60% of the world's population live there, but less than 5% are Christian. East Asian economies are growing rapidly, promising to make an ever-increasing impact on the rest of the world. It is a strategic time to be in Asia.
We asked Malcolm Jones to interview David Ellis, National Director of Overseas Missionary Fellowship UK (OMF) , to explore the life of the Church in East Asia, and discover the part being played by OMF in that part of the world.
EN: To many of us, East Asia is part of a remote continent, somewhere round the other side of the world, populated by people who are some way behind us Westerners.
DE: We are in cloud-cuckoo land in the West if we do not realise that the East is racing ahead of us. After returning from many cities in Asia, you feel that we are the ones who are light years behind. The economic progress going on in the major capitals of Asia is outstanding. The rate of growth in the economies of these countries has been consistently in the region of 8-10% in recent years. It is now being said that, by the year 2015, China will have a stronger economy that the USA; and that, by the year 2025, it will have a stronger economy than the USA and Europe put together!
Asian economics
The economies of many Asia/Pacific countries are far stronger than our western economies. So they are already world economic powers. Their influence as world political powers is bound to increase dramatically.
When you see the way they are working and the way companies are investing there, you have to say that (apart from any political or military crises) East Asia is going to be the strategic player in the next century. These people have the numbers, the resources and the will. There is no talk of recession in Asia. They are no longer dependent on the West for marketing their goods. They are generating market forces in their own area. The percentage of trade with the West is steadily decreasing.
In terms of prosperity, standing of living and the affluence of Asia, it is rocketing upwards. So they are no longer the poor people of the Third World. They are shooting ahead of us in terms of technological advancement in electronics and communications. They are rapidly becoming world leaders.
It is therefore crucial at the moment that we see the evangelisation of these peoples as urgent. Less than 5% are Christian. So what kind of Asia is going to influence the next decades? Is it going to be Islamic, Confucianist, materialistic or Christian? It is a very strategic time.
Looking back
EN: OMF has been in East Asia for many years. Could you give us a brief look into the past?
DE: On June 25 1865, Hudson Taylor paced Brighton beach, burdened for the lost souls of China. He felt constrained to pray for '24 willing, skilful workers' - two for each province of China, including Mongolia. So the China Inland Mission was formed 'with £10 in the bank and all the promises of God'.
We continued in China until we were forced to leave at the time of the Communist revolution; at which time we went to the Chinese people outside of mainland China. It was at that point the Mission changed its name to Overseas Missionary Fellowship. The word 'Overseas' referred to overseas Chinese. Now we are simply OMF International.
We have spread out into the countries of East Asia, and are now in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, Malaysia and Cambodia. We also introduce Christians with professional skills to China and some other Asian countries.
EN: You are an 'international' missionary fellowship. What does that mean?
DE: Over the years, many of our Asian brothers and sisters have had a tremendous sense of burden from the Lord to join us as a missionary society. So in 1965 we opened our doors to people of all nationalities, and we now have people from 27 nations working with us.
The most rapidly-growing area in our membership is Asian. It is a wonderful witness to the international body of Christ. It is also very thrilling to see the various nationalities rub corners off each other. And as we work together we begin to discover what is biblical and what is cultural in our methods and customs.
Opportunities
EN: The task of supporting so many missionaries in so many different countries and cultures must be a great challenge.
DE: Not only do we have our international headquarters out in Singapore, but we ensure that each area of work has its own field centre. This goes back to the days when Hudson Taylor felt that many of the decisions taken for him back in Britain as a young missionary were irrelevant to the on-the-ground situations he faced in China. So, though we are one organisation, strategic decisions for the different countries are taken on the field.
EN: I assume that opportunities for evangelism vary considerably from country to country.
DE: Yes. There are certain countries that are open to us working in traditional missionary ways. But if you lump all those countries together they only represent a population of something like 350 million. Whereas we are looking at a population of 1.8 billion in Asia.
EN: So what can be done for countries closed to overt evangelism?
DE: There is a tremendous potential for professional people who are committed Christians, to be witnesses in the way they work and in what they do and say. There are great openings for professional people in countries crying out for experts in technology, in medicine, in building, in engineering and in teaching English. You don't even have to be highly qualified to be allowed to teach English. A TEFL certificate will suffice.
The witness and testimony of Christian professionals speaks for itself, and (inevitably) they will be asked what they believe. So the opportunity for friendship evangelism, for gossiping the gospel, is there.
They are not, however, missionaries in the traditional sense of that word. It is a matter of integrity that they enter these countries as bona fide professionals, with a secular profile, not a religious one. But they are there as believers who bear the presence and witness of Christ with them. And the evidence is that this is highly effective.
New workers
EN: With greater ease of travel, there is a large increase in short term missionary activity. Is this good or bad?
DE: It is great to have people come out and experience Asia first-hand. But I think it is a bad thing if it stops there; because though there is much that a person can do in the short term, there is also much that can only be done long term.
It is difficult in a short term to earn the right to speak. It is difficult in the short term to understand the culture that lies behind the language. To reach the point where one can speak the heart language with a measure of real appreciation and understanding - so that the Word of God is truly planted in the hearts - takes more than a short term commitment.
We do, however, welcome those who come short term. We are very grateful for them. We have frequently found that young people come to us for a short term of two or three months, and when they return home they discover that the experience has revolutionised their lives. Through it they hear the call of God to come back for a long term commitment.
Short-termers are encouraged to go out to observe and to learn; to get alongside missionaries to learn the joys and sorrows of spiritual work. There is no way I would want to oppose that. For many it is the start of a lifetime commitment. To be honest, we are just as happy if they make that commitment to another society, working in another part of the world. Some will stay here in the UK and get behind the work in prayer. We need that too.
EN: What qualities do you look for in missionary candidates?
DE: A Japanese brother - who used to run the orientation centre in Singapore - said to me a few months ago: 'There are two qualities I look for in the new workers when they come. If I see these I feel fairly sure they will go on. If I don't see these, I'm never surprised when I hear they have gone home. The first thing I look for is a heart for God. The second thing I look for is a teachable spirit.' Everything else comes under that.
EN: How is the work of OMF funded?
DE: We are committed to a policy of not soliciting for funds, but we are not committed to a conspiracy of silence. We have proved the words of Hudson Taylor - that: 'God's work done in God's way will not lack God's supply' are true. The Lord promises that if we get on with the things that are closest to his heart, he will take care of the things closest to our heart. We have only profound gratitude to God for the way funds have come in over the years.
EN: Now that we Western Christians have recovered our social conscience, have not funds which would otherwise have gone to missionaries been used to meet social needs at home and abroad?
DE: All I can say is that we have budgeted for has come in. We would all like more money, but God continues to faithfully supply our needs.
Nor would I want to draw a sharp line between spiritual and social concerns. Although evangelism and Bible teaching remain our central thrust - our gospel priorities - we also are involved in works of compassion , such as hospitals and hostels for homeless people.
EN: Why should we be concentrating on East Asia just now?
DE: At present we have unprecedented opportunities in Asia. We have more openings than we can find people for.
In the professional field, the opportunities are almost boundless. We have around 1,000 members working with OMF. That could increase dramatically. Because Asia is on this rapid growth curve, they do not have enough professional expertise. It is a window of opportunity, but it will come to an end. The call for foreign professionals is fundamentally pragmatic. As soon as they are no longer needed, Christian professionals will no longer be wanted. We need to seize the day!
These are exciting times in East Asia. It's going places. It's alive. Everybody's interested. Everybody's keen. That's why they are going places. That is the place to be to influence the world in the next century. This is a strategic time to be there with the gospel of Christ.
