Alumnus Serves Ecumenical Church of Pakistan

After earning both an M.Div. and M.A. from CST, 2019 alumnus Insar Gohar returned to his hometown of Peshawar, Pakistan, eager to put his pastoral care and counseling skills to work. In 2013, Insar, his family, and his church were victims of a suicide bombing. All told, over 100 church members were killed including his own 11-year-old son, 9-year-old daughter, and his mother, and 250 were injured including his wife Uzma. 

Although he didn’t know much about counseling and was still working through his own grief, Insar started an impromptu ministry to bring comfort to those traumatized by the tragedy. When UMC partners asked what they could do to help, Insar said he wished he could be better equipped to minister to the bombing survivors, including the 36 children who lost their parents. Today, he’s serving as the Coordinator of the newly introduced Care and Counseling Ministry in the Diocese of Peshawar of the Church of Pakistan, an ecumenical union of Anglicans, Methodists, Scottish Presbyterians, and Lutherans.  Insar said:

“In our country and culture, counseling ministries are not very common, [even though] people are suffering a lot here, especially the victims of terrorism, persecution, violence, and discrimination. They are grieved and sorrowful, frustrated and worried about many things, but they do not seek counseling. I am trying to develop awareness regarding this ministry in our parishes/churches and institutions.”

Services at the ministry include individual, pre-marriage, family, and career counseling. Insar has been focusing particularly on providing care to youth, faith leaders, survivors of terrorism and persecution, theology students, couples, and children who are disabled. When visiting parishes, he often preaches, introduces the ministry, and meets with religious leaders. Insar has also trained Sunday School teachers, conducted family life seminars, and served as a visiting lecturer at Zarephath Bible Seminary (ZBS): “It is a good experience teaching in a seminary, which gives me an opportunity to pass on what I have learned from CST to other theological students,” Insar explained.

In some cases, the stress of COVID-19 has added to already dire and traumatic circumstances. During the pandemic, the Diocesan Care and Counseling Ministry felt convicted to take care especially of hurting members of the community, including those in poverty and those affected by the 2013 bombing at All Saints Church. Insar explained:

“The aim of [visiting people when they consent to us coming] is to ask them about their needs and worries; our motivation is to give them some comfort and to render a hope through prayer and the ‘Word of God’ in these tense circumstances. We are careful during these visits and observe the precautionary measures as well as social distancing.”

Insar’s ministry is supported through the Nationals in Mission program of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, which also supported his studies at CST. Prior to this appointment, Insar served as Youth Officer/Coordinator in Peshawar Diocese for sixteen years.