In Malaysia, More than 1,600 People Embrace Faith in First Nationwide Series

Adventist church leaders said members worked in a united way to reach the initiative’s success.

September 12, 2023 | Malaysia | Hazel Wanda Ginajil-Gara, Malaysia Union Mission, Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malaysia is celebrating after the successful conclusion of its Hope for Malaysia evangelism initiative, which welcomed more than 1,600 people to embrace their new faith through baptism, church leaders in that Asian nation said. After seeing such a large crowd eager to hear more about Jesus, organizers said they are motivated to plan for a second round of evangelistic initiatives.

The week-long evangelistic campaign started on August 18 in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu. The meetings took place simultaneously at more than 25 locations across the country. Hope for Malaysia is intended to promote revival among workers and church members in united worship while revealing an impactful initiative on the urgency of urban missions.

“This is a major achievement for Malaysia,” Malaysia Union Mission (MAUM) president Abel Bana said. According to him, it was heartening to see the first Adventist nationwide evangelistic initiative in the country. “It was not easy, but going through all that story and inspiration just brought our church in Malaysia to be spiritually motivated and seek more to do mission in this challenging field,” he added.

The climax of the nationwide series took place as thousands gathered at designated meeting sites for the Harvest Celebration Sabbath. A worship center in Kuching, Sarawak, welcomed more than 2,500 attendees, while other venues in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and Kota Kinabalu hosted approximately 1,500 people each from the Peninsular Malaysia Mission and Sabah Mission, respectively.

Other churches also gathered at selected locations for regional united worship services, church leaders reported.

According to MAUM field secretary Francis Amer, the groundwork and preparation started with a 10-day prayer revival and prayer enrichment seminars in January. Soon after, leaders offered training and seminars on care group evangelism, cell phone ministry, and digital mission.

Amer said he believes the program’s success was a result of unified and collaborative efforts from leaders at all levels of the church organization. And despite the difficulties of organizing such a large assembly of believers, “it is encouraging to see how our churches mobilized as one in this country,” he added. “I personally believe that the whole program is a success because … everyone has worked unitedly and collaboratively.”

The Adventist Church’s recent Hope for Malaysia project highlighted its dedication to the I Will Go movement, church leaders said. “This national endeavor demonstrated increased church member involvement in personal and public evangelistic outreach, which aligned with the Total Member Involvement goal. It also included frontline missionaries who spoke at large meetings, inspiring audiences to get involved in preaching the gospel,” they said.

As the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malaysia continues to work toward spreading the message of hope and salvation, church leaders invited all to join them in prayer for their ongoing efforts. “Please pray as we prepare for more opportunities to share Jesus with individuals who want to embrace their faith and embark on a spiritual journey,” they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division news site.