Called to Ministry After a Family Tragedy

By Rachel Ashley, ‘11

When over 200 Wesleyans gathered in Barbados this May for the fourth International Conference of The Wesleyan Church, Wesley Seminary alumnus Joshe Bose came prepared to share his testimony.

Joshe (pronounced JOE-shee) is National Superintendent of Bangladesh for The Wesleyan Church. During Dr. Wayne Schmidt’s closing message, he introduced Joshe as a man with an incredible story about his call to ministry.

Joshe’s father was a pastor who encountered many challenges. Joshe decided if he ever became educated, he would choose a different path—he would not become a pastor. He did just that, earning his degree in business administration and later, after relocating to Norway, earning a master’s in environmental studies. He also secured a respectable job in development while in Oslo. Life was wonderful, he said.

But a tragic accident would soon call him back home.

In April 2010, he received a call that his brother, sister- in-law, nephew, and mother were in a serious traffic accident in Bangladesh. His brother and sister-in-law did not survive, leaving his mother seriously injured and nephew orphaned. It was time to return to help his family heal and rebuild.

“I know that everything I am doing, I do for God. I can face any challenges in Bangladesh because I know this is God’s ministry and he is leading me. I am very blessed.”

Joshe Bose ‘19

When Joshe arrived, he realized the impact of his brother’s death had rippled out into the churches that his brother had been serving. Joshe and his wife adopted their nephew, but the churches his brother established were orphaned as well. Joshe asked his wife what she thought he could do.

“She said, ‘Dear, if it is God’s will, we can give up our life for the Lord’s service.’ And I thought, in a Muslim country, I don’t know to whom I can go, what can I do? I only did one thing: every Friday, I never gave up my fasting prayer,” he said.

Years went by, and his fasting prayer time grew into a group of people who were sent out to lead other prayer groups. Now he says they have over 50 churches in a primarily Muslim country. The most challenging part of leading the church in Bangladesh is raising funds and carrying the gospel into areas of the country where the culture and beliefs present a greater challenge. As of 2010, Pew Research Center reported that over 90 percent of the population in Bangladesh is Muslim, with less than 1 percent Christian. Although most of the work he does now is administrative, Joshe considers it to be critical to transforming lives.

Bangladesh is situated between India and Burma in southern Asia. In Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, you’ll find over 19 million people. Tourists and travelers marvel at the amount of traffic—both pedestrian and vehicle. Business Insider calls it the most crowded city in the world and the most densely populated city in the country. Nearly a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, although that number has significantly decreased in recent decades as the country has made strides toward a healthier economy.

Upon realizing his ministry call, Joshe was well aware of his need for religious education. Though successful in his business ventures in the secular space, God was shifting him to the sacred.

A seminary education would be an entirely different kind of learning in a language that wasn’t his native tongue. But professors met him with generosity at every turn, encouraging him, helping him understand assignments, and even sending him crucial textbooks—books unavailable in Bangladesh.

“It was a joy and privilege to have Joshe as part of Wesley,” said Rev. Dr. Colleen Derr, president of Wesley Seminary.

“Joshe expanded our perspective on the needs of the global church. Throughout his journey he overcame numerous obstacles to persevere to completion because of his value in theological training and his desire to serve the church well.”

Through Wesley Seminary, Joshe was able to develop a strong support system of partners for his ministry, especially within the Crossroads District of The Wesleyan Church. Dr. Rich Schenck and his wife, Rev. Carol Schenck, have been non-residential missionaries to Bangladesh since October 2012. They have mentored and coached Joshe through his education and helped him continue to develop partners for the last seven years.

“I know that everything I’m doing, I do for God,” said Joshe. “I can face any challenges in Bangladesh because I know this is God’s ministry and he is leading me. I am very blessed.”