A Partnership for the Unreached: Nampa Churches Renew Commitment to Southeast Asia

Dr. Bill Kwon, Southeast Asia Field Strategy Coordinator, and Judy Bannet, NMI President of Nampa First Church of the Nazarene, formalize the 2026–2030 partnership agreement.

A moment of intercession: The Nampa congregations lay hands on Dr. Bill Kwon, committing the next five years of ministry and partnership in Southeast Asia to the Lord.

 

A Partnership for the Unreached: Nampa Churches Renew Commitment to Southeast Asia

NAMPA, Idaho — A foundational partnership is entering a new chapter as two Idaho congregations reaffirm their commitment to one of the most rapidly growing mission fields in the Church of the Nazarene.

Nampa First Church of the Nazarene and Nampa College Church of the Nazarene have officially signed a new five-year covenant (2026–2030) with the Southeast Asia Field. The agreement follows a half-decade of "miracle growth" that saw the church expand despite a global pandemic and severe regional instability.

Dr. Bill Kwon, Southeast Asia Field Strategy Coordinator, personally shared the fruit of this five-year partnership during recent Faith Promise services. He spoke at Nampa First on February 28 and March 1, and at Nampa College Church on March 8, bringing stories of transformation directly to the people whose prayers and giving made them possible.

Explosive Growth in Numbers

Between 2020 and 2025, the Southeast Asia Field witnessed a statistical transformation that defied the challenges of the era:

• Field Membership: Surged from 9,485 to 16,574 (a 74% increase).
• Churches: Expanded from 187 to 329 congregations (a 79% increase).
• Leadership: Credentialed pastors rose from 233 to 322 leaders.
• Multiplication: Mission-type churches—flexible, grassroots starts—skyrocketed from 23 to 212.

"The growth reflects more than just numbers," Dr. Kwon told the Nampa congregations. "It reflects a move of the Spirit through discipleship and a refusal to let crisis stop the Great Commission."

The Engine of Growth: The Lydia EDC Model

The "secret" to this expansion is a Spirit-led approach called the Lydia EDC (Evangelism, Discipleship, and Church Planting) Strategy. Developed by Dr. Kwon, the strategy is built on the "Lydia Principle": the belief that God chooses ordinary people, right where they are, to become catalysts of extraordinary change.

The strategy follows a practical five-step pathway:

1. Listen to the Holy Spirit: All work begins by seeking God’s direction in prayer to find where the harvest is ready.
2. Go and Share the Gospel: Leaders step out in faith to share the good news simply and boldly in homes, workplaces, or new villages.
3. Find Lydia, the "Person of Peace": Leaders look for a person whom God has already prepared—someone who is spiritually hungry and ready to welcome the message into their oikos (household).
4. Disciple Lydia and Form a Community: New believers are immediately discipled through intentional relationships, forming a new fellowship.
5. Multiply Communities and Lydias: These new disciples are trained to repeat the process, leading to rapid multiplication across families and nations.

Faith Amidst Displacement

The narrative of the last five years is inseparable from the crisis in Myanmar. Political unrest and conflict displaced millions, scattering Nazarene families across borders. However, what appeared to be a setback became a catalyst for church planting.

In Thailand, Myanmar migrant workers began forming home fellowships. These "diaspora churches" have since become a cornerstone of the field’s strategy. One such leader is Rev. Khunjar. Originally a translator for English classes in Bangkok, she found her calling through intentional Nazarene discipleship. Today, she is an ordained elder pastoring a vibrant Myanmar congregation and overseeing the planting of new churches among migrant communities.

The CAA10 Breakthrough

Perhaps the most significant milestone is the emergence of the church in Creative Access Area 10 (CAA10). In 2020, the Nazarene presence in this region was virtually non-existent. By 2025, using the Lydia strategy to meet quietly in homes and online, membership reached 4,206 believers.

The strategy's success in these hidden places relies on the oikos principle—faith naturally spreading through existing networks of family, friends, and neighbors where trust is already established.

A Vision for 2030

The renewed covenant is a roadmap for the future. Together, the partners are working toward bold goals for 2030:

Goal Category	2030 Target
Total Membership	30,000
Total Churches	700 (including 300 in pioneer areas)
Credentialed Pastors	700
Districts	15 (including new districts from pioneer areas)

To support this expansion, the field utilizes the Nazarene Course of Study, a church-based training program that equips "Lydias" right where they serve. This practical, pastor-led system ensures that every new community has a trained leader ready to multiply—defining a "church" not as a building, but as any cluster of believers meeting regularly for worship.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Mutual Mission

As the new five-year covenant begins, the partnership serves as a powerful reminder that the global church is at its strongest when it moves together. While the distance between Nampa and Southeast Asia spans thousands of miles, the shared mission to find the next "Lydia" has created a spiritual bridge that transcends borders.

For the believers in Southeast Asia, the commitment from Nampa provides the vital stability needed to pioneer new ground; for the Nampa congregations, the stories shared during the Faith Promise services offer a front-row seat to a modern-day book of Acts. As they look toward 2030, both partners move forward with the conviction that the greatest stories of multiplication are yet to be told.