Pastor Ashang

Pastor Ashang was born in a small mountain village in the state of Manipur, which is in the far northeastern part of India, on the border with Myanmar to the east. Manipur consists of an oval-shaped valley surrounded by blue mountains. The hills are inhabited mainly by tribal peoples who were converted to Christianity by native missionaries over 100 years ago. The valley is predominately Hindu, with the ancient Manipuri religions of ancestor worship and animism currently in revival.

Pastor Ashang grew up hearing the Gospel preached as he sat with his parents in the pews of the Baptist church in his village. With limited access to formal education, he apprenticed himself at an early age to the doctor in a neighboring village. Every day he walked several kilometers to the doctor’s house to volunteer his services. He learned by watching the doctor how to speak English and how to conduct himself.

As a young man Ashang heard God’s call on his life and started evangelizing on his own. Encouraged by his success, he formed the Jesus Gospel Ministry and registered it with the state authorities. Twelve years ago, Ashang met Pastor Joseph at a Bible Conference. Soon after, the Koinonia Fellowship church organization began supporting the ministry in Manipur. Starting slowly at first, this support has grown as the ministry has expanded.

Assisted by his brother Aso, a 2009 graduate of the Koinonia School of Ministry, Ashang is building a state-wide ministry, including a presence in the capital city of Imphal. At the urging of Pastor Joseph, Ashang moved his family into a rented apartment in a slum area. In their new mission field, the family is surrounded by followers of Manipur’s traditional Sanamahi religion who worship a variety of gods and ancestral deities. His effort to spread the Gospel to his new neighbors is bearing fruit. As his flock has expanded, they are rapidly outgrowing his living room. Senior members of the congregation now sit outside in the street listening to the study, giving up their seats inside to the new converts.

Ashang is also planting churches in other towns and villages around Manipur. In addition to a second congregation near his home in Ukhrul, he has planted a church in Senapati, 40 miles to the north. Next February he plans to open a church in the Tamenglong region in the west. Ashang currently travels by bus and by foot from church to church. He spends about a week in each place, leaving his wife and children alone in Imphal.

Another part of the vision for Manipur is to build a Koinonia Fellowship church facility in Imphal.

Pray for open doors as Ashang works with the government to get a grant of land.

Pray for other churches to come alongside as Ashang creates a network of churches in Manipur.

Pray for Ashang’s family as they bear the burden of living without their father for days at a time.