In a historic and Spirit-led gathering, nearly 600 young believers from across Bangladesh converged at the BBCF Prayer Garden in Gazipur for the nation’s first interdenominational youth conference, Arise Bangladesh 2025. As a fruit of the Arise Asia Conference held in Bangkok in 2023, the conference took place from March 13 to 15, 2025, under the theme “A Call to the Harvest,” inspired by the Bible verse Matthew 9:37. The conference marked a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s church history, uniting 65 denominations and Christian organizations under one banner to mobilize the next generation for God’s mission.
Coordinated by Martha Das, General Secretary of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh (NCFB), and John Mridha, Vice Chairman of NCFB’s Board of Youth and Renewal and implemented by the Board of Youth and Renewal, the event was a bold declaration of unity, vision, and purpose. NCFB, a member of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the Asia Evangelical Alliance (AEA), hosted the gathering with strategic support from national and international mission networks.
Dr. Peirong Lin, Deputy Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance; Dr. David Ro, Founder and Executive Director of Arise Asia; Dr. Seth Kim, Vice President of Arise Asia; David Platt of Radical; Wayne Chen of Radius International; Paul Elliott from VIA; Peter Hsu from SIL Global; and many other international speakers were present alongside national leaders, an inspiring testament to the unity and partnership of the global Church.
Though Christianity was introduced in Bangladesh as early as the late 15th to early 16th century, the journey has been in isolated streams. Arise Bangladesh broke new ground by becoming a catalyst for collaboration, inspiring the church to believe that true revival and mission flourish through unity and the collaboration of all generations.
With over 28% of the country’s population under age of 30, the youth of Bangladesh represent an untapped force for Gospel expansion. Arise Bangladesh recognized this and equipped participants through plenary sessions, workshops, and mentorships focused on practical tools for outreach, leadership, worship, and cross-cultural missions.
The fruit of the gathering was evident: 84 youth committed to internships, 110 pledged to pray, 90 vowed to make Christ known, and an astounding 122 responded to a call for long-term cross-cultural mission. One of the conference’s lasting impacts is the mentorship track, with nearly 50 mentors now being trained to walk alongside those committing to the mission.
Many young people responded with bold faith, stepping forward to say, “Here I am. Send me.” A vision was casted not just for youth events, but for a national youth missions movement sustained by intergenerational support.
Arise Bangladesh was not just an event, it marked the beginning of a new era of youth-led mission and church-wide unity in Bangladesh. The seeds planted at the gathering are already bearing fruit, as new collaborations are forming, and the younger generation is stepping out to reach the unreached.
As we look ahead, the message is clear, the harvest is plentiful, and now, the workers are rising together.
Stay Connected