~Featured Missionary and Country of the Week - Bangladesh/The James Corbin Family

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James and Elizabeth Corbin
Region(s): Asia
Field(s): Bangladesh

Website: click here to visit 

Bio: James and Elizabeth Corbin both came from Pentecostal homes and were married in Goshen, California, on September 2, 1989. Soon after their marriage, God began to speak to the both of them concerning reaching the lost in Bangladesh. They arrived in Bangladesh as missionaries in 1993. Within a short while they became fluent in the language and began to find open doors of ministry throughout Bangladesh. In 1997 they moved to Dhaka, the capital city, to start a fresh ministry outreach. Continued revival and growth in Bangladesh is a result of many days and hours spent in prayer, fasting, and in training the people of Bangladesh to become the men and women that God has destined for them to be. The James Corbin family and the United Pentecostal Church of Bangladesh are moving forward with vision and purpose to establish the kingdom of God in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh
People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Area Coordinator: James N. Corbin
Superintendent/President:
Population: 146600000
Area: 55,598 sq. mi.
Capital: Dhaka
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Religions: Muslim, 83% (official); Hindu, 16%; other, 1%

Formerly known as East Pakistan, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh lies on the Bay of Bengal in South Asia. It is surrounded by India on all sides except for a small border with Myanmar to the far southeast and the Bay of Bengal to the south. It is the most densely populated nation in the world and produces over 50% of the world’s supply of jute. Rice, sugar cane, and tea are other principal crops. The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers cut through Bangladesh’s low plain, while devastating monsoons and cyclones frequently flood the nation. Missionaries from Northeast India planted the seeds of the gospel in Bangladesh. With the arrival of resident missionaries, the church has experienced great revival. The 2006 Annual Field Report shows the church has 8,391 constituents, seven ministers, and 71 churches and preaching points. In early 2007 missionary James Corbin stated, “With the Lord’s help and a dedication to reaching the lost, we have seen the church in Bangladesh grow from just seven people to now over 10,000 members. The church in Bangladesh is a revival church moving forward into all walks of life and reaching out unto all people of various religious backgrounds with the gospel of Jesus Christ and is making a difference.”

More Information:

Background:

Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of  Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India.  In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily  Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly  became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became  East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by  1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied.  East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed,  emergency caretaker regime suspended parliamentary  elections planned for January 2007 in an effort to reform  the political system and root out corruption. In contrast  to the strikes and violent street rallies that had marked  Bangladeshi politics in previous years, the parliamentary elections finally held in late December 2008 were mostly peaceful and Sheikh HASINA Wajed was elected prime  minister. About a third of this extremely poor country  floods annually during the monsoon rainy season,  hampering economic development. Please continue to PRAY for all our missionaries around  the World!