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|---|---|
| Born | 1950 Kerala, India |
| Occupation | President of Gospel for Asia |
| Website | www.gfa.org |
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
K.P. Yohannan was born in 1951 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
K.P. 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, K.P. became an ordained clergy and served as a pastor of a Native American Southern Baptist church for four years. Although being the shepherd of his local church was greatly rewarding, he could not forget the millions of suffering and needy people in India and the neighboring nations. Then in 1979, he resigned from his church to give full attention to mission work in Asia and to share the love of Christ among the unreached peoples.
He and his wife Gisela decided to give away their own possessions to help spread the good news of Jesus on the Indian subcontinent. They started by helping 2 dozen national workers in the first year. Then in 1979, K.P. and Gisela officially founded Gospel for Asia. After three decades the organization, 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.
Yohannan was consecrated a bishop by K. J. Samuel, moderator of the Church of South India, which resulted in some controversy.
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.
Controversies
Yohannan has been involved in a series of controversies, among them include the fact that he is not a ordered bishop, but rather a commoner, that he purchased lands in Kerala using charity money and being filed by Kerala's High Court.
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.
In his book Armies Of God: A Study In Militant Christianity, British-born, Malaysia-based academic Iain Buchanan has criticized K.P. Yohannan for welcoming the 2004 tsunami by calling it "one of the greatest opportunities God has given us to share His love with people". According to Iain Buchanan, such evangelicals thrive on suffering and disaster.
References
- Wooding, Dan. "Gospel for Asia's K.P. Yohannan a Quiet Revolutionary". Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- "Believers Church general assembly begins today". The Hindu. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- "Believers Church decries violence". The Hindu. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- ^ "About K.P. Yohannan"., Gospel for Asia
- ^ Bergunder, Michael (2008). The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 0-8028-2734-9.
- Van Rheenen, Gailyn (1996). Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-20809-2.
- Jacob, George (10 February 2003). "Crisis brewing in CSI". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- Philip, Shaju. "An archbishop's spiritual factory". The Indian Express. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - Bland, Vikki. "Yohannan: Persecution is Part of the Deal". Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- "Crisis brewing in CSI". George Jacob.
- "God's own country". Debashis Bhattacharyya.
- "Kerala files petition against Harrisons Malayalam and Gospel for Asia founder". MDT/PTI.
- Yohannan, K.P. (2004). Revolution in World Missions. Gospel for Asia. ISBN 1-59589-001-7.
- Neustel, Lauren (1 March 2011). "Revolution in World Missions (Review)". Online Journal of Christian Communication and Culture. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- Evangelical Christianity: Devils in high places, Sunday, Mar 27, 2011, Yogesh Pawar, Mumbai, DNA