A Swiss soldier by the name of J. R. Gschwend fell into the hands of the German forces during World War I and was accused of espionage, and sentenced to death.
In his death-cell he experienced an extraordinary spiritual awakening, and found God in a remarkable way. When the German forces released him without any explanation, he dedicated his life to the service of God. He qualified as a minister of religion, and left by ship for Africa in 1921, where he eventually established this Gospel Literature Mission in 1935. This is the foreword to the little booklet published by the All Nations Gospel Publishers, Pretoria, South Africa.
It was my privilege to become acquainted with the family while my father was pastoring a church in Bethlehem, in the Free State, South Africa during the 1940s. The Gscwends lived up against a high hill overlooking Bethlehem. My parents visited them regularly and I played with the youngest son, Ronald. Manasseh, the eldest brother was then a teenager and out of my league as a playmate. It was there that I first saw their publications that are still today been used effectively to proclaim the gospel.
Manasseh R Gschwend, now at the age of 85, as chairman, is still regularly going to the office where his son Eugene, age 60, runs the business as Secretary. Both are qualified pastors. Manassehs father wrote a booklet in 1928, called The Heart of Man with graphic illustrations of the heart in various stages of sinfulness and righteousness. This booklet, amongst many other publications has brought many a person to the grace of God and salvation.
The need in the world is clearly seen by this mission where the gospel is published and distributed with passion and commitment. The need out there is that over six thousand isolated communities in third-world countries have not yet been penetrated with the gospel, involving more than one and a half billion people, some in less accessible rural areas. It has been their objective since 1935 to translate, print and distribute the gospel amongst these people.
To attain their goals The All Nations Gospel Publishers complete some of their literature into 15 to 20 new translations every year. It takes two to seven years to complete each translation. They print 12 million copies per year at their own ultra modern mission press. Three hundred kilometres of paper is printed every month. Every day almost 160 individually sorted and packed parcels of literature, in 463 tribal languages, are mailed out free of charge to 114 third-world countries.
The work is mind-boggling and their faith is monumental. All of this and much more is financed since 1935 by donations only. They do not have any reserve funds available. The miracle all along is that though it is not their policy to solicit donations or to make their needs known to the public, somehow, every month, God lays their needs on the hearts of people and God honours their faith in his divine providence.
The production and vision is but part of the work. The testimonies of people saved and delivered from bondage, animism, voodooism, ancestral worship and many other heathen practices would fill volumes. I have the privilege of reading some of the testimonies published and corroborated with photographs every month.
Following is but one testimony that is typical from among hundreds, regularly being received, which was published in the latest bulletin from this mission.
Mr. Kap Thang from Yangon in Myanmar reported that he still remembers clearly how a father tied his youngest son to a pillar, and then cut the sons arm to collect a whole bottle of blood to sacrifice to their village god of the great rock. A calamity had befallen the family and that was the only way they could appease the god of the village rock.
The young son was not able to cope with such a sudden loss of so much blood and died as a result.
Many of the isolated Ngawn villages in the isolated Chin mountains have not heard the Christian message. They still follow the traditional beliefs of Buddhism or Animism, worshipping many gods such as the one mentioned or the god of the great tree of the village, and so on.
Mr. Kap Thang, who was the translator of the gospel literature into the mother-tongue of these Ngawn people grew up in one of those villages. His parents moved to one of the larger towns where they heard the message and at the age of 19 he turned to Christ as his personal Saviour. He is now very active in trying to evangelize those more isolated villages.
He says. Our traditions are so strong, that it is very seldom that an individual in the villages can turn to Jesus Christ. Since we have started to explain the Gospel through your literature to them, which is now printed in their own Ngawn language, we are succeeding more often to lead complete family units (to Christ) with the help of the illustrations and messages in this literature. (This almost sounds like Pauls report on the conversion of Lidia and her household.Acts 16:15)
A world map would be dotted in red over Africa, India, the Far East, and even Europe, and some in South America of outlying places already reached with literature in home-languages.
As the numerous letters arrive in the offices of the Mission, they serve as stimulus to continue with the work that has been going on for almost eight decades and over three generations. Jesus command to his disciples was to make disciples of all nations. How comforting to all Christians to see how this is being done even though quietly in the background.
It is certainly worth our while to pray for such a work and whenever we are able to, to support them to continue this outreach.
All Nations Gospel Publishers
P O Box 2191, Pretoria
0001
Tel: (012) 327-4441/2/3
Fax: (012) 327-2578