Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Amjad Waryam
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000347A
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00:26 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:28 This is a program bringing you news, views, 00:30 discussion, and updates on religious liberty issues 00:33 in the US and around the world. 00:35 My name is Lincoln Steed 00:37 and my guest on the program today 00:39 is a very interesting gentleman. 00:42 His name, 00:43 I have to keep reminding myself, 00:44 Amjad Waryam Alam. 00:47 You forgive me for not easily remembering that. 00:49 Thank you so much. 00:50 There's a certain lyrical quality to your name, Amjad. 00:55 And I think myself there's a lyrical quality 00:58 to your whole ministry. 01:00 Thank you very much. 01:02 In a few moments, 01:03 I'll have them play one of your songs. 01:05 You're a recording artist, among many other things. 01:08 Yes, I'm a gospel singer 01:10 and I have produced three albums so far. 01:12 And thank you for today, you're playing one of my album. 01:16 Let's do it now. 01:17 I hope they have got it cued up. 01:21 I'd like to... 01:22 there we go. Yeah. 01:38 So you've got a beautiful quality to it, 01:40 and I was joking to you before the program, 01:42 I've got young people, teenagers, 01:44 that like to listen to contemporary music, 01:46 and there's a category of music called 01:47 trance music that... 01:48 Yeah. It's... 01:50 Of course, yours is the ultimate meditation 01:52 for Jesus Christ and our faith as Christians. 01:55 The meaning of the song it's saying that 01:57 "Lord, hear my prayers or hear my request, 02:02 and may your Holy Spirit dwells in me," 02:04 you know. 02:06 Beautiful. Yes. 02:07 Now you're not just a recording artist, 02:08 you witness for your Lord through your music, right? 02:10 Yeah. 02:11 I am a gospel singer and I'm evangelist, you know. 02:13 Right. We got to get to that. 02:15 You're not just on this program because you're a good singer 02:18 and this is a wonderful quality in that singing 02:21 and I appreciate it. 02:23 But you're an evangelist. 02:26 You are also a literature evangelist, 02:29 a term that our church has used for a long time. 02:31 You sell and distribute Christian literature 02:34 door-to-door in the United States, 02:37 as part of your ministry, 02:39 to gain funds as I understand it 02:42 to further your greater ministry 02:44 in your homeland of Pakistan. 02:46 Yeah, I worked, you know, 02:47 in the past as a Union President 02:51 or Union Publishing Director, sorry, 02:54 and also I worked like 02:55 a Thailand mission publishing director and I... 02:58 In Thailand? In Thailand. 03:00 Ah! I didn't know you've been in Thailand. 03:01 Yeah. I was in Thailand. 03:02 Been there many times... 03:04 For five years I was there. 03:05 And I worked as a colporteur 03:07 and also as a publishing director. 03:08 Colporteur is a term you and I know. 03:09 But again, that's an old term 03:11 for a literature ministry salesman, 03:17 if you like, going door-to-door and witnessing, 03:21 and through selling these materials, 03:23 which is in the great tradition as Seventh-day Adventist 03:26 particularly know of the Waldenses. 03:28 Yep. 03:29 They used to go throughout Europe selling Bible tracts 03:33 and other faith materials. 03:35 This is how a church grow, you know, 03:37 people know actually we are on a very frontline 03:39 when we are doing literature evangelism. 03:41 You know, we meet people, you know, 03:43 that we, of course, we promote our church and our, 03:48 you know, institutes, and also our publications. 03:52 And there are those publications, you know, 03:54 that when people read and they come to church 03:58 and sometime they become Adventist, 04:00 you know that... 04:02 And always it's leading them toward Christian commitment 04:06 and a spiritual awakening in their life. 04:11 And I know after talking to many literature evangelists, 04:15 it's an incredibly rewarding thing 04:17 to meet people in their homes 04:19 and to see the real spiritual need and you've got, 04:22 you've got materials that are speaking of that. 04:23 Yeah. 04:25 So you're not selling per se, 04:27 you're providing a service for spiritually needy 04:31 and searching people. 04:33 While I was in Thailand, 04:34 I just want to tell you that one of the restaurant manager 04:38 and a girl, you know, 04:41 she accepted Christ through our, 04:44 you know, publications and she became Adventist, 04:48 and now she's working for Seventh-day Adventist church. 04:51 Very good, well, I know that 04:53 that story is repeated over and over again. 04:54 Yeah. 04:56 And even many of the people 04:58 who don't necessarily, immediately, 05:01 or obviously join our church. 05:04 I know from different contexts I've had that, 05:06 that people have been positively 05:07 affected by the materials that you 05:09 and others like you are able to place in their homes. 05:13 And I also know from going to many sidewalks sales... 05:17 Yeah. 05:18 ..that people have these books from generations ago sometimes 05:22 and they might sell them in a so book sale 05:24 but they once literature like that is placed, 05:27 it has an incredible lifespan, that person may not read it. 05:32 You know, grandma or a mother may die 05:34 and as they're looking through the material 05:36 and they discover the book for themselves. 05:38 Yeah, because, 05:39 you know our publications are very, very good, 05:42 and plus they produce hard covers, 05:45 and it can be passed from generation to generation. 05:47 Now, I don't know if you've been involved with these 05:49 but there's a set of Bible stories 05:52 then by author Maxwell. 05:56 Yeah, we have... 05:57 I grew up on those, with the pictures... 05:59 I realized that the pictures themselves form the reality 06:04 that I sometimes not confuse but I realize 06:07 that the visuals have informed me 06:09 as much as the words of not just that book 06:11 but when I read the Bible, 06:12 but that it sort of creating a reality to the Bible. 06:17 You know, these books are, 06:19 these books are meant to be like according to the age, 06:21 when children are very young 06:24 or they are three to four years, 06:26 they go "My Bible Friends", they read "My Bible Friends", 06:29 but when they grew then up 06:31 and become little older then they go to 06:35 "The Bible Story" which is ten volume. 06:37 You know, from Genesis to Revelation. 06:39 It's well thought out material and obviously 06:43 when you're doing this, 06:45 you're working for the Seventh-day Adventists church 06:46 but it's far larger than the church. 06:48 Yeah. 06:49 The church from the beginning 06:50 in this ministry has seen itself 06:52 as an inheritor of the obligation 06:54 placed on all people of faith to share. 06:56 And as Jesus said, 06:58 the gospel commission will go into all the world. 06:59 Yeah. 07:01 So it can easily and we feel comfortable 07:05 when it comes back to our faith membership 07:08 in the Seventh-day Adventist church 07:09 but this is not narrow sectarian material. 07:13 This is the Bible story. It is the Bible. 07:15 This is the eternal gospel given to all men. 07:18 Actually it's a way to teach Bible 07:20 according to the age of the people, you know. 07:22 And this is same thing I did in United States, you know, 07:26 when I came from Thailand. 07:28 I came to USA but I have a lot of, 07:31 I had lot of challenges of immigrations. 07:34 So this is the first job 07:36 when I went to General Conference, 07:37 they sent me to publishing. 07:38 And the home health education offered me 07:41 a job as a colporteur. 07:42 Using a lot of terms that 07:43 not all of the viewers will know. 07:45 These are internal organizational terms. 07:46 Yeah. 07:48 You know, most of our 07:49 viewing audience are not Seventh-day Adventists 07:52 or knowledgeable about our structure. 07:54 All churches of necessity have hierarchies, 07:57 and departments, 07:59 and different ways of organizing but, 08:03 you know, even the General Conference 08:05 that's our overall governing body 08:07 but it's very egalitarian... 08:09 It is. 08:10 The members choose these leaders in regular meetings 08:12 and so it's all designed 08:16 as far as the literature evangelist or... 08:19 It's a very... 08:20 ..book industry, 08:21 it's designed to get the stuff out 08:23 to the larger population 08:24 because we feel that it's changed us, 08:27 you and me, I know the Bible and these books, 08:29 in fact, I grew up on it 08:30 and we want other people to experience this. 08:32 Yeah, there are beautiful books beside My Bible Friends, 08:36 even our health books are very nice, you know. 08:38 People love it all over the world, 08:40 especially any country, 08:41 you know, any religion can make use of it, 08:44 and for better health for their good health. 08:47 So when did you decide to join your musical talents 08:51 with your salesmanship techniques? 08:54 Yeah, these are always. 08:56 You know, as we all love the Lord, 08:59 you know that and I have, 09:01 I always had a desire to produce an album 09:04 where I can be singing and sharing my talent. 09:07 And when I came to United States, 09:09 the Lord gave me time and opportunity 09:11 and then I was able to produce these albums 09:15 in Pakistani Urdu or you can say, 09:19 Hindi language, you know. 09:20 Now, did you, were you born in Pakistan? 09:21 Yes, I was born in Pakistan. 09:23 How old were you when you come, 09:25 well, obviously, you were in Thailand 09:26 but did you come from Pakistan to the US? 09:29 No, I was in Thailand. 09:31 I worked five years in Thailand as a colporteur 09:33 and as a publishing director, 09:36 then I came to United States in 2006. 09:40 So you moved as an adult to Thailand? 09:42 Yeah. Okay. 09:44 I came to United States with my two children, 09:47 you know, and my wife and... 09:49 So when did you, 09:52 have you always sung publicly and... 09:57 Yeah, I used to sing in the church but... 09:59 Back in Thailand. 10:00 Yeah, in Pakistan... 10:01 Oh! Even in Pakistan. 10:03 ..in Thailand, you know, that 10:04 and after when I see that there is a need also, 10:08 I had a desire to do evangelism wherever people want to, 10:13 you know, accept the Lord 10:15 so they have Christian music and, 10:17 you know, also the Bible, they can listen. 10:20 Have you found that sharing your faith in music 10:23 that it cuts across some of the inhibitions 10:27 that people have to listen to, 10:28 say to Christianity, obviously... 10:30 Music has their own language. 10:32 I think it appeals to anybody. 10:33 That's what I think I'm leading you up. 10:35 Yeah. 10:36 So the language of music is more 10:38 easily understood by many people. 10:40 Yeah, it can sooth people, it can attract people, 10:42 it can help them. 10:44 And always it's a blessing 10:45 when you hear especially a religious music, 10:48 you know that... 10:49 Now, at our church in its early days, 10:52 not much different from many others, 10:55 used to combine evangelistic, 10:57 formal evangelistic outreach 10:58 where they would often be a tent 11:00 and a minister preaching every night. 11:02 They would combine that with the musical experience. 11:05 In fact, they were often singing evangelists. 11:08 Evangelists would sing, 11:11 get the audience in a receptive mood 11:12 and then preach the sermon. 11:13 Yeah. So this is a natural tie up. 11:17 Although I must admit 11:19 you're the first literature evangelist 11:21 I have met who brought together these two aspects of witness. 11:24 Yeah, I preach and also I play music, music, 11:30 especially instrument called harmonium, 11:33 and I play and I sing together. 11:36 Harmonium is this little... 11:38 It's like pumping air from one hand and just playing... 11:41 Oh! 11:42 Yes, yes. ..the harmonium. 11:44 The sound is a little bit similar 11:45 to a very basic piano accordion. 11:47 Yeah, yeah, it is like piano. 11:49 But there is no connection electronically 11:51 but you just manually pump the air in. 11:55 You know, I like music 11:57 and what that reminds me 11:58 of a lot of gypsy music has that 12:00 that sort of a characteristic, 12:03 and they've been many studies of where the gypsies came from. 12:08 Have you read those? No, I did not. 12:10 The best they can come up 12:11 with although I don't think it's provable, 12:13 is that in the Indian subcontinent somewhere, 12:16 which of course could include Pakistan. 12:17 I see. 12:19 So you're in a good tradition there 12:20 with the harmonium and very good music. 12:23 You know, this is a backdrop to what I want to pursue 12:26 further with you on your very special ministry. 12:31 That's in the context of true religious liberty 12:35 doing and daring. 12:37 And so I'll take a break now 12:38 because we're very close to the middle. 12:40 Thank you. 12:41 So, viewers, please stay with us. 12:43 We'll be back after this break. 12:44 I want to talk further with Amjad, 12:47 how he's really reaching out 12:49 beyond his comfort zone in witnessing 12:53 and fighting for religious liberty. 12:57 Stay with us. |
Revised 2017-04-03