Vol. 11 No. 3 September–December 2016 The New Missionary Force Mission from the Majority World MCI(P)181/03/20161 Contents Mission Round Table Vol. 11 No. 3 September–December 2016 03 Editorial – Walter McConnell 04 Partnering with the Majority World in the Global Paradigm – Eldon Porter 10 The Challenge and Opportunity of Urban Ministry in China – H. P. 21 Indigenous Mission Movements in China – Steve Z. 33 Partnership with the Global Church: Implications for the Global East – An Interview with Patrick Fung 36 With Bethel in Manchuria – Leslie T. Lyall Cover Photo: The cover photos illustrate just how international mission has become. The first photo shows OMF members at the Central Thailand Field Conference in 1958. Contrast this with the second photo taken at a recent OMF Field Conference held in Thailand and it becomes clear how global OMF has become. Five continents and more than seventeen countries were represented. Nations included Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Uruguay, UK, and USA. Also noticeable is an increasing number of ethnic Asians joining from non-Asian countries. Archive photo source: The Millions (March 1958): 27. Photo Credits: Donations: Download: WEA p. 3, Walter McConnell If you would like to contribute to the work PDF versions of Mission Round Table can be of Mission Round Table, donations can be downloaded from www.omf.org/mrt. made to OMF International and earmarked for “Mission Round Table project.” The editorial content of Mission Round Table reflects the opinions of the various authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the views of OMF International (IHQ) Ltd. © 2016 by OMF International (IHQ) Ltd. Editor: Walter McConnell [email protected] Contributing Editor: Claire McConnell [email protected] Editorial Office: [email protected] Graphic Design and Printing: IK Marketing & Productions Mission Round Table is published by the Mission Research Department OMF International (IHQ) Ltd., 2 Cluny Road, Singapore 259570 2 Mission Round Table Editorial Walter McConnell or more than ten years COMIBAM (Cooperación Misionera the interconnectedness of the modern mission leaders have Iberoamericana) in addition to being world. As these realities force us to reminded us that the part of the WEA MC leadership rethink our mission structures and way F gospel message is not the team. May the Lord bless him and of operating, we would be wise to listen responsibility of one part of the world his associates as they work together to to what he has to say. that must take it to the rest, but a encourage and train the whole church task for the whole church. Mission is so that it can be involved in mission. While Porter gives us a broad overview from anywhere to everywhere. This of the scene, the following two articles past October, around 300 mission The WEA is not the only organization zoom in on mission to and from and church leaders from 80 countries that unites Christians from different China. In the first we learn about discussed this reality under the title of parts of the globe for world evangelism the challenges and opportunities “Polycentric Mission” while attending and discipleship. As the cover photos of doing urban ministry in China. the WEA Mission Commission Global show, during the past fifty to sixty years The change that has taken place in Consultation in Panama. Interaction OMF has seen its membership grow church and society in this country is with a world-wide body of Christians from being primarily Western to the so staggering that even those who do demonstrated that mission springs from point where it includes people from not work there have much to learn multiple centers and highlighted the many ethnic groups and countries of about the needs of the cities wherever shift in mission from the north and origin. they are. The second article highlights west to the south and east. This is not historical and recent attempts by so much a passing of the baton from In this issue of Mission Round Table Chinese Christians to engage in their one part of the world to another but of we will take up some papers from own mission movements. Things they becoming co-laborers in the gospel who OMF’s April 2016 Mission Research have experienced, both positively and shoulder the load together. Consultation on “The Future of negatively, will benefit the church in Mission” to examine several aspects of other countries as they move out in The value the WEA Mission how the Majority World has impacted mission to their own people or cross- Commission places upon the world- mission. culturally. wide church is seen in the composition of the leadership team which includes In the first article, Eldon Porter An interview with Patrick Fung records nine people from five continents. highlights some major issues that need his reflections on some of the ideas This value was highlighted at the to be addressed as mission agencies shared in these and other papers from conference when David Ruiz was and churches interact on a global scale. the Mission Research Consultation. His formally appointed to serve as the A paradigm shift has taken place that main concern is how these ideas that Executive Director of the WEA MC. has included majority world people shape the future of mission impact the Rev. Ruiz is originally from Guatemala in mission, local churches taking a church in and from the Global East. and has served as the General more active role in mission sending, Director and International President of the global diaspora movement, and Our final article steps back in history to introduce one of the significant indigenous evangelistic movements that grew up in China in the first half of the twentieth century—the Bethel Bands. As mentioned in the article on mission movements from China, this group has encouraged many Chinese Christians today to consider their part in reaching out to others with the gospel of Christ. I hope that these articles will stimulate your thought and move you to action, no matter where you are from or where you are working, as mission is indeed from everywhere to everywhere. Walter McConnell Installation of David Ruiz as the Executive Director of the WEA 3 Partnering with the Majority World in the Global Paradigm e live in an unprecedented 1. Personal background period of mission history. W Within the last twenty-five I grew up in Nigeria where my years we have witnessed a paradigm parents served for over forty years as shift away from the old “from the missionaries with SIM, starting in the West to the rest” model to what is now mid-1940s. My wife and I also served described as a mission movement “from with SIM for twenty-one years in anywhere to everywhere.” This change Bolivia and four years as SIM’s Deputy of paradigm poses unique challenges International Director for the Americas for mission structures that were formed where I was responsible for SIM’s in one context but now find themselves Canadian and US sending offices and struggling to adapt to the vibrant but the field work in Latin America. My totally different reality of global missions many leadership roles, both on the field today. The complexity of this paradigm and at the International Office, give me shift is highlighted when a traditional first-hand experience with the struggles Eldon Porter western agency seeks to partner with of a traditional agency trying to adapt a mission movement originating from to the new paradigm. Eldon Porter has earned a what just decades before was a mission ThM from Dallas Theological field. In 2009 we left SIM to focus on Seminary. He has served supporting regional and global mission with SIM for 25 years, As the paradigm shift began to unfold, networks that seek to facilitate effective the last four as the Deputy many traditional agency leaders ministry collaboration by the global International Director for assumed that their primary challenge church. My field of research has been the Americas. He currently would simply be to discover how on the theory, structures, and leadership serves as a Consultant best to partner with the new mission models of networks. I manage a website for Global Engagement structures. The assumption for some called Linking Global Voices where with Missio Nexus and has been that if they can find a partner I track over 500 networks globally.2 COMIBAM. to serve as their sending office from the The site serves as a resource for those new region, address financial challenges seeking to identify various kinds of on support levels, agree on a common networks. language, etc. then they would be partnering with the majority world.1 I also serve in an official capacity as Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. a Consultant for Global Engagement with Missio Nexus, COMIBAM, In the context of this new paradigm, AfMA, CRAF, and to a lesser degree the challenge for the traditional agency the European Evangelical Missions is not so much in building partnerships Association, Central and Eastern but rather in transitioning to relevance European Mission Forum, and Central in the new reality. It is only then that Asia Missions Network.3 an agency, with roots in the former paradigm, will be seen as partnership My primary assignment with Missio or globally friendly by both the Nexus has been to research the impact majority world missions movement of the globalization of missions on as well as by those new mission traditional mission agencies. I lead stakeholders that span western and workshops on this topic for both mission non-western contexts.