Oklahoma senior uses technology to preach around the world

By Abdul Masih –

For 27 years, Arch Bonnema worked in estate planning and sold precious metals three weeks a month to fund mission trips the other week in the month.

Many of his trips were to Africa, but lately God has opened doors in Pakistan, where he is giving people the Audio Bible, a music box hardwired with a chip containing the Bible in Urdu, the local language.

“Pakistan is the one area that I never would have chosen,” says Arch. “But it is the one that I’ve had the most effect in for all the years I’ve been doing this. It’s a Muslim area. I just never had that desire to go there. Sometimes the places you least expect turn out to be the best.”

Arch estimates he’s given, through his staff in central Pakistan, nearly 30,000 Audio Bibles across the country, from Lahore to Karachi. The Audio Bible is effective because 43% of the population cannot read or write, he says.

In many cases, a group of people gather around to listen to one Audio Bible, much like people gathered around the radio in 1930s America. In most towns, there’s always a station where people can charge their cell phones. The same chargers work for the Audio Bible. After three years of distributing the simple device, Arch says 90% are still functioning.

Untold hundreds of people are getting saved, he says.

Arch preaches six days a week via cell phone. His teaching begins at 11 p.m., the time in Oklahoma to match Pakistan’s 8 a.m. His staff travels to different areas and gathers people to listen while he translates, usually to 15 or so listeners, Arch says.

A group of 13 pastors in the US also preach via Whatsapp through the network of Pakistani workers Arch established.

Arch grew up in a small town in Minnesota with a population of 450. Both his grandparents were devoted Christians. One supported missionaries and planted Christian schools. The other retired at 51 and became a missionary to Mormons, later conducting outreach in a mental health facility.

Arch grew up in the church and never left Christianity. He says he committed his life to the Lord when he was eight or nine-years-old. In high school, he led a Youth for Christ group at his high school and at two other high schools.

At 19, he joined a Filipino friend who set up a Youth for Christ at the Hong Kong International School.

From there, he “wandered the world,” visiting missionaries and helping with projects for Youth for Christ. He evangelized American soldiers in Vietnam and visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). He traveled to 34 countries, mostly in Southeast Asia.

At 20, he returned to the US and became a businessman to support the activities of missionaries overseas. He decided it was the most cost effective approach, with more people being impacted for the Gospel per dollar than conducting ministry in America.

His thirst to evangelize drove him to visit countries and preach the Gospel himself.

He’s been married 52 years, and his wife has traveled with him on all but two of his 350 trips.

In 2019, he got the opportunity to go to Pakistan, the only nation in the world founded as a Muslim nation. When Covid struck, he turned to technology to get the Word out – and the “restriction” on his preaching turned out to help his ministry. With technology, he’s amplified his impact.

“I’ve had more people saved after I turned 65,” says the 72-year-old, who is now based in Oklahoma. “Through technology, I can preach to so many more people.”