Media Ministry Helps Spread the Gospel in Hostile Territory

In a sensitive part of East Africa, the gospel faces much opposition from people loyal to the majority religion. Yet, some are receptive to the gospel.

A church-planting team began looking for people God was drawing to Himself. One day, they connected with an 18-year-old girl named Asha and started sharing with her from Scripture. As Jesus filled her heart, she committed to follow Him and was baptized.

Emboldened, Asha began sharing stories about Jesus on social media. But her mother was horrified and contacted the police. Asha spent the next 18 months in prison.

Can you imagine living in a place where your own mother would turn you over like that? Trust is scarce in this hostile environment, and after what happened to Asha, new believers are learning wiser ways to share their faith. Media strategies can help spread the gospel in places where unrest and suspicion make other ministries nearly impossible.

Media making an impact

Over 12 months, 1.6 million people in this region engaged the ministry team’s videos about Jesus, and tens of thousands messaged with them. Some were hostile, but others wanted to learn more. Almost 50 people decided to follow Christ, and who knows how many they will influence?

Before she went to prison, Asha started sharing Bible stories with her friend Abdi. While Asha sat in jail, Abdi continued to study the Bible and gave his life to Jesus. Soon, he was trained and spent six to eight hours daily following up with people who responded to media content about Jesus.

Ali, one of the men Abdi discipled, started a group with others. A bold and gifted evangelist, Ali found so many people interested that his group was soon full. Seven of the eight group members have come to faith, some following Ali’s example and starting more groups.

May the good news continue to spread.

Abdula wondered what his family had against Christians

In another part of Africa, Christianity has made more inroads. But maybe because of that, men and women who choose to follow Jesus face increasing persecution and mockery from people who don’t like what they see.

Consider the experience of a man named Abdula. He a part of a very religious Muslim family. Every week, the family gets together: brothers, sisters, cousins and in-laws. Have you ever bonded with people over disliking the same thing? That’s what was happening in Abdula’s family. As they gathered and ate together, they mocked the Christian faith and Christians in general.

Abdula didn’t know much about the Christian faith. He wondered what his family had against Christians. So, he began to search the internet.

He found a Pioneers media outreach website in his language and began chatting with a digital responder, someone dedicated to interacting with anyone who responded to the media outreach. Abdula asked him many questions. And as they chatted together, Abdula began to understand the Christian faith.

Abdula speaks up

A few months later, the family came together at Abdula’s house. It wasn’t long before the conversation returned to the Christian faith.

As usual, the family mocked Christians, laughing at them and poking fun at their traditions. But this time was different. Abdula defended Christians. He shared some of the perspectives he’d learned from his conversations with the digital responder. He had not become a Christian, but he understood Christianity better.

A conversation with a cousin

The next day, Abdula received a phone call from one of his cousins. “Abdula,” his cousin started cautiously. “From the conversation we had yesterday, do I understand that you’ve become a follower of Jesus? That you are a Christian?”

“No,” Abdula replied honestly.

“Can we meet tonight?” his cousin asked. “I’d like to talk to you more about what you shared yesterday.” Abdula agreed and they met that evening.

“Abdula,” his cousin began, “I wanted to tell you, I’ve become a Christian. It happened a few months ago.” He went on to share what happened in his life since then. At the end of the evening, his cousin said, “Abdula, I encourage you to give your life to the Lord tonight. Please, let me pray with you.”

And, that evening, Abdula was ready. He accepted Christ as his Savior.

Our growing ministry through media

For decades, Arab World Media, a Pioneers ministry, has been leveraging media resources to share the gospel. Their goal is to engage the unreached people of the Arab world and walk beside them on their journey to faith in Jesus. They come alongside seekers and new believers through personal contact and online discipleship, connecting them with local believers wherever possible, and see churches strengthened and new churches planted as a result.

Over time, this ministry has inspired others, and today, Pioneers has teams using media outreach strategies in many contexts all over the world, often partnering with ministry teams in other organizations and linking arms with emerging ministries on the ground.

Another Pioneers ministry, Media to Movements, specializes in equipping ministry teams from all over with the paradigms and practical tools they need to develop media that help them make disciples who multiply and launch movements.

We’re looking forward to seeing what God does through these ministries and those they partner with all over the world.

But ultimately, it’s not about the media strategies, it’s about the work of God in the hearts of people.

Will you pray with us for men and women like Asha, Abdi, Ali and Abdula? May they continue to hunger and thirst for God and stand strong even when it feels like they’re alone. In the expansion of God’s kingdom, they are pioneers.

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