Today we are going to take a look into the life of a truly remarkable man, a man who has dedicated himself to God and the teachings of the gospel and a man who has spent his life trying to help others. Dr KP Yohannan is the founder of Gospel for Asia, the largest Christian missionary NGO in the World, an author, a radio presenter, a pastor and a man who has traveled the globe in his efforts to spread the word of the Lord. Let’s take a look at where he came from and how he became such an inspirational man.

Mar Thoma Sliva

Early Life and Education

Dr. Yohannan was born in 1950 in Kerala, India, his family were St Thomas Syrian Christian and from an early age was surrounded by religion, by his own admission, he found God at the age of 8, something which would stay with him profoundly for the rest of his life. At the age of just 16, KP joined an evangelical missions organization called Operation Mobilization where he spent 8 years working with some of India’s poorest, spreading the word of Christianity and helping in any way that he could.

In 1974 Yohannan went to Dallas, Texas to study theology at Criswell Bible Institute where he would go on to become the college’s first international student to graduate, gaining a B.A. in Bible Studies. Whilst still studying at the Institute, Yohannan began serving as Pastor at the Native American Southern Baptist church, a position which he held for 4 years until he left the church to focus his efforts on his new missionary venture, Gospel for Asia.

Gospel for Asia

In 1978 Yohannan and his wife started Gospel for Asia a missionary NGO that set out to change the fortunes of those in Asian born into poverty. The charity began with one ministry in India and they trained missionaries to go out and help those in need. The charity has since gone into to achieving resounding success helping those who live in slums, leprosy sufferers, women and children through education and the teachings of the Lord. Yohannan’s early life in India was his inspiration for Gospel for Asia and he says this about why the charity was set up:

“In my head I knew all the answers, and Bible became the tool of the trade for me that I would use to teach and preach and I was doing very well. People liked my sermons, but finally I said to myself, ‘I’m not the same person I was when the Lord called me to serve Him. I’m not the same person that I was that walked on the streets of North India weeping over the lost and perishing millions and stayed up all night praying and weeping over a world map. The Lord was gracious enough to talk to us very lovingly, and I realized that he wanted me to go back to America and speak to the ‘Body of Christ’ about the possibility of seeing countries like India, Burma and Bhutan, turn to Christ if only they would become unselfish in praying and helping these brothers by becoming senders.”

Other Work

Dr Yohannan is an author of over 200 books, the themes are mainly about theological arguments and the importance of missionary work around the World. Aside from his literary endeavors, Yohannan also hosts a weekly radio show and gives key note speeches around the World.