A Guide for Praying Nation by Nation
by Jonathan Leeman

Churches in Africa

Churches in Cameroon: Battling to Rejoice in the Riches of Christ
by Dieudonné Tamfu

Churches in Madagascar: Growing Deeper and Wider
by Tim Cantrell

Churches in South Africa: Hoping in the Word, Not the World
by Gustav Pritchard

Churches in Asia

Churches in India: A People “Formed for God”
by Aubrey Sequeira

Churches in China: Growing Healthier Under Threat
by Joshua Fang

Churches in Myanmar: Fighting the Fear of Man and Glorying in God
by Justin Caudill

Churches in Northern Pakistan: The Crucial Need for Conversion
by Steve

Churches in the Philippines: Taking Seriously the Joy of the Lord
Alvin Litonjua

Churches in Singapore: A City on a Hill in Southeast Asia
by Eugene Low

Churches in Korea: The Gift and Challenge of Success
by Joel Yoon

Churches in Australia & South America

Churches in Australia: The Lucky Country?
by Nathan Malpass

Churches in Brazil: Realizing the Reformation
by Rick Denham

Churches in Europe

Churches in Albania: Preserved and Maturing
by Gensi Cesula

Churches in Great Britain: Living with the Legacy
by Mike Gilbart-Smith

Churches in Poland: Transforming Under Faithful Preaching
by Thomasz Krazek

Churches in Spain: A Smoking Flax He Will Not Quench
by Andrew Birch

Churches in the Middle East

Churches in Iran: The Significance of the Lord’s Supper
by Alan Davidson

Churches in Israel: Proclaiming the True Messiah
by David Zadok

Churches in the United Arab Emirates: Lights in the Desert
by J. Mack Stiles

A Church in an Undisclosed Location: Slowly and Waveringly Maturing
by Brother John

Editor’s Note:

The Journal topic of healthy churches around the world was Dever’s idea. I was doubtful at first. But—goodness—was I wrong!

This might be one of my favorite Journals to date. It’s sort of like Tim Keesee’s wonderful book, Dispatches from the Front: Stories of Gospel Advance in the World’s Difficult Places. The difference is, the authors provide frontline reports on the state of churches. How are churches doing in Brazil, Iran, Cameroon, Albania, China, Singapore?

Are they preaching the Bible? Proclaiming a biblical gospel or watered-down substitute? Pursuing corporate and individual holiness? Pursuing evangelism? Practicing church membership?

The planting and growing of healthy churches is how we will best fulfill the Great Commission.

That said, I have a couple of cautions about this issue. Our ministerial hope should always be in the unseen, not the seen. Plus, we never want to draw the wrong kind of attention to God’s work. I assume that some of the best gospel work “out there” is undetected, unsung, unbothered. We should expect to work under the radar, which is where God does much of his work, not on the “fastest growing churches” lists, which we disproportionately love. Remember, the true nature of our gospel work won’t be revealed till the last day, when fire will reveal the quality and quantity of our labors (see 1 Cor. 3:13-15).

Still, with all that, God does sometimes hearten us with glimpses of the work he’s doing. Christianity faces obstacles around the world, yet churches are pushing back the battle lines. Be encouraged, then, by what you read here.

We also hope this Journal will help you to pray, and maybe spur you to look for other ways to support the work going on in these places. Send books. Fund translations. Help a church leader get trained. Visit.

Our God is not a village God or even a national God. He’s a global God. And he’s at work everywhere. Check it out!

—Jonathan Leeman