Go tell it on the mountain: This may have been the largest gathering of Christians ever in Bangladesh!
In the nation that is home to the third-largest Muslim-majority population in the world, where it is estimated that less than 0.5% of the population are followers of Jesus Christ, Pastor Jit wanted to do something special to share with his community in the rugged “Hill Tracts” of Bangladesh about the reality and purpose of Jesus’ nativity. So he spoke with some pastors in his district about jointly holding a festival to celebrate the good news of Jesus’ promised birth. The group of pastors were a little nervous at first. Never had such a rally focusing on Christianity been held in their area. Not only is Islam the predominant national religion, but Buddhism has a strong hold on Jit’s tribe, so Christians are doubly the minority and are often shunned or misunderstood. Terrorists in the area are also often on the attack.
In an unprecedented rally of unity, 4,000 Christians converged on the festival site on December 22, 2025. “I’ve never seen so many Christians come together, in all of Bangladesh!” veteren church planter Rajib exclaimed. Both Rajib and Jit are indigenous pastors supported by FMI.
Because of the threat of frequent terrorist activity, there is a strong military presence trying to maintain a sense of calm in the district. So the pastors first received permission from the Army Zone Commander for their rally and the army itself along with local police provided secuirty patrols. Peace prevailed during the celebration commemorating the Prince of Peace. Thousands of people from Muslim and Buddhist backgrounds attended the Christmas festival and hundreds engaged in conversations with the Christians about Jesus the Messiah. Many of the attendees commented that they had no idea that so many Christians lived in the area.
Partnerships with FMI fortify disciple-makers like Jit and Rajib as they take bold steps to declare the truth about Jesus even in hostile environments. Your prayer powerfully and joyfully propel our overseas partners to share the gospel over the hills and everywhere.
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