September 10, 2009
by John M. Lindner, D.Miss

Two weeks ago I interviewed Dr. William Johnson, President of Building Indigenous Missions. His ministry has planted over 3,000 churches in Muslim-dominated Pakistan. Most of these are house churches, but an impressive 150 have their own buildings. Read how he accomplished this amazing feat and how he plans to fulfill his vision of planting 50,000 house churches.

In July a mob of Muslims went on a rampage based on a concocted rumor, destroyed hundreds of homes of Christians, and killed 14. Last week we heard that Islamic militants shot and killed six Christians in Baluchistan after warning them, “Convert to Islam or die!” How do you preach the gospel in an environment like that?

Dr. William Johnson preaching in 2005.It is risky to hold open-air meetings. There is always the threat of suicide attacks. So our main method of proclaiming the gospel right now is through community cable TV.

Photo shows Dr. William Johnson preaching in 2005. All photos are courtesy of Building Indigenous Missions.

In Lahore cable networks reaching limited local communities or boroughs are allowed. In our area a man set up his own TV studio and began one of these local telecasts. In 2004 I went to him and asked him if I could provide Christian programming for the Christians in the community. He allowed me to be on his channel for 24 hours. Of course, many Muslims watched as well.

Then I went to four other areas and did the same. My speaking on five local channels in Lahore reached some 500,000 viewers. I also have an opportunity to speak on local channels in Karachi and Baluchistan.

So you can reach only one area at a time?

My son, Salem Johnson, and daughter, Aqsa Johnson, are also great TV preachers. So we can be on three cable channels simultaneously, if we have the funds.

We also are connected with the Gospel Broadcasting Network. If we can increase our production of DVDs, we can telecast over every GBN channel. To do that we need to add studio production equipment and staff. We are limited only by our resources. Each cable TV channel costs $1,000 per month. These reach urban areas throughout Pakistan.

What about the rural areas?

Pakistan’s population is 180 million, composed of some 400 ethnic groups. Each one has its own local language, location, and tribal identity. About 97% of them are Muslims and nearly all know the Urdu language. Only 2% of the population claims a Christian identity, including Roman Catholic and Orthodox. With mass production of CDs and DVDs we can reach remote villages as well.

Photo shows a village church meeting.

Also, my daughter, Aqsa W. Johnson, is a missionary doctor. Her vision is to operate mobile clinics (medical vans) that will go from village to village. Seventy percent of the population lives where there is no medical facility. Each mobile clinic will need $3,000 per month for gas, medicines, vehicle maintenance and living expenses. Again, finding funding is the big challenge.

How did you get started?

In 1969 the Lord gave me a vision of a multitude, and He said, "Do you see this multitude?”

“Yes, Lord,” I replied.

“They don’t have the gospel. Go to them.”

So in the vision I started to preach to the multitude. Immediately a wall came down behind them and on the backside of the wall was still another multitude with a man preaching to them. He was preaching my message, word for word. I wondered how this could be, but I subsequently came to realize this could be accomplished through literature, video, and cassette tape recordings. Today we also have CDs, DVDs and now cable television, which some 500,000 are watching.

If only 1% of those watching trust in Christ, we will have 5,000 new disciples.

What is your overall vision?

First of all, we need to prepare leaders to follow up these new disciples. Those trained will become effective ministers of the gospel and teachers in the Bible schools in our mother churches. Others will become local church leaders, elders, deacons, etc. We can conduct five days of training for 100 leaders for about $5,000.

We have a threefold vision to conserve and multiply this harvest.

1)Evangelize and reach 10 million people.

2)Train and disciple 250,000 persons

3)Plant 50,000 churches.

How will you do that?

It is not my plan; it is God’s plan. I must only follow how the Holy Spirit leads.

The Lord showed me that every house should become a church. A house church will consist of up to 10 families. With $250 we can plant a house church of 50 people without a building. We now have 3,000 house churches that we know of. There are probably 7,000 more homes that have secret believer families.

These local mission leaders were trained by Dr. Johnson and the Building Indigenous Missions ministry.

When five house churches or 50 families come together to form a mother church, we build them a church building. Within three years each mother church will plant another five daughter churches. Just $100 per month will support a church planter and his wife.

We have hundreds of local workers scattered throughout Pakistan. Most of these are supported by their local congregations. But church planters have no congregation to start with, and need help.

How will you provide leadership for these churches?

Each mother church needs to operate a Bible school for training elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, etc. Set-up equipment and materials for a Bible school for 20 students costs $500. After that only $100 per month for teacher support is needed.

We use our own curriculum in the Urdu language. One such Bible school operating out of every church building will enable us to train 2,000 local leaders per year.

We have 150 church buildings, with an additional 10 under construction with the help of other partners.

What about the children?

We have 15 orphanages.

First we bring together a dozen orphans and put them up in a house. It is not a school, just a house. We send them to local schools. For this we need about a thousand-square-foot building [About half the size of a modern American home—Ed.]. We need the same size building for a church. So what we do is put the children on the ground floor, and construct a meeting hall on the second floor, or build an orphanage wing alongside an existing church building.

Is there any objection to Christians building orphanages?

That is the best way. Operating an orphanage is an acceptable concept in our culture. We do not get into trouble for operating Christian orphanages.

Isn’t this expensive?

A church building costs about $10 per square foot. A donor partner will provide the first $8,000 for up to 100 church buildings. An orphanage costs about the same. We must first provide the land, which costs $2,000 to $4,000 each. So if we can provide land and find additional matching funds, we can have an orphanage on the same plot with each church building.

Then we must furnish beds, tables, and chairs, equip a kitchen, build toilets and a septic system, and bring in electricity and water. That takes another $5,000.

Photo shows a new church building completed in 2005.

That’s pittance compared to building in America

Yes, but children still cannot come to live in the orphanage until we pay school fees, buy school books, supply medicines and clothes, pay the utility bills and provide a house parent. This will take an additional $500 per month operating cost.

How has the anti-Christian violence affected you?

One of our men was a manager in the bank, and his wife was the head schoolteacher of a government school. They have four children.

For one year the Taliban kept visiting the bank, demanding that he embrace Islam. Of course, he was a devout believer and always refused.

Then one day after he closed the bank the Taliban kidnapped him and took him to a hideout. There they tortured him to try to get him to deny Christ. One time they tried to cut his tongue, but something happened and they didn’t do it. After that they were planning on drowning him in a river.

One day the Lord suddenly appeared to him and said, “Get out.”

He looked around and noticed that all his captors had gone to the mosque. So he left, got on a minibus, and escaped.

When his captors saw he had escaped, they went to his residential area to kill him. Meanwhile the church leadership took him to a safe house and got him out of the country. He and his family are now in another Asian country, waiting for refugee status from the U.N. They need prayer and financial support.

They have applied for refugee status, but the legal advisor to the U.N. Office of Refugees is a Muslim. “Islam is a religion of peace,” he says. “Let the man return to his country. There is no need for refugee status.” So it is difficult for him to obtain refugee status. But if he comes back, they will kill him. Please pray for this brother and his family.

Do you see any hope?

I met a man from England who is a Muslim convert, skilled in knowledge of the Qur'an as well as of the Bible, and an excellent TV preacher. He does not give his name; he just calls himself Mr. Cross.

He was visiting a country in the Middle East. A man who was a prince in a Middle East Kingdom stood up in one of his meetings and said, “I heard you preach before, and now I hear you again. I need the same Jesus you have.”

Dr. Johnson credits any success to answered prayer. Here women pray fervently for God's help.

Mr. Cross said, “Do you know what you are asking for?”

“I’m willing to pay the price,” the prince said, “but I need the same Jesus that you have.”

“Mr. Prince, you have a kingdom on this earth and all of the things of this world. Are you ready to sacrifice all of this?”

“I am willing, but I need the same Jesus.”

“Mr. Prince, go to your room. I will give you 30 minutes. Then send for me and I will come and you can decide what you want to do.”

Mr. Cross went to the room 30 minutes later, and the prince was on his knees and praying to give his life to Jesus Christ.

“I have decided I need the same Jesus,” he said. “Please don’t leave without baptizing me.”

So they went to a private place and Mr. Cross baptized the prince.

“We are not going to change their culture or language,” Mr. Cross told me. “We are just bringing Christ to them.”

Christ is the hope of every people.