Bookstores are a vital part of the Great Commission in Asia (1)

Introduction

Bookstores are going out of style in many developed countries as more and more reading material is available on the internet and more and more online purchases are made on the internet. Only a few major bookstore chains continue to survive in this new environment.

Christian bookstores are fast disappearing in developed countries. The few remaining ones are those that are operated as part of a church’s ministry – often basically to provide reading materials for its own members. Therefore, many Christians regard Christian bookstores as a ministry that belongs to the past rather than to the future.

This is probably true in developed countries but the opposite is true in developing countries, especially in restricted-access nations (RAN’s) where the general population has little exposure to the Truth. In fact, I believe that Christian bookstores are a vital part of Great Commission in most of these anti-Christian countries.

While many countries are still anti-Christian, very few countries are anti-learning or anti-education. Therefore, while it may not be possible to have an openly Christian bookstore, it is still possible in almost any country to open a bookstore. In other words, the purpose of opening a bookstore is to have a platform or channel where many creative things can be done to reach out to people.

In such countries, we must not view the bookshop as a place that sells books but as a place that attracts people and a place where we can creatively lead them to God. Therefore, even if the country has restrictions on the types of books to be sold, it does not really matter too much because the bookstore is much more than a place that sells books, it is a platform to reach people!

Selling Christian books in RAN’s:

My experience is that while many RAN’s restrict the sale of Bibles, it is still possible to sell many good Christian books that have been wisely translated into the language of that country. For example, it is common to find that a wise local translator has translated a good Christian book called “Seeking God” into the local language where the title is called “Seeking Truth.” A good Christian book on family called “How to build a happy and godly family” will probably be translated as “How to have a happy family.”

The Bible verses in these translations may be quoted but it is not mentioned that they are from the Bible. The translators are confident that the Word of God is “alive and powerful.” Many local Christian translators are “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”.

In other words, in most RAN’s it is still possible to find some locally translated Christian books to sell. When these books have a locally given ISBN number then it is perfectly legal to sell these books in that country.

In any case, always remember that though this is a bookstore, selling books is only a small part of its overall “business”!

Location of bookstores in RAN’s:

Needless to say, the best place to start such bookshops is near university campuses. Firstly, there will be good customer traffic from the large concentration of students. The largest universities in the world in terms of student population are found in Asia.

Secondly, most Asian university students are poor and live in uncomfortable housing. Therefore, they usually seek a place to hangout until it is time to go to bed.

Thirdly, most university students are curious and like to learn new things (including new religions). They are usually at a stage in their lives when they are most likely to be open to a new religion.

Next post:
Bookstores are a vital part of the Great Commission Part 2