A3 National Leaders Take Charge
At A3, our vision is to see a vibrant community of servant leaders with vision, character, and competence leading the church across Asia. Nowhere is that vision being realized more than in Bangladesh.
This Muslim-majority country has recently struggled with a sharp spike in terrorist violence, targeting Christian leaders as well as other innocent people. Pastors and Christian leaders in Bangladesh have faced down violent mobs, faux “seekers” who turn out to be assailants, and infiltrators trying to penetrate Christian student groups. These courageous brothers and sisters continue to minister, despite the risks.
This determination and perseverance is also reflected in our A3 Bangladesh leadership. A3 Bangladesh just welcomed their third cohort of leaders for their fourth session together. We applaud and pray for these dedicated men and women as they reach the mid-point in their two-year journey together as a learning community.
Home-Grown: Faculty and Facilities
A2’s vision for God’s empowerment of His leaders in Asia include two key components:
- Teaching led by indigenous faculty, and...
- Holding the A3 program in facilities owned and controlled by Christians.
While this second component might sound minor to us in the West (why don’t you just rent some space?), this lack of place in countries where Christians represent a small minority has impact. “When we rent facilities from Muslim landlords, we can face all kinds of restrictions,” A3 Bangladesh co-director Rev. Peter Debakar Mazumder told us. “We may not be allowed to worship in freedom; our ability to access the facility for meals and lodging can be suddenly denied to us. At the last minute, we may be told that the water is not working, or that there is no parking spaces available.”
The desire to see a believer-owned and operated training facility become a reality has motivated Peter to develop Living Water Centre (LWC). Based near the international airport, LWC, when completed, will be a full-service, multi-purpose center equipped to facilitate training and conference events for groups of all sizes. “Not only will we be able to utilize LWC for our ministry purposes,” Peter explains, “but we will be able to make it available at affordable rates to Christian organizations and others in our country. Not only will LWC be able to provide a first-class facility where Christians can work, stay, and worship in freedom, but it will be a financial engine to help us to sustain and grow our overall work.”
In Bangladesh, There's No Time Like The Present
A3 is working to develop a growing pool of in-country faculty throughout the movement. And Living Water Centre is still in development. But that hasn’t slowed down our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh. The third cohort for A3 Bangladesh that just held their fourth session? The session was taught by Bangladeshi leaders, themselves alumni of previous A3 cohorts. And the session was held at LWC, utilizing space that is ready to use while the larger facility continues to be developed.
“It was a wonderful experience,” Peter told us. “Our local faculty did an excellent job. They led the cohort through topics including The Seven Elements of a Christian Leader, Spending Quality Time with God, and Balancing Your Ministry and Personal Lives. We concluded the session with a powerful time of prayer together. God was faithful!”
As you can see from the photos, LWC already provides a first-quality environment for a program like A3. And our A3 alumni are providing first-quality teaching and mentoring for their fellow pastors and leaders. God is indeed faithful—as are Peter, his co-director Rev. Leor Sarkar, their A3 Bangladesh working team, and all of the courageous men and women standing up for Christ in the midst of challenges and threats.
It’s a privilege to partner with leaders like our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh. THANK YOU for all you do to make the work of A3 possible!
Noel Becchetti
VP for Leader Development
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