In 150 Years, what will Missions look like?
For our first post to our new website, we couldn’t think of a better topic! In a very insightful article, OMF’s Peter Rowan writes an article in a series commemorating the 150 year anniversary of OMF. As most of you know, OMF is the former China Inland Mission, founded by J. Hudson Taylor, one of the finest Missionary pioneers of all time. I would highly recommend you read the article, but I would love to highlight a couple of my favorite parts of the article:
- A future that recognizes the importance of partnership
Certainly one of the key principles to take hold especially over the last 30 years, we Westerners need to recognize the high value of partnering with local partners, and in fact, I would even submit that allowing the local partners to take the lead, given that we are working in their country, is key.
2. A future where multi-directional mission will be a reality
Playing off of the first of my highlights, Peter rightly points out that in the future, structures that characterize missions organizations will have to change. ‘Structures that were set up for one-way traffic – for sending and giving, will need to change to facilitate two-way traffic. Mission from everywhere to everywhere.’
3. A future in which East Asian Christians will need to be salt and light across all the dimensions of life and society and agents of reconciliation
I love this because certainly, while Chinese Christians are coming to know Christ by the thousands upon thousands, we need to continue to point them toward bringing Christ into every area of Chinese Society, which right now, is not always an easy task.
May I highly recommend this article to you and may be pray that God continues to do mighty work in East Asia and around the world!
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