Today on the Evangelism Podcast I interview Pastor Thir Koirala, a Nepali pastor who is doing incredible work reaching the Asian diaspora in the United States. Pastor Koirala shares how he is training local church leaders to be “peace ambassadors” and establish peace centers in their communities. He also discusses the unique challenges facing the younger generation of Asian Americans who struggle to connect with their parents’ native language and culture.
Summary:
- Pastor Thir Koirala is from Nepal and has been working as a pastor there for over 10 years, as well as being involved in various mission ministries. Since 2019, he has been working as the Asia Regional Coordinator for the Peace and Reconciliation network of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).
- The Peace and Reconciliation network aims to train local church leaders and Christians to be “peace ambassadors” and establish local churches as “peace centers”.
- There is a large Nepali diaspora, with an estimated half a million Nepali people living in the United States alone. Many of these Nepali immigrants are not yet Christian, representing a significant opportunity for evangelism.
- Pastor Thir encourages American Christians to reach out to immigrant communities, build relationships, show them the love of Christ, and invite them to church activities
Transcript:
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:00):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King. I’m excited about telling people about Jesus today. I have a very special guest with me. DeThir Koirala from Nepal, thank you for being on the Evangelism Podcast.
Pastor Thir Koirala (00:12):
You’re you’re welcome.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:12):
And so you are from Nepal, but you are also working in the United States and have a church there. So tell me a little bit about your ministry and what you do for the Lord.
Pastor Thir Koirala (00:27):
I work as a pastor in Nepal for more than 10 years. And then I involve in the mission ministry, different mission ministry. I work with the Micah Global in Trivial Mission. How can church be light and salt in the community and serve the gospel, change and transform the life of the people? That is our goal. Then since 2019, I’ve been working as a Asia Regional coordinator on Peace and Reconciliation network. That means reconcile with guard, reconcile with people.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:57):
And so that’s under the
Pastor Thir Koirala (00:59):
WE,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:00):
The World Evangelical Alliance, which I was there last week at the conference at So Wrong
Pastor Thir Koirala (01:07):
Church
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:09):
In Seoul, Korea. It was so beautiful to see all of the pastors from around the world gather together. And the work that you do with the WEA is so valuable. And so tell me a little bit about that work and what it involves.
Pastor Thir Koirala (01:24):
Normally we promote peace and reconciliation work through the local church and Christian peace builder. We want to train people who keep local leaders to establish peace in the community. We want to see if every local church be a peace center and every local pastor, local leader, every Christian become a peace ambassador. What kind of this world we can see, today’s world is factored, broken everywhere you can see. So we need to heal this. Most of the time we focused this word, but also we need to solve. We need to focus body and mind. This world is completely going to broken war, loneliness, singleness, a lot of things are there. So how can we address them? How can we saw them? Our love through Jesus love, through our life. That is our focus. So we work with local church, we work with the denomination, we work with the National Alliance, regional Alliance, Israel. We work with theological institution with its peace and reconciliation, Bible college.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:33):
Now you also work with the Asian diaspora, which people from Asia have moved all over the
Pastor Thir Koirala (02:40):
World.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:41):
And you’re from Nepal. And you told me that there are many people in the United States from Nepal. How many people would you estimate?
Pastor Thir Koirala (02:49):
Estimated half million Nepalese people. They live in America only. So in Canada, huge number of people that are living and all over the globe. Nepali people everywhere. I travel more than 50 countries. And then everywhere I found at least one Nepal church.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:05):
And many of those nepalis don’t know Jesus.
Pastor Thir Koirala (03:08):
Many very minority people are accept Jesus because Nepal is in the dominated country. Even in Nepal it’s a more than 80%. People there follow Hinduism. So in America who lives as immigrants in America. So I think it’s about 1% only Christian are there.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:27):
Wow. So this actually represents a huge opportunity for the church.
Pastor Thir Koirala (03:31):
Exactly.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:31):
Because in Nepal there are certain restrictions on sharing the gospel. Sometimes there is persecution,
Pastor Thir Koirala (03:41):
Sometimes
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:41):
There are difficulties in telling people about Jesus. But with the diaspora, God has brought these Nepali people from Nepal right. To America. And they might be your neighbor.
Pastor Thir Koirala (03:54):
They
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:55):
Might be living next door to you. I know there are a few Nepali people in Tulsa where I live. And this represents an opportunity for the church to show love to these people. Exactly. And to introduce them
Pastor Thir Koirala (04:08):
To Jesus. Exactly. That’s a great opportunity. So mission field is there in North America and Europe, many, many immigrants are there. So we need to build a relationship and show love of Jesus through our action and we can share gospel and good news and save life.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:29):
Amen. So what message would you give to Christians in America who maybe are at the grocery store and they meet someone from Nepal? What would you say to them? What encouragement would you give them?
Pastor Thir Koirala (04:41):
Actually, yeah. I’m encouraging or I’m messaging to most of the American church. I would like to thank them because they send the missionaries to our country, Asia, Africa, and other countries. That’s why we are here. But now Mission field is in their home country. Huge, huge number of immigrants are there. So just go there, meet them, build relationship, love them. And so the love of Christ, that is a great opportunity. And if you see any immigrants in a grocery store or they are, most of them, they are culturally shocked or they’re lonely or something, they’re seeking something, you can show
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:35):
Your love. So invite them over to your house for dinner, maybe build a relationship with them, have a coffee together. Oh, that’s invite them to some type of activity at your church.
Pastor Thir Koirala (05:45):
Yeah. I found that there’s a gap between American and immigrants. Most of both side immigrants also. They feel something like a culturally or socially they fill gap there. And American also, they field. So we need to fill the gap. We need to be breezed between. I know many American sisters and I visited huge Mega Koreans are there and some streets and they’re doing amazing, but still need to connect each other, love each other, learn each other. Like a thousand members in Ohio, one of the man mans there. They have thousands of members like Russians are there, Chinese church are there. So how can I learn each other? And big challenge today, young generation who are growing in America, they have a big challenge. That’s a language. Their parents came from other country like in Nepal or India. Anyway, they speak their own language. They want their children to speak their language, but they grow. They go to American school. They already,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:00):
Maybe they know some of their understand their Nepali language, but they speak English. And then third generation, only English,
Pastor Thir Koirala (07:08):
They don’t feel comfortable. And there are 200 plus Nepal church in America. But young generation, they go to church, but they don’t understand what is pastoral preaching, what is singing. Some they know the song,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:22):
But
Pastor Thir Koirala (07:23):
Most of the preaching, they don’t understand When they grow, they are not entrusted to go. So how can we connect with American church and build them new generation in English language.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:33):
Wonderful. Well thank you so much for being on the Evangelism podcast.
Pastor Thir Koirala (07:38):
Thank
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:38):
You so much. And I’d really encourage you as you’re listening to this, to reach out to diaspora, to the people that are not in their home country, that have gone to another country. And that represents a great opportunity for the church to minister to them, to reach them, and to bring them ultimately to faith in Christ.
Pastor Thir Koirala (08:01):
Amen. So
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:02):
Thank you. God bless
Pastor Thir Koirala (08:03):
You. Thank you. Thank you Daniel.
