Dr KP Yohannan is a man that we should all be inspired by, he has worked his entire life in the interest of helping those less fortunate than himself, he is a deeply spiritual, devout Christian who believes that everyone in the World should be equal and he has steered his career to that end. Yohannan’s life has seen him travel the globe spreading the word of God and inspiring people to become missionaries, he has written over 200 books challenging theological theories and he has been a key component in the surge of social entrepreneurship. Let’s take a look at the life and career of this great man and his biggest success, Gospel for Asia.

Where it all Began

Born in 1950 in Kerala, India the young Yohannan was raised by his devoutly Christian family, at the age of 8 he says was when he first found Jesus and since that day he has ardently read the Bible and religious scriptures. At the age of 16 he joined Operation Mobilization, an evangelical missionary movement that worked to help those living in slums in the region and with the most impoverished people in India.

Following his work with Operation Mobilization, KP accepted an invitation to study theology and Bible studies in Dallas, Texas where he graduated with a B.A. and became the first international student to graduate from the Bible institute where he studied. During his time studying, the young Yohannan became a pastor in a local church, he remained there until 1979 when he decided to instead dedicate his life to his new charity, Gospel for Asia.

Gospel for Asia

The charity itself was actually set up by Yohannan and his wife in 1978 and they spent the first year focussing on the training of their missionaries who would go out to work in India’s poorest regions. The idea behind the charity was not just to provide handouts for those living in poverty but to give them an opportunity to work their way out of their situation.

As the years went on the charity set up a number of different ministries which dedicated themselves to individual problems that are caused as a result of poverty. Ministries currently in operation include the Slum ministry which works directly with those living in slums, teaching, offering healthcare and opportunities; Bridge of Hope which works with Asia’s poorest children, giving them food, education and healthcare and the Leprosy ministry which through its education and healthcare is looking to finally eradicate this horrible disease once and for all from Asia.

The charity began in India but has grown over the years and now operates across the large percentage of Asia, in the coming years Gospel for Asia is looking set to expand in to even more countries and territories and train even more missionaries who will be able to go into these areas and offer help and assistance in the name of human kindness and religion.