Delighting in the Trinity
Indigenous publishing opens up minds in Thailand
There has been an unprecedented interest in the gospel in Thailand. More than 1,000 new churches have been planted since the year 2000.
According to research published in 2010,* Christian literature played a key part: 60% of new believers identified printed materials as the main medium that influenced their conversion.
Yet the Thai remain one of the least evangelized people groups on earth. Less than 1% of the 64-million population count themselves as Christian, and there is strong resistance to a gospel of grace in many quarters.
Langham Preaching has a growing training programme in Thailand. And now Langham Literature is partnering with a local publisher, Kanok Bannasan, to provide some key resources.
Kanok Bannasan was founded by OMF missionaries who believed that ‘Good books open up people’s minds.’ Today it is an indigenous, independent, non-profit Christian publisher. They are well regarded by all the main denominations and Christian organizations and work closely with them. Their purpose is to strengthen Thai churches through literature. General manager Tasanee Yanasiddh explains their vision:
Tasanee Yanasiddh, General Manager of Kanok Bannasan
Our objective is to publish affordable, relevant, culturally appropriate, quality Christian literature for all ages, and evangelistic literature to help Christians share the gospel and establish churches.
A current project shows how they put that vision into practice.
Many Thai Christians come from a Buddhist background. They find the doctrine of the Trinity not only difficult to understand but also unnecessary. Perhaps they feel they can get by, and still grow in their faith, without it. But the result is a distorted understanding of who God is, what he has done and how he engages with us.
Kanok Bannasan wanted to address this. So they chose to publish a Thai translation of Tim Chester’s book Delighting in the Trinity.
Delighting in the Trinity Thai Book Cover
Tasanee says, ‘It gives a down-to-earth, readable explanation of the Trinity. In addition to exploring the biblical foundations and historical insights of the doctrine of a triune God, the book examines the very practical implications of this doctrine for a believer’s everyday life.’
Pray that this book, due to be released shortly, will
- open up many minds to understand the wonder and greatness of our triune God;
- help Thai preachers, in particular, to understand the truth and how to explain it to their congregations.
From Colin Macpherson, the Director of Publisher Development for Langham Literature
*Research about Christianity in Thailand by Marten Visser, first published in Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 2010.
