Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan of the Believers Eastern Church | |
 | |
| Native name | Yohannan Kadippiaril Punnose[1] |
| Church | Believers Eastern Church |
| Predecessor | position established |
| Orders | |
| Rank | Metropolitan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1950 Kerala India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Denomination | Eastern Protestantism (Believers Eastern Church) |
| Spouse | Gisela Punnose |
| Children | Daniel Sarah |
| Occupation | Metropolitan Bishop of Believers Eastern Church |
| Alma mater | Criswell College |
Dr. K.P. Yohannan is the founder and president of GFA World (formerly Gospel For Asia aka GFA) a large Christian protestant missionary NGO with a focus on India and Asia. He is a pioneer and leading advocate for “national missionaries”, the formation of missionaries native to the nation the missionary is serving. He is the founder and Metropolitan bishop of Believers Eastern Church, a large protestant Christian church denomination in India. Yohannan is also an author of over 200 books on protestant Christian living and missions, as well as a noted speaker and columnist.
Biography[]
Early life and education[]
Yohannan was born in 1950 and raised in a St. Thomas Syrian Christian (Mar Thoma Syrian Church) family in Kerala, India. At age 8 he became a follower of Jesus.[2] He was 16 when he joined Operation Mobilization, an evangelical missions movement, and served with them for eight years on the Indian subcontinent. [3]
Through an invitation from Dr. W. A. Criswell, Yohannan moved to the United States in 1974 for theological studies at Criswell College (at the time Criswell Bible Institute) in Dallas, Texas.[4][5][6] He graduated with a B.A. in Biblical Studies, becoming the school’s first international student to graduate. He eventually was also conferred an honorary degree of divinity by Hindustan Bible Institute & College in Chennai, India.[3]
Ministry[]
Six months into his undergraduate degree, Yohannan became an ordained clergyman and served as a pastor of a Native American Southern Baptist church for four years near Dallas, Texas. In 1978, Yohannan and his wife Gisela started an organization known today as Gospel for Asia, which is resided in Carrollton, Texas until 2014 in which it moved to Wills Point, Texas.. In the first year, they helped provide financial support and training to 24 missionaries..[7][6] In 1979, he resigned from his church to devote his attention full-time to mission work. In 1981, he started a chapter of Gospel for Asia in Kerala and in 1983 created an Indian headquarter in Tiruvalla.[4] GFA directly supports more than 50 Bible colleges in various countries.[4][8]
Gospel for Asia[]
Dr. K.P. Yohannan with Madhav Kumar Nepal, former Prime Minister of Nepal, on July 9, 2017 at St. Xavier’s School in Kathmandu, Nepal
GFA World would grow to become one of the largest evangelical Christian NGO and missionary organizations in the world, but constantly marred by dubious fund distribution. Gospel for Asia adheres to Yohannan’s belief in the efficiency and efficacy of “national missionaries”, or missionaries that are native to the nation or culture being served. The organization’s primary mission fields are those people that live in the “10/40 Window”, referring to longitudinal coordinates consisting of areas in west Africa, India and east Asia.[4]
Yohannan credits his early work in his native India as inspiration for his focus on the poor and underserved in this region. He states: “In my head I knew all the answers, and Bible became the tool of the trade for me that I would use to teach and preach and I was doing very well. People liked my sermons, but finally I said to myself, ‘I’m not the same person I was when the Lord called me to serve Him. I’m not the same person that I was that walked on the streets of North India weeping over the lost and perishing millions and stayed up all night praying and weeping over a world map. The Lord was gracious enough to talk to us very lovingly, and I realized that he wanted me to go back to America and speak to the ‘Body of Christ’ about the possibility of seeing countries like India, Burma and Bhutan, turn to Christ if only they would become unselfish in praying and helping these brothers by becoming senders.”[6]
Dr. K.P. Yohanna ministering in the Leper Colony in India.
From its inception, GFA World has held to Yohannan’s conviction of the use of national missionaries. The ministry discourages direct missions from outside countries or people-groups, but rather trains and equips missionaries from within distinct cultures. In order to accomplish this, Gospel for Asia has over 56 Bible schools in 10 countries, training over 9000 ministers. In all, Gospel for Asia has trained over 16,000 national missionaries.[9][10][6][11][6]
In addition to training national missionaries, GFA World incorporates several other ministries such as Bridge of Hope (child sponsorship), Jesus Wells (clean water wells), bible translation, radio and television broadcasts, disaster relief and refugee camp aid.[12][13][14][15]
Print and radio[]
Dr. K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2016.
Dr. Yohannan is the author of eight books published in the US and has authored more than 200 books published in India.[3] His book Revolution In World Missions,[16] has over 2 million copies in print.[17]
K.P. Yohannan’s radio broadcast, "Road to Reality," is heard on over 900 radio stations throughout the USA, Canada, U.K., New Zealand and Australia.[3] He has also been heard on the Athmeeya Yathra (Spiritual Journey) daily broadcast for the past 25 years. This is broadcast in 14 nations in 113 Asian languages. Athmeeya Yathra now includes a television station and print media.[5][18]
Family[]
K.P. Yohannan is married to Gisela,[19] who served with him in Operation Mobilization. They met in 1973.[4] In 1974, they were married in Germany, Gisela’s country of birth. They have two children, Daniel and Sarah.
Books[]
- Against The Wind. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1595890475
- A Life of Balance. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00IMUAJSI
- Come, Let's Reach The World: PARTNERSHIP IN CHURCH PLANTING AMONG THE MOST UNREACHED. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1595890033
- Crisis in Leadership. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00IMTW9KU
- Dance Not for Time. Amazon, Hardcover, ISBN 1595891293
- Dependence upon the Lord. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INZ3W3G
- Destined to Soar. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00LDW4G2C
- Discouragement: Reasons and Answers. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INIAR9K
- Journey with Jesus. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INIANV2
- Learning to Pray. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00IMTWNKQ
- Little Things That Make a Big Difference. Amazon, Hardcover, ISBN 1595891234
- Living By Faith Not By Sight. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1565999819
- Living in the Light of Eternity: How to Make the Only Difference That Matters. Amazon, Perfect Paperback, ISBN 1595891404
- No Longer a Slumdog: Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1595890653
- Principles in Maintaining a Godly Organization. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INIAEY8
- Revolution in World Missions. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1595890017
- Reflecting His Image: The Beauty of Following Christ Intimately. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 159589005X
- Seeing Him. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INIAIIU
- Stay Encouraged. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00INIAUHE
- That They All May Be One. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00ILILTA8
- The Beauty of Christ through Brokenness. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00IMU3IMW
- Touching Godliness. Amazon, Paperback, ISBN 1595891218
- The Road to Reality: Coming Home to Jesus from the Unreal World. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00KMD585W
- When We Have Failed-What Next?. Amazon, Paperback, ASIN B00GXKPMYU
External links[]
| This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |
- ↑ K.P Yohannan's missionary caught in fund scandal in Canada (24 January 2019).
- ↑ Cooper, Bill. “Gospel for Asia President, K.P. Yohannan” ChristiaNet Biographies. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gospel for Asia http://www.gfa.org/about/aboutkp/ About K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century https://books.google.com/books?id=XGiv3riaunQC&pg=PA300%7Cfirst=Michael%7Clast=Bergunder%7Cpublisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans 2008 |isbn 0-8028-2734-9
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New Release Today, A Division of NRT Media Inc. “K.P. Yohannan Author Profile and Bibliography.” 1 September 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Wooding, Dan. “K.P. Yohannan’s Long Road To Helping India’s ‘Broken People’.” ASSIST News Service. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies https://books.google.com/books?id=uaS2fV1FYNsC&pg=PA84 Gailyn|last=Van Rheenen Zondervan 1996 |isbn=0-310-20809-2
- ↑ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/an-archbishops-spiritual-factory/323561/0 An archbishop’s spiritual factory |work=The Indian Express accessdate=30 January 2012 author=Philip, Shaju
- ↑ Houston, Rickey. “Loving Your Neighbor: A Guide to Developing and Sustaining Community Service Projects.” Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Thesis, March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Jaffarian, Michael. “The Statistical State of the North American Protestant Missions Movement, from the Missions Handbook, 20th Edition.” International Bulletin of Missionary Research. Vol.32, No. 1. January 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Cooper, Bill. “Gospel for Asia President, K.P. Yohannan.” ChristiNet Christian News Service. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ The Christian Post: Crossmap. “Anti-Christian Death Threats Force Closure of Bridge of Hope Center for Children in India.” Crossmap.com. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ Wooding, Dan. “Jesus Wells bring ‘living water’ to thousands in India and South Asia.” ASSIST News Service. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ Hearth, Katey. “Jesus Wells deliver redemption and safety.” Mission Network News. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ Christian Today. “5000 Jesus Wells Bringing Clean Water Across India and South Asia.” christiantoday.com. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ↑ Revolution in World Missions Free Book Offer K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia, 2004 ISBN 1-59589-001-7
- ↑ Revolution in World Missions (Review) http://www.ojccc.org/home/2011/03/revolution-in-world-missions/ Lauren Neustel publisher=Online Journal of Christian Communication and Culture |date=1 March 2011 |accessdate=30 January 2012
- ↑ Athmeeya Yathra Official Website. “Athmeeya Yathra TV: About. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Bland Vikki Yohannan: Persecution is Part of the Deal http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religion-today/yohannan-persecution-is-part-of-the-deal-1416317.html publisher Crosswalk.com