Sustainable Self-Funded Church Planting in Rural North-Eastern Thailand

MV Sung Noen Church Planted Feb 2022  – Pastor Kungwal Pai

Pastor Kungwal Pai has in the past pastored churches in different locations across Thailand and undertaken Biblical studies in the Philippines. However, he felt God was calling him to settle in one location and plant a sustainable self-funded church.  With his father (also a pastor) and extended family, purchased a parcel of farmland in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (North-Eastern Thailand) and built a home with a special large room where church services could be held. They also bought some milking cows to help them raise income to fund the church plant.

Having never farmed before Pastor Kungwal Pai simply googled how to do it and taught himself how to develop a dairy farm. They are becoming established now with a home built and 7 milk producing cows, which will soon be increased to 9.  Pastor Kungwal Pai is now holding church services in the large room they dedicated for this purpose and with his family is reaching out to the farming families surrounding them. Their goal was for them to be “Planted” in the community and establish a sustainable church planting model that could be duplicated in other locations.  He explained how he plans to slowly increase his heard to increase his milk production which he sells to a local Milk Products company.

When visiting Sung Noen church recently, our team enjoyed a special time of fellowship and prayer together with Pastor Kungwal Pai and his extended family in the large purpose-built room where they hold their church services. We shared a dinner together, as the sun set over the rural Thai landscape, was a great way to finish the day.
MV Sung Noen church is an excellent example of an innovative, self-funded, church planting model that can be used in rural areas of Thailand and other ASEAN countries. We are very excited about all God is doing through Mission Ventures Thailand (MVT). As more churches like MV Sung Noen are being planted, and led by dedicated Thai Pastors, reaching out to the Thai people living in strong Buddhist communities across Thailand.
When you support our core ministry by sending a donation to Missionary Ventures Australia (MVA), it enables us to continue reaching out through our dedicated national leaders like Pastor Kungwal Pai to the people of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia.
Please help us today.
Phil Plowman Director MV/ASEAN     philplowman@mvaustralia.org