Faith in Christ has also spread into the Buddhist stronghold of Bhutan. Though churches are banned, clusters of believers meet secretly, discipled by those who cross the border to receive training in India, or by brave apostles who proclaim the faith secretly from house to house.

Many believers in South Asia lack meeting halls in which to meet for worship.

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C., and born-again Christians compose barely 2% of the population. In 2003 increased Buddhist nationalism and intolerance have recently unleashed a wave of attacks on Christians.

The situation in Bangladesh is similar, except Islam is the dominant religion, and evangelical Christians number less than half a percent.

With the partition of India in 1947, many Hindus in what is now Pakistan fled to India, and Muslims in India fled to Pakistan—all amid widespread violence. Pakistan was given dominion status by the British, and became an independent republic in 1956, declaring Islam to be the state religion.

Indigenous evangelical Christians number less than half of one percent, and a growing anti-Christian sentiment in recent years increases potential violence against them. Yet one ministry claims to have planted 2000 churches (mostly house groups).

In all these lands, Christian Aid supports 255 ministries that have an estimated 25,000 local missionaries proclaiming the gospel to their people.