A New Year For Asian Missions

On February 15, the College Church hosts its annual Spring Festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and our ministry to Asians steps into a future that holds both uncertainty and promise.
The ministry, dating most recently from the late 1990s with the work of Milo Hadwin and others, began a new chapter in 2019 when two events converged: an influx of Asian students to Harding University and the arrival in Searcy of Henry Li, a convert who wanted to bless his homeland’s people with the Good News. Mentored by Ed Higginbotham, Howard Norton, Gordon Hogan, and Gary Jackson (missionary and HU professor), Henry grew into that role. Since 2021, he has been affiliated with College Church, though his salary comes from outside donations.
During this time, Henry has done the daily work of preparing sermons for the group’s Sunday morning Zoom services, leading multiple weekday and weekend Bible studies, and, with wife Julie’s help, ministering to the hundreds of Asian residents in the Searcy area.
Most of his work occurs online, reaching Asians in the U.S., Belarus, Canada, and Japan. Sunday services feature a traditional worship period followed by discussion among the online participants.
Entering 2026, the ministry faces challenges. To begin with, its original major target group is now a fraction of the 2021 number. At the same time, Henry must navigate dense bureaucracy to obtain a green card in order to remain in the U.S.—in a difficult time for immigrants. On top of that, the task of raising an adequate salary has become harder.
However, those involved in the work seem willing to do what it takes.  
Ministry leader John Reese, a veteran missionary, is developing a new strategy. He  wants to use the internet to reach Asians scattered across the globe.  The plan centers on a web site to be known as Educational and Intercultural Services (EIS), a “popular information center” that with “aggressive advertising” can attract Asians outside their homelands, offer practical help, and link them to sites like World Bible School.
The ultimate aim is an internet-based network of Asian converts supporting one another and influencing family and friends back home—a global digital space where disciples can make disciples.
It’s an ambitious plan, one that needs our prayers and support. But visitors to the group’s Sunday morning online worship can see a small, dedicated core of spiritually equipped Christians already going into “all nations.”