New C&MA Church Formed in Nepal

A group of indigenous churches started 27 years ago by a pastor in a wheelchair to evangelize disabled people is the core of the newly formed C&MA Church in Nepal. This national church will join the fast-growing evangelical church in the country that was officially Hindu until 2006, when it was declared a secular state.

Leaders of these indigenous churches gathered with C&MA international workers from Nepal October 18-20 in Kathmandu in response to the leaders’ desire to have the churches become a member of the Alliance World Fellowship. The international workers who were invited were from Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, India, Philippines and South Korea.

The meeting started with the presentation by President Jura Yanagihara of what the Alliance World Fellowship is all about. The presentation provided a big picture of the Alliance ministry and an overview of its distinctives and historic and theological roots.

Sharing their ministry stories created a great venue for people to know each other and opened an opportunity for future partnership and collaboration for a greater harvest in Nepal. Individuals are currently involved in business as mission, leadership training, church planting, radio ministry, Bible translation, Bible school, Christian NGOs, and running orphanages targeting various people groups. During our personal time with the group, we saw a closer and stronger bond of fellowship among the people – a bond is strategic for the ministry in Nepal.

Perhaps the most exciting work God has done was in the establishment of the new C&MA church in Nepal! C&MA Nepal is formed around eight indigenous churches in various provinces of the country with possibly two additional churches from Alliance-related ministries existing there.