Duska, Dina, Islamabad, Faisalabad and of course, I have been able to share Advance in Lahore, where our church has its headquarters.
Lahore is a city of over 15 million people and, although it is hard to keep track, I believe that we have seen hundreds of groups launched around the city with around 3000 men and women engaging with Advance.
In the last few years, using the Advance material, we have organised Youth Seminars, Conferences, and various programmes, aiming to train and equip people to go out and share the good news of Jesus with the world. We have recently seen hundreds of students graduate from Revelation Bible College and Seminary, and they have now gone out into the world, with many starting groups in their own villages and in the more remote areas of Pakistan.
It is said that after the Second World War, General Douglas MacArthur of the US Army rejected the Emperor of Japan’s offer to enforce Christianity as a national religion, believing people should choose to follow Jesus rather than being forced into it. Instead, he petitioned the US to send thousands of missionaries to Japan; sadly, in the end, only a handful were sent, and today less than 1% of Japan claim Christian belief or affiliation. It may not be possible to have thousands of missionaries sent to Pakistan today, however we can raise up thousands of Jesus-loving preaching evangelists from within our own country, who will go and share the gospel. I believe that Advance can be the key that will unlock this growth, as more people are equipped to share the word of God in Pakistan.
We would like to continue to organise more Advance events across the country, see more groups launch, and see the gospel shared more widely. Our resources may be limited, but we are unlimited in our faith through Jesus Christ.
Written by Dr Naeem Nasir, Advance Ambassador in Pakistan and the founding pastor of Good Samaritan Church of Pakistan.
