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K.P. Yohannan is the founder and president of Gospel for Asia, a Christian organization based in Carrollton, Texas, and the Metropolitan of Believers Church.

Biography

Early life

Yohannan was born in 1950 and raised in a St. Thomas Syrian Christian family in Kerala, India. He was 16 when he joined Operation Mobilization, an evangelical missions movement, and served with them for eight years on the Indian subcontinent.

Education

Yohannan went to the United States for theological studies at Criswell College (at the time Criswell Bible Institute) in Dallas, Texas. He graduated with a B.A. in Biblical Studies, becoming the school’s first international student to graduate. He was also conferred an honorary degree of divinity by Hindustan Bible College in Chennai, India.

Ministry

During his early years in Dallas, Texas, Yohannan became an ordained clergyman and served as a pastor of a Native American Southern Baptist church for four years. In 1979, he resigned from his church to devote his attention to mission work in Asia.

He and his wife Gisela started by helping 24 workers in the first year and founded Gospel for Asia, an organization that now serves in 17 nations. Yohannan argues that Western missionaries are ineffective, and that it is more appropriate to provide financial support to missionaries from the relevant country; Gospel for Asia does this.

Family

K.P. Yohannan is married to Gisela, who served with him in Operation Mobilization. They met in 1973. In 1974, they were married in Germany, Gisela’s country of birth. They have two children, Daniel and Sarah.

Print and radio

Dr. Yohannan is the author of eight books published in the US and has authored more than 200 books published in India. His book Revolution In World Missions, has over 2 million copies in print.

K.P. Yohannan’s radio broadcast, "Road to Reality," is heard on over 800 radio stations throughout the USA, Canada, U.K., New Zealand and Australia. He has also been heard on the Athmeeya Yathra (Spiritual Journey) daily broadcast for the past 25 years. This is broadcast in 14 nations in 110 Asian languages. His television channel in the name of AY Broadcast Foundation aired on 31 May 2011.

Court Rulings

The operations of Gospel for Asia and Believers Church were scrutinized after Believers Church, under the guidance of Yohannan, purchased a 2,000-acre (8.1 km) rubber estate in Kerala, India. Opponents claimed the church had diverted foreign funds to amass land for itself and for uses other than declared purposes. Further, it was alleged that the rubber estate, which Believers Church purchased from Harrison's Malayalam Ltd., was on leasehold from the government and not saleable. Hence, Believers Church was accused of illegally holding government land. At a later time, Harrison's Malayalam was accused of forging their land title, leading to continued debate about the legality of the sale.

Despite the scrutiny, no conviction was secured against Believers Church. The high court dismissed the petition claiming that Gospel for Asia had failed to account for funds, citing lack of evidence as the reason, and Gospel for Asia's compliance with regular auditing. The high court also dismissed proceedings by the state government to take possession of the estate under the claim that it was government land. Challenges against the title deed of Harrison Malayalam were also dismissed, absolving it of allegations of land fraud under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).

Yohannan says that the claims were politically motivated and that the workings of Gospel for Asia and Believers Church are transparent. Further, the rubber estate is an investment to help fund social services among underdeveloped communities and not a personal land grab as opponents have claimed.

Yohannan and the Gospel for Asia are again in the middle of controversy. There is currently a class action lawsuit against GFA for fraud. http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/3378077414.html

References

1. Wooding, Dan. "Gospel for Asia's K.P. Yohannan a Quiet Revolutionary". Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
2. "Believers Church general assembly begins today". The Hindu. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
3. "Believers Church decries violence". The Hindu. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
4. ^ "About K.P. Yohannan"., Gospel for Asia
5. ^ Bergunder, Michael (2008). The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0-8028-2734-9.
6. Van Rheenen, Gailyn (1996). Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-20809-2.
7. Bland, Vikki. "Yohannan: Persecution is Part of the Deal". Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
8. Yohannan, K.P. (2004). Revolution in World Missions. Gospel for Asia. ISBN 1-59589-001-7.
9. Neustel, Lauren (1 March 2011). "Revolution in World Missions (Review)". Online Journal of Christian Communication and Culture. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
10. "Cash scanner on evangelist". The Telegraph.
11. ^ "Cheruvally Rubber Estate". Believers Church.
12. "Probe on into functioning of Gospel for Asia, HC told". The New Indian Express.
13. "God's own country". The Telegraph.
14. "Madhyamam". Govt files petition against Harrisons, Yohanan.
15. "Forgery case filed against Harrisons Malayalam staff". The Hindu.
16. "HC rejects probe into income of Believers Church". The Indian Express.
17. "Kerala HC quashes govt proceedings". The Indian Express.
18. "Harrisons Malayalam welcomes verdict dismissing State plea on land deed". Samachar.
19. "Harrisons Malayalam spurts as Kerala High Court dismisses a petition against the firm". Share Market India.
20. "GFA says allegations politically motivated". Christianity Today.
21. "An open letter to fellow Christians from K.P. Yohannan".
22. "You Ask, We Answer - Is Gospel for Asia a Legitimate Christian Ministry? Yes!".

External links

• K.P. Yohannan's official web page
• Gospel For Asia
• Head Covering Free E-Book from K.P. Yohannan (Believers Church Publications)

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• Indian evangelicals
• Indian missionaries
• 1950 births
• Living people
• Southern Baptist ministers
• People from Kerala