In Pakistan, there are virtually no Christian schools. Education is mandatory, if not enforced, but all public schools and nearly all private schools have an Islamic influence that weighs heavily on students who are not Muslim. It is typical for Christian children to be taunted, ridiculed, and mocked for their faith, and Muslim students are actively taught to hate Christians. Thus, Christian students have no friends and are mistreated by their peers and educators.
One teenage girl named Arzoo told us that she is made to feel lower because of her faith. Many like her, who are not strong spiritually, abandon Christianity. They are unable to withstand the ridicule of the students and resist the teachings of Islam, which are presented attractively and cunningly. These and many other situations led us to discuss the possibility of opening a Christian school, serving our children from kindergarten to the required tenth grade and beyond. Our school will graduate students after grade twelve.
Pakistan considers education a human right, and Article 25A of its Constitution compels the government to provide schools for children ages five to sixteen. Christian schools are allowed but virtually unknown. While in Pakistan last December, I visited an incredible school in a Baptist Church, funded by my friend Eddie Wilson through his foundation and businesses. Eddie sees business not as a means to bring personal wealth, though it does, but as a means to fund God’s ministries on earth. Seeing the students dressed smartly in their uniforms, smiling, learning, reading the Bible, and preparing for a better future was incredible. I wondered if we could not do the same.
To have a school, you must receive recognition and accreditation and meet the standards set forth by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Private Educational Institutions Ordinance, 1984. Our Bible College is already approved and registered, and we are now working on the same for our preschool, elementary, middle, and high school. The children will be able to learn in a Christian environment and be provided with their school supplies and a daily meal with classes in session from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
The courses taught will include languages like Urdu, the Pakistani national language; Punjabi, the official state language; and English, the international business language. Then there are the standard subjects like math, science, physics, chemistry, biology, computer sciences, social studies, history, geography, and, of course, the Bible. And for all these subjects, we have qualified Christians with both degrees in their fields and teaching experience.
This ministry is close to my heart as my mother was a first-grade and second-grade teacher. I graduated with a degree in education and taught junior high for several years before entering ministry full-time.
There will be ongoing expenses, and there is hope that some parents can pay their child’s tuition. But to begin with, they will need help paying salaries of up to $250 monthly per teacher and up to $350 for the headmaster.
We have already built a facility suitable for housing the school. It has seven rooms available, each able to hold twenty desks. However, we need to purchase the desks, smaller tables and chairs for preschoolers, cabinets to store curriculum, and TV monitors they can use to teach most subjects, including English and the Bible. Our estimated one-time budget for the furniture and equipment is $17,000.
When we started this work in 1986, I never dreamed we would be serving in Pakistan or have the hope of opening a Christian school. But God does “exceedingly and abundantly above that which we ask or think.”
In the 1800s, William Carey lived next door in India, although the two countries were one at the time. I have often visited his church and two of his homes. I have eaten at his table, sat at his desk, and sipped tea in his living room. He is famous for his encouragement to “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” It is time we did just that, and I am asking you to join me. Our team can do this for Him, but we are not likely to succeed without you.
We’re told that William Carey started the first Baptist Church in India, imported the first printing press, which he used to print Bibles, and started a newspaper. He developed India’s postal system, influenced the founding of one of the first banks, and formed the Indian Horticultural Society. In addition, he established the first high school in India and the first girls’ school, as well as factories where they could work. In addition to proclaiming the Gospel, throughout Central Asia, Christianity is known for positively influencing society by treating the sick, feeding the hungry, and educating the children. By serving their generation, missionaries influenced all future generations.
So, maybe it’s finally time for this missionary, with your help, to do what we have never done before.
