“Equipped with God’s Word, ordinary farmers are becoming extraordinary church planters and bringing whole communities to Christ.”
*Note: Names and identifying details have been changed to respect the privacy of the individuals we serve.
In many remote mountain communities across Northern Thailand, local churches often face a critical need: accessible, deep biblical training for believers who feel called to serve but lack formal theological education. For many full-time farmers living in rural villages, attending a distant seminary is simply not an option.
Through local leadership development and discipleship programs—including foundational Bible correspondence courses and specialized Biblical Leadership Training (BLT)—God is equipping local farmers, fathers, and mothers to become vibrant evangelists, teachers, and church planters right where they live.
One Village Transformed: A 15-Year Legacy of Faithfulness
Nearly two decades ago, a local farmer named Somchai* was living a quiet life in his rural village, farming his land and attending his local church alongside his family. Though he was a believer, he was not actively involved in ministry leadership.
In 2007, with the gentle encouragement of his wife and under the guidance of a dedicated ministry mentor, Somchai began enrolling in a structured 10-book Bible correspondence curriculum.
For three years, Somchai and his wife faithfully studied the Scriptures together. As God’s Word took deep root in his heart, Somchai felt a clear and undeniable calling from the Lord: to share the Gospel with every single family in his village.
What began as simple, neighbor-to-neighbor evangelism turned into a 15-year journey of faithful ministry:
- 90% Village Transformation: Today, after fifteen years of consistent outreach, approximately 90% of the families in his village have put their faith in Jesus Christ and actively attend the local church!
- Expanding Beyond Borders: Having seen his own village transformed, Somchai is now taking the Gospel into neighboring communities—leading evangelistic trips and hosting a growing home Bible study in a nearby village.
Answering the Call: Planting Churches in the Mountains
Somchai’s story is not an isolated one. In the late 1990s, a farming couple—Riat* and Booah*—first encountered the same Bible correspondence curriculum. Balancing long days in the fields with nightly Scripture study, they faithfully completed the entire 10-book foundational program in three years.
Through their studies, God planted a bold vision in their hearts: to move away from their home community to a needy, unreached mountain village and plant a brand-new church.
To prepare for the spiritual and practical challenges ahead, Riat and Booah stepped into advanced leadership training through the Biblical Leadership Training (BLT) program:
- Establishing Healthy Doctrine: The BLT program equipped them with solid biblical foundations to establish new believers in Christian doctrine and healthy spiritual practices.
- Holistic Community Service: Beyond preaching, the training prepared them to meet tangible physical and social needs in the village—including hosting community literacy classes and providing dedicated care for individuals with special needs and physical disabilities.
Today, the church they planted stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that when ordinary believers are equipped with Scripture and supported in prayer, entire regions can be reached with the love of Christ.