Korean Publishing House Commits to Publishing Resources in Urdu

Several recent projects of the Korean Publishing House (KPH) highlight its support of Adventist mission endeavors, leaders from the Northern Asia-Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church said.

On December 2 last year, during the Saturday (Sabbath) worship service of the Pakistan Adventist Seminary & College’s centennial celebration, leaders held a dedication of an Urdu prophetic and Bible study series. With the support of KPH, these and other initiatives are helping to bring the gospel to Urdu-speaking people in South Asia and particularly in Pakistan, where Urdu is the national language, spoken by more than 200 million people.

KPH also supported the distribution of 10,000 copies of Steps to Christ and 3,000 copies of The Desire of Ages, both written by Adventist Church co-founder Ellen G. White. The former project was sponsored as part of the publishing house’s independent publishing mission, while the latter was a collaborative effort with ministry partners involving translation and production expenses, including printing and transportation, leaders reported.

KPH’s involvement in Pakistan isn’t new, as the publishing house had on previous occasions sent Adventist literature to Pakistan, a country where most people belong to the Muslim faith.

Pakistan Adventist Seminary & College president Gee Sungbae said the response has been overwhelmingly positive. He highlighted the significance of Steps to Christ, describing it as “an essential text that introduces the core of Christianity to Muslims displaying interest.” The book’s goal is to guide Christians, both established Adventists and recent converts, away from syncretic beliefs and toward a genuine understanding of Christianity’s essence, Gee said.

“The Desire of Ages will be distributed among local Adventist and Protestant leaders and used as a Bible study guide at the seminary,” he added.

KPH CEO Nam Soo-myung also emphasized the missionary potential of the donated resources. “I hope these books will serve as a potent tool for spreading the gospel in countries like Pakistan,” Nam said. “Going forward, KPH is planning to actively support evangelism. I urge all churches and believers to take a keen interest and commit to this initiative.”

Alongside KPH, individual donors generously provided 1,000 copies of the It Is Written Bible study series. “These resources are designed as study guides for missionaries, pastors, and trained church members,” Gee said. “I hope these materials prove to be invaluable for outreach initiatives, as many Pakistanis are eager to explore the Bible.”

Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim nation in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, gained independence from British rule in 1947. The region was initially divided into East Pakistan and West Pakistan. In 1971, East Pakistan became independent as Bangladesh, while West Pakistan became what is now known as Pakistan. With a population of 240 million, it stands as the world’s fifth most populous country. According to statistics, almost 97 percent of its population is Muslim, leaving Christians as a small minority, including less than 20,000 baptized Adventist members.

The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.