Regions and Countries Where ABWE Serves
Regions
Africa
ABWE missionaries continue to find great opportunities for ministry throughout the “Dark Continent” of Africa. Early missionaries such as David Livingstone carried the Gospel message to groups of people throughout the various regions. Today, the opportunity to build and expand on those early missionary endeavors is producing a great deal of spiritual fruit. Churches are being planted with the vision for sending out missionaries to more distant regions. Yet, there are still large areas of resistant people groups to the Gospel.
Asia and the Pacific
Asia represents both the birthplace of ABWE in 1927 and a region for growth through expansion of our teams alongside Asian partners on some of the newest and neediest fields. We trust the Lord for significant advance of the gospel in the years to come.
Europe
ABWE’s ministry in Europe is divided into two regions: Western Europe and Central & Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean (CEEMed). Each region faces a unique set of worldviews, ranging from Post-Christian to ingrained denominations to Islam. ABWE teams across Europe and the former Soviet Union are working alongside national partners to carry the gospel to their own countries and beyond.
North America
Although church planting in North America has its challenges, we are involved in many ministries throughout the United States and Canada. Ministries such as team, ethnic, and solo church planting, college campus outreaches, multi-cultural city work, discipleship, and much more! Our mission is to plant and strengthen growing, discipling, reproducing Baptist churches among all segments of our culturally diverse society.
South America
ABWE’s work in South America began in 1939. From that small beginning in the Amazon region, ABWE has expanded its ministry to seven countries across two administrative regions; Brazil and Spanish-speaking South America. A variety of ministry opportunities are offered throughout the region which contribute to ABWE's vision for world missions and performed in a variety of settings from rural and tribal to the large urban centers. Additional information is available via the specific country links.
The Caribbean, Central America and Mexico (CCAM)
ABWE missionaries have studied Spanish in the Central American countries for years in preparation for service in South America. However, the affection of our missionaries for these loving people finally drew veteran missionaries to return to these colorful countries to serve with their families. Recently, ABWE has seen an influx of young missionary families and singles coming into the region to help build on the foundation that has already been laid by those who have gone before.
Countries
Argentina
This is the country that most needs missionaries for church ministries. Buenos Aires has a population of 16 million and with only one couple and one single serving there, the need is great. Nationally-led church ministries can be found and partnerships can be established to minister to the sprawling metropolitan population. Argentina’s 40% Italian population and Argentine beef provide an outstanding gourmet experience. The Carapachay church, ABWE’s oldest church plant, provides Bible institute level training and a national mission board that promises a bright future for church planting/national mission movement opportunities.
Australia
The vision of ABWE missionaries is to develop self-propagating churches that will foster an Australian church multiplying movement. A vibrant network of church plants is advancing God's kingdom through personal evangelism, discipleship, evangelism in the public schools, and leadership training.
Benin
Benin is a new field for ABWE, and we are looking for members who have a heart for partnering with national churches, training leaders, and working with the youth and the deaf.
Brazil
ABWE works in nine areas of this vast country.
Cambodia
ABWE missionaries entered Cambodia in 1997 and are still engaged in full-time language study. Through ministries to the market children and their families, distributing Bibles and other Christian literature, and teaching English as a second language, several congregations or group Bible studies have been formed.
Cameroon
Since 2005, Fulbe refugees have been driven across the border of Central African Republic (CAR) into Cameroon. Tchadian rebels (jagina’en) have been raiding villages, stealing cattle, and terrorizing the border region between CAR and Cameroon. Children have been kidnapped from Fulbe families and held for large ransoms, because it is assumed that the Fulbe are wealthy because of their cattle. The need in Cameroon is great!
Canada
Missionaries are needed in all ten provinces to plant churches among the French- and English-speaking people, as well as among Chinese, Hispanics, and other growing ethnic groups.
Chile
The capital city of Santiago has been the center of ABWE ministries for years. Santiago has a European lifestyle and many large shopping malls can be found in the city. Many nationally pastored churches exist along with a thriving seminary program with three annex ministries. The ABWE Team however is extending ministries to Northern Chile where a team of missionaries serves in the city of Iquique. The team will extend to the south with a ministry to the Mapuche Indians. Adelphos Chile, a national mission board established in 1993 with 140+ missionaries serving in nine countries of the world, contributes to an ongoing national mission’s movement for the glory of God.
Colombia
The country most known for negative news and experiences is the country that most experiences rich spiritual blessings in a growing church planting movement context. ABWE missionaries and national pastors function together to minister to Bogota’s growing population of 10 million + people. Located at 8,500+ feet, Bogota offers an ideal spring-like climate year round. Other areas are being reached by national/missionary partnerships including cities like Medellin. A national mission board also provides vision to expand to other parts of Colombia and the world.
Costa Rica
An experienced ABWE missionary couple has recently begun church planting work in San Jose, with other missionaries to join them soon.
Croatia
ABWE's work in Croatia began in the late 90's through partnership with a Croatian pastor. One couple has been serving with ABWE since 2001 in youth ministry and evangelistic outreach, as well as a variety of other ministries within the church and surrounding area. Their goal is to initiate church planting efforts across the country.
Czech Republic
ABWE Czech is primarily working to identify and partner with nationals to establish new church plants and house groups. We are initially targeting southern Czech, the least targeted region, and the least evangelized. Our work involves working with the only Baptist church in southern Czech to develop it into a training facility for future church leaders as well as doing evangelism and discipleship in the local church, on university campuses, and in new target cities. We are also involved with seminary level training, sports ministry, and TEFL ministry.
Ecuador
This is one of ABWE’s newest opportunities. A small team of missionaries is establishing the hub of church planting activities in Quito where along with local seminary students, a multiple church planting/leadership training program is being developed. Expansion to other parts of Ecuador is also anticipated. Cooperation with a national partner in Guayaquil will allow for coastal growth in the church planting ministries.
England
ABWE missionaries are mainly working in the southwest counties of England, with the city of Bristol as their base. They use a variety of evangelistic strategies, all designed to establish Bible-believing Baptist churches and to rebuild those churches currently in a state of decline.
France
ABWE presently works in Montpellier, known for its medical school and universities, near the sunny Mediterranean Sea. With practically limitless possibilities, France needs single men and women as well as missionary couples to build a strong urban base of local churches. Dedicated laborers are encouraged to join in the ministry to children, youth, and university students. Leaders are needed to assist in music and Christian education opportunities.
Germany
ABWE's efforts are concentrated in Kusel which is located on the western side of Germany near France and Luxembourg. ABWE's goal in Germany is to establish churches, which will become fully operated by German believers as they are equipped through evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training.
Ghana
The Republic of Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, is located in western Africa on the Atlantic Ocean between Togo and Ivory Coast. Tropical conditions prevail throughout Ghana, which is roughly the size of Oregon. Its people are comprised of 100 ethnic groups with three major language divisions and the majority of Ghana's population is concentrated along the coast, particularly around the capitol, Accra.
Hong Kong
The first two churches planted by ABWE missionaries in Hong Kong were Evangel Baptist and Calvary Baptist churches. Thirty-one churches now comprise The Fellowship of ABWE Churches, formed to aid in planning church growth in Hong Kong and outreach into China.
Hungary
ABWE Hungary exists to partner with Hungarians to facilitate a movement of healthy reproducing churches.
Ireland
ABWE’s ministry in Ireland is based on a partnership with a national group of Irish Baptist Churches.
Italy
ABWE's team ministry is located on the western outskirts of the industrialized city of Turin (Torino). They are involved in Bible studies, teaching theology, teaching English, coaching sports teams, participating in local groups and clubs, and distributing literature, all with the goal of establishing local, independent Baptist churches. As a result of these concerted outreach efforts, a church plant in the suburb of Avigliana is experiencing steady growth, and a new work is in progress in Giaveno. The ABWE team has also started an international church in the city of Torino.
Jamaica
ABWE personnel are needed to help train national pastors, to strengthen the existing evangelical congregations who are struggling for survival, and to help Jamaican pastors plant local Baptist churches.
Japan
ABWE is looking for personnel who will persevere in learning the challenging Japanese language, and will reach out to these people who so desperately need to hear of God's love and forgiveness. It is difficult for the Japanese to break with traditions of their ancestors in a society that emphasizes conformity.
Kenya
ABWE's work is centered in the capital city of Nairobi, a cosmopolitan city of three million people that is growing daily. The current ministry is located in an upper middle class area, to be used as a mother church for expansion into other areas of the city, the countryside, and the continent.
Liberia
Liberia shares common needs with other ABWE fields in West Africa. Our regional focus on developing Muslim ministries and AIDS/HIV ministries across West Africa is highly pertinent to Liberia. We are committed to reaching both the tribal groups in the interior and the Muslims in the north.
Mexico
ABWE is planting growing Baptist churches in Mexico City. Our missionaries are successfully overcoming the challenges of severe government restrictions and the high cost of land to plant new churches. Personnel needs include church planters, musicians, children's and youth workers, and teachers to train national pastors.
Mongolia
Since Mongolia's government may not welcome missionaries, ABWE personnel seek to provide services that will commend them to the government and community. Often it is professional skills and services that provide people opportunities for spiritual ministry.
Nicaragua
ABWE personnel plan to establish Baptist churches, train national leaders through theological education by extension, and start works among the youth of Nicaragua, where almost half of the population is under the age of fifteen.
Norway
The first ABWE church planting team arrived in Norway during the summer of 1981. The team is concentrated in the large housing developments and apartment complexes in the greater Oslo metropolitan area, planning for extension into the greater Bergen and Trondheim metropolitan areas. The greatest challenges in Norway today are secularism, materialism, religious indifference, relativism and nominal church membership. These create a difficult but challenging field of service.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, a fairly youthful member of the world community of nations, occupies the Eastern half of the Island of New Guinea. The world's second-largest island stretches like a 1500-mile-long bird across the tropical Pacific. Its mountains and valleys, jungles, and South Sea shores are a tourist's and anthropologist's dream in today's progressive world.
Paraguay
Ministry in Paraguay is both metropolitan in the capital city of Asuncion where cobblestone streets still dominate, and interior where harp and guitar music abounds in the many towns found along highways and dirt roads. Paraguayan people are friendly and open to the message of the gospel. Church planting methods vary depending upon the location. Guarani and Spanish are the languages of the people. To reach the heart of the Paraguayan however, Guarani is the preferred language.
Peru
Four cities in Peru serve as the centers for outreach to Peru’s vast population areas. (1)The Amazon River basin presents a jungle style of ministry including launch ministries to river villages and an urban style of ministry in Iquitos where the first missionaries arrived in 1939. Both in the city and along the river, opportunities exist to partner with and train nationals. (2) The coastal city of Chiclayo presents the challenge from upper class ministry and the use of an airplane to reach the mountainous areas. (3) The capital city of Lima has a variety of ministry opportunities described on their web page. (4) Arequipa provides a quaint historical setting for ministry with national partners.
Philippines
ABWE was born in Iloilo, the "Queen City of the South," on the island of Panay. ABWE-Philippines has one unified field council spanning the nation with committees relating to on-going strategic ministries throughout the archipelago. These missionaries serve on the islands of Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Leyte, and Mindanao.
Poland
In Poland, we are continuing to develop relationships with pastors from around the country—encouraging them and striving to develop ways to help disciple believers, at the same time building bridges for evangelism through English classes and sporting events.
Portugal
Building on the success of the past 20 years, the Portugal team has developed a new church planting strategy, called the "Portugal 4x4 Plan." The goal is to enlarge the base of first generation churches to 16 by the year 2016. These 16 churches will become the foundation for a national church planting movement in Portugal.
Romania
Romania is a key country in the region of Central and Eastern Europe for the expansion of church planting and missions. With this in mind, the team at ABWE is committed to mobilizing church planting missions movements in partnership with the Romanian church. The realization of God's glory is through evangelizing the nations, training godly leaders, planting and nurturing local churches, and equipping and facilitating the sending of Romanian missionaries.
Slovakia
ABWE Team Slovakia attempts to glorify God by our personal conformity to Christ, by sharing the Gospel with the unsaved, by discipling those who receive Christ, by developing leaders, and by establishing reproducing Baptist churches. Three priorities demonstrate our commitment to national partnerships: speaking Slovak, local church involvement, and dependence on Slovak leadership.
South Africa
With the dramatic re-emergence of South Africa into the world community, cities such as Cape Town and Durban are experiencing population shifts, economic resurgence, and newly-opened doors for church planting.
Spain
The present ABWE team centers its efforts in Madrid, Coslada (just outside of Madrid), and Toledo. In each location the Lord has gathered a small nucleus of believers in the process of becoming an independent local church. Plans call for expansion into outlying communities. In Madrid several ABWE missionaries minister at the academy for missionary children. Innovative approaches, such as sports evangelism and weekday classes in crafts, English and music are being blessed of God to broaden the number of contacts for the gospel.
St. Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean.
Thailand
ABWE missionaries first entered Thailand in partnership with Filipino missionaries. Together they work to establish independent local churches under national leadership.
The Gambia
Urgent Needs: Three General or Family Practice Doctors. Doctors are needed to serve in The Gambia with family practice, pediatrician or other non-surgical specialties.
Togo
The initiative and industry of the four million people is an asset to the ABWE goal of church planting. ABWE missionaries have found the Togolese people very responsive to the gospel, therefore, they are eager and zealous to open new ministries on their own. Church planters are needed to execute the plan to multiply churches in the urban centers.
Trinidad and Tobago
ABWE missionaries will assist in training national leaders in Trinidad & Tobago. Additional personnel are needed to help local pastors broaden their knowledge base and reach their country for Christ.
Ukraine
ABWE’s work in Ukraine is to facilitate a church planting movement throughout Ukraine that is Ukrainian in character and leadership, culminating in a missions movement. We are accomplishing this through leadership training, medical evangelism and partnering with nationals in planting new churches.
USA
ABWE-USA focuses on the establishment of reproducing Baptist churches that are centers for evangelism and world missions.