“Our religious leaders have frightened us a lot and told us that if we miss our prayer, we will be thrown into Hell. While listening to your broadcasts, I have noticed that you are presenting God, as a God of love, mercy, and forgiveness. You are sharing that, having faith in Jesus and doing right things is the only way to heaven. I have attended some church services and noticed how Christians are content and have inner peace. Please help me to take some decisions in finding the way.” These were the words of one of our listeners from Pakistan.
Out of 821 of the 828 people groups in Pakistan that are unreached, or 99.1% of the population, many will live their whole lives without an opportunity to know Christ and the love, peace and hope He has purchased for them. Being a Christian in Pakistan is no walk in the park. Those who consider committing their lives to Christ pay a high price of being scrutinized by family members; and others become vulnerable to violent attacks or abuse. Committing your life to Christ is a sensitive situation and, in most cases, must be handled subtly and in secrecy. Our team in Pakistan is there to guide new believers through this challenging process.
Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws are a strong motivating factor in attacks on places of worship and residential areas. In January one of the pastors who associates with FEBA’s ministry in Pakistan was brutally killed by terrorists. He was serving in the north of the country and was attacked by terrorists on the way back home after a Sunday service. His junior pastor was badly injured and hospitalised in a critical condition. There is a significant increase of religious intolerance, hate and fanaticism in the country making it extremely risky for Christians to openly practice their faith. Fear dominates their choices in this regard, but they are eager to know the God of Christianity.
A listener shared his feedback with the team: “The program Uncle Qasim has helped me to clarify the misunderstandings about Christianity. It has stirred up my faith and enabled me to think about my present faith. I have started studying The Holy Bible and listening to FEBA programs regularly to learn more about the teachings and personality of Jesus Christ”.
The radio provides the perfect opportunity for a person whose life is threatened for his/her faith, to grow and get closer to God without the fear of being caught. By sharing gospel messages, worship music, teachings, and other Christian media through online radio, social media and Mobile Apps, listeners can learn at their own pace in privacy. The team is also always ready to answer their questions or lead them in the right direction should they want to take the next step to attend church.
Most of the religion in Pakistan is Islam, with a small minority of Christians and Hindus representing 1.6% of the population. Today this number is steadily growing as more and more churches are being planted. Most Christians live in Karachi and there are also large populations in cities like Lahore and Faisalabad.
