A brand new audio version of the Bible in the Dzongkha language has now been completed. Indigenous believers in Bhutan were used in the efforts of the recording. This effort was completely sponsored by BTJ and we are excited to get it to all the believers in the nation of Bhutan.
Bhutan is one of the most unreached nations in the world. About 0.3% of the population in Bhutan are believers, but the majority of the believers are Nepalese who live in Bhutan. Thus, 99.7% of the indigenous Bhutanese have never heard the gospel, or have ever heard the name of Jesus. In fact, the government doesn’t want to claim the existence of any Christian missionaries within their border.
“The Bhutanese constitution recognizes Buddhism as the state’s ‘spiritual heritage,’ provides for freedom of religion, and bans discrimination based on religious belief.” Unfortunately, the constitution says religious institutions and personalities should remain “above politics.” Hence, this law is used to restrict religious speech and promotes enmity among religious groups. All religious groups are required to have a license to hold religious gatherings.
This lack of clarity in the law leaves the Bhutanese underground house church at risk of legal sanctions by the government.BTJ worked directly with the Bhutanese underground house church by sponsoring the recording of the Bible into an audio format that can be used to encourage the church and help evangelism
