The Bhutanese Nepalese Churches of America (BNCA) is a national umbrella organization for Nepali-speaking Christian churches in the United States, founded on July 4, 2011. BNCA connects and supports a network of nearly 300 Bhutanese-planted churches across the country — one of the most significant church-planting movements in recent American religious history. The organization hosts an annual national summit described as the largest gathering of Nepali-speaking Christians in the United States, drawing over 1,000 attendees, and coordinates youth conferences, women's conferences, pastor trainings, and emergency relief.
The Bhutanese Nepalese Churches of America (BNCA) is a national umbrella organization for Nepali-speaking Christian churches in the United States, founded on July 4, 2011. Registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 46-5178958) and headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, BNCA connects and supports a network of nearly 300 Bhutanese-planted churches across the country — one of the most significant church-planting movements in recent American religious history. The organization's mission is to "Encourage, equip and strengthen the Nepali speaking churches in the United States of America and beyond to glorify God."[1]
Background: Christian Conversion Among Bhutanese Refugees
The growth of Christianity among the Lhotshampa is one of the most significant religious transformation stories in recent refugee history. The Lhotshampa were originally predominantly Hindu, Buddhist, or animist before their expulsion from Bhutan in the 1990s. Conversion to Christianity began in the refugee camps in Nepal and accelerated after resettlement in the United States.
According to Pastor Bhadra Rai, who compiles data through the BNCA network, approximately 60% of Bhutanese Nepali Christians in the U.S. were converted in the camps, with the remainder converting after arrival in America. The U.S. Department of State recorded approximately 10,500 Bhutanese Nepali refugees as Christian upon settlement. Current estimates suggest upwards of 17,500 Bhutanese Christians in America, with more than half converted after arrival. Nearly 300 Bhutanese churches have been planted across the United States since resettlement began in 2008.[2]
The conversion phenomenon has been a source of both community strength and tension. For many Bhutanese refugees, Christian faith and church communities provided crucial social support during the disorienting early months of resettlement — offering fellowship, practical assistance, and spiritual comfort in a radically unfamiliar environment. At the same time, the rapid growth of conversion has generated concern within the Hindu and Buddhist segments of the community about cultural and religious erosion, contributing to the founding of organizations like the Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization to preserve traditional religious practices.
Organization and Structure
BNCA was founded on Independence Day 2011, a date that resonated symbolically with a community that had itself been seeking freedom and a new beginning. The organization functions as a fellowship and contact platform for Nepali-speaking churches, facilitating networking, shared resources, leadership development, and collective action. Its geographic scope spans North America and Asia, with connections to churches in Nepal and Bhutan as well as the United States.
BNCA member churches span multiple denominations. Some are affiliated with the LMC (Lancaster Mennonite Conference), a 300-year-old Anabaptist fellowship. Baptist churches have been heavily involved in Bhutanese refugee outreach. The diversity of denominational affiliations reflects the organic, grassroots nature of the church-planting movement — individual refugees and families adopted the faith traditions of the American churches that first reached out to them in their resettlement cities.[3]
Annual Summit
BNCA organizes an annual national summit that is described as the largest gathering of Nepali-speaking Christians in the United States, bringing together more than 1,000 attendees from across the country. The summit features keynote speeches, panel discussions, cultural performances, and worship services. Documented summits include:
- Houston, Texas (2014) — The National Summit where BNCA Youth was formally introduced
- Lima, New York (July 5–7, 2018) — BNCA Youth Summit, with Shankar Rai as featured speaker
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (June 2–4, 2022) — 9th BNCA Summit at Messiah University
- Baltimore, Maryland (June 27–29, 2024) — 11th BNCA Summit at Trinity Church
Youth Ministry
BNCA Youth was formally established at the 2014 Houston National Summit. The youth ministry cultivates "passion for Jesus while emphasizing Christian morality, intellectualism, and Christian holistic development" among members in their twenties and thirties. Regional youth fellowships have formed across the country — the Bhutanese Nepali Church of Lancaster reported that 13 Youth Unity Fellowships from neighboring Nepali churches in the northeastern United States meet quarterly.
Notable Leaders
- Shankar Rai — Eastern Mennonite University graduate (MDiv, MAOL 2018); planted and pastored Bhutanese-Nepali churches in Baltimore, Harrisburg, and Lancaster; resettled in the U.S. in 2010; featured speaker at the 2018 Youth Summit[4]
- Dilli Lumjel — Converted on May 4, 2011, in Beldangi 1 refugee camp; now full-time pastor at Emmanuel Fellowship Church in Columbus, Ohio, where the congregation grew from approximately 35 families to roughly 200 members
- Deepak Rai — Lead pastor, Bhutanese Nepali Church of Lancaster (LMC/Anabaptist network)
Related Organizations
A Canadian sister organization, the Bhutanese Nepalese Christian Assemblies of Canada (BNCAC), holds its own annual summit. The Global Nepali Speaking Christian Fellowship (GNSCF), founded in 2016, connects church leaders across the global Nepali-speaking diaspora beyond the Bhutanese community.
See Also
- Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization — founded in response to similar concerns about religious identity
- Bhutanese Diaspora in the United States
References
- Bhutanese Nepalese Churches of America. Official website. https://bncausa.org/
- Christianity Today. "Bhutanese Nepali Refugees Turn Their Trials into Zeal for Evangelism." March 2023. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/03/bhutanese-nepali-refugees-christianity-evangelism-resettle/
- LMC. "LMC's Mission for Many Languages: Nepali." November 2021. https://lmcchurches.org/2021/11/lmcs-mission-for-many-languagesnepali/
- Eastern Mennonite University. "Shankar Rai to Address Bhutanese Nepali Youth at National Convention." 2018. https://emu.edu/now/news/2018/shankar-rai-to-address-bhutanese-nepali-youth-at-national-convention/
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Bhutanese Nepalese Churches of America (EIN 46-5178958)." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/465178958
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