Operating Regions

OC’s region of Asia is home to nearly 55% of the world’s population, or 3.6 billion people.³ China is the world’s most populous nation, accounting for 1.3 billion of this number. The Asian region is home to many religions, including most of the world’s Hindus, hundreds of millions of Buddhists and more than half of the world’s Muslims. Protestants in Asia number 55-60 million with the largest concentrations in India, the Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea.⁴ Statistics vary widely, but it appears that estimates of an additional 80-100 million Christians in China may be realistic as well. Christianity is experiencing strong growth throughout the Asian region. There are hundreds of established leadership training centers in the region, some with more than 100 years of history. Yet the need for new paradigms of leadership training is great. OC’s partners in Asia are at the forefront of preparing leaders for the Asian Church in the 21^st century.

³ All population data is drawn from the CIA Worldfactbook with population estimations for July 2005. Projected population growth is drawn from the US Census Bureau’s International Data Base. Data on evangelicals from Patrick Johnstone, Operation World: 21st Century Edition (2001).

⁴ Johnstone.

ASIA PARTNER SCHOOL LIST (as of January 2008)

BANGLADESH CCTB – College of Christian Theology Bangladesh
CAMBODIA PPBC – Phnom Penh Bible College
CHINA CGSTHK – China Graduate School of Theology
CHINA CMS – Chinese Mission Seminary
CHINA MBI – Macau Bible Institute
INDIA ABSI – Allahabad Bible Seminary
INDIA CTC – Clark Theological College
INDIA MTSC – Madras Theological Seminary and College
INDIA NTC – New Theological College
INDIA SAIACS – South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies
INDIA SBS – Shalom Bible Seminary
INDIA TAFTEE – TAFTEE
INDIA UBS – Union Biblical Seminary
INDONESIA ETSIJ – Evangelical Theological Seminary of Indonesia - Jakarta
INDONESIA IBI – Indonesian Bible Institute
INDONESIA NBS – Nusantara Bible Seminary
INDONESIA TBSI – Tyrannus Bible Seminary
MALAYSIA MBS – Malaysia Bible Seminary
MYANMAR MEGST – Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology
PAKISTAN ZBI – Zeraphath Bible Institute
PAPUA NEW GUINEA CLTC – Christian Leaders Training College
PHILIPPINES AGS – Alliance Graduate School
PHILIPPINES AGST – Asia Graduate School of Theology
PHILIPPINES ATS – Asian Theological Seminary
PHILIPPINES BSOP – Biblical Seminary of the Philippines
PHILIPPINES IGSL – International Graduate School of Leadership
SINGAPORE SBC – Singapore Bible College
SINGAPORE TTC – Trinity Theological College
SOUTH KOREA HTS – Hapdong Theological Seminary
SOUTH KOREA * STU – Seoul Theological University
SRI LANKA CTS – Colombo Theological Seminary
SRI LANKA LBCS – Lanka Bible College and Seminary
TAIWAN CES – China Evangelical Seminary
THAILAND BBCS – Bangkok Bible College and Seminary
* Indicates Honorary Status