A new center of influence was inaugurated on March 20, 2022, in Khon Kaen, the fourth largest city in Thailand, to witness the love of God through the power of music. The center is called Khon Kaen SDA Ministry Center & Peace Music Academy, located in the northeast of Thailand, around 170 kilometers from the Laos border and 450 kilometers from Bangkok. This ministry is the first specialized, non-formal education solely dedicated to “bring music to Khon Kaen and a peaceful heart to Thailand,” says Pastor Laurence Burn, training director for Adventist Frontier Missions.
This project is an Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM) initiative, which has been laboring in Khon Kaen for more than a decade and seen the potential of music to win the Buddhists for Christ. AFM has 87 missionaries and 27 projects in 21 countries. It raised the much-needed funds for the completion of this project. AFM envisions building a park and a concert hall on the campus in the future.
“We have been dreaming to have a permanent place where we can worship God and minister to the people,” says Neratisai Aipan, president of Thailand Adventist Mission. He left Khon Kaen years back without seeing his dream being fulfilled, but God has found a way to make the dream a reality.
Pastor Cristopher Sorensen, project director, says, “We finally have a place for music and worship and a place for education. Yesterday, we witnessed the baptism of five people. People will learn about the love of God through music.”
The ceremony ended with a strong appeal and prayer of blessing from Pastor Samuel Saw, the Southern Asia-Pacific Division president. “This building can only impress people, but the influence can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit seen in the lifestyle of God’s people.”
“Peace Music Academy has chosen music to show the love of God to the people in Khon Kaen. Music is an effective tool to bring light and blessing to people’s hearts,” says Pastor Somchai Chuenjit, president of Southeast Asia Union Mission (SEUM). Pastor Ricardo Palacios, one of the founders and visionaries instrumental in pushing for the Peace Music Academy project, emphasizes, “This place is where relationships and memories are built.”
This article was originally published on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s news site