Even so, the title of this presentation still appears presumptuous today to many for various reasons. First, the theological centers of power are largely found in the West, with multitudes of students from the MW still treading there on pilgrimage for their PhDs. Although excellent seminaries are now found in the MW, in terms of faculty, financial and library resources, and drawing power, they are no match for the Western institutions.  

Moreover, regretfully many churches in the MW still function as appendages and extensions of the churches in the West, consciously or unconsciously. Organizationally and financially, they may be independent. But in terms of theology, ways of thinking, and doing church and mission, they still adopt Western models and answers uncritically. The problem is not only because many churches in the MW have been birthed through Western missions or movements, with many in the leadership trained in Western methodology and theology. It is also because, globally, the political and cultural dominance of the West has been so overwhelming throughout the 20th century. These factors have combined to hold back many Christians in the MW from articulating alternative understandings and narratives of their faith that are firmly rooted in Scriptures on the one hand, and culturally sensitive and contextually relevant on the other.  

However, the fact remains that around 1980 the center of gravity of the church had moved out of the West into the MW. With this shift, some of the relative strengths and weaknesses of Western Christianity versus those in the MW have become increasingly clear. Against this background, I offer my presentation as a fellow pilgrim and learner because Christianity in the MW still faces a multitude of challenges. At the same time, I believe that in at least six areas the Western church can learn something from Christianity in the MW.  

1. Recovering the Supernatural Dimension

In referring to the advance of the gospel in his work, Paul speaks of “what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God” (Rom 15:18f). Over the past hundred years or so, the rapid growth of churches in the MW has been driven largely by the same “signs and wonders” that Paul speaks of. These include deliverance from demonic powers and healing, miracles and prophecies, dreams and visions, and the like. It should be emphasized that this is not due to the influence of American Pentecostalism from Azusa Street making inroads into the MW. In many cases, it was simply indigenous believers taking the Bible seriously and acting on its teachings, or the Holy Spirit coming in revival and manifesting His awesome power to the church.  

A comprehensive and careful examination of the records will bear this out again and again. This is true of the growth of many grassroots churches in the Indian subcontinent, the growth of Christianity in Africa, the breakthroughs among tribal groups all over the MW, the Chinese revival in the last 60 years, the historically unprecedented and ongoing breakthroughs among Muslim peoples all over the Islamic world today, and so forth.  

A most interesting illustration of this is the powerful healing ministry of the Korean Presbyterian pastor Kim Ik-du (1884-1950) in the 1920s. The official position of the Presbyterian Church then was that “in the present age, the authority to perform miracles is suspended”—a cessationist position presumably taught by American missionaries. But the impact of Kim’s healing ministry was such that it brought about a fundamental shift in thinking and recognition within the church that God continues to work miracles in the present age. In direct contrast, one observer of Brazil's emerging churches said, “Most Presbyterians have a God that’s so great, so big, that they cannot even talk with him openly, because he is far away. The Pentecostal groups have the kind of God that will solve my problems today and tomorrow.”  

Under the influence of the Enlightenment, Western Christianity in the modern era has either rejected the supernatural as outdated superstition, as with liberals, or treated the miraculous as something that happened in the past but no longer happens today. Consequently, much of the Western church has failed to address this whole subject adequately. It has blinded the church to the power of the Holy Spirit and His signs and wonders, as well as to the reality of demonic activity in the world today. The result, as Fuller professor Charles Kraft describes it, is that “Enlightenment Christianity is powerless.” Herein lies a major flaw in Western Christianity—its captivity to an anti-supernaturalistic Enlightenment worldview.  

2. Managerial Missiology versus Dependence on the Spirit

The Latin American theologian Samuel Escobar has critiqued a trend within evangelical missiology in the later part of the 20th century, associated especially with the Church Growth School and movements like AD2000 and Beyond. He calls this “managerial missiology” and describes it as “an effort to reduce Christian mission to a manageable enterprise.” To achieve this, reality is simplified into an understandable picture: “Missionary action is thus reduced to a linear task that is unfolded into logical steps to be followed in a process of management by objectives.” Thus, for example, mission goals are quantified by the number of converts won or churches planted, and strategic plans are laid to bring about the desired results. The whole exercise is based on secular strategic planning approaches, built on the scientific method which produced our technological age.  

I would like to suggest that Escobar’s critique of managerial missiology is part of a much wider problem in the modern church. Is it not the case that much of our thinking has succumbed to modernity’s scientific-technological approach to doing church and mission? Do not most of us assume that if only there are sufficient resources such as suitably trained personnel, money, proper strategic planning, and sound management, the church will invariably grow and our mission goals will be achievable without fail within our human time frame?  

Ultimately, there are two major problems with this approach. The first is that reducing our mission goals primarily to quantitative measures falls far short of Christ's command to “make disciples.” As one writer puts it, “When we aim only at what we can measure, we ignore the most important goals of character, discipleship and holiness... Lukewarm churches are the results of this assembly line mindset.”

The second problem is that both the New Testament and church history have demonstrated again and again that the gospel never advances by mere human effort alone. Rather, revivals and major advances of the church are invariably the result of the initiative and power of the Holy Spirit, and on the human side, less tangible factors such as radical holiness, prevailing prayer, obedience, and sacrifice.

In the past hundred years, we see this repeatedly in mission advances in the MW. One of the best illustrations of this in Asia is the ongoing Chinese revival. The most notable Chinese evangelist and revivalist of the first half of the 20th century was John Sung. Sometime before his death in 1944, John Sung revealed that God had shown him that a great revival was coming to China, but first, all the missionaries must leave. As he predicted, every missionary had to leave China with the Communist takeover in 1949. All that the Western missions had brought was confiscated by a hostile government. And then, under intense persecution and left with nothing but God, revival came.  

Human resources, good management and strategic planning all have their proper place in the ministry and mission of the church. But for the gospel to advance, ultimately our dependence has to be on God and on Him alone.  

3. Confidence in the Gospel of Christ as Good News

Many in the West today consider Christianity outdated, stale, and irrelevant. The Good News has now become Bad News! This has contributed to the decline and loss of vitality in Western Christianity.

But the loss of vitality is also the result of the pressures from an increasingly militant secularism, rooted in modernity and postmodernity. In much of public life in the West, there is a prevailing hostility towards any Christian point of view. All these have contributed to a loss of confidence in the gospel as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16) within the Western church. This is most clearly seen in the liberal wing of the church, which has basically abandoned missions.  

But this loss of confidence in the gospel and the Bible’s distinctives is now beginning to be seen even among those who identify themselves as evangelicals. This loss of confidence, however, is not shared by most Christians in the MW. In many societies and cultures in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and MENA, the encounter with Christ is recent and the experience of its efficacy and power is fresh and liberating. Think of the tens of millions that have been set free from the age-old fear of and bondage to demonic powers and evil spirits. Think of the millions of Dalits in India who have been lifted out of cultural and sociopolitical oppression.  

The second point to note is that the beliefs shaped by modernity and postmodernity that underlie militant secularism in the West today are not shared by the cultures and societies in the MW, simply because they are not children of the Enlightenment. Why then should Western Christians be awed and accord them the respect given them by a militant secularism?  

Many Christians in the MW are driven by a vision of a new world founded on the gospel of Christ. With them, there is conviction in and excitement over the saving power of the gospel. I submit that this sense of freshness and confidence in the gospel should serve as a source of encouragement and empowerment to many Christians in the West.  

4. Mission and the Western Guilt Complex

Beginning in the late 1960s, the liberal wing of the church began calling for a moratorium on missionaries. All this gave rise to a pervasive “Western guilt complex” about the whole missionary movement.

Addressing this phenomenon head-on, the late African scholar Lamin Sanneh has demonstrated cogently that the accusation of missionaries being culture destroyers does not find support on the ground. In fact, by translating the Bible into indigenous languages, missionaries actually helped preserve many languages and cultures from extinction.  

More recent studies have vindicated the modern missionary enterprise as a major factor in bringing social and material advancement. As social scientist Robert Woodberry shows, Protestant missionaries made major contributions to socio-political and economic advances. They were a crucial catalyst initiating religious liberty, mass education, mass printing, and colonial reforms.

The wrong conclusion is to suggest that we must forgo Western missions because such missions have lost integrity. The guilt that troubles the Western conscience over past failures points to the moral power and enduring validity of the gospel. Without this burden of guilt, which the Spirit imparts, this world would be far more cruel, heartless, and unjust. Thus, the Western guilt complex properly understood is also a profound call to humble confidence and boldness in mission.  

5. Theological Education and Ministerial Training

When it comes to theological education, almost all the churches in the MW have copied the academic model used in the West. But increasingly it has been found wanting. Among the major issues raised are:

a. Much of the theological education is Western because the textbooks are written in Western contexts.
b. Methodology follows a Western academic model, where students often end up knowing more about critical theories than the Bible itself.
c. Trainees often struggle in practical pastoral ministry because of a lack of integration between classroom learning and field education.
d. The Western model is centered so much on the training of the mind that character formation and the life of prayer get neglected.

One attempt to move away from the Western academic model is the increasing use of Theological Education by Extension (TEE), which brings study much closer to the field of practical ministry. Compared with the traditional residential Western model, the advantages are: lower cost, better integration between study and practice, and training being provided for multiple levels of leadership.

6. How Do We Think of Persecution?

John White suggests that the West has now gone past the period of greatest freedom. “As the biblical influence wanes, it is likely that freedom will not continue.”

How do we respond? First, persecution for our faith should not take us by surprise because it is written all over the New Testament. Second, a simple look at the Acts of the Apostles shows that persecution never stopped the proclamation and advance of the gospel. Could it be that we tend to look at persecuted Christians with a mix of concern and pity because mission for the modern church often begins from the centers of power? In the New Testament, persecution and suffering were simply accepted as an integral aspect of following Jesus.

Should Christians see persecution as setbacks for mission or opportunities for Kingdom advance? Remember that the Chinese church revival in the last few decades came out of state-sponsored persecution. One Chinese leader, when asked about persecution, replied: “Don’t pray that God will remove persecution which actually refines the church. But pray that God will give us stronger backs to bear it!”

Conclusion

In conclusion, allow me to say that we in the MW have been richly blessed by the gospel that many from the West brought to us. My comments above are offered as pointers to what the Western church can learn from the MW churches. I trust that through such exchanges the churches in the West and those in the MW can build genuine, strong, and equal partnerships for the continuing advance of the gospel.

The established models of Christendom Missions are increasingly proving ineffective. A new epoch demands a new paradigm—a polycentric, collaborative movement driven by the Majority World. Our gathering is not merely an optional meeting; it is a strategic imperative to forge a shared mission theology, models, and strategies that truly reflect the power and context of the Majority World.

Under God’s guidance, the COALA movement is seeking to answer this call. This gathering will serve as a vital opportunity to solidify the strategic outcomes and collaborative spirit generated in previous meetings. It is a moment to deepen our commitment, refine the emerging documents, and integrate the critical insights gained so far.

As we gather for COALA 3.5, may we remember the foundations of the Majority World Movements. For the Global South to fully realize its potential as the driving force of 21st-century missions, our movement must be built on four crucial pillars: Intentionality, Collaboration, Commitment, and Interdependence.

Intentionality: We must be intentional in defining our own mission theology and practices. We cannot simply inherit outdated models; we must purposefully discern the Holy Spirit’s leading within our unique cultural, economic, and political contexts. This intentionality ensures our strategies are relevant, sustainable, and truly indigenous.

Collaboration: The sheer scale of the unfinished task demands collaboration that transcends national, denominational, and even continental borders within the Majority World. Collaboration is the antidote to fragmentation, pooling our resources, sharing best practices, and maximizing our collective impact. We are stronger together than any single movement could ever be alone.

Commitment: Sustaining a new mission paradigm requires unwavering commitment. This means dedicating personnel, finances, and prophetic voice to the movement’s long-term vision, even when challenges arise. Our commitment ensures the momentum gained at COALA gatherings translates into lasting, on-the-ground transformation.

Interdependence: Finally, we must foster genuine interdependence—a recognition that while the Majority World is capable of self-directing its mission, we are all part of Christ’s one global body. This is a shift from dependence on the historical West to a mutual relationship where all partners equally share resources, wisdom, and responsibility. Interdependence honors the principle that every part of the body has a vital role to play.

Details regarding the exact location in Seoul and the schedule of Strategic Working Sessions and Plenaries will be provided upon confirmation. I look forward to being in Seoul for this strategic time of consolidation and shared commitment.

Together, we have the opportunity to participate in God’s mission for His glory and honor!

Welcome in His Name! I have been asked by the COALA leadership to bring a word of greeting to all who are joining us in our conference. One way to do so is to explain why COALA is meeting and why it is needed. It is not possible to cover all the important reasons for COALA’s emergence two years ago, but I will briefly touch on two here.

First, COALA came into being because some leaders from the Majority World (MW) increasingly felt the need to take ownership of the mission that Christ gave His church. In the last 125 years, from 1900 to 2025, more than 1.5 billion people have been added to the churches in the MW. With some 65% of the world’s Christians now in our churches, these MW mission leaders felt that it was time for them to come together and act.

We in the MW churches are deeply grateful to the missionaries from the West who courageously and sacrificially brought the gospel to us in the past. But the time has come for us in the MW to step up and take our share of responsibility for global mission. It should be clearly stated that COALA is not intended as a tool to displace Western missions. Rather, the goal is that it would be a means by which churches in both the West and the MW can come together in genuine mutuality and true partnership to advance the gospel!

Second, for genuine partnership to come about, there must be some serious mindset changes on both sides. Most Christians in the West are still ignorant of the massive growth of the churches in the MW and the resultant impact globally. A simple example is that most Western seminaries and training colleges today still lack any serious study courses on the growth of MW churches over the past 125 years. On the other hand, many Christians in the MW continue to find their identity in some form of Western Christianity because they lack the confidence to develop Christian identities of their own that are firmly rooted in both the gospel and their own context. Added to that, many are still locked into a dependency mentality wherein they continue to look to the West, not just for their theological identity, but also for support and money! These and other examples of mindset change must take place before there can be true mutuality and real partnership in the global church in mission.

If you identify with these and other similar concerns, we warmly welcome you to this conference so that together we can develop genuine partnership across the global church built on mutual respect and trust. We foresee obstacles aplenty and much hard work ahead. But we journey with the Lord of the harvest who informed us that, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). May the Lord richly bless our time of worship and prayer, as well as fellowship and discussion together!

We clearly recognize that God is opening a new era of mission through the decline of the Western church and the remarkable growth of the churches in the Global South. The passion and vitality of the Global South churches are shaping the future of world mission. The Korean church earnestly looks forward to working closely in partnership with the Global South to carry forward God’s mission together.

The Korean church is also prayerfully discerning the direction of mission in the era after the unification of the Korean Peninsula. Unification will not only be a national event, but a pivotal moment for the evangelization of Northeast Asia and the wider world. We deeply hope that the young missionary generation of a unified Korea will join with you in opening a new future for world mission.

Furthermore, we must prepare for next-generation missions. The youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. It is our calling to nurture them in faith, equip them with vision, and encourage them to join hands with the global church—especially with our brothers and sisters in the Global South—to open a new chapter in world mission.

I pray that your visit to Korea, your participation in COALA, and your presence at the WEA Assembly will become a milestone in opening a new future for the mission of God’s Kingdom through the unity of the global evangelical church. Once again, I warmly welcome you all and pray that the abundant grace of God and the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance will always be with your ministries.

Thank you.

Today we are not simply attending another meeting—we are standing at a historic turning point. For centuries, the center of mission has largely been in the Global North. Yet now the time has come for the churches of the Global South—Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Arab world—to rise as the leading agents of world mission. This is not merely an option, but a historical necessity and a divine calling.

The COALA movement embodies this new paradigm. COALA is more than a network—it is a vision of polycentric mission, where the expansion of God’s Kingdom is no longer dominated by one region but carried forward through shared responsibility and partnership among all churches everywhere.

The Korean church, too, seeks to walk in step with this global transformation of Christianity. We desire to learn humbly, embrace change, and move forward together with our brothers and sisters from the Global South. We honor the passion, cultural richness, and fresh perspectives of these churches and long to collaborate in this Spirit-led journey.

May this gathering become a decisive moment in opening a new era of mission for the global evangelical church. Once again, I warmly welcome you all, and I pray that God’s abundant grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit will rest upon your lives and ministries.

Thank you.

This is indeed a new day for the global Church—a new day of a global table, of global collaboration, of the nations walking together in step with the Spirit. The Korean church, with its history of prayer and missionary zeal, is joining hands to support this process, not as the owner of COALA but as a faithful partner at the global table. For this, we give thanks.

COALA represents more than just a movement. It is a signpost of a missional reformation rooted in the Global South and extended to the whole Body of Christ. It is a reminder that we are called into mutuality, humility, and cruciform love as we pursue the Great Commission together.

We bless COALA for the days and years to come. May the Lord grant wisdom, courage, and perseverance so that this reformation will bear lasting fruit for the nations.

With gratitude and anticipation.

At the NCOWE (National Consultation on World Evangelization), the Korean church acknowledged this shortcoming, repented, and reaffirmed its commitment to honoring local churches. Above all, we renewed our conviction that mission must proceed as a partnership rooted in the leadership of local churches.

In response, many Global South mission leaders sought closer fellowship with the Korean church. This led to the Second Global South Mission Consultation (COALA: Christ Over Asia/Africa/Arab/Latin), held in Bangkok in April 2024. Subsequent gatherings followed: COALA 2.5 in Busan, COALA 3.0 in Panama (April 2025), and now COALA 3.5 in Seoul, during the WEA General Assembly. At present, more than fourteen international mission networks are participating.

Lesslie Newbigin described Western-centered mission as "Christendom Mission." While it was once the most effective strategy of its time, Andrew Walls reminds us that its “expiration date” has now passed. Today, mission scholars agree that we live in a polycentric era of mission. As Western missions have declined, non-Western churches are now simultaneously sending missionaries around the world.

Missionaries, however, have an inherent limitation: they must one day leave the field. Outsiders, whether missionaries or sending churches, can never truly be the owners of the local church. I believe that in this era, the central actors in mission must be the local people themselves. Therefore, partnership with them in mission cannot be emphasized strongly enough.

On August 18, 2025, the leaders of Korea’s major denominations gathered and recommended that Korean missionaries on the field pursue partnership-based mission. Their exhortations were as follows:
1. Leave the leadership of ministry in the hands of the local church.
2. Focus on disciple-making (Matt. 28:19).
3. Pastoral leadership belongs to local believers, while missionaries should focus on evangelizing those outside the church.
4. Relate to the local church by invitation, serving as part of their fellowship.

The upcoming COALA 3.5 will provide non-Western churches, both those sending and those receiving missionaries, an opportunity to put these principles into practice: welcoming missionaries as partners in mission under the leadership of the local church. This book contains a selection of presentations from the past three COALA gatherings. It is my sincere hope that it will serve as a valuable resource for leaders who long for healthy and faithful mission.

Thank you.

Today, I have been asked to address the topic “Missiology: The Big Picture of the Global South in the Future (Continuity and Discontinuity).” However, I would like to change the title a little to broaden the scope; that is, by changing the phrase “Global South” to “Global Church.”

Thus, the title of this paper will be “Missiology: The Big Picture of the Global Church in the Future (Continuity and Discontinuity).”

I am writing this paper in special remembrance of a special brother and friend, the late Dr. Peter Rowan, who passed away a few months ago. He has given much thought to the subject of mission after Christendom. I owe much of my reflections to Peter’s original paper, first published in the OMF Mission Research Roundtable. Also, I want to qualify my comments by saying that when I use the term “we” in the paper, I am referring to both the church from the Western World and the Majority World.

1. First, we should ask the key question, “What should the global church continue doing?”

1.1 The Treasure of Unity in Diversity

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, made a strong statement of what Christ has done on the cross: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:14). Christ, on the cross, has already destroyed the barrier so that we could be one by forming a new society under God.

John Stott describes this new society this way: "For God’s new society is characterized by life in place of death, by unity and reconciliation in place of division and alienation, by the wholesome standards of righteousness in place of corruption of wickedness, by love and peace in place of hatred and strife, and by unremitting conflict with evil in place of a flabby compromise with it…. For the sake of the glory of God and the evangelization of the world, nothing is more important than that the church should be, and should be seen to be, God’s new society." Stott’s statement “by unity and reconciliation in place of division and alienation” has stirred me deeply.  

In another letter to the Romans, Paul, in the last chapter, mentioned at least 26 names. The Roman Christians were diverse in race, rank, and gender, including Jewish and Gentile members. Names like Hermes (14), Philologus, and Julia (15) were common names for slaves. On the other hand, some had links with persons of distinction. For example, Aristobulus (10) was the grandson of Herod the Great and a friend of Emperor Claudius. Narcissus (11) was the well-known, rich, and powerful Roman citizen who had a great influence on Emperor Claudius. Nine out of the twenty-six persons greeted are women. Paul particularly mentioned Aquila and Priscilla taking risks for him for the sake of the gospel (Rom 16:3). Four times, Paul described some of these names as his friends as being "in Christ" (3, 7, 9, 10) and five times "in the Lord" (8, 11, twice in 12, 13).

The church in Rome could be a microcosm of the global church today, a community including the powerful and the powerless, the marginalized and the influential, male and female, as well as diversity in ethnicity and backgrounds, etc. Thus, unity in diversity should be characteristic of Christ's church. As Christ's multicultural, global community, we are called to participate with others in a faithful witness to that radical, transformative, life-giving kingdom.

A divided Church has no message for a divided world. Our failure to live in reconciled unity is a major obstacle to authenticity and effectiveness in mission. While we recognize that our deepest unity is spiritual, we long for greater recognition of the missional power of visible, practical, earthly unity in the pursuit of God’s mission. Partnership in mission is not only about efficiency. It is the strategic and practical outworking of our shared submission to Jesus Christ as Lord.

The Cape Town Commitment from the Third Lausanne Congress has a sober reminder:

We rejoice in the growth and strength of emerging mission movements in the majority world and the ending of the old pattern of ‘from the West to the Rest’. But we do not accept the idea that the baton of mission responsibility has passed from one part of the world church to another. There is no sense in rejecting the past triumphalism of the West, only to relocate the same ungodly spirit in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. No one ethnic group, nation, or continent can claim the exclusive privilege of being the ones to complete the Great Commission. Only God is sovereign.  

We stand together as church and mission leaders in all parts of the world, called to recognize and accept one another, with equality of opportunities to contribute together to world mission. Let us, in submission to Christ, lay aside suspicion, competition and pride and be willing to learn from those whom God is using, even when they are not from our continent, nor of our particular theology, nor of our organization, nor of our circle of friends.  

1.2 Facing the new frontier together—the challenge of pluralization

Before the Sanhedrin and the leaders, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, made a categorical statement about Christ: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Peter and John were told not to preach at all in the name of Jesus anymore. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). After they were released, they went back to the church and they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” They specifically asked God for two things. First, they asked God for boldness to proclaim the gospel (29). Then they asked God for mercy to bring healing (30). God’s truth and God’s healing are both needed for a broken world.

As the early church faced persecution and opposition, they did not relinquish their missional responsibility. They proclaimed the uniqueness of Christ fearlessly and courageously. They were united in prayer. Dixon E. Hoste, one of the Cambridge Seven who became the successor to Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, once said, “Unless we are constantly and faithfully wrestling in the heavenlies against the power of darkness, there is a real danger of us becoming involved in wrestling with our colleagues.”

The early church faced the challenge of persecution. While this might also be true for the 21st-century church—that we should proclaim Christ boldly and fearlessly—yet we may face a deeper and more subtle challenge that the global church needs to face together: namely, the new frontier of pluralization, with the plurality of worldviews that are in the world today. How can we reimagine missional faithfulness in a post-colonial world?

According to David Smith, “we are moving from a Christendom shaped by the culture of the Western world to a world Christianity which will develop new spiritual and theological insights as the biblical revelation is allowed to interact with the many cultures in which Christ is confessed as Lord and Saviour. To ignore this development, withdrawing into a dreamworld in which we imagine that the Christendom model can somehow be revived, is to deny the true significance of mission within God’s purpose.”  

According to the missionary-anthropologist Paul Hiebert, the new shape of the Christian movement in the twenty-first century will require that Christians in Europe and North America be open to a major epistemological shift. Theological definitions can no longer be drafted in Rome, Geneva, London or Chicago as though they had some universal and binding validity; rather the world church must become “an international hermeneutical community” in which Christians from around the globe seek to understand the word of God, dealing with the problems they face in their particular contexts and seeking to develop together a global theology increasingly freed from the influence of specific human contexts.

While developing a global theology is important, we need to go one step further in the context of current mission movements. In a world after Christendom, we are witnessing an historically unprecedented movement of peoples around the globe; religious diversity has become an almost universal fact of life. To refuse to recognize the persistence and strength of other faiths is to be at odds with existence. How can we retell the story of the Gospel in such a way as to recognize the validity of many of the concerns of our postmodern contemporaries, while bearing faithful witness to Christ?

David Smith argues that one of the most urgent requirements of the global church at the new frontier of mission constituted by contemporary pluralization is the creation of a biblical theology of religions which is both faithful to the Scriptures and credible. Similarly, Hwa Yung from Malaysia commented on the failure of the Majority World church in articulating alternative narratives of their faith that are both firmly rooted in Scriptures as well as culturally sensitive and contextually relevant.

We need a theology of religions that is both relevant and faithful. We need an openness to the total witness of the Bible and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in giving new light to our understanding of other religions. The global church needs to face this new frontier together. One major need is to have Christian scholars from the Majority World who will give attention to the study of major world religions to enable us to proclaim the gospel faithfully and relevantly.

1.3 Cultivating a spirit of generosity – Multidirectional sharing

Whether we refer to Koinonia as “partnership”, “sharing”, “fellowship”, “participation”, or “communion”; the problem is that we do not find practicing Koinonia easy or natural in the global church and in the mission context with our cultural prejudices and historical baggage. The early church in Jerusalem faced that problem when leaders rebuked Peter when he went to the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them (Acts 11:2).  

Surprisingly, it was the new emerging church in Antioch, the seemingly peripheral group, who collected an offering and contributed towards the needs of the Jerusalem church when they heard about the famine (Acts 11:28-29). It requires humility, respect and acceptance—accepting the “weaker” partner as equals as well as accepting one’s own inadequacy.  

In Romans 15, Paul exhorted those who are strong to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. With the significant growth of the Global South Church and the decline of the Church in the West, what should be our attitude towards the Church of the Global North?  

The Antioch Church shared its resources with the Jerusalem Church. But God’s resources are not only about money and certainly not about the exercise of power which money often brings. In the Antioch Church model, it was the “powerless” who brought resources to the “powerful.” In our global family, some will bring quite different gifts. Some will model faithfulness in the face of suffering and persecution. Some will bring years of experience of commending the Lord Jesus Christ in the context of another world faith. Some will show how to live with shining trust in God despite poverty or injustice. Others will bring deep traditions of believing prayers. The Body of Christ needs all of these; and in true partnership we shall each bring what we have, not what we don’t have, to bless the world church in its mission. And we will respect and rejoice in diversity, rather than impose one way of doing mission on others.  

In light of the vast diversity of expressions of missions, the intrinsic value of flexibility is essential. A partnership-friendly agency is almost always one that is focused on the essentials and flexible with secondary issues. Every mission agency is different, but when membership is tied to structures, policies, and systems, it will be more difficult to truly partner with the Majority World and treat their missionaries as equal.  

Perhaps the most significant contribution of the Church of the West to world evangelization today would be discipling followers of Christ, wherever they come from and will be returning to. Churches from Asia, Africa, and Latin America can strengthen the hands of brothers and sisters in Europe by sending workers in step with the Spirit’s leading. Indeed, this mission movement phenomenon will not only be from the West to the Rest in the past, or from the Rest to the West today, but more importantly from “everywhere to everywhere” with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

2. We now need to ask the second question, “What should the global church discontinue?”

2.1 The Western church will cease to become the key agent in global mission.

Western missionaries have been catalysts in planting the seed of the gospel among peoples globally. However, local, indigenous Christians have been the most successful evangelists and are crucial for the continuation of gospel work and the development of the theology, discipleship, worship, and mission appropriate for that local context.

According to the historian David Killingray, the spread of the Christian Gospel across the world has largely been due to the work of countless unnamed Christians who gossiped the good news in their own language. They are in the records of God, rarely noted in the register of man.

We each have a role to play in this broken world; but when God calls us to serve, God isn’t asking us to become outsider heroes in the middle of an insider’s story. God is already the hero, and God is inviting us to walk alongside local insiders as sidekicks rather than superheroes. Our role is to amplify the voices of local leaders, to strengthen their hands, and to place them at the front and center.  

More than a hundred and fifty years ago, Dixon Hoste, who succeeded Hudson Taylor, reflected on lessons learned from the Boxer Incident. He highlighted that change was a must and necessary. Hoste saw that “the future was pregnant with change” and native Christian leaders will rise to the challenge and serve shoulder to shoulder with Western missionaries. We are certainly seeing this vision realized today with the rise of Christians from the Majority World.

2.2 The Western Church needs to learn to relinquish power

In one of John Stott’s books, Calling Christian Leaders: Rediscovering Radical Servant Ministry, he highlights that contemporary models of Christian leadership are often shaped more by culture than by Christ. Stott urges that the theme of “power through weakness” is central in the Bible.

The notion of “using power in the service of others” sounds innocuous. However, we need to reflect deeper about power and privilege from the perspective of the Bible’s teachings. Jesus did not use His power at the cross. It is precisely in Christ's refusal to use His privilege to overcome the Jews or Romans (Matt 26:53) that God defeated death by raising Jesus from the dead. Likewise, Paul speaks of God’s power in human weakness.  

Christians should not be afraid of losing power. Indeed, it is in our refusal to use power (e.g., when we are in positions of social or economic power) that we bear witness to God who has triumphed over sin and death. The language of “empowering” others, although commonly used in Christian mission circles, is problematic. The problem is this: only those with power can empower others—and if I can empower, I can also take power away.  

Andrew Walls insightfully highlighted the concept of polycentrism in global mission, and then defines it as the riches of a hundred places learning from each other. He argues, “One necessitates the other.” While the numeric center of gravity in terms of Christian growth has shifted to the Global South, the fiscal center of gravity remains in the Global North. The power appears to remain in the North. The concept and the practice of the “powerful” bringing the good news to the “powerless” is rightly being challenged.

It may sound strange, but being willing to withdraw offering help is one way to relinquish power. I want to refer to the story of a special friendship between Dixon Hoste and a local Chinese Christian leader, Hsi Sheng Mo. During a time of famine, Hoste had money he could spare, but he felt the inner conviction that giving Hsi the money would not be right as it would only create dependency. Hoste kept that silver up his sleeve. When the famine was over, Hsi expressed his appreciation, saying a gift from the missionary would have been a hindrance to his work. This special experience shaped the way Hoste thought about the development of the indigenous Chinese Church.

The colonial enterprise put us in charge of God’s sending rather than allowing us to be carried by the sending God. While we acknowledge that Christian mission in the past often coincided with, and was often facilitated by, the colonial expansion of European powers, we need to be aware that Christians today may similarly often operate from a position of power and privilege.

2.3 We need to stop “transplanting” our theological framework, church models and structures into other cultures as normative

We need to acknowledge that understanding the gospel, expressions of faith, and the emergence of Christlike communities will take a different shape in different parts of the world. By reading the Bible with the other, we will ourselves be transformed.

The priority given to certain topics in theological research often reflects the social location of the editors. For Majority World Christian readers, what the Bible says about poverty might be far more urgent than what it says about archaeological pottery. Jay Matenga, a missiologist from a Maori background, has called for a "centering of the local," so that local believers have the space to read Scripture in ways that allow the emergence of a localized faith.

While the theory of Polycentric Mission is attractive, I am much more drawn to the proposal of using the word “pluricentric” rather than “polycentric.” The term “Polycentric Mission” is often an “overbaked term used in an underbaked way.” I prefer we talk in terms of mutuality in missions—the sharing of unique expressions of God’s grace deposited in our diverse cultural backgrounds, from everyone to everywhere. The new thing God is doing isn’t polycentrism; it is the exact thing the Spirit has been doing since Pentecost—incarnating and propagating the gospel in tribe after tribe.

Polycentric Mission still implies the distribution of power and control. However, Pluricentric Mission focuses on one authority: the authority of Jesus, to whom we all belong. Mutuality, sharing, and reciprocity take priority.

Conclusion

In this paper, I have attempted to address two fundamental questions: what should we continue doing and what should we discontinue?

First, the essence of the global church is that God has formed a new society with the beauty of unity in diversity. We need to live out this conviction. A divided church has no message for a divided world. Second, the global church is facing the new frontier of pluralization. We need a biblical theology of religions which is both faithful to the Scriptures and credible. Third, we need to cultivate a spirit of generosity with multi-directional sharing, taking humility to accept our own inadequacy.

Regarding what to discontinue: First, the Western church will cease to be the key agent of mission. God is inviting us to walk alongside local insiders rather than as superheroes. Second, we need to learn to relinquish power. The mission of God’s people is always from a position of weakness as demonstrated by the cross. Finally, we should refrain from transplanting our theological frameworks onto other cultures as “normative”. We should rejoice in the manifold expressions of faith.

God’s global mission continues to move forward with new paradigms. Let us walk in step with His Spirit with humility and sensitivity

1. Diversity and Commonality: Foundation for the Development of the Global South Mission Movement

1) The Era of World Christianity and the Global South Mission Movement

Christianity has moved beyond the Western era and entered the age of World Christianity, which is centered in the Global South churches. In 2020, the Christian population in the Global South was 69%, or 1.3 billion Christians. By 2050, it is predicted that 3.32 billion Christians, representing 75% of the global Christian population, will reside in regions like Africa, South America, and Asia.

With the weakening of Western churches, the Christendom mission system of Western churches is continuously declining. The Global South churches, which were once mission fields, have transformed into mission forces. Global missions are being restructured by Global South churches, and the future of global missions in the 21st century will be led by Global South churches. Global South churches and the Global South missions movement are expected to be the main force of global missions.

2) Diversity and Strategic Cooperation in Global South Missions

Global South churches share a non-Western identity as their commonality. However, it exhibits remarkable diversity. The churches on the African continent spread out over 55 nations, with Sub-Saharan churches growing at an astonishing rate. While African Christianity shares a common trait of rapid growth, it also reflects diversity in local traditions, cultural characteristics, and church traditions (Western church models or indigenous churches).

Asia, including the Middle East, India, Indochina, China, and East Asia, demonstrates significant cultural diversity. There are Arab churches enduring persecution under Islam, Indian churches growing amid Hindu oppression, Chinese churches thriving despite Communist persecution, widespread Chinese diaspora churches, and Singapore and Korea that have been influenced by Western traditions.

Another significant branch of Global South missions is the Latin missions, COMIBAM, comprising 24 countries in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. Although Latin missions share commonalities such as the Spanish language, Latin cultural backgrounds, and Pentecostal movements, churches and missions in the Iberian Peninsula, Central, and South America also show significant diversity within their regions, ethnicity, and church traditions.

The three continents that lead the Global South missions—Africa, Asia, and Latin America—can transform their diversity into strengths through strategic alliances and cooperation. For this, Global South churches should embrace their diversity, recognize one another, and support each other’s weaknesses and strengths through strategic partnerships.

3) The Need for Research on the Commonality of Global South Missions

Many agree that amid the decline of Western churches and missions, Global South missions should play a central role in 21st-century global missions as its main force. In this context, it is inevitable to define and develop the characteristics of Global South missions. Apart from sharing a common explosive growth that deviates from Western traditions, how else can Global South missions be defined? Diversity is a distinctive feature of Global South missions. However, for continued development, it is necessary to research the commonalities and identity of Global South missions. This requires an exploration of the shared phenomena in Global South missions and the formation of biblical and theoretical foundations of the Global South missions to support them. Identity research based on the commonalities of Global South missions will serve as the foundation for its further progress and development. This presentation aims to research commonalities of Global South missions by using John Stott’s “Christology of Mission.”

2. John Stott’s Christology of Mission

In John Stott’s book The Contemporary Christian: Applying God’s Word to Today’s World, he points out how Western missions have deviated from biblical missions and calls for self-reflection on the skepticism and lack of faith within Western churches.

Stott concludes: “It seems to me that the church needs to keep returning, for its inspiration and direction, to this Christological basis of mission. The challenge before us is to see Jesus Christ as adequate for our task. We have to repent of our pessimism (especially in the West), our low expectations, our cynical unbelief that, although the church may grow elsewhere, it cannot grow among us. Fiddlesticks! If only we could gain a fresh and compelling vision of Jesus Christ, incarnate and crucified, risen and reigning, bestowing the Spirit and coming again! Then we would have the clarity of purpose and strength of motive, the courage, the authority, the power and the passion for world evangelization in our time.”  

John Stott argues that for the modern church to restore the essence of its mission, it must regain a vision of Jesus Christ. To this end, he presents the missiological framework “The Christology of Mission,” proposing the restoration of six stages of Christ’s life. He asserts that Christological missions must recover Jesus Christ’s “clarity, strength of purpose, authority, power, and passion” to fulfill the mission of spreading the gospel.

The image of Christ presented by John Stott serves as a biblical model for the Global South mission movement. Moreover, this Christ-centered missionary model can be observed as a common characteristic in the field of Global South missions. This text aims to highlight the commonalities of Global South missions by analyzing the six stages of the Christology of Mission proposed by John Stott and to affirm how Global South missions follow the model set by Christ.

The six characteristics of the Christology of Mission are as follows:
- The Incarnation of Christ – The Model for mission
- The Cross of Christ – The Cost of mission
- The Resurrection of Christ – The Mandate for mission
- The Exaltation of Christ – The Incentive for mission
- The Spirit-gift of Christ – The Power for mission
- The Parousia of Christ – The Urgency of mission

3. The Six Common Characteristics of Global South Missions

1) The Incarnation of Christ – The Model for Mission

Global South missions must break away from the Western-centric unipolar mission model and develop their own indigenous approaches to missions.

Indigenous-Centered Missions: Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven and came to earth in human form, becoming fully human and fully indigenous. Through His incarnation, He became fully God and fully human, fulfilling His mission in ways that humans could understand. Due to the revival of Global South churches, the era of World Christianity has moved away from the single system or unipolar structure dominated by Western churches. In every region, indigenous churches led by local believers have emerged. Global missions should no longer be centered on missionaries or characterized by patriarchal Western missions.

Global South missions must be centered on indigenous leaders rather than being missionary-driven. The COALA 2 document “Recommendations for Mission Practice for the Majority World” states: “Missionaries must serve with a servant’s heart, humbly and respectfully cooperating with local believers. Missionaries should rely on God’s power rather than external resources or educational superiority.” At the COALA 2 conference, Jonas Kang, a Korean missionary, shared a model of cooperation that respected the leadership of the CCT denomination of the Thai church and contributed to the growth of the local church. A mission that respects indigenous leaders and fosters deep friendships and collaboration reflects the incarnation model of Jesus Christ.

Developing Indigenous Mission Models in the Global South: In 1987, a missionary movement arose in Korea. The remarkable revival of the Korean church in the 1970s and 1980s led to rapid growth in the 1990s. However, at that time, the Korean mission movement uncritically adopted Western or American mission models, which continue to this day. As a result, Korean missions have gradually lost their strength and functionality, facing a crisis. The decline of Korean missions aligns with the downturn of Western missions.

In contrast, Latin America has taken a different path. During a conversation with Allan Matamoros in COALA 2, he said to me, “To the emerging missions in South America, the Western approach to missions felt like asking David to wear Saul’s armor.” When he was commissioned as a missionary in 1987, he did not follow the methods of North American and Western missions because he felt it was not suitable to adopt Western models. As a result, Latin American missionaries developed their own approaches. Indigenous-centered Global South missions align with the incarnational model of Christ.

2) The Cross of Christ – The Cost of Mission

Christ’s life was filled with suffering. He fulfilled His mission by sacrificing His life on the cross. I believe that Global South missions reflect this Christ-like suffering. In many regions, such as China, India, Africa, and the Middle East, Christians in the Global South endure beatings, insults, discrimination, arson, and even the threat of death. Despite severe persecution by the Communist Party, Chinese house churches have experienced remarkable revival and continue to send missionaries. The church in India expands into unreached regions despite persecution from Hindu fundamentalists. The fastest-growing church today is the Iranian church, which operates under the harshest persecution. African churches continue to spread the gospel amid poverty and opposition to advancing Islamic forces.

The suffering of Global South churches is a unifying characteristic. The spread of the gospel amid suffering resembles the early church. The relationship between suffering and gospel expansion warrants further study. Churches in regions without explicit persecution, such as Singapore, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, must also remember the cost of missions and participate in Christ’s sufferings. Global South missions that follow Christ in suffering and demonstrate powerful gospel proclamation mirror the life of Christ on the cross.

3) The Resurrection of Christ – The Mandate for Mission

Jesus overcame death and rose again to new life. Just as Jesus overcame death and rose again, Global South missions embody a precious Christian legacy that global missions today seem to have forgotten: the diversity of the gospel. The recovery of diversity and mutual respect is one of the core contributions of Global South missions to global missions.

The Unipolar Structure of Western Churches: From the beginning, the early church embraced diversity. At Pentecost, people from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia heard the gospel in their native tongues through the power of the Holy Spirit. However, Western churches represented by Rome or Constantinople failed to embrace the diversity of churches both within and beyond the empire. The ecumenical councils’ declarations of heresy to Antioch and Alexandria churches damaged this diversity, leading to church divisions. When Western churches lost their diversity, they lost their spiritual power.

Celebrating Diversity: Global South churches must reclaim the diversity that the early church held before it was lost to the Western church’s unipolarity. The diversity within the Global South should be recognized, respected, and celebrated. Latin American churches’ Pentecostal experiences, African churches’ vitality and indigenization, Chinese churches’ resilience under persecution, Indian churches’ spirituality overcoming Hindu persecution, Korean missions’ efforts to change direction, and Singaporean churches’ communication strengths between the West and the Global South must all be acknowledged and honored.

Strategic Partnerships through Mission Networks: For the advancement of Global South missions, strategic partnerships and cooperation are essential. Missionaries must share mission resources and support the development of local churches based on trust, friendship, and respect for local leadership. For example, Sooyoungro Church in Busan, Korea, has supported gatherings for Latin American missionaries working in Asia. Through this COALA 3 meeting, I hope to see progress in such strategic communication and execution, leading to the sending and placement of missionaries through the COALA network.

4) The Glory of Christ – The Motivation for Mission

The Glory of Christ: Jesus, who rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and received glory. Jesus endured the suffering of the cross on earth with His eyes fixed on the glory of heaven. What, then, should be the glory that drives the Global South mission movement? It should not be financial power, resulting dominance, or the oppression of others.

The Motivation for Global South Missions: Mutuality – Equality – Partnership: The glory and driving force of Global South missions must be friendship. Its genuine friendship brings out mutual respect and partnership. Global South missions must avoid the trap of Western paternalism and become genuine friends to one another. The COALA movement began with a “KOLA” proposal from Latin and Asian mission leaders who visited Korea in 2023. Korean leaders (Jonas Kang) suggested changing the “K” (which represented Korea) to “C,” symbolizing Christ. COALA strives to embody a culture of mutual respect and equality, working to realize polycentric missions.

5) Christ and the Holy Spirit: The Power for Mission

The Work of the Holy Spirit: After His resurrection, Jesus commanded His disciples to rely solely on the Holy Spirit for power and to become His witnesses (Acts 1:8). John Stott emphasized that “the work of the Holy Spirit is irreplaceable.” It is crucial for Global South missions not to fall into Enlightenment rationalism but to continue relying on the powerful guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Experience of Chinese Missionaries: Missionaries from rural Chinese house churches often share testimonies of remarkable transformations and revivals powered by the Holy Spirit, in contrast to systems-driven models. This reveals that the fruit of missionary work is not determined by education, resources, or systems, but by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s Role in Global South Missions: Global South missions must not be limited by business models and human-centric frameworks. While systems may be necessary, the work of the Holy Spirit in missions is irreplaceable. Global South missions must grow under the Spirit’s guidance and avoid losing the Spirit’s power under the influence of Enlightenment thinking.

6) The Return of Christ – The Urgency of Proclaiming the Gospel

The Expectation of Christ’s Return and the Urgency of Proclaiming the Gospel: Jesus Christ commanded that His gospel be preached to all nations before His return (Matthew 24:14). In contrast to Western churches influenced by Enlightenment worldviews, Global South missions exhibit a profound anticipation of Christ’s return and a sense of urgency in spreading the gospel. Many believers in the Global South, who live amid hardship, eagerly await Christ’s return.

Perspectives on Holistic Mission vs. Prioritism: While holistic mission strategies are biblical, Global South missions tend to prioritize the urgency of direct gospel proclamation. This is because they are empowered to evangelize directly even amid persecution and often have limited resources for large-scale social transformation projects. They believe that the transformative power of the gospel will naturally bring comprehensive change to their societies.

4. Conclusion

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, demonstrated the concrete model of the triune God’s mission on earth. His mission provides a path for Global South missions to follow and a direction for advancing biblical missions. John Stott called for Western churches and missions to return to the mission of Christ. To this end, he presented the “Christology of Mission.”

I. INTRODUCTION

The 21st century marks a significant shift in the landscape of global Christianity, with the Majority World emerging as a vibrant and increasingly influential centre for mission (Jenkins, 2002). Churches in Africa； Asia； and Latin America are no longer solely recipients of mission but are actively engaging in cross-cultural outreach, both within their regions and globally. This emerging and growing missionary movement from the Majority World presents a unique opportunity for collaboration and partnership among churches themselves within this Region. Building a robust common ground for mission within this Region is crucial in order to leverage on the Region’s collective strength, contextual wisdom) and cultural proximity to reach diverse peoples with the gospel since many of the world’s least reached people are still found within these same Regions. Forging this common ground requires intentionality； a recognition of shared experiences and challenges； and a commitment to biblical principles that foster unity and shared vision.

II. BIBLICAL BASIS FOR UNITY AND SHARED MISSION

The contemporary global Christian landscape in the Majority World； despite its expansion, is often marked by fragmentation. Biblical unity is not merely an ethical ideal but a foundational theological imperative intrinsically linked to the eAicacy of global mission. The oneness of believers serves as a potent catalyst for the propagation of the gospel across diverse cultural and geographical contexts.

Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 provides a cornerstone for understanding this imperative. His fervent plea for his followers to be “one, just as you. Father, are in me” (John 17:21, ESV) reveals a unity mirroring the divine relationship. This unity； as Carson (1991) elucidates, transcends superficial agreement； representing a deep spiritual connection with the explicit purpose of enabling the world’s belief in Jesus* divine mission (p. 579). Conversely； division among Christians hinders this crucial witness, creating skepticism among non-believers (Beasley-Murray, 1999, p. 305). Jesus’ prayer extends this call for unity to all future believers (John 17:20), establishing its enduring and universal significance.

The early church, as depicted in the Book of Acts； oAers a compelling historical illustration of this principle in practice. Their unwavering devotion to core apostolic teachings； fellowship, the breaking of bread； and prayer (Acts 2:42) fostered a strong sense of community (Stott, 1990, p.71). Furthermore； their communal living and radical sharing of resources (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35) demonstrated a tangible expression of their deep spiritual connection and mutual care (Marshall) 1980, p. 88). This internal cohesion directly correlated with their outward witness, earning them favour with the people (Acts 2:47) and empowering their bold proclamation of the resurrection (Acts 4:32; Peterson, 200% p. 178).

Paul’s extensive metaphor of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 provides a crucial theological framework for understanding unity within diversity. With Christ as the head, believers are depicted as interdependent members； each possessing unique and vital contributions to the functioning of the whole (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). This analogy underscores that unity is not synonymous with uniformity but rather a harmonious and purposeful functioning under the Lordship of Christ. The emphasis on shared suAering and joy within the body (1 Corinthians 12:26) highlights the empathetic connection essential for fostering unity and eAectively engaging in mission, particularly amidst hardship and persecution. No single individual or local church can eAectively fulfil the global mission in isolation; collaboration and mutual support are indispensable.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 provides the explicit mandate for the Church’s global mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…r This universal call inherently necessitates a unified eAort that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. The sheer scope of the task demands a shared sense of responsibility among all believers, leveraging their diverse gifts and resources. Echoing the principle articulated in John 17, the eAectiveness and credibility of this disciple-making endeavour are significantly enhanced by the visible unity of those carrying it out (Bosch, 1991，p. 373). A fractured and divided witness undermines the power and authenticity of the gospel message.

Overcoming denominational, cultural； and theological divides； fostering genuine interdependence； and prioritising the unifying power of the Holy Spirit are not merely desirable ideals but practical necessities for a credible and impactful witness to the world；ultimately reflecting the very heart of Christ’s prayer for his followers.

III. QUALITIES FOR CULTIVATING COMMON GROUND WITHIN THE MAJORITY WORLD

Building a robust common ground among Majority World churches and mission practitioners requires the deliberate cultivation of specific relational and contextual qualities. This paper argues that identity and solidarity； contextual empathy, humility and reciprocity； intercultural sensitivity, and trust and transparency are foundational for fostering eAective and sustainable missional partnerships within the Majority World.

1. Shared Identity and Solidarity

A powerful basis for collaboration lies in the shared historical and socio-economic realities that often characterise the Majority World. The enduring legacy of colonialism, persistent economic disparities； and, in many instances, converging cultural values can foster a profound sense of solidarity and mutual understanding (Said, 1993). This shared identity transcends geographical boundaries； creating a powerful foundation for collaborative endeavours rooted in the acknowledgment of common challenges and shared aspirations in the pursuit of mission (Escobar； 2003). Recognizing this common heritage allows for a deeper level of empathy and a unified front in addressing systemic issues that impact missional outreach.

2. Contextual Empathy

An inherent strength within Majority World missional collaboration stems from a deep and nuanced understanding of local socio-cultural and spiritual landscapes. Churches originating from similar contexts often possess an intuitive contextual empathy, enabling them to navigate cultural intricacies and communicate the gospel with greater understanding； relevance, and eAectiveness than external partners might (Van Engen, 1991). This perspective from within local cultures allows for mission approaches that are organically rooted in the local worldview； fostering greater receptivity and minimising cultural missteps that can hinder the gospel message (Walls； 1996).

3. Humility and Reciprocity

As Majority World churches increasingly recognise their growing missional agency and capacity； approaching collaboration with humility is paramount (Bediako, 1995). Acknowledging the diverse strengths； experiences, and theological insights within the Majority World fosters an environment of mutual respect and learning. This necessitates a spirit of reciprocity, where churches actively engage in both giving and receiving support – be it theological resources； practical expertise； or financial aid – cultivating sustainable partnerships built on mutual benefit rather than hierarchical dependencies (Myers, 1999).

4. Intercultural Sensitivity

While shared histories and values can provide a foundation, it is crucial to acknowledge the significant cultural； linguistic； and theological diversity that exists within the Majority World itself (Sanneh； 1989). Cultivating a deep intercultural sensitivity within this diverse landscape is essential for eAective collaboration. This requires a conscious willingness to learn from one another’s unique contexts, understand diAering communication styles, and appreciate the varied expressions of Christian faith across the Global South (Luzbetak； 1988). Such sensitivity mitigates potential misunderstandings and fosters genuine cross-cultural partnerships within the Majority World.

5. Trust and Transparency

Building and sustaining trust across geographical and denominational lines within the Majority World necessitates deliberate and consistent eAort. Open communication, characterised by honesty and clarity, is fundamental. Transparency in resource sharing, ensuring accountability and mutual understanding in the utilisation of finances and personnel, is equally critical (Stackhouse，2007). Furthermore； a demonstrable commitment to mutual accountability； where partners hold each other responsible for agreed-upon goals and ethical conduct； reinforces the foundation of trust essential for long-term and impactful missional collaboration within the Majority World.

These qualities., rooted in mutual respect and a deep understanding of shared and diverse realities, are essential for fostering eAective, sustainable, and ultimately more impactful missional partnerships within the Majority World.

IV. PRIORITIES FOR MAJORITY WORLD MISSIONAL COLLABORATION

Several key priorities should guide the development of common ground among Majority World churches and mission practitioners:

1. Contextualised Theology and Practice

Sharing and developing theological frameworks and missional practices that are deeply rooted in Majority World contexts and address local realities is a significant advantage of collaboration within the Majority World.

2. Resource Sharing and Capacity Building

Pooling resources； both human and material, within the Majority World can empower churches with limited access to traditional Western mission structures. Collaborative capacity-building initiatives； such as joint training programmes； can strengthen local leadership and missional eAectiveness.

3. Addressing Shared Challenges

Collaborating on addressing common challenges such as poverty； disease； social injustice； and persecution from a shared cultural and theological perspective can lead to more eAective and relevant solutions.

4. Regional and Inter-Regional Mission Initiatives

It can be highly eAective to focus on reaching least reached peoples within and across Majority World regions； leveraging the cultural proximity and linguistic understanding of partner churches.

5. Strengthening Indigenous Leadership

Majority World collaboration can prioritise the empowerment and development of indigenous leaders within their own contexts, fostering sustainable and locally-led mission movements.

V. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

1. Immediate Actions

a. Facilitate Regional and Inter-Regional Mission Forums

Organise gatherings, conferences； and online platforms that bring together mission leaders and practitioners from diAerent Majority World countries to share experiences； build relationships； and explore potential partnerships.

b. Establish Mission Networks Within the Majority World

Create formal and informal networks focused on specific regions or missional priorities, enabling churches and organisations to connect, share resources, and coordinate efforts.

c. Promote Cross-Cultural Exposure and Learning

Encourage short-term mission exchanges and immersion experiences between Majority World churches to foster mutual understanding and appreciation for diverse contexts.

d. Develop Online Resource Hubs

Create digital platforms for sharing contextualised theological resources； missional best practices； and information about potential partnership opportunities within the Majority World.

2. Mid-Term Actions

a. Develop Joint Training and Capacity Building Programs

Collaborate on designing and delivering theological and missiological training programmes that are relevant to Majority World contexts and accessible to leaders from diAerent regions.

b. Establish Inter-Church Resource Sharing Mechanisms

Create transparent and accountable systems for churches and organisations within the Majority World to share financial resources； personnel, and expertise for mission initiatives.

c. Undertake Collaborative Research on Areas of Missional Needs

Partner on research projects to better understand the cultural； linguistic，and spiritual needs of least reached peoples within the Majority World, informing more eAective outreach strategies.

d. Support the Development of Indigenous Mission Sending Agencies

Encourage and resource the establishment and growth of mission sending agencies rooted within Majority World churches and led by indigenous leaders.

3. Long-Term Actions

a. Foster the Development of Contextualised Missiologies

Encourage theological reflection and the articulation of missiologies that emerge from and are relevant to the diverse contexts of the Majority World.

b. Establish Sustainable Partnership Frameworks

Develop long-term partnership agreements based on mutual respect； shared ownership, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

c. Promote Inter-Denominational and Inter-Faith Dialogue (where appropriate for mission

strategy): Facilitate dialogue and understanding between diAerent Christian denominations and, where strategically relevant and ethically sound, explore appropriate engagement with other

faith communities within the Majority World.

d. Celebrate and Share Success Stories

Actively document and disseminate stories of successful Majority World mission collaborations to inspire and encourage further partnership.

VI. CONCLUSIONS

This paper explored the growing interest in collaboration and partnership within the Majority World mission circles； driven by the region’s increasing missional dynamism and youthful churches. It submits that building common ground requires specific qualities: shared identity and solidarity rooted in colonial history and similar values; contextual empathy arising from inherent understanding; humility and reciprocity in partnerships; intercultural sensitivity within the Majority World’s diversity; and trust and transparency. Grounded in biblical principles of unity (John 17, Acts, 1 Corinthians 12) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28), the paper outlines immediate actions like regional forums and networks； mid-term strategies such as joint training and resource sharing, and long-term goals including contextualised missiologies and sustainable partnerships to strengthen impactful global witness.

—————————————————————————–

References

Beasley-Murray, G. R. (1999). The Gospel of John. Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 36. Thomas Nelson Publishers. Bediako, K. (1995).

Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Continent. Edinburgh University Press.

Bosch, D. J. (1991). Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books.

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel According to John. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Escobar, S. T. (2003). The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Two Worlds. InterVarsity Press.

Jenkins, P. (2002). The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford University Press.

Luzbetak, L. J. (1988). 1 The Church and Cultures: New Perspectives in Missiological Anthropology. Orbis Books.

Marshall, I. H. (1980). The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 5. InterVarsity Press.

Myers, B. L. (1999). Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. Orbis Books. Peterson, E. H. (2009).

The Acts of the Apostles. The Message Remix. NavPress.

Said, E. W. (1993). Culture and Imperialism. Alfred A. Knopf.

Sanneh, L. (1989). Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. Orbis Books.

Stackhouse, J. G., Jr. (2007). Making the Best of It: Following Jesus in the Real World. Oxford University Press. Stott, J. R. W. (1990). The Message of Acts: The Spirit, the Church & the World. InterVarsity Press.

Van Engen, C. (1991). God’s Missionary People: Rethinking the Purpose of the Church. Baker Book House. Walls, A. F. (1996). The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith. Orbis Books.

At the NCOWE (National Consultation on World Evangelization), the Korean church acknowledged this shortcoming, repented； and reaffirmed its commitment to honoring local churches. Above all, we renewed our conviction that mission must proceed as a partnership rooted in the leadership of local churches.

In response, many Global South mission leaders sought closer fellowship with the Korean church. This led to the Second Global South Mission Consultation (COALA: Christ Over Asia/Africa/Arab Latin), held in Bangkok in April 2024. Subsequent gatherings followed: COALA 2.5 in Busan, COALA 3.0 in Panama (April of 2025)，and now COALA 3.5 in Seoul, during the WEA General Assembly. At present； more than fourteen international mission networks are participating.

Leslie Newbigin described Western-centered mission as Christendom Mission. While it was once the most effective strategy of its time, Andrew Walls reminds us that its “expiration date” has now passed. Today, mission scholars agree that we live in a polycentric era of mission. As Western missions have declined, non-Western churches are now simultaneously sending missionaries around the world.

Missionaries, however, have an inherent limitation: they must one day leave the field. Outsiders, whether missionaries or sending churches； can never truly be the owners of the local church. I believe that in this era, the central actors in mission must be the local people themselves. Therefore, partnership with them in mission cannot be emphasized strongly enough.

There are compelling reasons why partnership mission is essential:
• Many non-Western churches face significant economic limitations.
• Missionaries, as outsiders, cannot assume ownership of local churches. Their role is temporary serving as partners who provide support in contexts where churches may lack sufficient capacity for a season.

On August 18； 2025； the leaders of Korea’s major denominations gathered and recommended that Korean missionaries on the field pursue partnership-based mission. Their exhortations were as follows:
1. Leave the leadership of ministry in the hands of the local church.
2. Focus on disciple-making (Matt. 28:19).
3. Pastoral leadership belongs to local believers； while missionaries should focus on evangelizing those outside the church.
4. Relate to the local church by invitation, serving as part of their fellowship.

The upcoming COALA 3.5 will provide non-Western churches, both those sending and those receiving missionaries, an opportunity to put these principles into practice: welcoming missionaries as partners in mission； under the leadership of the local church. This book contains a selection of presentations from the past three COALA gatherings. It is my sincere hope that it will serve as a valuable resource for leaders who long for healthy and faithful mission. Thank you.

“... Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand. Then we will be able to go and preach the good news in other places far beyond you…” (2 Corinthians 10:15, 16).  

The above-mentioned verses from 2 Corinthians, by the Apostle Paul written to the Corinthian church, were the foundation and prophetic words of God to Indian missions in the late '70s when the indigenous missions movement emerged and facilitated cross-cultural mission in India. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers in the churches in South India and Northeast India in this era resulted in a mission wave at a time when Global North mission work was closing in India. Since the 1980s, missions in India has grown exponentially throughout the country.  

Yet the world continues to change. And amid cultural, technological, geopolitical, and economic developments, it is now time to re-think and re-invent global missions. Today missions is everywhere, being done by everyone. In this context, the partnership of Global North and Global South needs another look, especially the involvement of Indians.  

According to Todd Johnson’s projection of global mission, only 18 percent of all Christians lived in the Global South in 1900, with 82 percent in the Global North. By 2020, two-thirds of all Christians were in the Global South, and only one third in the Global North. By 2050, the anticipation is 77 percent of all Christians will live in the Global South. Gina A. Zurlo asserted that Indians will play a significant role in global mission in this decade.

Missional Opportunities

India is bursting at its seams with a growing population of 1.43 billion, now the most populated country in the world. What was once considered a disadvantage is now seen as a strategic human resource asset and a potential market for the world economy.

According to the UNFPA 2023 report:  
- 25% of the Indian population will be in the 0–14 years bracket.  
- 18% of the Indian population will be in the 10–19 years bracket.  
- 26% of the Indian population will be in the 10–26 years bracket.  
- A little more than 50% of the Indian population are below the age of 26 years.  

India has the world’s largest youth cohort with 254 million in the 15–24 years bracket. Predominantly, 68% of the Indian population are within the 15–64 years bracket. Around 77 million are elderly people. The population of people aged above 60 years is increasing at a faster rate than the general population, which has doubled in only 25 years. 300 million middle-class Indians lie in the influential, educated, opinion-makers, global consumer sector. The rural population is moving to urban centers at an increasingly rapid rate. It is estimated that within the next two decades more than 50% of the Indian population will live in an urbanized context. Accelerated urbanization is already occurring in 310 plus cities. There are about 53,000 minority institutions (mostly Christian educational institutions) in India. These include accredited universities and colleges, polytechnics, junior colleges, and professional training institutes.  

Technology and knowledge management skills are also becoming more significant and progressing. India plays a significant role in tech manufacturing. It also retained the 40th position out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023, reflecting a remarkable journey from its 81st rank in 2015 to this notable achievement. In 2021, India had 34% of total global graduates in Science and Engineering courses.  

India has the largest English-speaking population in the world today. 77.7% of Indians are literate. Our film, television, radio, and print media reach out to almost every Indian in multiple languages. This is a big opportunity to inculcate gospel values, yet few Christians are involved in the secular media. Tentmakers are growing in the context of growing hostility to traditional missionary roles.  

Rethinking Missions

India’s current realities require rethinking missions both in the country and beyond. Today’s difficulties fill the minds of missions and church leaders in the ministry within the country. Yet, the prophetic words of Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo echo the significance of missions in the Global South and the strategic part that the Indian church and missions contributes to it.  

A new chapter is emerging in Indian missions. Dialogue between the Global North and South will help to shape it. According to David Ro:

“Asia is now participating in global missions. In the 20th century, despite numerous religious and political challenges, growing nationalism and persecution, societal turmoil through urbanization and globalization, and the influences of secularism and materialism, Christianity in Asia has nevertheless grown twice as fast as the population, representing 8.2% of the population of 4.5 billion people. The Asian church is preparing for the challenge of global missions in this next century.”  

The three leading countries—Korea, China, and India—are already positioned in the global scenario in every aspect of development. It is more than the differentiating between developed and developing, rich and poor, or the North and South poles.  

There are several areas in which we need to understand and build relationships with each other. We need more exposure to each other’s cultures, and greater appreciation and value for our dignity and service to one another. Sharing resources, expertise, and experiences through forums, consultations, workshops, research, work, and training is now glocal.  

Mission Possible in India: Global Mission

Dr. K. Rajendren defines a paradigm shift as a change in concepts and practices. The change in concepts affects the normal way of doing things until the new paradigm becomes the normal way. Subtly, slowly, and constantly there are many changes in society. He urges missions to move toward globalization.

According to Bijoy Koshy, globalization is about economic and cultural imperialism—creating a new economic order and cultural ethos for profit motives. It uses a policy of dividing the market and aims to dominate every segment by eliminating indigenous products and services. Christian missions has also had its share of division among denominational and doctrinal lines. How could ministry change when the process of global economic integration is happening at the cost of regional political and social disintegration? God is raising a new consciousness for the next generation of the missionary enterprise to respond to this. As we enter the new era of globalization, will India show to the world the shape of new frontiers in missions? Will our next generation of Christian leaders in India give shape to the post-modern missionary movement?  

In the global context of change and movements, migrants and diasporas are key players setting a missiological trend for global missions. According to John Amalraj, globalization is not limited to how the world influences and changes India but includes the other way, too. Indian immigrants have changed the texture and idiom of their host societies. It is said that Indians are all over the world—possibly in every country and nation. In fact, there are nearly 25 million Indians spread all over the globe. Indian communities control the politics and economies of several countries, forming the backbone of their health services, construction industry, computer industry, scientific research, retail industry, financial trade, agriculture, bureaucracy, food industry, and much more.  

Today the global Indian is often better educated and more skilled in intellectually competitive situations than members of other migrant communities. India is at the threshold of becoming a global player, and an economic, political, and, possibly, technological superpower. Yes, missions is possible for India in the global arena of reaching peoples of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And we need to send out Indian Christians as bearers of the good news not just within India but also beyond India. According to Dr. Yamamori, “65% of the world’s people live in countries that either partly or fully restrict traditional missionary approaches… and by the year 2000, between 83% and 84% of all those people who have yet to make a decision to follow Christ.” But these countries are open for professionals, businesspeople, and students. An Indian tentmaker seeking employment, business, and study opportunities can enter these countries and serve these isolated and hidden people groups, incarnating Christ and sharing the good news with them. As the Western church faces decreasing missions participation, Macedonian calls for Indian Christians come from every part of the world.

Global Church and Global Mission

Enhancing partnerships globally can enable Indian missions as well as local indigenous missions everywhere in the world to participate more fully in global mission. This is not about dividing the Global North and Global South, but facilitating partnerships for a global mission that takes the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the world.

Every part of the global church needs to prepare for global participation in Missio Dei beyond their own regions. That begins with observing, understanding, and appreciating the background and the culture of others. It can involve studying global cultural and geopolitical environments, and learning to be sensitive to community issues and needs in different nations. It also means being open to the way people in different places do missions and follow the Spirit of God. True partnership in global mission between the Global North and Global South will require making room for one another in communication, ideology, research, and missiology.  

Re-Thinking Missiology

The post-modern world is enhanced with technological innovations and new economic patterns. This is moving us beyond the colonial understanding of the poles (Global North and Global South), languages, and strategies.

Lalsangkima Pachuau explains: “The early Western missionary movement aimed foremost at the saving of souls from eternal damnation. Mission as expansion of Christendom through conversion and church growth was a dominant view during the Western colonial period. Then came the concept of Missio Dei, in which Christian mission was understood as Christian participation in God’s mission. But this was too broad: ‘If everything is mission, nothing is mission.’” Instead, he proposes using “witness across religious boundaries” as the defining principle of mission and as the integrating principle of missiology.  

Charles E. Van Engen takes this further. He says, “Mission is constantly innovating. As contexts change, so, too, does the work of the church. Today, in the face of a rapidly changing world and a growing global church, the task of mission must continue to innovate in unexpected ways.”  

Now is the time to re-think missions from a new theological perspective. Global North and Global South can share and appropriate strategies from each other. But to do that, deep learning and formation must occur to develop a reinvented global missiology.  

This begins with examining the biblical principles of Missio Dei as they are understood across cultures. We must study indigenous mission and people group movements and their impact on cultures, faith, and nation building. Finally, investment in global mission collaboration across cultures and regions should be prioritized.  

Potentials and Possibilities to promote Global Missions

India is one of the largest Christian nations in the world in terms of population. As the youngest country positioned uniquely and strategically with well-equipped medical personnel, IT specialists, and educators, the following are a few avenues to engage Beyond the Boundaries.

Potentials

1) India has more mission agencies than many of the other Asian countries.
2) India has more human resources than other Asian countries.
3) India has already contributed great minds/intellectuals and mission leaders for the welfare of World Mission and World Economy.
4) India has more than enough financial resources than many other countries in the world.
5) Indians have the capacity and capability to adapt well in any part of the world when they involve in cross-cultural mission.
6) Indians have better understanding of cross-cultural missions as they are already living in a cross-cultural context (India itself is a country of countries in terms of culture and language).

Possibilities

a. Promoting Global Missions in Indian/Asian Churches must begin with mobilization of Seminaries and Theological Institutions in their contexts. If the Seminaries and Theological institutions fail to understand their role of producing missional pastors and future missionaries, churches will fail in their understanding and participation in mission locally and globally. Missions in Theological Institutions must be taught by theologians who have personal missional experience and missionaries who served on mission fields. Then they will be able to influence students in seminaries and theological institutions.

b. Our Church and Mission need to make sure that they are first in touch with World missions. We need to first believe in the needs of the Global mission harvest fields and then only they can challenge their congregation members regarding those needs. We can consider sending their members/missionaries to reach out to the Indian Diaspora scattered in huge numbers around the world through the existing international mission organizations. We can motivate, equip, and send their students to countries which have less access to the Gospel in order to use their academic platform to bring the Gospel to those who are living and dying without Christ.

c. Identify and motivate Indian entrepreneurs and businessmen to enter countries where the Gospel has not reached to use their business platforms to bring the Gospel to those who do not know Christ.

d. Send Indian academicians intentionally to serve as their ambassadors of the Gospel in Global Mission.

e. Invite International Mission Agency Leaders who are sending missionaries to different parts of the world to expose Indian churches to the opportunities in global mission. Develop partnership with Global Mission Organizations in participating in World Evangelization. Globalization made communication, cultural understanding and connective points easier to think beyond the boundaries. Indians are spread in many other countries. Diaspora ministry can be initiated.

f. Lack of awareness among the young professionals to serve in the other countries as Tentmakers, Marketplace Evangelists, and Professionals in partnership. So we can present the need, guide them to the right place, and link them with local partners.

g. More collaboration among Indian Mission Agencies will bring synergy to common avenues of ministry possibilities. Partnership will strengthen the Member Care, Monitoring and Evaluation.

h. An intentional collective effort to bring awareness in mobilizing people in the churches to send people outside their countries. Special training can be given to the people as Kingdom Builders in their workplace as salt and light in the global context. We need to pray, promote and persevere that God will raise up many more mature and dedicated missionaries for the work among the various groups of people both within and outside our country.

Conclusion

Indian missions is now positioning in a global context for a wider, meaningful and strategic partnership to move beyond their regions. The recent Global Mission Summit facilitated by India Missions Association is a clear indication of this new missional movement in Indian Missions. New global, missiological partnerships can only emerge in a context of open minds and hearts to respect, accept, accommodate, and work with multiculture, multilingual, multisocial (communities), multinational, multigenerational and multidenominational towards fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ to the ends of the world (Acts 1:8). It is time for us to re-unite as peers for this global mission. This interdependence with God and by the empowerment of the Spirit of God will transform us towards the effective God-driven engagement in the mission of God in our generation even beyond our regions.

/ Isac Soundararaja, PhD (generalsecretary@imaindia.org), serves with the India Missions Association as the Secretary General. He became a Christian when he was 19 years old. He has had various responsibilities in missions in India, including serving as specialized faculty in cross-cultural communication, facilitating non-formal theological training for rural church planters, and working in member care initiatives. He is basically a researcher initiating various studies among the ethnic communities in India.

1. A biblical view of Muslims

The utmost desire of God’s heart is for “all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). It is important for all, as members of the body of Christ, to take God’s calling on their lives seriously, to obey wholeheartedly, and to strive to accomplish the tasks He assigns: calling people to repentance; leading them to walk the narrow path that leads from darkness to light, from death to life. In short, the Lord’s ultimate purpose for His church appertains to bringing people to salvation and to the knowledge of the truth. God’s heart for people is reiterated in 2 Peter 3:9: “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This has been His will from the beginning and throughout the ages, expressed through His miraculous works and the proclamation of His word through prophets and the Scriptures. As one considers God’s heart of love for mankind, it is also important to bear in mind that He created us for His glory and pleasure. As Millard Erickson states: He has provided the means of salvation in order to fulfill His love for mankind and His concern for their welfare. This, however, is not an ultimate end, but only a means to the greater end: God’s own glory. We must bear in mind that God is truly the Lord. We exist for His sake, for His glory and pleasure, rather than He for ours.  

Throughout the Scriptures we read of God’s love and mercy toward mankind. Pertinent to this thesis is the book of Jonah. Citing Desmond Alexander:

For Augustine, Luther and many modern writers, the narrative emphasizes the missionary concern of God, whose love and mercy was not limited to the Jews. Through Jonah, God not only rebukes those who would confine His saving grace to the Jewish people, but He also forcefully demonstrates His real interest in the salvation of ignorant, sinful pagans.

Jonah’s heart for the people of Nineveh can be compared to that of Palestinian Christian-background believers for their Muslim neighbors. As detailed in the first chapter, with a history of pain, suffering, and anger caused by invasions, oppression, persecution, and atrocities inflicted by Muslims through the centuries, Palestinian Christians have been reluctant to usher them into the Kingdom of God. With a view to the historical background of Jonah, the Israelites had suffered the devastation of warfare, the occupation of a foreign ruler, and captivity. Concerning Nineveh, Desmond Alexander notes in his commentary:

Why should Jonah object so vehemently to Nineveh?… The most obvious response would be that Nineveh, as capital of the Assyrian Empire, was responsible for the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Ki 17:1-23). This explains Jonah’s antipathy for Nineveh.

Yet, it was to the inhabitants of Nineveh that God sent him to proclaim His message of truth; to admonish those who refused to obey His commandments; to warn of divine judgment; and to call people to repentance. Jonah tried to flee from God and the task entrusted to him, but he could not escape and eventually proclaimed the message God had given him, albeit reluctantly.

In the first chapter of Jonah we read that rather than going to Nineveh as God commanded, Jonah boards a ship sailing to Tarshish. When God causes a violent storm, Jonah is cast into the sea and is swallowed by a great fish. In the second chapter Jonah cries out to God from the belly of the fish and repents. Then in the third chapter, he obeys God and prophesies to the people of Nineveh of God’s impending judgment. With the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit, even among the heathen, the people of Nineveh do repent of their evil ways and are spared from the judgment of God. God rejoices when any person repents and turns to Him; yet Jonah did not rejoice when the people of Nineveh repented. Instead, he was angry and displeased, expecting them to suffer judgment and punishment rather than experience God’s mercy and compassion. Jonah’s attempt to flee from God’s call, and his anger over the repentance of the Ninevites, reveals his attitude of resentment against them. His heart does not reflect the heart of God for all, whether righteous or sinful, rich or poor, or, as pertains to the Holy Land of today, Christian or Muslim. As Jonah learns that God has compassion not only for His own people, the Jews, but also the Ninevites, so Palestinian Christians must also realize that God’s compassion is not only for their people, those of Christian background, but also for the Muslims.

As the prophet exclaims in Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” When Jonah repented and prayed, God extended mercy to Jonah, protecting him in the belly of the great fish, saving his life and giving him a second chance to obey and proclaim His message in Nineveh. Jonah 1:2 speaks of the wickedness of Nineveh, and Nahum 3:1-2 refers to it as a “city of blood.” Nineveh was on the brink of destruction; God intended to annihilate Nineveh as He had Sodom and Gomorrah, angered by their iniquity. As a prophet, Jonah knew that the Ninevites deserved judgment; yet deep in his soul he also believed that God was a God of love, mercy, and compassion. Alexander makes this observation in his commentary on the book of Jonah: “The relationship between justice and mercy is clearly an important theme in Jonah.” This was a dilemma for Jonah and he questioned God’s decision to spare Nineveh.

The issue that Jonah wrestled with could also be that of prejudice; the perception that God was exclusively for His own people and against others he deemed unworthy. This was the attitude that Peter had toward Gentiles, an attitude that God dealt with in Acts 10:9 – 11:18. Through a vision God asked Peter to eat what he believed to be unclean, but God told him not to call anything impure that He had made clean. Jewish law forbade the eating of ‘unclean’ food, and also association with Gentiles. As Howard Marshall comments:

From what Peter says it emerges that he interpreted his vision, which dealt with regarding certain foods as ‘common or unclean’, as a means of teaching him also not to regard any man as common or unclean. He had come to realize that Jewish scruples were now countermanded by God.

God confronted Peter’s belief that only the Jews were worthy to receive the gospel of salvation and taught him that salvation was for the Gentiles as well. “Peter expresses his realization that God will accept anybody of any race who reverences Him and lives righteously. God is no respecter of persons.” Just as Peter needed divine intervention to accept Gentiles, so Jonah did to accept the mission he had been given—to proclaim God’s message to the inhabitants of Nineveh.

Jonah fled from God, unwilling to go to Nineveh, to an evil people he considered as unworthy. In the fourth chapter, even when he ultimately obeyed God and witnessed their response of repentance, Jonah was angry at God’s compassion. God then used a vine to teach Jonah an important lesson. As Jonah sat near the city to see what would happen, he made a shelter for himself and God provided a vine to give him shade from the sun. The next day, though, the vine withered and died; Jonah was angry. God spoke to him, reminding him that he had no right to be more concerned about a vine that he had not planted or tended, than the more than one hundred and twenty thousand people of Nineveh. God revealed to Jonah His heart of love and compassion for the people of Nineveh. Furthermore, “Jonah is forced to acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God.”

The applications drawn from the examples of Jonah and Peter speak clearly to the evangelical church of the Holy Land. God loves all people, desiring to extend His mercy and compassion to all who would repent. Salvation is inclusive, not exclusive. “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28). It follows, then, that the biblical view of Muslims is that of a people loved by God, called to repentance and knowledge of the truth, that they might be saved.

2. The worldview of the Palestinian Muslim

The Muslim looks at life and understands history in a different way than the Christian. For the Christian, history begins with Adam, as recorded in the Old Testament. Jesus, God Incarnate, enters history as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets; through His life, death, and resurrection establishes the church in Jerusalem; and then commissions the church to spread the gospel throughout the entire world until His return, the climax of history. For the Muslim, though, history begins with Muhammad; Islamic theologians teach that through a succession of prophets, culminating with Muhammad, God reveals Himself to mankind: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, David, Jesus, and finally, Muhammad. God will bring the world to an end at the Day of Judgment. Muslims believe the biblical prophets to be Muslim as the Quran is the final and correct revelation of God, and God’s mandate is for all to be Muslim. For both Christian and Muslim, their theological understanding of history shapes their mentality and worldview.

An understanding of the ancient history of the Holy Land is also relevant to worldview, and thus to ministry among Palestinian Muslims in modern times. Looking back to biblical history at the time of Jesus, the vast Roman Empire stretched from Spain to Iraq and from northern Africa to Britain, and was centered in Rome. Therefore, during the time of Jesus, the Jews lived under the occupation of a pagan authority. Following Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension, His followers spread Christianity during the 1st century AD throughout the known world and even penetrated the city of Rome. During the 2nd century AD, when Jewish patriots revolted against the rule of Rome, the Roman army crushed the opposition, destroyed Jerusalem, exiled the Jewish inhabitants, and the emperor, Hadrian, renamed the land Palaestina in an attempt to erase the Jewish name (Judea) and identity of the land. Later, the Roman name became Palestine in the English language.

Christians were persecuted under a succession of ruthless Roman emperors, but the seed of the gospel bore fruit and Christianity continued to spread. Finally, in 313 AD, “Constantine’s assumption of power as sole ruler of the Roman empire wrought a transformation to the status of Christianity. No longer was it an outlawed and persecuted faith; in fact, it would soon become the Empire’s official religion.” From that time Palestine became entirely “Christian” as impressive churches and buildings were erected, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, by order of the emperor, Constantine, and under the auspices of his mother, Helena. Pilgrimages to these sites began in the 4th century and continue to the present time. During this golden age of prosperity, security, and culture, Christianity spread and flourished politically. The Jewish presence in the church diminished, while great numbers of pagans converted to Christianity.  

“By the 5th century, Jerusalem’s official status within the church hierarchy was also enhanced. Coinciding with the appointment of the city’s bishop, Juvenal, as patriarch, Jerusalem was made a patriarchate, joining Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria.”  

Palestine was influenced by Hellenistic and Byzantine traditions, and except for a brief period of Persian rule, was governed by the Byzantine empire until it was defeated in 638 AD by the Muslim Arabs as Islam spread from Arabia. Jerusalem was revered by Muslims because of the story of Muhammad’s miraculous night journey to Jerusalem (Al-Aqsa), and after four months of battle between the Byzantine Christian and Muslim Arab armies, Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem proposed a peace treaty with Caliph Omar, the Muslim leader. From that time Palestine became part of the Islamic empire.

This was not an easy period for the Palestinian Christians who were not of Arab descent. They were ethnic Christians of the Greek, Byzantine, and Roman empires, influenced by these cultures; Greek was the common language at that time. Now there were two conflicting cultures; one culture dominated the other by force and imposed a foreign language and religion. Most of the Christian inhabitants of Palestine were forced to convert to Islam, but the Christians of Jerusalem were an exception; according to the Jerusalem treaty, Christians of Jerusalem were not forced to convert. The treaty (which still exists at the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem) states:

This is what was given by the Ameer il Mumeneen (the prince of the believers; Omar) for the residents of Jerusalem (also called Iyelya by them). He gave them peace and security for themselves including their money, their churches, and their crosses. Their churches will not be destroyed, nor dwelt in by Muslims. Their crosses will remain and they will not be forced to convert to Islam. Also none of the Jews should live with them.

After two years, Sophronius died and: a little over a half century later the Umayyad Caliph Abdil Malik erected the first, and forever the most beautiful, of Islamic shrines, the Dome of the Rock… It was a supreme monument of Arabization, a moment of climax in the unfolding of history.

As one Islamic dynasty followed another, Christians were treated with varying degrees of tolerance, and over the next three hundred years life improved as they became “Arabized” and compliant to the authorities. The churches, for the most part Orthodox under the Constantinople Patriarchate, kept their traditions through a separate “status quo” agreement. When the Seljuks (of the nomadic tribes of Turkestan near Turkey) converted to Islam, though, they mobilized their army toward Syria and Palestine with overwhelming power, and proved to be an “enemy that had no mercy.” One of the strongest Sultans, Jalal al-Din (also called Shah), took over all of Palestine in 1072. Shah was known to be “fierce and powerful.” The political powers of the world changed as several “Christian” countries of Europe became stronger, and ordered by the Catholic Church, a holy war was declared to liberate Jerusalem. On July 15, 1099, Jerusalem was taken by the Crusaders after a siege of five weeks. The victors massacred the inhabitants of the city, both Muslims and Jews, without mercy. After 460 years of Islamic rule the Crusaders restored Christian rule, and the city was declared as capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The city’s population underwent a significant change. Western culture now took center stage, with French the day-to-day language and Latin the language of prayer. European and Eastern Christians replaced the Jewish and Muslim inhabitants, and Jerusalem once more assumed a Christian character, as Christian traditions were renewed and churches and monasteries rebuilt. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the prime destination of the Crusaders, was magnificently restored in stone, in Romanesque fashion.

The Crusaders built a palace for the Patriarch of Jerusalem who became a Catholic, and the Christians took over the Islamic Dome of the Rock, making it a Christian shrine. A group of monastic knights resided there and controlled it. The Crusaders ruled Jerusalem for almost 90 years, influencing worldviews and attitudes of almost three generations. Their influence extended to language, ethnic norms, religious practice, and understanding between east and west. However, resentment also ran deep within oppressed Muslims and Jews.

The Muslims did not lose their desire to return Palestine to Islamic rule, and in the second Crusade the Europeans faced Saladin (Salah al-Din) in battle in July 1187. Saladin, originally from Tikrit in Iraq, lived and studied in Baalbak, Lebanon before going with his uncle, Asad al-Din, to Egypt. In Egypt, Saladin led several victorious wars against the Crusaders and due to his success, he was sent to Palestine. Saladin’s initial battle took place in Hattin near the Sea of Galilee. It was an ambitious advance for the Muslim army and their victory returned Acre, Nazareth, Caesarea, Haifa, and Nablus to Islamic control. Saladin’s brother (prince of Egypt) sent another army from Egypt and waged a fierce battle against the Crusaders, recovering Majdel, Jaffa, and Ashkelon. They met together as they marched toward Jerusalem, and after besieging Jerusalem, the city surrendered. “Saladin entered Jerusalem in October 1187; he took it and ruled there.” Saladin treated his enemies differently than those who preceded him. He was comparatively kind and just. Frequently following the example of Caliph Omar (638 AD), he treated the Arab Christians well and gave special consideration to peaceful foreign clergymen.

In 1260 the Mamluk rulers of Egypt conquered Palestine. While “Mamluk Jerusalem” held prime religious importance, politically it was insignificant. The Mamluks were soldiers who had been brought to Egypt as property of the ruler from the Central Asian steppes. Since they had been brought into the fold of Islam, they felt a deep commitment to that religion. This was reflected in intensive building in Jerusalem, which has left its mark on the Old City to this day, particularly around the Temple Mount. The worldview of Palestinian Muslims is shaped by both theology and history as is that of Palestinian Christians. As summarized above, 1300 years of intense religious and political conflict in the Holy Land involving Jews, Christians and Muslims, have left indelible scars. Understanding these influences on culture and society, mentality and worldview are relevant to ministry in Palestine today. Understanding the concept of mission is vital for the growth of the evangelical church in the Holy Land.  

3. Missiological Issues

1) Implications of the Missio Dei for the Palestinian church

The Palestinian church is called to carry the message of the gospel to the Palestinian people, both near and far. In order to fulfill that calling, the church must understand it well in all its dimensions, and also know intimately the one who sends us, God Himself. God’s general calling upon our lives is to go and take the gospel message to the entire world as Christ's ambassadors, calling people to repent and to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Thus, with His Spirit and the gospel message, we are enabled to accomplish what He has called us to do. It is important to understand the key elements of the church’s mission in order to carry it out effectively.

2) The theology of mission

The theology of mission refers to the study of the core meaning of the mission: its purpose, motivation, and origin. The words of the phrase “theology of mission” are significant. “Theology,” according to etymologists, means “a treatise, doctrine, or theory” regarding “the science of divine things.” “Mission” implies a compelling divine commission, including the facets of sending and going with a central purpose.

It is noteworthy that, according to Weiss, “Theology is not primarily concerned with tenets that merely receive mental assent, but with truths that reach into the heart and affect the life. Any treatise or portion of theology that fails to do this is of little practical value.” Any biblical theology of mission must deeply affect our personal lives.

A “missionary,” therefore, is one who is sent with a message. Johnstone defines this word well: “This word, missionary, of Latin derivation, has the same basic meaning as the wider use of the term ‘apostle’ in the New Testament, which is derived from Greek. The Christian missionary is one commissioned by God and a local church to evangelize, plant churches, and disciple people away from his home area, and often among people of a different race, culture, or language."

Modern usage is rather different. We now use this term for all those who are sent across cultural barriers for Christian service of any kind, even though they may not necessarily be apostles in the biblical sense. In recent terminology, “missionary” often refers to a Christian believer who is committed to carrying the message of the gospel to other people. The Christian mission also derives its understanding and meaning from its originator and commissioner, God Himself; God, by His nature, is a missionary God. God’s purpose and activity in what He has done and what He is doing is missionary. If the goal of the divine mission is to carry the message of eternal salvation, and accomplish the purposes of God throughout the nations of the earth, the missionary participates in what God is doing. God, in His triune nature, shares this mission. This is what we call the Missio Dei.

3) The Missio Dei

The Latin term Missio Dei means the “mission of God.” God, in His character and nature, is missionary. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit act together in unity to bring the mission to its completion. Since the fall of man, God has been choosing and sending people with His special message. One example is Abraham and his call to be a blessing to the nations. Abraham yielded his life to the will of God and left his home for unknown lands to obey God’s call. There are other people and prophets in the Old Testament who also carried the message of God to people near and far. New Testament examples include the Lord Jesus Himself and the apostle Paul.

These examples, and many others, help clarify for us God’s nature and purpose. Through them we begin to understand His purposes and destiny for the nations of the world. The mission of God began in the heart of the Father. Through His Spirit, God sent persons equipped with His word, as recorded in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus says in Acts 1:8, “For you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto all the earth.” Jesus the Son took upon Himself the mission of God as His very own. His coming from heaven made Him the greatest missionary ever to walk the earth. Jesus fulfilled the plan of God for the salvation of mankind throughout history.

Christian mission gives expression to the dynamic relationship between God and the world, particularly as this was portrayed first, in the story of the covenant people of Israel and then, supremely, in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus of Nazareth. A teleological foundation for missions… is only possible if we continually refer back to the ground of our faith: God’s self-communication in Jesus Christ.  

We need to understand that missions itself throughout history is a divine activity. It is God working in the midst of history through His triune presence within the people of God revealed as the Church. All the emphasis of missions should be on “what God does. God is busy with the nations. Mission is God’s work.”

Reading through the Scriptures book by book, one sees how much God interacts and works among His people; the Father is at work, the Son is at work, and the Holy Spirit is at work. In the very nature of God there is mission. In the present dispensation mission is the divine nature. There is a missionary mandate within God’s nature.

This He has done by His mighty acts; through the Law; through oracles delivered by the prophets; through dreams, nature, miracles, writings; but supremely through Jesus Christ. While God has not revealed Himself fully, the remarkable fact is that He has revealed so much. He is clearly a God who desires to be known. This alone is a significant missionary impetus.

The comprehensive nature of this study may take a long time to acquire and understand, but this is the task of theology. Theology seeks to understand God more and thus His mission. Mission, then, begins and ends with the nature of God. Mission springs from God’s grace and loving nature. Mission is God’s mandate, God’s plan, God’s provision, God’s power, and God’s intent.  

The Biblical teachings on the nature of God inform and inspire all believers to missionary efforts. We go because He loves all humans; we witness because He calls the lost; we succeed because of His power. This is His mission in which He graciously allows us to participate.  

God desires all people to come to Him. Following Jesus’ exaltation and the coming of the Holy Spirit, He has chosen to work through the people He has chosen as His elect, responsive people of the earth to be a praise unto Him. God has entrusted the success of His mission to this elect group of people, known as the universal church.

4) The Church

God has chosen the church to carry the message of salvation to all the people of the earth in each generation. Thus, He has chosen us and is working through us in our generation. Jesus Himself is empowering the church with His Spirit to be a genuine witness concerning His salvation (Acts 1:8). He has elected the church to be a “kingdom of priests”. 1 Peter 2:9 speaks of “the goodness of Him who saved them by His blood and brought them out of darkness into light”. The church is, as Bosch puts it, “the mystery of God’s presence in the world… The church is not presenting itself imperiously and proudly, but humbly; it does not define itself in legal categories, or as an elite of exalted souls, but as a servant community.”

Like God, by its very nature the church is missionary. The church is indelibly stamped with missions by the creator, savior, and founder of the faith. The church was created and sent by God to do what He does. To fulfill her purpose, the church must do what He does and what she is called to do by Him. We in ministry tend to think that the church is the sending body; but actually it is God who sends missionaries, and as a whole, the church is sent into the world by Him. Therefore, being involved in missions should be natural for the church. God initiates missions by revealing Himself to people and saving them for His glory. Involvement in missions is natural to Him: The church is imparted with His nature and character too. “Since God is a missionary God, God’s people are a missionary people… it’s impossible to talk about the church without talking about its mission.” The church does not participate in missions merely because God commands it; for although He did indeed command the church to go into the entire world and reach all nations for His sake, the church goes into the world because of His very presence within the church on earth. The Holy Spirit within the church is intent on introducing people to their Creator and Savior. Thus, the church not only should, but must willingly offer to all people the knowledge of God. As the church knows her Savior, so she calls out to make Him known. By proclaiming Christ, we offer to all people the possibility of understanding what God is doing in history. By its witness in word and deed and common life, the Church makes witness to the work of Jesus and His salvation.

The word “church” derives from the Greek word ekklesia meaning “to come apart”. In the New Testament, it is a body of believers set apart by baptism and the profession of Jesus as Savior and Lord. Once saved, these early believers instinctively took the message they received and began telling others. They were visible to other people. They gathered in communities. They formed a fellowship marked by love and humility. The church bears witness not only in what is said, but also in what is done. Her social concern bears witness to her divine reality and God’s love to the entire world. This is her calling and her mission; bearing witness to the salvation of God and living for His glory. Her life and activity is derived from her existence. The church “exists by mission just as fire exists by its burning.”

Finally, on this topic I would quote Terry, Smith and Anderson:

The missionary purpose of God’s people is inextricably entwined with the nature of New Testament churches. That purpose admits of no abstract understanding of the Church. It’s expressed in tangible terms in the metaphors of People of God, Body of Christ, and Temple of the Holy Spirit. The missionary purpose of the Church is God’s redemptive activity on earth. The Church participates in that divine activity through evangelism, discipleship, worship, and social ministry. Each of these activities forms part of the mission of the Church, which is then expressed in the actions of missions by the churches. Furthermore, we have endeavored to describe the missionary purpose of the People of God in terms of its foundation (God), nature (cultural and evangelistic mandates, with priority on the latter), motives (glory, redemption, wisdom), and calling/responsibility (evangelization of the lost, edification of believers and establishment of New Testament churches). God indeed has written His mission into the Great Commission which He gave to His people through His Son Jesus Christ. The Church is a people charged with a marvelous privilege and a grave responsibility. If world evangelization is to be accomplished in our generation, we must renew our commitment to the divine purpose, rededicate ourselves to the redemptive task, and intensify our efforts to fulfill the Great Commission.

Jesus commanded His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20). Jesus’ command is simple and clear. He has not only made it plain as to what His followers were to do, but He has provided the Holy Spirit to enable His chosen to carry out His instructions. The church, as well as being set apart and sent out as missionaries, should be motivated, not by a desire to make an impact on society, but by obedience to God’s Word and a desire to please Him, who lives within them. The church is called to reach the lost for Christ and His glory. As Jesus says to His disciples in Mark 16:15: “go into all the world •••” This is our mandate: to go to the nations of the world to preach the good news of the Kingdom. The good news is about Jesus who came to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

The church was enjoined to be active in going into the whole world to be a witness to the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). It was a challenging concept for the disciples of the early church to realize; the message was not only for them, but also for the entire world. It took them some time to comprehend that the gospel was not reserved for the Jewish people alone, but included the nations (Gentiles) as well. When they did, though, the early church eagerly proclaimed the good news to all. It is naive to assume that this mission was easy; there were many challenges before them. There was the challenge of antagonistic Jewish leaders who had endorsed Jesus’ crucifixion. There was the challenge of the native Samaritan communities who were enemies to the Jews. There was the challenge of the foreign Roman occupation. There were also various challenges to face from elements within the Roman culture. God’s challenge to us is: to look beyond our immediate surroundings and acquaintances and to see the whole world as our field of labor. It is a tremendous challenge because such an undertaking requires great resources and lays upon the Christian enormous responsibilities from which the flesh naturally recoils. In working with the Palestinian people there are various and difficult challenges to face; there is no easy road in missions.

4. Ecclesiological Issues

1) Why the church needs to work among Muslims

Christianity is only one of many religions in the world. People may be instinctively religious, but may not have heard the message of the gospel. Jesus sends His church into the world as His missionaries. Believers are called to go first to their own people and nations, and thus the Palestinian church is called to reach Palestinians. Since Islam is the major religion of the Palestinians, it follows that the Palestinian church must work among Muslims, reaching out to the adherents of Islam, not the religion itself. A common Arabic saying, “Let everyone follow his own religion and may God help him!” accepts that all religions are good and one should not interfere with another. Prominent leaders of the traditional churches in the Holy Land say openly that Islam, Judaism and Christianity are all heavenly religions. Is this pluralistic attitude correct? Is Christianity unique? Merely as a ceremonial religion it may not be, but Jesus claims to be the truth and the only way to the Father (John 14:6).

Christianity is presented to the world in a number of ways. Traditional and mainline churches usually hold an inclusive theology, one that subscribes to universalism: all ways lead to God; there is not just one way, but all religions offer salvation; everyone believes in the same God, even though one may describe Him in different terms. Evangelicals, however, are more likely to hold an exclusive theology that boldly adheres to the truth that the Bible is the only authoritative word of God, and that Jesus is God Incarnate. Jesus is acknowledged as the only way, truth and life. To paraphrase John 3:36, in Jesus alone is there life for all; without Him there is no life, but only eternal condemnation.

Devout Muslims believe that Islam supersedes Christianity, and their faith in Islam is unquestionable. Although Jesus is revered as a prophet, Islam sees a chronological succession of prophets: Adam, Abraham, Moses, Isa (Jesus), and Mohammed, the last of the prophets. Hence, over the past fourteen centuries Muslims have had a very different understanding of the biblical Christ. Reaching Palestinian Muslims with the gospel of Jesus is a great challenge, but God has placed Palestinian Christians who speak the same language to live among them. Thus, the Christians of the Palestinian church are more than qualified to be the missionaries to reach out to the Palestinian Muslims.

2) How the church may need to change to be prepared to welcome Muslims into their fellowships

It is not enough for Palestinian Christians to share the gospel with Palestinian Muslims; Palestinian evangelical churches must also be prepared to receive new believers from Muslim backgrounds into their congregations. It is essential for new Muslim converts to be discipled and to be part of a church family. The experience of a young woman, a believer from a Muslim background known by the author, proves that the Palestinian church is not yet prepared to embrace them. Her letter to Palestinian evangelical Christian leaders speaks very clearly of the need for change:

After becoming a believer in Jesus, she studied at a Christian institution in Bethlehem and lived in residence there. In this setting she lived among Christians—the majority were believers from Christian backgrounds. Ironically, she suffered because of her Muslim background, and along with the few other students who were also believers from a Muslim background, shed many tears. Although she was an excellent student, she was not accepted as equal to the students of Christian background. In discussions with one of her teachers, also a local pastor, she was wounded by comments questioning the sincerity of her faith, and even her right to be called a follower of Jesus. Living in residence was also painful when the managers regarded her with suspicion, doubting that anyone from a Muslim background could be a genuine believer. They assumed that such people were traitors and liars. She found it incomprehensible that Christians who worked for a Christian organization, and even evangelized among Muslims, actually thought that Muslims who come to faith are not faithful and are only interested in personal gain. She emphasizes in her letter that she did not choose to be born into a Muslim family and culture and cannot be held responsible for her background, yet she embraces what God has done for her and His plan for her to worship and follow Him. Further, she challenges Christian-background believers to consider the high personal cost for a Muslim to follow Christ: they suffer the rejection of their families and even their lives can be threatened. She writes that she longs to share her faith with family members, but would not want them to be treated by Christians as she experienced. She concludes with the poignant question to Christians: What is our future with you? How long will it be before you accept us?

In addition to this first-hand account, Roland Miller writes in Muslims and the Gospel of the need for Christian churches to be supportive of new converts of Muslim background. Although Miller refers to churches in general, and this volume is not written in the context of the Holy Land, he does address issues applicable to Palestinian evangelical churches. The following quote expresses well how the church may need to change to welcome Muslim converts: “For the relationship to work well, there must be a second conversion—a conversion to each other. It all comes back to the church.” He elaborates that since believers are the church, according to the Scriptures, the matter is one of mutual relationships within the family of believers.

For a church to be supportive, Miller identifies four problem areas to address as common among new believers of Muslim background: “loneliness, insecurity, economic deprivation, and inadequate grounding in the faith.” As noted in chapter 1, in Islam, every Muslim belongs not only to their nuclear and extended family, but to the umma, the community of Islam, where one finds security and identity. If a Muslim chooses to follow Christ, that person is excluded from the family of Islam, and is therefore in a very lonely and insecure place. The church, then, must provide genuine friendship and be a substitute family for new Muslim converts. To that end, Roland Miller suggests biblical teaching to help the congregation develop a greater awareness of the concept of family love, and to extend it to those outside one’s own family. The example of Lazarus, Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus as part of their family could encourage a spirit of adoption within the congregation. Concerning economic hardship, Miller also asserts that it is possible that part of the cost of a Muslim’s decision to follow Jesus is loss of employment or family support. Among the varying views as to how to help in time of need, some Christians are reluctant to provide financial aid to a new convert so as not to link their faith with material benefit. This was a concern as the Jerusalem Alliance Church began a relief ministry in Palestinian Muslim villages during a time of crisis; but we would contend that with prayer, prudence and wisdom, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, a church must be prepared to support Muslim-background believers through a time of need. According to Paul’s own example: "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’" (Acts 20:34-35).  

Finally, an important role of the church is discipling new believers. To provide Muslim converts a good grounding in their new faith, a supportive church must develop contextual materials and methods to effectively disciple them.

5. Conclusion

In summary, a change in the heart and vision of the leadership of the church is key to a church that will embrace Muslim-background believers. Confronting church leaders with the missiological and ecclesiological issues explored in this chapter, and with the pain of rejection experienced by Muslim-background believers as recorded in this section, may be the motivation to initiate change.

Practical Steps:

1. Train Missionaries
2. Work side by side with the Middle East Church
3. Mobilize a major prayer movement in the Majority World

1. Challenges Faced

The missionary movement of the Chinese church faces multiple challenges, including policy constraints, internal church issues, and difficulties in the mission fields.

1) Challenges from Restrictive Religious Policy

In recent years, the Chinese government has developed and implemented comprehensive regulations on religious affairs. Besides the State Council’s “Regulations on Religious Affairs” (2018), it has issued several others: “Measures for the Administration of Religious Groups” (2019), “Measures for the Administration of Religious Personnel” (2021), “Measures for the Administration of Religious Colleges” (2021), “Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information” (2021), and “Measures for the Financial Management of Religious Activity Sites” (2022). Provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have also formulated local “Regulations on Religious Affairs.” The Chinese government views religious issues as related to national security and sees a “contest of ideologies” between religion and socialism. Within this policy environment, the development of the Chinese church is generally restricted, making the missionary movement even more difficult. Challenges such as the inability to register missionary organizations formally and the lack of official channels for financial support due to an atheistic regime create significant obstacles.

2) Internal Challenges within Domestic Churches

Under restrictive policy environments, formal congregations have transitioned into small groups or meeting points to increase the survival capability of churches. However, this leads to resource dispersion, a lack of workers, and widespread spiritual stagnation among believers. Due to these dispersed resources, support for missionary work has naturally weakened, with many churches cutting their missionary budgets due to survival challenges. During the pandemic, the increase in online missionary meetings and courses somewhat revived and enlightened missionary efforts. However, in the post-pandemic era, as churches struggle to recover and develop robustly, attention and support for missionary efforts have significantly diminished.

3) Challenges on the Mission Field

Chinese missionaries face dual pressures in mission fields: one from the non-Christian environment of the mission field and another from the atheistic regime back home. Chinese missionaries not only receive inquiries from local public security departments about their activities abroad, but are also monitored and face continuous resistance to overseas missionary activities by the Chinese government. China’s unique religious policies and legal environment pose restrictions on church development and missionary activities, extending even into overseas mission fields and creating persistent pressure and challenges.

2. Unhealthy Elements

With the increasing number of missionaries, several unhealthy factors in missionary work have become more apparent. If these issues are not timely rectified, they could negatively impact the overall effectiveness of missionary efforts.

1) Lack of Missionary Strategy

The missionary efforts of the Chinese church show a lack of strategic thinking and planning. Many missionary teams arbitrarily choose their destinations instead of being guided by systematic research and comprehensive strategic planning. This lack of direction results in many missionaries clustering in popular regions, which leads to resource duplication and waste, ultimately achieving less effective outcomes. Meanwhile, many unreached people groups still await attention.

2) Misplaced Missional Passion

Historically, many traditional missionaries, such as early China Inland Mission (CIM) missionaries, entered the mission field with genuine love and a strong sense of mission. However, in modern missionary work, this devotion seems to be replaced by a more superficial “passion.” While passion has its value, lacking deep love and enduring commitment diminishes the effectiveness of many missionary activities. Missionary work should be driven by God’s calling and a wakeful sense of mission rather than transient personal enthusiasm and excitement.

3) Inadequate Financial Management

Due to the inability to manage finances through formally registered missionary organizations, financial management among Chinese missionaries often lacks transparency and supervision. Some missionaries have abundant resources, even receiving redundant support from multiple sources, while others face resource scarcity and survival challenges. Initially, when missionaries don’t engage in extensive ministry, sufficient living expenses may suffice, but as mission efforts expand, financial needs grow. A lack of robust management mechanisms can easily lead to financial issues.

4) Insufficient Language Learning

A common issue among Chinese missionaries is the neglect of language learning. Effective and enduring missionary work often follows an incarnational mission model, making language proficiency a vital early challenge. Many Western and Korean missionary agencies require missionaries to focus mainly on language learning for the first two years, considering it a critical starting point for long-term missions. However, many Chinese missionaries rush into mission work without dedicating adequate time to learn the local language, thereby failing to attain good language proficiency even after five or ten years.

3. Future Directions for the Chinese Missionary Movement

Addressing numerous challenges and unhealthy factors necessitates seeking a future path for the Chinese church’s missionary movement.

1) Enhancing Strategic Planning and Research

Future missionary efforts need to focus more on strategic planning and research. Missionary organizations should develop well-grounded missionary strategies based on systematic research to avoid resource wastage and duplication. Establishing specialized research institutions to analyze global missionary trends will enable more precise judgments and arrangements.

2) Cultivating Enduring Missional Commitment

Churches need to strengthen the cultivation of missional commitment among missionaries, ensuring they possess not just short-term enthusiasm but also long-term dedication. Through missionary training courses, studying missionary figures, and exploring missionary history, missionaries’ understanding and steadfastness toward their mission can be enhanced.

3) Improving Financial Management Mechanisms

Establishing and implementing transparent and fair financial management systems is an essential step in solving financial management issues. Drawing on international experiences, setting up robust financial supervision mechanisms will ensure that every financial investment is genuinely used for the missionaries and mission efforts’ needs.

4) Strengthening Language and Cultural Training

Future missionary training should emphasize language and cultural learning more thoroughly. Before engaging in formal missionary work, allocating around two years for missionaries to learn the local language and culture will ensure they can deeply understand and integrate into the local community, laying a solid foundation for long-term, effective missions.

5) Building International Cooperation Networks

The Chinese church needs to expand international cooperation further, establishing close ties with missionary organizations worldwide to share resources and experiences. Such collaboration can reduce burdens on individual churches and elevate the missionary influence of the Chinese church through global cooperation.

4. Conclusion

In summary, despite the many challenges and unhealthy factors, the future of the Chinese church’s missionary movement holds great potential through enhancing strategic planning, cultivating enduring missional commitment, improving financial management systems, strengthening language and cultural training, and building international cooperation networks. To achieve the “Mission China 2030” goal, churches need comprehensive upgrades across various facets, joining hands to overcome difficulties and embrace new opportunities and challenges.

The path of the missionary movement is long and arduous; but with God guiding and leading as the true commander, we must run swiftly, following Him closely, for the Great Commission will surely be accomplished.

We were in Korea at the 9th NCOWE on 13–16 June 2023. As we listened and prayed with our Korean brethren from the Korean World Mission Association (KWMA), they shared about a collective desire among their missionaries to change the dynamics and methods of Korean missions globally. We all felt at the same time a desire to repent, pray with, discuss, and discern how missions in our regions (Asia and Latin America) can likewise adapt to the new season of polycentric missions that God had brought us into.

The conversations around that table were encouraging, sensitive, supportive, and consensus-building. As well as the Korean leaders, present were others representing mission agencies and mission associations from India, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Additionally, David Ro represented the East Asian Regional Directorship of the Lausanne Movement. Cristian Castro, Executive Director of COMIBAM International, represented the 25 national mission organisations and networks in the Ibero-American (Latin America) region. Dr. Bambang of Indonesia, the General Secretary of the Asia Evangelical Alliance, had the last word, and he encouraged us that this was to be the style of leadership common in Asia—where we sought to listen to each other, everyone having a voice around a common table. He, as the most senior (in terms of position and responsibility among us), was the last to speak and brought us together towards a consensus with insight and wisdom.

As a rsult, we decided that these important conversations should not end there. We felt that we needed to walk and work out together how to change and adapt missionary approaches and practices in the majority world to reflect a more Kingdom-of-God-centric, multi-dimensional, Spirit-dependent, polycentric, collaborative, and bottom-up way of doing missions.

On our final days in Seoul, we discussed forming an ongoing network for discussion, learning, and formation. I came up with the name KOALA—as we were in Korea, in a meeting of Asian and Latin American leaders. So KOALA: KOrea – Asia – Latin America.

This was later changed to the acronym COALA—because Christ is the head over all the regions of the majority world—Asia, Latin America, and Africa—as indeed He is over all other regions, places, and spaces in the universe (Matthew 28:18). Thus COALA stands for: Christ-Over-Asia-LatinAmerica-Africa.

We have since met a second time in Bangkok, Thailand on 1–3 May of 2024—with more leaders, church and mission leaders, and marketplace practitioners joining from both Asia and Latin America (we were not yet able to get our brethren from Africa there). Out of that, we had a final statement and a paper recommending some principles for doing mission in a new era of polycentric Christianity.

The Sun and The Wind

In this paper, I wish to raise some important principles to help guide us, in the light of the Lausanne 4 Congress, so that we can continue to discern together how majority churches can engage more faithfully and fruitfully in God’s mission in this new era.

I titled this paper, ‘Setting Sail for Open Sea’ because when one sets sail in open waters away from visible landmass and with only the oceans as our horizon and view, we can easily become disoriented in terms of direction and navigation. We can also be discouraged by the vastness of the sea and wonder whether we have enough resources to get to the other side.

In the day of pre-motorized engines, one was dependent on the sun by day (and the North Star at night) for direction, and on the wind (in sails) for movement. I believe this is an apt description of our need to be dependent on the Son of God for direction and guidance, and on the wind of the Spirit for taking us to where He wants us to go.

In moving towards a new era of polycentric Christianity, I want to propose a need on the one hand for a discontinuity with past unhelpful realities, and the need to keep some important continuities with the antecedent mission and history of God’s church on the other.

Discontinuities:

1. The end of Western-centrism in missions.

We are moving towards a new era away from Western-centric missions which dominated mission thinking, leadership, resourcing, and perspectives in the last 300 years. In its place, we are seeing an emergent world-Christian understanding and practice that is multi-lateral, multi-dimensional, poly-vocal, and polycentric, where all God’s people all over the world are called together to lead, support, and participate in God’s mission.

Christianity, even in very recent times, was cast in wholly Western forms. It was common to expect missionaries to be white-skinned, auburn-haired, and tall! However, Global Christianity today is much more dynamic, complex, and multi-faceted than many people, even Christians themselves, are able to grasp. In fact, it is also more culturally diverse than at any time in her history, as is her mission force.

While we rejoice and are thankful for the legacy of the Western church in missions in the last three centuries, yet we affirm the need for all regions and corners of the world to come of age and to be helped to contribute towards a global Christian movement in missions in our day. This includes the continual need for building and releasing self-leading, self-resourcing, self-replicating, and self-theologizing, indigenous Christian churches with viable mission movements in every region.

2. The end of control and domination by any one part or region of the church.

No one part of the world should have preferential say and sway over how mission is to be done or led. We need to find ways that allow for sensitivity to regional cultures and concerns while, at the same time, never losing sight of the universality of Christ’s Kingdom claim and rule and the power of the Gospel to defeat and redeem sinful people who are essentially the same the world over.

The bane of missions has been the dependency and patronization through the use of superior finance, technology, education, privilege, and power by regions and countries (not merely Western) with greater capacities and wealth. In this new day of polycentric missions, we need to work to ensure that each region is free from unhealthy systems, methods, and histories of domination and control.

Continuities:

1. UNITY – The church is one in the eyes of God, and so must her mission, as Jesus prayed in John 17:21.

The Nicene (-Constantinopolitan) Creed has been historically the most widely received confession of the worldwide church. One line in particular is of interest—the declaration that ‘We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church’. This is the belief that the church of Christ is:

- unified and indivisible under the triune God

- sanctified by faith through the work of Christ by the Holy Spirit

- universal (i.e., catholic) as the only Church of God in the world for the sake of God’s mission

- apostolic as it is founded after the teachings of the Apostles and called to continue in their ongoing mission into the world.

2. SUBMISSION TO CHRIST – The Church and its Mission belong to God first and foremost.

The task of Mission is inseparable from the Task-Master of Mission. To build the Church, we must follow the plan of the Chief-builder and architect and owner, Jesus Christ, who is Himself foundation, superstructure, and pinnacle of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:21, 22).

A Warning

Even in the need for some discontinuity with the broken and overbearing systems of the past, we must avoid going too far the other way. There are some who seek more radical, reactionary responses to their perceived failings and faults of the Western mission movement by urging for, or disavowing participation in, any regional or global movement or network they see as being too Western or Western-influenced. To do so betrays an arrogance and hubris, as though to suggest that we can now accomplish God’s mission by ourselves, forgetting that our Western brethren brought us the Gospel. We cannot say to one part of the global body, "We don’t need you anymore!" (See 1 Corinthians 12:15-26).

The new land awaits discovery!

God is on the move and there are increasingly new global centres for mission in many parts of the non-Western world. Christianity in truth has always had movable centres—whether Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople, London, Geneva, or New York, or today’s diverse nexus like Seoul, Sao Paulo, Kolkata, Singapore, Cape Town, or Nairobi.

In particular, Christianity’s dynamic shift today “south of the equator” challenges us to reflect carefully on the way God works in historical shifts and new eras. Today, we can see African churches and growing mission movements largely led by African leadership. We see Latin Americans resourcing the exponential growth of their mission force to other countries, notably from Brazil. We can see Asian Christians in places like India, Philippines, and China needing little motivation to work among unreached peoples and communities in their own hinterlands and further afield.

If God Himself desires to include within the boundaries of His kingdom every nation, language, and people on earth (Matthew 8:11; Revelation 7:9), then the world church must reflect this ‘global’ bias. There is in this global family space and a voice for all kinds of people, languages, and church expressions; all made one in Christ in worship before a global God, and on mission with Him into a hostile and fragmented world.

And for that, we need more friendly conversations around the global table. All must be made welcome!

In 1987, the first Ibero-American missionary congress COMIBAM ’87 was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the participation of over 3,200 attendees, including missionaries, pastors, and observers. They gathered to hear God’s voice concerning the role and responsibility of the Latin church in global missions. It was during this congress that the famous phrase was proclaimed: “Latin America ceases to be a mission field to become a missionary force,” in response to the 1916 declaration of the International Missions Congress in Panama City, where international agencies divided up missionary work and declared Latin America a “mission field.”

I am convinced that the leaders of COMIBAM ’87 did not foresee the extent and power of such a declaration, which came about in an atmosphere of faith and celebration, not of pride. Over 37 years have passed since that declaration, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the missionary movement has grown, matured, and embraced it. But there is still much work to be done.

Recently, the COMIBAM Research Department provided me with official data from the study “The Ibero-American Church and the Global Mission of God,” with the participation of approximately 1,200 pastors from across Ibero-America. The information is both revealing and challenging, though I must caution that these are not final numbers, as they are updated daily.

However, I take this opportunity to share with you some highlights of the research:

1. On Ibero-American Missionaries:

– There are over 30,000 Ibero-American missionaries serving full-time in 200 countries.

– 36% serve in indigenous and tribal contexts.

– 27% serve in Islamic contexts.

– 21% serve among the Latin diaspora in the USA and Europe.

– 12% serve in Hindu contexts.

– 9% serve among the Islamic diaspora in Latin America, the USA, and Europe.

– 9% serve in Buddhist contexts.

2. On the Latin Church’s Participation in Global Mission:

– Over 60,000 churches are directly involved in sending and supporting missionaries in the field.

– More than 137,000 churches across Ibero-America are actively involved in various forms of God’s Global Mission.

– 19% of churches pray for missions and missionaries.

– 25% of churches give offerings for missions and missionaries.

These figures represent years of work, mobilization, prayer, investment, faith, tears, and joys. In 1987, there were only around 1,300 known missionaries in Latin America and a few churches involved in missions. Today, 37 years later, the Latin missionary force has grown, and the number of churches engaged in missions has multiplied. We are not yet the “missionary force” that was declared, but I am convinced that, under the Lord’s guidance and for His glory alone, we are on our way to becoming one.

I grew up in one of the suburbs of San Jose, Costa Rica, where I witnessed the work of missionaries from the United States, Europe, or South Korea. I was what Carlos Cardoza calls in his book "the object of the mission." Somehow, I was blessed by those who left everything to preach the gospel in our countries. But I never imagined that one day I would no longer be the “object of the mission” but the “subject of the mission,” as Carlos Cardoza proposes in the same book, meaning “the one who must now bring the gospel to others.”

Latin America: A Declared Mission Field

As I mentioned earlier, in 1916, the World Missions Congress was held in Panama, organized by foreign missions. During that congress, Latin America was declared a mission field, and countries were assigned to different international missions. Historical records show that at that time, 50 missionary societies were working in Latin America, with 235 delegates attending the congress. Of those, only 27 participants were Latin.

The official language of the congress was English, meaning the voice of the Latin church was very small, if not almost nonexistent. This fact is relevant because it indicates that, at that historical moment, the small Latin church was not considered a participant in global missions. Furthermore, foreign missionaries did not consider Latinos as a possible missionary force, as Pablo Carrillo mentions in his book Huellas en el Desierto: “The predominantly foreign missionary community in Latin America did not imagine that the people being reached with the gospel would one day become a missionary force within and outside their countries.”

The Influence of Lausanne on Latin America

The Lausanne Congress on Evangelization, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, was the most important milestone in the history of evangelical missions at that time. Its influence reached Latin America through the many Latinos who attended, as well as through literature and subsequent consultations organized by the Lausanne Movement. More accurately, pioneers of Latin American evangelical missiology, such as Samuel Escobar, Rene Padilla, and others, made significant contributions to the Lausanne Congress in forming a missionary mindset based on a comprehensive understanding of the gospel.

The emphasis on the theology of the Kingdom of God and the consequences of the church’s presence in society greatly impacted the direction of global missiology and global missionary work. We praise God for this Latin American contribution to the global evangelical community.

The Birth of the First Latin Missionary Movements

In 1976, the first national missionary association on the continent, the AMTB (Brazilian Transcultural Missions Association), was organized through the initiative of several national leaders and foreign missionaries working in Brazil, with Jonathan Dos Santos as its first president. The AMTB was founded by nine missionary agencies, with the participation of several denominations.

A few years later, another Latin American country took on the challenge of becoming a missionary force. Thus, in 1982, in a small town in Córdoba, Argentina, Villa Giardino, under the leadership of pastors and missionaries, the World Missions Network (RMM) was born to mobilize the Argentine church to reach all nations.

The Birth of COMIBAM: From Field to Missionary Force

The leadership of AMTB and RMM was prophetic in their time for the church, emphasizing the need for our continent to take responsibility in God’s mission. Consequently, the Latin American Evangelical Fraternity (CONELA) convened a meeting of leaders in 1984 in Mexico to discuss organizing an international congress to promote the development of the missionary vision in the region.

COMIBAM ’87 was thus held, where more than 3,000 representatives from all Latin American nations, Spain, and Portugal, as well as observers from other countries, gathered to discuss global missionary work and commit to the formation of a missionary movement from Ibero-America. It was during this occasion that Luis Bush emphatically proclaimed: “In 1916, Latin America was declared a mission field. Today, in 1987, Latin America declares itself a missionary force.”

COMIBAM International developed relationships worldwide with other national, regional, and global networks, helping to establish working groups, convening consultations, and producing books in Spanish and Portuguese.

The Development of the Ibero-American Missionary Movement

To systematically understand this process, we must remember some key dates in the development of COMIBAM and its concrete contributions to the missionary movement:

1987 – First Ibero-American Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mobilization efforts are strengthened throughout Ibero-America, and serious commitments to global missionary work emerge.

1991-1992 – Consultations in the area of cross-cultural missions are promoted. More missionary training centers are established, and those already in existence grow and are strengthened.

1992 – The Adopt a People (AUP) strategy is disseminated, promoting outreach to the “unreached.” The results include the establishment of a regional prayer program, the creation of manuals and materials on AUP, and an increase in the number of missionaries sent to the field.

1997 – The Second Ibero-American Missionary Congress, COMIBAM ’97, is held in Acapulco, Mexico. It was an opportunity to evaluate and project what the mission is, what it needs, and what elements are necessary to carry it out. As an Ibero-American missionary movement, an analysis is conducted of new trends in global missionary work.

2000 – The First General Assembly of COMIBAM is held in Lima, Peru, bringing together over 100 leaders from Ibero-America with the aim of structuring and consolidating the work, formulating a basic organization, and emphasizing the three main networks of the missionary process.

2003 – The First Leadership Summit of COMIBAM International is held in Guadarrama, Spain, with a focus on developing proposals and strategies to strengthen the movement.

2006 – The Third Ibero-American Missionary Congress, COMIBAM ’06, is held in Granada, Spain, under the theme: “Results and Challenges among the Unreached.” The goal was to evaluate the missionary movement from the field’s perspective. Over 1,800 movement leaders and 300 active Latin American field workers gathered.

2017 – The Fourth Ibero-American Missionary Congress, COMIBAM ’17, is held in Bogota, Colombia, under the theme: “With Jesus on Mission.” More than 1,700 leaders, missionaries, and observers gathered.

2023 – The 2nd Ibero-American Consultation on Unreached Ethnic Groups is organized in Panama City, with the participation of more than 130 delegates from all over Ibero-America to reaffirm our commitment to 1,850 unreached or unevangelized ethnic groups.

We could say that COMIBAM has gone through several historical stages since its inception, development, and growth. Currently, I dare say that we are in a stage of reinvention and growth. We are in a process of maturity, moving towards becoming a polycentric movement, developing several centers of action. An example of this is that we have already started the work of COMIBAM Asia, COMIBAM Europe, and very soon COMIBAM Middle East. The purpose is to first serve the Latino workers who serve in these regions but also the Latin Christian diaspora that has moved to these areas for work reasons and to collaborate with the global missionary movements of these regions such as: IMA, KWMA, and many others.

COMIBAM in Motion

Therefore, we can conclude that over these years, COMIBAM International has been a space for national missionary movements in the region and the church to meet, formulate strategies, and collaborate with the global missionary community. We have dedicated ourselves to supporting and serving the Ibero-American missionary community. We seek to stay attentive to changes and new opportunities in the global missionary context, serving as a bridge between missionary organizations in our region and those in other parts of the world.

To date, we thank God for the thousands of churches and pastors who participate in God’s Global Mission, and as I mentioned earlier, for the commitment to accompany the church in the task of praying and taking the gospel to at least 1,850 unreached ethnic groups.

We are on the verge of celebrating our 5th Ibero-American Missionary Congress, COMIBAM 2025, in Panama City from April 22 to 25, 2025. We expect more than 1,500 leaders, pastors, missionaries, and mobilizers. We are convinced that the congress will be a point of meeting, reflection, and celebration, but it will also be a time to listen to the Lord regarding the future of the Ibero-American Missionary Movement.

By faith and in dependence on God, we dream for the future with: 10,000 new Latin missionaries, for a total combined of 40,000 workers in the field; seeing 200,000 churches mobilized, praying, sending, and supporting missionaries in the field; and Latin workers reaching the 1,850 unreached ethnic groups targeted by COMIBAM.

It excites me to know that we are not alone in this pilgrimage. I feel accompanied by each one of you and the emerging movements we represent. I ask the Lord to give us the humility to continue carrying His word together to all nations, especially to the least evangelized.

The perception of Christianity as solely Western led to its initial resistance in Africa during the 1960s independence struggles. However, historical evidence, such as the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27), contradicts this view. Africa’s rich Christian heritage predates the 19th-century missionary era often cited as the beginning of Christianity on the continent.

Africa’s Land Mass

Africa comprises 54 nations. It has a land area of 30.37 million sq km (11.7 million sq mi). You can fit into the African map the U.S., China, India, Japan, Mexico, Portugal and many other European nations. Africa also has the world’s 65% uncultivated arable land (African Development Bank, 2024).

Africa’s Population

Africa’s population is currently around 1.5 billion. The median age for Africa is 19 years; this is equivalent to 18.3% of the world making Africa the youngest continent.

The History of the African Church

The story of how the early church expanded through Asia Minor and found a foothold in Europe is common knowledge. However, the story of how it expanded on the opposite side of the Mediterranean through North Africa is less well known. At one point, the largest cities in the Roman empire were, besides Rome, Alexandria in Egypt and Carthage in present-day Tunisia. These cities also became strongholds for the early Christian church. Early Christian thinkers, such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine, were all born in North Africa and served in Carthage.  

The Modern-Day African Church

Africa is the most Christian continent in the world today (Templeton Religion Trust, 2024). For over a thousand years, Europe has had the most Christians, with Latin America from 2014 leading. And then in 2018, for the first time in history, there were more Christians in Africa than on any other continent in the entire world. The continent now has well over 670 million Christ-followers. This growth is well viewed in relation to the rest of the globe in the chart below:

• Map: Christians, 2018

• 2.5 billion total. 33% of global population

This growth as noted in the Lausanne, Manila 2019 Global workplace forum report, is quite phenomenal granted that in 1910 at the time of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference, Africa was 9.4 percent Christian and is now 45% Christian. The significance of the African church’s growth in relation to the rest of the world is graphically captured by Peter Brierley’s global church growth graph below:

• Map: African Christians are the key to Global Christian Growth

The graph shows the impact of the African church’s growth on the rest of the global church. Globally, the growth of the church is ahead of the globe’s population growth. However, without Africa’s growth, the growth rate of the global church is behind that of the global population. This can only be an indication that Africa will continue to contribute to the global church’s growth.

Expressions of the Church

The African church is largely referred to as Catholic, Evangelical or Pentecostals. In 2020 60% of Sub-Saharan Africa was Christian (that is about 650 million), with North Africa being prevalently Islamic (Statistica.com). According to the Pew Research Center 13% of Sub Sahara Africa is Evangelical (2011). The Gordon-Conwell Theological seminary gives a figure of Evangelicals as 23% (in 2015). The Pew Review (2011) also gives Pentecostals in Africa as being 15% of Africa’s population. It is evident that evangelical numbers in Africa are contested. The Pew Review does correctly in my view note that many Pentecostals and Charismatics identify as Evangelicals. This is more so in Africa and therefore the figures of evangelicals are most likely over 30%. The prevalence of Pentecostals is well captured in the Lausanne paper (“Pentecostalism in African Christianity” 2024):

In almost all denominations in Africa, one can recognize the profound influence of Pentecostal spirituality. Whether they worship in an Anglican or a Methodist church, African Christians offer exuberant songs of celebration to the Lord, often with overwhelming emotion. Spiritual warfare and exorcism are everyday ministries for African pastors. African Christians’ strategic response to the influence of globalization has produced a creative synthesis which combines the universal truth of Christianity with charismatic spirituality born out of their tradition.  

The same gospel expressed: Contemplated (writing) in the West, Meditated (prayer) in Asia and Sung (danced) in Africa.

An added common expression of the African church is the commitment to engage in the quest to transform the living conditions of the flock. As noted in the Lausanne paper on Prosperity, Health, and Human Flourishing in Africa: “Christian mission and evangelism are seen as fulfilling a divine mandate when they aim to include the alleviation of pain and suffering—whether physical or spiritual—and systemic social injustice in their message of conversion.” While this practical engagement of the church is in keeping with the holistic gospel (addressing all of human needs) there is need to guard against the prosperity teaching (not gospel!).  

Missionary Posture

The notion of Africans as missionaries to the unreached, unevangelized, and unchurched world is not just a hope. Perbi and Ngugi in their groundbreaking book: From Africa to the Rest Again, observe that, today the leaders of global mission organizations like SIM, Navigators, SIL, Langham Partners, and Global Christianity Forum are led by a Nigerian, Kenyan, Cameroonian, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, respectively. The most multinational congregation in the world, comprising 110 nationalities, was founded and is led by a Ghanaian in Canada. A number of denominations from Africa (such as Redeemed Church of God – Nigeria and Church of Pentecost – Ghana) have planted churches in over 100 countries on all continents.  

The Nigerian church is one example of the African church’s polycentric missionary posture. Olanrewaju Adeoluwa observes that: The Nigerian church has been engaged in cross-border and cross-cultural missions for more than 150 years. Since then, it has played an important and growing part of the global missions movement. And Nigerians are eager to play a bigger role in collaboration with global partners.  

He further notes: Nigeria has around 105 million Christians. About half are Evangelicals. In relation to this, the 15,600 missionaries from NEMA’s 159 registered member agencies are less than 0.03% percentage of evangelicals. We want to see 10% of Nigeria’s Evangelical population sent as missionaries. And as we see the continued rapid growth of the Nigerian church, we feel a burden to take more active leadership in the forefront of global mission.  

One of the keys to the Nigerian church’s ongoing missionary thrust is collaboration through the Nigeria Mission Association (NEMA) that was formed in 1982. Mission agencies and churches collaborate under the non-denominational national mission association to leverage on their varied potential. NEMA and GHEMA (Ghana Evangelical Mission Association) inspired in 2013 the formation of Africa Mission Association (AfMA), a continental Mission Association whose mission is to inspire national Mission associations across African nations (I am a founding member and serve as Vice Chairman; Enoch Ghado – Ghana also present in this conference serves as Treasurer).

Through AfMA’s inspiration and guidance National Mission Associations are now being formed across Africa, including in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi among others (AfMA plays a role similar to Missio Nexus – North America; COMIBAN – Latin America; AMA – Asia Missions Association etc). It is important to note that majority of African nations do not have an Interdenominational National Mission Association. AfMA’s role among others is to inspire such national interdenominational associations. While the African church has generally had a history of cross-cultural missions, we do anticipate major continental collaborations as nations inspire other nations and therefore an impact that will see the African church increasingly becoming a polycentric center by sending increased volumes of missionaries to the world.

Africa’s Youthful Resource

Africa’s median age as earlier noted is 19 years. The world’s median age is 30.6. For comparative purposes, Europe’s median age is 42.3; North America 38.5; Latin America 31.3; China 39.6; India 28.4; Russia 39.9; Middle East (broad estimate) 26.8; South Korea 45.1 – and Monaco the highest median age at 56 years. 70% of Africa’s population is under the age of 35. That translates to around 0.98 B youth. According to the global economic players this huge population of young people portends a catastrophe due to lack of jobs and the nations' limited ability to educate and equip them for work. Ighobor, Kingsley casts the youth challenge clearly in an article titled Africa’s Youth: a “ticking time bomb” or an opportunity?

Youth account for 60% of all African unemployed, according to the World Bank. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate is an eyebrow-raising 30%. It is even worse in Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa and several other countries...  

Simply put, underemployment is not a solution to poverty, concurs the International Labour Organization (ILO), which reports that up to 82% of African workers are “working poor.” According to the African Economic Outlook, on average, more than 70% of Africa’s youth live on less than US$2 per day, the internationally defined poverty threshold (UN, Africa Renewal magazine, May, 2013).  

He further notes: “This is an unacceptable reality on a continent with such an impressive pool of youth, talent and creativity,” stresses Mthuli Ncube, chief economist at the AfDB. Alexander Chikwanda, Zambia’s finance minister, puts it succinctly: “Youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb,” which now appears to be perilously close to exploding.

Recent Gen Z’s uprising as seen in Kenya have brought to the fore the fact that the needs and concerns of the youth cannot be ignored. The uprisings in Kenya caught the political and government class by surprise with the unfortunate outcome of a partly burnt National Parliament building and other government assets and over 40 youths being killed. A major government reshuffle, and the President accepting not to sign the contested tax-bill 2024 was evidence that the youth’s impact had been acknowledged. However, the rioting youth also accused church leaders of being corrupt and of turning their pulpits into a political stage. While the government took note and acted, the question remains as to whether the church heard the youth and took any action.

In spite of the legitimate concerns that demand for the engagement of all including the church to empower and create opportunities for our youth, the youth are equally of great polycentric missiological significance for the African and global church. Africa’s church youth that is equally a huge percentage of the African church is a huge kingdom resource that the African church should train, equip and mobilize for world missions.

The World Economic Forum 2022 engaging on the African youth makes the following strong case for the youth as Africa’s greatest asset, a position that should equally be embraced by the African Church: “Much has been said about Africa as the land of promise and opportunity: precious natural resources, geostrategic positioning, or investment potential. While true, these insights often forget to consider our continent’s most valuable asset by far: young Africans. Only through embracing their drive can Africa truly reach its potential” (World Economic Forum 2022).  

Diaspora

The impact of the youth is also evident in the huge numbers of Africans – majority being youth moving to other nations. Dr. Sam Owusu, founder of Calvary Worship Center, Vancouver, recognized as the most multicultural church worldwide (speaking at the Christ is the Answer annual missions conference 5th September 2024), makes the case for Africa as a polycentric mission base and Africans being well placed to go to the nations of the world as education (students), workers and entrepreneur missionaries. Using his own example, he makes the case on how Africans by virtue of their numbers and resilience are well suited to go to the nations. This story is repeated in the lives of many Global South diaspora workers who have gone to developed nations and made a big difference while beginning from very humble beginnings. This adaptability as noted of the Nigerian church can be said of other African nations:

Nigerian culture fosters a can-do spirit that unleashes amazing creativity and flexibility to overcome challenges. When faced with a difficulty, a typical Nigerian response is “No problem.” In missions, this helps Nigerian missionaries adapt quickly, cope with uncertainties, access difficult terrain, and survive with minimal support.  

However, the African church does need to equally learn from other nations that have been engaged in missions. The Filipino church is an example for diaspora workers as a major mission strategy in the Middle East and Europe. The Asian News notes:

There is no denying that among the new missionaries, the Filipino migrant workers take an important place. Found in practically all parts of the world, they bear not only the hope of lifting their families from poverty: most of all, they bring their faith. There have been numerous reports of Filipino domestic helpers in Italy and elsewhere who have influenced their employers to return to the Catholic faith.  

The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People estimates about 7.53 million Filipinos are currently working abroad, affecting 8 million families or more than 60% of the Filipino population. The government has recognized them as “modern heroes” for their sacrifices, giving service to others and contributing to a more harmonious, peaceful world. Religious leaders abroad have likewise recognized them as instruments of evangelization and inspirational models for a culture of peace.  

Challenges and Opportunities:

Shallow Christianity: It has been said for long that Africa’s Christianity is ‘a mile wide and an inch deep’. While this can be said of Christianity around the globe and with some parts being worse off than Africa, Africa needs more than ever before to take on the discipleship challenge. Africa’s lead as the continent most populous with Christians will only continue. It’s projected that by 2050 a half of all evangelicals on the globe will live in Africa and that Africa will have more Christians than the next two continents (Asia and Latin America) combined (Lausanne Paper Excerpt: Africa to the Rest, 2024).

The big question we as Mission agencies in Africa are therefore reckoning with is “what kind of Christianity will Africa export to the rest of the world?” This calls for the African church to increase its depth in discipleship and this includes giving congregants a global missions perspective and passion. This demands for churches to invest financially in young people who are the majority with a holistic view of life [including entrepreneurship (traditional missionary centers had a church, school and clinic – without entrepreneurship being inculcated – the cross, chalk and needles – minus the coin), biblically defining work as sacred and not a curse] and being committed to equipping the youth and the church at large to be of service globally. This could answer the question posed in the cited Lausanne paper: How come there will be more missionaries from continents with fewer Christians than from the one with the most Christians? My answer – we need to commit to discipleship programs that are holistic – empowering them with faith and the skills to go to the nations of the world.

Secularism: As Africa’s economies grow, the African church is equally experiencing the shift of Africa’s communities into secularism. While schools and government spaces (in Sub-Sahara Africa) have been known to be places where faith can be exercised, this is no longer the obvious. The African church therefore needs to be prepared on how it is going to engage in this increasingly secularizing space. As has been the case with the developed nations – increased secularism adversely affects the church’s discipleship and mission capacity. Writing on the need to reposition the African church in view of secularism, Wanjiru Gitau and others in the Lausanne paper “From Africa to Rest” notes:

A lot of emphasis in this last phase of the African church’s growth has been on church planting, largely focused on conversion and numerical increase. Beyond numerical increase, it is not clear that any substantive segment of African churches is investing in the shaping of a Christian vision addressed to metamorphosing (literally changing frequently) populations. Theological curricula in seminaries that train pastoral clergy have a role to play in forming such a vision; but there is more to such a vision. In the face of multiple competing secularized visions that entirely edit out spirituality, there is an urgent need for churches to invest consciously in inspiring a biblically shaped ethical and moral vision for their societies (Lausanne Paper Excerpt: Africa to the Rest, 2024).  

Engage in Africa’s Governance and Natural Resources: Africa is one of the continents that is still endowed with vast volumes of mineral resources. While some of the rest of the world has depleted its natural resources, Africa still has vast amounts and for many of these natural resources controls a majority. According to UNESCO: Exploration for minerals in most African countries is still in the embryonic stage and no doubt Africa’s share of minerals will in the future continue to grow. Africa possesses about 80 percent of total world reserves of phosphate rock, 74 percent of chrome ore, 89 percent metallurgical grade chromium, 40 percent of manganese ore, 19 percent uranium ore, 21 percent of bauxite, 8 percent of nickel ore, 75 percent of gold ore, 97 percent of diamonds, 10 percent crude oil and 7.6 percent natural gas.

These vast volumes of resources point to a prosperous economic future for Africa. According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s natural resources worth is US$ 6.5 Trillion. The world’s leading nations are currently actively engaged in the mining industry in many African nations that are home to most of these resources. This includes nations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Liberia, Egypt and South Africa among others. Sadly, the race for Africa’s resources has also led to many political conflicts. As noted by National Geographic, several African conflicts and civil wars have been caused and funded by the diamond industry. Diamonds that come from these regions are known as “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds”.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a case study on the impact and relationship between minerals and wars: . . . the 21st century brought one more complication to peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo: the proliferation of mining operations. DRC is home to some of the world’s largest reserves of metals and rare earth minerals used to produce advanced electronics. As the world has become more reliant on cobalt, copper, zinc, and other minerals, local and external groups have become more incentivized to get involved in the Congolese conflict . . . The abundant natural resources—especially precious minerals—found in Congolese soil have globalized the conflict in eastern DRC . . . More than seven million people have been internally displaced due to the constant threat of violence and atrocities, as well as extreme poverty and mining expansion, especially in the North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu provinces. Since the beginning of 2024, nearly 358,000 people have been displaced in DRC, 80 percent of which has been caused by armed conflict. New UN-verified data also reveals that there has been a 30% increase in grave violations against children in eastern DRC during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the last three months of 2023. A staggering 23.4 million Congolese suffer from food insecurity, making DRC the country most affected by food insecurity in the world. The displaced population urgently needs security support, medical aid, and other humanitarian aid. Approximately 1.1 million Congolese nationals are seeking refuge beyond the Congo’s borders.  

DRC, whose population is 109 M (Worldometer) is documented as the nation that has seen the most devastating war since World War 2, and with the highest number of refugees worldwide of 7.2 M per the UN, March 2024. According to the Joshua Project, DRC has 231 people groups and only 3 are unreached (Joshua Project). While this is the case, could it be that this natural resource and Church resource are being held captive by the enemy from being used to leverage for the Kingdom of God worldwide? Could it be that Africa with its numerous conflicts (Geneva Academy states there are 35 non-international armed conflicts going on in Africa – including Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia among others) at large is thus being held back by the enemy from leveraging its natural resources and human resource in God’s mission of reaching the entire world with the Gospel. Could it be said that there are 35 likely polycentric centers being held back from leveraging their human and natural resources to the global mission?

The fact that many of Africa’s minerals are also exported raw for refining in the developed nations remains disadvantageous for Africa and a form of exploitation since most of the profits go to the developed nations. The relevance for this (Africa’s natural resources and their impact such as wars) in global missions is a call to the African church to be engaged with its continent’s resources and governance. The church cannot afford to stand aloof. It needs to engage with the continent's resources and governance by raising workers who will be part of the policy makers that will ensure the continent benefits the most from these resources that are exploited by foreign nations and with the little that remains often being misused due to corruption that equally begins with African officials. God must be having a big reason in resourcing Africa so immensely. We believe these are the resources needed for Africa to fulfill its place in global missions; a mandate whose time has come.

Conclusion

It is evident that Africa’s numerical advantage will continue for decades to come to grow and consequently a continued increase in numbers of the African church. There is need to ensure the African church is well discipled if this numerical advantage is to make Africa a polycentric missions powerhouse. With Africa being seen as the hope of the church, this qualitative growth is expected of the African church by the rest of the world. To achieve and maintain this pivotal polycentric position, the African church needs to galvanize all its resources including its youth, its diaspora population and natural resources. Collaboration needs to be fostered through interdenominational mission associations. The African church also needs to guard against secularism while ensuring its members are discipled to be holistic so as to make a missional difference at home and relevantly to the nations of the earth. May the African church and the Global South church be the light that shines far while also shining bright at home!

Polycentric missions is as old as biblical history. To think of it as a brainchild of missiologists and church leaders in the 21st century would be a misnomer, as if it did not exist in biblical history or it simply emerged during the rise of modern Protestant missions. As a missional concept and practice, it is much older than all missionary initiatives and activities in the history of the church combined. To be clear, the mission of God (Missio Dei) and the missions of God’s people (missiones ecclesiae) weave together in polycentric missions. After all, “Mission infuses all that the Church does.” We will explore polycentric missions by identifying its common perceptions, dimensional elements, and biblical matrix within the framework of Christ’s Central Commission. We will also examine the implications of biblical missionomics to polycentric missions.

Common Perceptions about Polycentric Missions

The nomenclature of polycentric missions rose to prominence amid the decline of the traditional “center” of missions in the West, in contrast with the growth of indigenous churches in the Majority World. No longer could churches in the Global North claim that world missions is their monopoly because many concede that the center of the missionary movement has already moved elsewhere. As the linguistic currency of polycentric missions gained more traction, common perceptions also developed, and its solid biblical foundation was often lost in missiological conversations.

Four major well-known perceptions are noted here:

1. Some proponents view polycentric missions as a post-colonial concept, especially in regions that suffered from centuries of colonial and imperialistic control. Advocates point to the liberation of national churches and the rise of indigenous movements across the Global South. To them, the “non-Western missionary movement” is something new, while in fact, what is new is the “awareness” of its existence through the centuries. The appeal to de-Westernize Christianity reinforces this perception. David J. Cho asserts: “The process of de-Westernization of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America as the new type of Christianity is very different from the Western form and is more enthusiastic and much more concerned about the immediate workings of the supernatural through prophecy, visions, ecstatic utterances, and healing.”  

2. Others see polycentric missions as a post-Christendom reality. Many mainstream churches in the Global North are in decline, but their Evangelical counterparts are growing. The “explosion” of ethnic congregations and diaspora faith communities in urban centers in Western societies cannot be underestimated. The secularization of churches in the West is a sad reality. However, although some Western countries may seem unfriendly toward the church, they have not closed their doors to Christian missions.

3. Another group considers polycentric missions as a particularly New Testament movement. Advocates seem to limit their view of mission(s) within the perimeters of the New Testament, which undermines Old Testament missionary intention. They assume that missionary initiatives were inaugurated only on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). This narrow timeframe disregards God’s seamless acts of saving and reconciling people; it also ignores the missionary identity, calling, and role of God’s covenant people in the Old Testament.

4. The rest simply understand polycentric missions as a Majority World issue with no implications for churches in the Global North. It is assumed that churches in the Global South can successfully fulfill Christ’s missionary mandate even in the absence of partnership relations with churches in the West. However, even with the weaknesses, failures, and paternalistic tendencies often attributed to Western missionaries, to write off their contributions could be a mistake. This lone-ranger mindset appears risky because it undermines the importance of a universally shared missions mandate, the value of reciprocal relationships, and the necessity of efficient collaboration in missions and ministries. After all, the pioneering missionaries who articulated and promoted the three-self principle for indigenous missions movements (self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-administering) at the dawn of the 20th century were Westerners: namely, Henry Venn, Rufus Anderson, and Roland Allen.

Dimensions of Polycentric Missions

Polycentric missions is multicentered (multiplicative), multidirectional (centripetal-centrifugal), integral (wholistic-holistic), innovative (adaptive), transcultural (reciprocal), collaborative (relational), and contextual (indigenous). These dimensions derive from the concentric spiritual source and foundation (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) of missions in biblical history. Conversely, missions is not monocentric (West is the gravity center), linear (from the West to the rest), parochial (evangelism is only local), colonial (West is best), or paternalistic (mother-daughter church structure/control).

The Matrix of Polycentric Missions: A Biblical Framework

Three interrelated matrixes provide the framework for understanding polycentric missions: creation, migration, and persecution. Each offers a platform to appreciate the motif and practice of polycentric missions.

- Creation care is the primary matrix. God gave Adam and Eve a specific mandate: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). This task involves responsibility, mobility, and thrust. Human journey was not designed to be stationary (monocenter) but mobile (scattering). Interestingly, after the Great Flood, God gave Noah the same mandate twice—an emphatic gesture. As Chris Wright explains, our mission begins with being human; ecological care offers pathways for humanity to move in multiple directions.

- Migration accentuates multidirectional dispersions. From Adam to Noah, people groups and communities migrated due to extenuating circumstances. The first mass movement happened after the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). God moves ahead, with, and through people to create spaces for divine-human encounter. Human mobility, whether voluntary or involuntary, creates strategic opportunities for missions.

- Persecution also serves as a matrix. In the Old Testament, persecution persisted (e.g., Joseph, the Exilic community). In the New Testament, Christ’s persecution led to His crucifixion, and Stephen’s martyrdom led to a breakout of persecution that served as the first step in fulfilling the Central Commission. As persecution increased, believers scattered and proclaimed the gospel across Judea, Samaria, and eventually the “ends of the earth.”

The Central Commission

In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus mandates disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The scope is multicentered and multidirectional. Disciples must move (go), organize (baptize), and train (teach).

In Acts 1:8, Jesus specifies: “But ye shall receive power... and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The Greek construction (te... kai) demonstrates a simultaneous effort. It rules out the view of missions as linear or monocentric. Reaching the ends of the earth includes the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Rome, and every generation beyond.

Missionomics Principles for Polycentric Missions

Missionomics is the "exchange of goods and services in missions"—spiritually, socially, and economically.

- Use local resources: Christ sent the Twelve with power but told them to “take nothing with you” (Luke 9:1–5). They were to depend on God and local hospitality. Missionaries should immerse themselves in the local community rather than focusing on enriching themselves.

- Look within the community: The feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1–14) teaches this. While Philip looked at the high cost (money), Andrew found a boy with five loaves and two fish. God uses what is available within the community to accomplish His purpose.

- Maximize results with minimum resources: God calls broken and displaced people—Adam from dust, Rahab the harlot, Peter the fisherman—to maximize results with meager resources.

Conclusion

A solid biblical-theological framework is indispensable to polycentric missions. It demonstrates the connection and continuity of missions in both Testaments. If the church fails to engage in polycentric, multidirectional, and indigenous missions today, it may end up becoming a museum tomorrow.