User:Romeobalam/Aziz Anwar

Rev. Aziz Anwar

Rev. Aziz Anwar, was born in a muddy house of a village named "Burj" near Kasoor city in Pakistani Punjab, on December 2nd, 1950. His parents (Rev. Faqir Masiah and Mrs Lajwanti Barkat) were converted from Hindu school of thought, when both of them were in school. They excepted Jesus as their personal savior and Lord by the services of a renowned Presbyterian missionary named Dr. Rev. Frank B. Lawyallon. He made arrangements for their marriage and after there marriage they went to Gujranwala Theological Seminary for theological studies and training of Pastoral duties and church minister-ship. Finally they were appointed in a village to perform their sacred and pastoral duties through there talk and walk simultaneously. This was the place where Rev. Aziz Anwar was born. On the 3rd day after of his birth, Rev. Faqir Masiah took baby Anwar to the church and raised him to the lord Jesus Christ and prayed “Lord Jesus I am thankful to you for this gift of baby boy I promise to you O Lord! That he shall be your servant till his last breathe, keep him in your mighty hands and use him for his glory on this earth”.

But Anwar had a mind of his own until his college life, he did not believe in the lord Jesus Christ and had no experience of any kind of eternal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and because of this ignorance he was a hard core Marxist. he used to adore the person and teachings of Karl Marx. Anwar did not realize at that time that the Lord Almighty had his own plan for me. It was on March 10th 1973 that the Lord talked to him through Jeremiah 33:3. This verse spoke to me so powerfully through the Holy Spirit that it transformed his entire personality. he believe this was because of the persistent prayers of his parents, who had dedicated him for the service of the Lord at the time of his birth. Because of illumination of his heart, mind and school of thought he gave up my Marxist inclinations immediately and kneeled down to the Lord Jesus and pledged to serve the Lord.

Right after this Aziz Anwar joined the Gujranwala Theological Seminary on April 04, 1973 and obtained my L.Th. on March 22, 1976. He started my ministerial service on as Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Dharampura, Lahore. He was sent there with the challenge of building a church in an area where there was no church building in an organized parish and the Christians there were widespread and scattered. Initially he had to face a lot of difficulties, as the Christians of the area did not accept him as he was a young and unmarried pastor who had just finished school. In spite of all these odds the Lord gave him strength and the courage to persist and by his grace, that area had its own Church building in 1980 and a formal Parish Committee was instituted. In the meanwhile, he had gotten married in 1979 to Parveen Shaheen, a beautiful young maiden from Sahiwal city who had a very sound Christian upbringing.

Since then the Lord has blessed the couple with three children Romeo Aziz (April 2nd 1982), Romel Aziz (July 20th 1984), and Rachel Aziz (November 16th 1990). The couple have dedicated Romeo for the service of the Lord and preparing him to fulfill the great commission.

In 1984 Rev. Aziz Anwar was elected the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan position, he held the position till 1989. In that position the Lord gave him a vision for the uplift of the Christian Community in Pakistan and with His grace he was able to start so many primary schools for the Christian Children in Pakistan. This project was undertaken and completed with the help of education board of Presbyterian church of USA.

In 1994 Rev. Aziz Anwar and his wife Parveen Shaheen under the guidance of Holy Spirit joined Campus Crusade of Pakistan as trainees went on till June 30, 1995 and they graduated as Great Commission Training Center(GCTC) Staff and on very next day they were appointed to serve Lord in Karachi. With Campus Crusade the couple worked on till December 1999. In Campus Crusade he served simultaneously as the National Coverage Coordinator and National Community Director.

PROJECT MEET THE NEED

At Campus Crusade, the Lord used him in many different ways one of which was through MEET THE NEED (MTN) PROJECT in September 1998 Lord gave him a vision, that gospel should be evangelized in Northern areas of Pakistan which are difficult to access and virtually have no Christians and people there live under the Shariah (Muslim Law) and were thought to be unapproachable to the gospel. He took on this task and went on to survey the whole area to know the land and the people and how they could be approached. On return he constituted 6 teams of 6 people each (all university students) and trained them to the best of the knowledge about the area, people and how to evangelize with such situation.

He also got made three thousand video copies and 6000 audio copies of the film Jesus along with 4000 Gospel track to be distributed among the people MEET THE NEED (MTN) PROJECT was funded by the Christians in Pakistan and abroad.

In the summer 1999 Project (MTN) was put under practice, when the MTN team in the lead of Rev. Aziz Anwar actually went to the northern areas, where they were really surprised by the response, they receive. It was totally different to expectations; because they were received with open hearts and hands. They were able to distribute all the material that they had taken along with. The success of the project can be gauge from the fact that the local news paper reported “The Christian missionaries have raided the place and they are converting the local population to Christianity.” The fundamentalists among them were enraged at this, and wanted to kill them. On the pre-text of providing them the security the police arrested and put them into the jail for twelve days. This opened another door for them and they were able to preach the gospel to the in-mates at prison, and some of the high ranking officials of the government. HIS PERSONAL VISION & STATEMENT OF FAITH IN HIS OWN WORDS

At present the population of Pakistan is more than 170 million, out of which there are about 10 million Christians. My vision is that these 10 million Christians should become the “Salt” and “Light” in Pakistan. They should become so zealous that they should take the gospel to the one sixty million non Christians in the country. On the face of it, this seems an impossible task as we live among very string and staunch Muslims. Yet, I believe that this can be achieved with the help of Our Lord Almighty, as He is the God of impossible. To achieve this vision, I purpose the following strategies.

To develop Faith Warriors, who would be on fire for the lord and whose only task would be to spread the Gospel. They will work on the principle, of discipleship and would grow by inducting more and more people into their folds.

We will make Prayer Warriors out of those who are not able to do the above. We should have nation wide network of people who would lift the faith warriors in prayer all day long 24/7. Thus supporting them in their duties.

We should utilize all the available Media of the present times to spread the gospel, which includes print and electronic media inclusive of the internet.

Educational (Religious and secular) and Economic Development of Christians in Pakistan.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

I believe in the one, the true and supreme God almighty, manifested in father, Son and The Holy Spirit, and is the creator and the sustainer of the this universe, He is the one who choose me to follow Him, out of His abounding Grace and it is through his mercy that I can call hi Father.

I also believe in Jesus Christ, The only begotten Son Of God, Who left his heavenly Throne, became like me and willingly bore my sins on the cross for my redemption and the redemption of the sins of the world. I also believe that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I also believe in the Holy Spirit who is the part of the holy trinity that lives in and guides the lives of the believers.

I also believe the church if the God is His only True representation of God in this world, and that baptism is the only true and legitimate entry into the fold of believers.

CREDENTIALS

Master of Divinity 2001 The Mission to Heaven Bible College Karachi – Pakistan. Major Courses Theology, New Testament, with specialization in Homiletic

Great Commission Training Center (GCTC) 1995 Campus Crusade for Christ Karachi – Pakistan. Major Courses Discipleship, People Management, Project Management, Human Networking and Movement Building

New Life Training Center 1993 Campus Crusade for Christ Karachi – Pakistan. Major Courses Discipleship

Bachelor of Arts 1992 University of Punjab Lahore – Pakistan. Major Courses Urdu Literature, English, Punjabi and Political Science.

Licentiate in Theology (L.Th.) 1976 Gujranwala Theological Seminary Gujranwala – Pakistan. Major Courses Theology, New Testament, with specialization in Homiletics

Short Courses attended

Partnership, Networking and Movement building. February 1999 Interdev UK

Methodology of Christian Education, June 1998 Manila Philippine

Doctrine of God (According Christians and Muslims) October 1988 Cairo, Egypt

Biblical Theology, June 1986 Princeton University New Jersey USA

CONFERENCE ATTENDED

International Conference for Church Growth June 1999 Manila, Philippine

Conference for Ministry Development April 1999 Bangkok, Thailand

Training Programme Organized by INTERDEV UK Partnership: Reaching the Un-Reached By Working Together Bangkok Thailand

International Community Conference June 1996 Pataya Hong Kong

150th Missionary Work Anniversary of Presbyterian Church of USA June 1987 Mississippi USA

Study Tour October 1987 (organized by Baptist Church USA) Cairo Egypt

Church Development Conference November 1987 Dhaka Bangladesh

Discipleship and Evangelism Conference (organized by Billy Graham association) 1986 Amsterdam Netherlands

Reached to unreached by (organized by Billy Graham association) 2000

International Conference Church Development 1996 Macao

International Conference Ministry Building 1996 Bangkok Thailand

International Conference Community building and Church Growth June 1985 Seole Korea (organized by Christians Conference of Asia (CCA))

MINISTERIAL EXPERIENCE

Member Executive Board Child Evangelism International Pakistan July 2010

Chairman Missionary and Evangelical Board 2009 Church Missionary Trust Association Pakistan

Editor (Urdu Section) October 1993 – to date Balsan (Christian Periodical)

Lecturer (Theology) March 2004 – 2007 Samuel Bible School Karachi Pakistan

Principal April 2003 – to date Mission to Heaven Bible College Karachi

National Coordinator for Ministry of Coverage July 1997 – December 1999 Pakistan Campus Crusade for Christ

National Coordinator for Ministry of Community July 1997 – December 1999 Pakistan Campus Crusade for Christ

Member Governing Council September 1997 – December 1999 Pakistan Campus Crusade for Christ

Trainer July 1996 – December 1999 Great Commission Training Center

Moderator 1984 – 1987 Lahore Church Council Lahore American Presbyterian Church (A.P. Mission)

Academic Dean January 2009 – to date Pass It On Bible Institute Karachi Pakistan

Chairman Evangelical Board. 1984 – 1986 National Council of Christian Churches in Pakistan (NCCP)

Chairman Youth Committee 1983 – 1985 NCCP

Vice-Chairman. 1983 – 1985 United Presbyterian Education Board

Member of Executive Board NCCP 1984 – 1988