The Good News Finds A Way in Southeast Asia

Filing paperwork, paying fees, and meeting with government officials: it may not be the work A. Broncano anticipated when she became a missionary in Southeast Asia in 2016, but without it, there will be no missions to do. That is because the government doesn’t yet formally recognize the Methodist Church. And without formal recognition, which takes time and money to attain, the holistic ministry of the church is limited by governmental restrictions. Even so, the mission initiative has formed creative partnerships with schools, hospitals, and other institutions to legally foster flourishing ministries: establishing the Sunbeam Language and Vocational Center, partnering with a preschool to offer Vacation Bible School, empowering women through literacy education and livelihood projects, building a clean water system in a rural school, and educating church leaders who are shepherding growing congregations.

Empowered through education

Language differences could present another barrier to ministry in Southeast Asia, but this challenge has been turned into an asset, stressing literacy and education as ways to manifest God’s love and encourage learning in areas with some of the lowest education rates in Southeast Asia.

“I’ve been an educator for a long time,” says Broncano, who was a faculty member and dean at Harris Memorial College in her native Philippines before becoming a missionary. “… We say that we have to invest in education because everything is education.”

“Sharing the gospel is not only with words, but also in action. We have to combine all the work so the compassion and mercy are always there.”

– A. Broncano

Broncano serves in a region populated by four people groups, each with its own unique language. In order for these groups to hear the gospel, their church leaders need to learn the ethnic languages. Then, they can be equipped to read, understand, and translate the good news to share it with their communities. They will also be better equipped to succeed in school and work that can help lift them out of poverty.

“We have the basic literacy program so that people can share the gospel,” Broncano explains. “Sharing the gospel is not only with words, but also in action. We have to combine all the work so the compassion and mercy are always there. While we’re doing leadership development, we also need to feed the stomach through the seed project or some livelihood assistance, because it’s holistic evangelization.”

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