International Headquarter P.O. Box 5607 Johnstown, PA 15904
The Anabaptists Churches
of Pakistan
“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit -2 Corinthians 8:1
As with the work in Africa, Church history will bear record that the Anabaptists have never entered upon Pakistan soil in any major evangelists work in the history of the Church. You will find Mennonite churches in various countries since the Mennonites have always been willing to work with the World Council of Churches and other apostate liberal, ecumenical groups that have always been allowed anywhere Catholics are allowed. As stated repeatedly, and confirmed through almost 2,000 years of church history, Mennonites are not Anabaptists in even the farthest stretch of the imaginations. But Anabaptists have never established a work of any notice or footing in the nation of Pakistan, or in any muslim nation. Until now! The Anabaptists Ministers of Jesus Christ for Pakistan The work had begun months earlier with the direction of God in Brother Andrew Sadiq's committment to Christ to follow Him wheresoever he might lead. Andrew had been converted from his life in Catholicism in the year 2000, and had been striving daily to draw closer to God Almighty through His Son Jesus Christ. Raised as an altar boy in the Catholic Church, Brother Andrew could never reconcile what he read in the Bible with all of the idols and idolatry that was a continual vexation to him in the Catholic Church. Though Catholicism is treated and considered the Christian church in Pakistan by the muslims, Andrew had read enough of the King James Bible, even in Pakistan to know that Catholicism and the idolatry of Rome was far removed from Biblical Christianity. One day during the Catholic mass, Andrew was praying at the altar when God spoke to him very clearly and told him that this was not what the Lord had planned for his life, and with that, he fled out of the church and never returned. Fleeing the Catholic church, with no where to turn for Christian guidance, he had only to read enough of the scriptures to know he had to turn from such idolatry. And in soturning, Andrew found "the faith of Jesus Christ" in the King James English Bible, and began praying and asking God for guidance in spreading the wonderful words he read from God, to those in his family and community that lived without hope and without God in the world. Thus began what many shallow Christians in America could have never endured, trying to learn to preach and minister the word of God in the public domain, in a country where such ministrations could very easily get you killed in the most horrible ways imaginable. For eight years, Andrew Sadiq read his English Bible, and prayed for guidance from God, all the while preaching and teaching the salvation that he had found in Jesus Christ alone. While doing the best he could with no example to follow, God began saving souls all around the young fervent minsiter of Christ. And by 2004 with the encouragement of his relatives, he began preaching publicly that men should repent and turn to God through Jesus Christ. "The Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan shall be structured under the Leadership of the Holy Ghost into the following Ministerial Provinces: 4. Northwest Frontier Province: This will be the Northern Ministerial Province of the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan, having its utmost northern boundary along the border with China inclusive of the cities of Baltit, Mor Khun, Gilgit and Skardu but shall not include any area within the politically disputed territories of Jammu and Kashmir. Bishop Andrew Sadiq
of the grace of God bestowed on
the churches of Pakistan.”
Nevertheless, under the blessing and direction of God Almighty, through the never ending work of the Holy Spirit of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ and open air evangelism as broken upon the country of Pakistan, even in the midst of war and terrorism, assassinations and political strife. January of 2009 will forever be found in the annals of Anabaptists history as the day hundreds of Pakistani Christians gathered in the cold of winter and stood in the open air tent 500 strong, and declared their devotion to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, proclaming to the nation of Pakistan that they would walk in the steps Jesus Christ as Anabaptists. In making this historic step unprecedented in the Anabaptists Chronicles, nineteen men took their public stand for Christ, in committing their lives, families and ministries to open air preaching of Jesus Christ as Anabaptists preachers.
The Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan
January 2009
Then in the fall of 2008, the Holy Spirit of God led him across the work of the Anabaptists Churches of North America, in their open air preaching all over the United States, England, Scotland and Africa, and Brother Andrew knew he had to find these men that preached where others were afraid to go. In December of 2008, God answered his prayers with the Lord doing one His "strange work[s]; and bring[ing] to pass his act, his strange act" (Isaiah 28:21), in allowing his path to cross that of Bishop Ron McRae's all the way around the other side of the world. With that communications came a wonderful bond of unity in Christ, that most Christians in America would despise. But Anabaptists have always enjoyed the character, courage and strength of faith that could stand in the open air in the midst of a muslim country, where infidels are decaptitated and imprisoned, and publicly preach Jesus Christ.
In their communications, Brother Sadiq found in the Articles of Faith of the Anabaptists Chruches, the very soul of all that God had been doing with him for eight years, in one of the most dangerous mission fields of the world. Though history is still presently so with the Anabaptists, in their strict adherance to the scriptures before they readily accept just anyone, Brother Andrew was almost a shoo-in, for the scriptures are still clear on this one point, "if any man love God, the same is known of him" (1 Corinthians 8:3). Wrote Andrew Sadiq, "There is no objection from our ministers after they have read the Articles of Faith. It is worth mentioning here that the Anabaptists ministry has covered every sepectrum of life, and many areas had not even been thought of by us prior to reading them. A ministry should cover all aspects of Christian life. The ministers did express their complete satisfaction over the Articles of Faith, and did admit that even reading it has been a great learning experience for them, and with the guidance of the Anabaptists Chruches we shall become true practising Christians".
Brother Andrew Sadiq preaching at the National Inauguration
All the Christian Ministers of Pakistan working with Brother Andrew, met with all the saints, and having translated the Anabapists Articles of Faith into their native Urdu language they voted unanimously the first week of January to make official request to join the Anabaptists Churches, and be allowed to form the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan. That formal request was submitted in writing to all the National Bishops, and upon their review and acceptance, the Presbytery authorized Bishop McRae to accept the Pakistan churches and their ministers into the fellowship of the Anabaptists Churches Worldwide. In so doing, the Presbytery "appointed" Brother Andrew Sadiq as the National Bishop of Pakistan. With that appointment announced the second Lord's day of January, the church in Lahore, Pakistan sang for Bishop McRae and shouted the praises of God at his anouncement to the assembly of the acceptance of the churches and the appointment of Bishop Andrew Sadiq.
In establishing the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan, the Presbytery formed four Ministerial Provinces throughout the country of Pakistan. In the letter of Acceptance, the Presbytery wrote,
1. Punjab Province: In a circuit (1 Samuel 7:16) encompassing Islamabad on the north, Lahore on the east, running along the border of India southward to its southern border with Sindh Province just north of the city of Rohri, with its western border encompassing Uch Sharif and Multan, matching the boundaries established by the Government of Pakistan for the Province Punjab.
2. Sindh Province: In a circuit beginning in the north on the southern Provincial border with the Punjab Province, encompassing the city of Rohri in the north, with its eastern boundary running south along the border with India, turning west to the Arabian Sean, having the city of Karchi as its southern end, and its western border runnig from a point northwest of Karachi northward along its Provincial border with the Province of Balochistan encompassing the city of Moinjodaro.
3. Balochistan Province: The largest of all the Provinces, Balochistan is the Southwestern Minsiterial Province of the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan, and will be a circuit encompassing the city of Zhob on the north, running south along the Provincial borders with the Punjab Province and Sindh Province on the east encompassing the city of Bela, etending down to the Arabian Sea just northwest of the port city of Karachi, having its southern border at the shores of the Arabian Sean encompassing the port cities of Pasni and Gawadar in the south unto the port city of Jwani as its southwest corner, and the border withthe country of Iran. The western border shall extend northward all along its border with the countries of Iran and Afghanistan, reaching near to the City of Zahedan at its most western reach unto Iran, encompassing the cities of Nok Kundi, Dalbandin and Kalat, extending northward along its western border with Afghanistan encompassing the cities of Quetta and Chaman unto Zhob.
"Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
-Colossians 3:16
The Christian Ladies of the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan
"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication."
-Acts 1:14
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God."
-Mark 10:14
To Contact Brother Andrew Sadiq concerning the Anabaptists Churches of Pakistan:
BishopSadiq@theanabaptistschurch.com
