Regions In Need

Pastor Manaai and his wife, Pai Pai, work as church planters in a very poor and primarily Buddhist country of over 50 million people which is hostile to the gospel. According to Joshua Project, 84 % of this country’s population is considered unreached by the gospel. An ongoing civil war which has lasted for decades as well as high inflation, political isolation, the devastation of natural disasters, and persecution from both the government and the majority Buddhist population all combine to make this a very difficult country to live and minister in. In addition, foreign gospel workers were forced to leave almost 50 years ago. The few Bible believing and gospel preaching churches that exist in this country are house churches often led by leaders with very little and often no Bible or theological training.

It is this context in which Pastor Manaai and his family minister making disciples, gathering them into churches, and then training leaders to lead them. He also provides leadership to several pastors and church planters who are working to establish churches throughout Myanmar.

Pastor Manaai and his ministry have been adopted and are now being dirctly supported financially and prayerfully by Church of The Redeemer, a small, vibrant, gospel-centered church in Los Lunas, NM. It is our joy to see like-minded American churches partnering with our overseas co-laborers so as to enable Regions In Need to continue focusing on the training of under-trained pastors in many churchs in these challenging regions of the world.

If you are interested in knowing more about Pastor Manaai and how to help Church of the Redeemer with the financial needs for his ministry in Myanmar please contact us.

Pastor Naresh Kumar was born into a Hindu family in Hyderabad, the capital and largest city of Telangana, India. When Naresh was four years old, his parents heard the gospel, trusted in Christ, and became Christians. From that time onward, the family regularly attended Sunday School and worship services at a local Baptist church in Hyderabad.

In 2000, at the age of 14, Naresh personally placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Two years later, he was baptized as a public declaration of his faith. As he grew in his relationship with the Lord, he felt a God-given burden to share the gospel with unbelievers so they too might know Christ and experience His salvation.

Recognizing this as God’s call upon his life, Naresh pursued formal theological training to better equip himself for ministry. He enrolled in Calvary Baptist Bible College and Seminary in Mumbai, India, where he earned a Bachelor in Theology and a Bachelor in Divinity by 2010. He then went on to complete a Master’s degree in Theology at Faith Baptist Bible Seminary in Kerala, India, in 2012.

After finishing his studies, Naresh served as an associate pastor and taught in a Bible college for five years, using his gifts to disciple believers and train future leaders for ministry.

Currently, Pastor Naresh faithfully serves as the pastor of Biblical Baptist Church in Hyderabad, where he lives with his wife, Blessy, and their two children, Jenita Betsy and Johan Bennet. Despite significant opposition to the gospel, persecution, and limited financial resources, Pastor Naresh and his family joyfully labor to proclaim Christ and make disciples in a city of over 15 million souls.

Pastor Naresh’s ministry is marked by a steadfast commitment to the Word of God, a deep love for the lost, and a determination to glorify Christ in Hyderabad, India—a definite Region In Need.

Please pray for Pastor Naresh, his family, and his church as they continue to serve faithfully in this vast and very challenging mission field. Pray that they and their church will have boldness in God to declare the gospel in the midst of much opposition like the apostle Paul and his team in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:2). Please for their protection, provision, and fruitfulness as they labor to advance the gospel and make disciples in Hyderabad. In addition, please pray that the Lord will provide the necessary funds for their church as they have outgrown their house and need to rent a larger building.

If you’d like to know more about Pastor Naresh and his family as well as find out how to financially support them and their ministry please contact us.